The Cleveland Cavaliers Should Go All-In on Kevin Durant

After the devastating blow of missing out on LeBron James, the Cavs should dream bigger than Peyton Watson or Mario Hezonja.

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) defends during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After missing out on LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers fans are desperate for a big move.

The landscape of this Eastern Conference has changed, and Cavs fans are smart. They understand that it could be even more difficult for the Cavs to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, even though it took back-to-back seven-game series just a few months ago.

After LeBron signed in Philadelphia, longtime Cavs writer Sam Amico noted the Cavs could be working on something bigger than a reunion with James. In a speculative response article clearly headlined “big swings the Cavs could make,” I clearly noted that a trade for Kevin Durant would require a massive return to the Houston Rockets.

I never suggested or reported that this is something that is possibly happening, or would ever happen. I was simply mentioning that Durant was the lone player that could somehow get traded this offseason that would significantly improve Cleveland’s title odds.

But that’s not what the aggregators ran with.

REPORT: The Cavs could target Kevin Durant to close out the offseason, per @NickPedone12

"The Cavs could be looking at higher-profile moves. Durant is probably the last big fish remaining this offseason. The Cavs are deep enough where they’d be able to load manage him. It’s the… pic.twitter.com/YG6fVdb1ri

— SleeperCavs (@SleeperCleCavs) July 30, 2026

The aggregators implied that the Cavs are actually targeting Durant. And that’s probably not true. But it should be.

After the Cavs were swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champion New York Knicks, owner Dan Gilbert posted on X that the team was “nowhere close” to where they needed to be.

Nothing about how they’ve moved this offseason would indicate that Durant is a target, but based on Gilbert's social media post, he should be. Already this offseason, Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman refused to trade Evan Mobley for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaylen Brown. The Cavs have a massive hole on the wing, but seem focused on internal development. 

The Cavs sat on the sideline this offseason while they watched the Eastern Conference load up on championship-level players. Antetokounmpo won a ring in Milwaukee and joined the playoff-contending Miami Heat. Brown won a title in Boston and joined Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey before eventually luring LeBron to Philadelphia. The Toronto Raptors are trying to finalize a trade for Kawhi Leonard, who won a title there in 2019. 

The Knicks are the champs, and the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks both improved, too.

So, what have the Cavs done? 

The Cavs re-signed backup big man Thomas Bryant and gave a veteran minimum contract to Mario Hezonja, who hasn’t played in the NBA in six seasons. The Cavs lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis while waiting for LeBron, who decided the Sixers gave him a better opportunity for a fifth championship.

That’s not good enough, especially for a team that needs to be all in. Durant is the last option that would give the Cavs a championship-level player like all of their Eastern Conference rivals.

The Cavs can’t think about their future until 2030, because their draft picks are still heading to the Utah Jazz in the Donovan Mitchell trade. Speaking of Mitchell, he just signed a massive four-year contract extension worth $272.8 million. 

Altman clearly believes that Mitchell and Mobley are good enough to win a championship. 

But trading Darius Garland for 36-year-old James Harden was a move that proved that the Cavs are feeling more desperate to get closer to a championship. Harden still hasn’t re-signed with the Cavs, giving Altman flexibility to try sign-and-trades for Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga.

But the Cavs shouldn’t be afraid to dream bigger than that. 

February 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs forward Kevin Durant (35, left) of the Phoenix Suns and Shaq’s OGs guard James Harden (1, right) of the LA Clippers warm up before the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Harden and Durant have played 259 games together in their NBA careers between their time together with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets.

This offseason, Altman watched Jaylen Brown, a premier wing and MVP contender, get moved *in conference* for an aging, broken down Paul George and picks. Get the Houston Rockets on the phone. They were embarrassed in the playoffs worse than the Cavs were. See what it would take to get Durant in Cleveland.

The 37-year-old was still one of the purest scorers in the league last year. He started 78 games, averaging 36 minutes and 26 points, five rebounds and four assists per game.

Fair or not, Mitchell has gained a reputation as a player that runs out of gas in the postseason. Durant is a playoff riser, and could join an organization that he once tormented in the NBA Finals.

Durant, the NBA's fifth all-time leading scorer, would strengthen his legacy by winning a championship in Cleveland, the same franchise he beat at the peak of the LeBron James era.