Cavaliers Still in the Hunt for Summer League Final Despite Setbacks

Undefeated teams stand in their way, but the Cavaliers can still crash the Summer League title game with a little outside help.

Aug 16, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Phoenix Suns center Kyle Alexander (17) and Cleveland Cavaliers center Mfiondu Kabengele (27) vie for the opening tip off an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Although the Cleveland Cavaliers remained sidelined from the action during the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League, there has been a change in the standings. Although the Cavaliers are still in tenth place, there's still a way for Cleveland to reach the Championship Game of the annual Las Vegas event.

But to get there, they'll need a little help from the teams in action on Tuesday. Although Monday didn't go as Cleveland fans might have wanted, with the Las Vegas iterations of the San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers, and Charlotte Hornets remaining undefeated, there's still hope for the Cavaliers.

Looking ahead, if Cleveland wins its final scheduled game against the Sacramento Kings, there's a good chance they could return to the Summer League Championship Game for the first time since 2023, which the Cavaliers won over the Houston Rockets by a score of 99-78.

However, with Cleveland not back in action until Wednesday, July 16, here are some key matchups and who Cavaliers fans should be rooting for today if they want to see the wine and gold back in the Championship Game:

Want to Win	Want to Lose	Game Time, Where to Watch
Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0)	Detroit Pistons (2-0)	4:30 PM ET, NBA TV
Orlando Magic (0-2)	Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0)	6:30 PM ET, NBA TV
Denver Nuggets (0-2)	Toronto Raptors (2-0)	8:00 PM ET, ESPN 3/ESPN+

Although the Minnesota Timberwolves are undefeated and ahead of the Cavaliers in the standings, the Detroit Pistons are higher than both squads in Summer League action. To help Cleveland out, Minnesota must defeat the Cavaliers' Central Division rival.

Elsewhere, Cleveland needs two winless teams, Denver and Orlando, to step up and blemish the undefeated records of Toronto and Oklahoma City. Suppose everything goes according to plan, and the Cavaliers defeat the undefeated Kings tomorrow. In that case, there's a fairly clear path for Cleveland to return to the Summer League Championship game for the second time in three years.