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Cavaliers Hover Near Playoffs: 41-31 Record, Cap Constraints

  //food-wine.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/07 .. -near-playoffs-41-31-record-cap-constraints.html
  Published in Food and Wine on Friday, November 7th 2025 at 6:02 GMT by Cleveland.com
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The Current State of the Cavs

Wine opens by laying out the Cavs’ recent performance. With a 41‑31 record, the team sits comfortably in the middle of the Eastern Conference, flirting with playoff contention but still feeling the weight of unmet expectations. Key contributors such as Jarrett Allen, Jalen McDaniels, and rookie guard Michael Carter‑Williams have provided bright spots, but the roster is still missing a true superstar to carry the franchise into a deep playoff run. The article notes that Cleveland’s management has been cautious with their cap space, keeping most of the 2025‑26 salary cap roughly $45 million, which leaves only a modest amount for a significant acquisition.

Who Could Be on the Chopping Block?

Wine and Gold Talk’s host, an avid fan and former amateur player named “Gold,” dive into the list of players that could potentially be moved. The conversation begins with Jarrett Allen. While Allen is a cornerstone for the Cavs, his contract has become a double‑edge sword: it’s a 6‑year, $102 million deal that could be difficult to shed in full, but it could also be packaged in a trade to acquire a high‑value piece. They argue that Cleveland could keep a portion of Allen’s contract while trading a package of draft picks and a role player to get a former All-Star or a franchise center from the West.

Another player in the mix is Jalen McDaniels. The 23‑year‑old has become a fan favorite thanks to his hustle and three‑point shooting, but the Cavs have never publicly acknowledged that he could be part of a trade. “Gold” suggests that McDaniels could be a “sweetener” in a deal, especially if Cleveland wants to bring in a seasoned veteran or a big‑man upgrade. On the flip side, the team could be tempted to keep McDaniels, given his potential upside, and instead look to flip a different, perhaps less central, asset.

The article also briefly touches on the possibility of moving a younger, fringe player such as Jae Crowder, who has had a journeyman’s career across the league and currently sits on a short‑term contract. Because Crowder’s contract is a relatively low risk to waive, it could serve as a bargaining chip if Cleveland’s front office decides to stay in the market.

Trade Deadline Strategy

The podcast segment explores Cleveland’s likely approach to the trade deadline. With a mix of cap space and a desire to improve the roster, the team could consider a “trade‑for‑cash” type of move. “Gold” points out that the Cavs would likely target a big man who can stretch the floor, thereby providing the same help Allen currently gives on defense. They discuss the possibility of acquiring someone like an “All‑Star‑level center from the Lakers or Celtics,” but acknowledge that the price tag could be prohibitive.

Wine also considers a scenario where the Cavs would trade down to pick up an early second‑round pick and then use that pick in a subsequent trade for a more established role player. This approach would preserve cap space for the following season while still making the roster more competitive. The conversation cites a past trade involving the Cavs and the New York Knicks in 2023, where Cleveland traded a high‑draft pick for a veteran center, as a precedent that could inform the upcoming deadline.

External Context and Further Reading

The article links to a feature from the Cleveland Press that analyzes the Cavaliers’ salary cap and how it compares to the league average. This link provides a detailed breakdown of the Cavs’ contract landscape, including the remaining years on each key player’s deal and the projected cap space for the 2025‑26 season. Readers are directed to a second link that offers a broader view of trade rumors involving Andrew Wiggins, a free‑agent star who might be a target for Cleveland if the Cavs can align the financials.

An additional link in the article directs to the “Gold Talk” podcast episode, which contains a deeper conversation with the host and a live Q&A session with Cleveland fans. That audio resource offers listeners a more nuanced perspective on how the Cavs might restructure their roster, complete with anecdotes from former players who’ve seen similar trades at the deadline.

Takeaway

Chris Wine and Gold Talk paint a picture of a franchise on the cusp of transformation, with a handful of players potentially becoming trade assets in the quest to build a competitive core. The Cavaliers appear to be navigating a tight cap situation, weighing the benefits of keeping their star players against the allure of a high‑impact addition from the trade market. With the deadline in just a few weeks, the Cavs’ front office faces a critical decision: retain their core and hope for incremental improvement, or make a bold move that could shift the franchise’s trajectory. The article, combined with the supplemental links, offers a thorough snapshot of where Cleveland sits in the 2025 trade landscape, and what the next steps might look like for a team that still believes in the potential of its roster.