Three things the Cleveland Cavaliers should wish for this Christmas

In the spirit of the holidays, these are three things the Cavaliers should be wishing for this Christmas

Dec 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Sir CC performs during a time out in the second half of the game between the Cavaliers and the New Orleans Pelicans at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The holiday season is always a fun time in the NBA, with some of the biggest games of the year played on Christmas.

While the Cavs won’t be one of those teams playing on the big day, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stay busy over the holiday. They need to be writing a list for Santa, hoping to get some miracles coming to Cleveland.

These are three things the Cavaliers should be asking from Santa in a season that is beginning to slip away from them.

1. Some good news from the injury report

This has been a season full of injuries for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Darius Garland and Max Strus each began the season with a major injury. Strus has yet to play a game, and Garland hasn’t been fully healthy even when playing.

Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr., Sam Merrill and Lonzo Ball have all missed several games with injury already this season.

Now Evan Mobley will miss the next few weeks. 

Every time a new injury update comes to Cleveland, things look worse and worse. The Cavaliers’ biggest Christmas wish should be that just once, they’ll get positive news. Maybe a player progressing ahead of schedule, or a player like Garland nearing 100%.

2. Some shooting

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently shooting at just a 33% rate from behind the arc, fourth worst in the NBA.

It’s been a mixture of poor shot selection, missing some of their best shooters and just a down season.

One of Clevelands’ biggest wishes is going to be hitting at a higher rate over the rest of the season. 

Getting Merrill and Strus back would help, and maybe adding a new threat through some midseason trades could change. Kenny Atkinson will also be relied on to create some new schemes down the stretch, allowing the team to focus on just getting the numbers up and getting some efficiency in big games.

3. An exciting new trade offer

If the season keeps going and the Cavs can’t win games consistently, change is going to be inevitable.

The Cavaliers may be active sellers as one of the league’s most expensive teams, that has minimal future draft assets.

A guy like De’Andre Hunter, who was recently benched for the rising Jaylon Tyson, is one name who could generate some value in the trade market. Other guys like Allen and Garland are also active in trade talks, but with declining value due to their injuries and lack of production.

Cleveland should be wishing for a team to be a little too high on a player, and find a great haul that can put the team in position for either a quick fix this season, or a chance in the near future.