Cavaliers Must Consider Two Painful Trades After Playoff Flop

It's time for the Cleveland Cavaliers to consider making a couple of painful trades after flopping in the NBA playoffs yet again.

Nov 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and center Jarrett Allen (31) celebrate during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers' magical 2024-25 NBA campaign ended with a whimper on Tuesday night, as they were eliminated from the playoffs with their Game 5 second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The defeat came after a brilliant 64-win regular season for the Cavaliers, where it finally appeared that Cleveland was going to break through with a deep playoff run. Instead, the Cavs once again failed to make it past Round 2, prompting an wide array of questions for the Cavaliers heading into the offseason.

Remember: last summer, there was a hot debate about whether or not Cleveland should split up the tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland or if they should move Jarrett Allen, but the Cavs opted to double down on their "Core Four" by standing pat.

This time around, however, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the Cavaliers must weigh the real possibility of trading one of Garland or Allen, both of whom are very good players with obvious deficiencies.

For Garland, his defensive woes have been a major issue for Cleveland, so much so that some have even wondered if the Cavs are actually better without him. Then there is Allen, who just finished with nine points and four rebounds in 30 minutes of an elimination game.

Do the Cavaliers have to move both players? No, but they should absolutely field trade inquiries for their two stars, especially considering the financial situation in which Cleveland finds itself.

The Cavs handed max contract extensions to both Mitchell and Evan Mobley last summer, also extending Allen on a three-year, $90 million deal. Garland inked a five-year, $197 million pact with the Cavaliers in July 2022.

Cleveland's money has dried up, and it is dangerously close to cresting the luxury tax threshold, which would create significant problems for the Cavs in the future thanks to the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement. You know, aprons and all that.

But even putting the finances aside, at what point do the Cavaliers realize that this simply isn't working? Since Mitchell arrived in a trade back in September 2022, Cleveland has made three playoff appearances. It has one first-round exit and a couple of second-round departures on its resume during that span. That just isn't good enough.

The Cavs need a more rugged backcourt option next to Mitchell, one that can effectively guard multiple positions on the defensive end while also still being a threat offensively. Kind of like Derrick White has been since joining Boston. They also need more frontcourt depth and perhaps a center who can actually score outside of lobs and putbacks.

It's still too early to identify exact trade packages the Cavaliers can concoct, even if countless Cleveland fans across the country are firing up Giannis Antetokounmpo proposals as we speak.

But what we do know is that something needs to change for the Cavs, and nothing short of jettisoning one of Garland or Allen will be enough of an alteration.

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