Just a couple of months ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers were unbeatable. Donovan Mitchell and Co. started the season in scorching hot form and continued to steamroll teams as the season went on. After finishing the regular season with 64 wins, the Cavs humiliated Miami 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Everything seemed to be going Cleveland’s way until it suddenly collapsed. Darius Garland sprained his big toe, Donovan Mitchell aggravated a prior ankle sprain, and even Evan Mobley suffered from a swollen ankle. The result? The Cavs were dismantled by the Pacers in the second round, 4-1. While the injuries did not make things better, Cleveland’s on-court performances were also equally bad. While we can debate the reasons for them running out of gas in May, the main question is, what’s next for the Cavs?

This disappointing exit has, out of nowhere, put this expensively put-together roster in question. To put things into perspective, Donovan Mitchell inked a massive $150.3 million extension last summer. Meanwhile, Cleveland’s defensive maestro, Evan Mobley, also signed the dotted line to extend his stay in Ohio for the next five years. The 23-year-old over this time is set to earn a whopping $224 million. At least, that is what he’s supposed to earn. Now, after winning the Defensive Player of the Year honors and likely getting named to the All-NBA, that amount can skyrocket to a staggering $269 million.

On its own, this seems fine because there’s no doubt that these stars have earned their huge payday. But the apron spares no one, not even the best of teams. Every dollar counts in the apron world. It doesn’t matter if the owners are willing to spend the big bucks or not. That’s because Cleveland’s third superstar, Darius Garland, is also on a huge contract. The 25-year-old point guard is on a massive $197.2 million five-year deal. With this, the Cavs are already around $27.3 million over the luxury-tax line for the upcoming season. However, that’s not it! Cleveland has only 11 players under contract.

Even if they fill the remaining four spots with minimum contracts, that would still land them roughly $34 million over the tax and $15 million over the second apron of $207.8 million. So, this unfortunately means that Cleveland will have to address the elephant in the room. The team will have to cut a big contract, and that could be none other than Darius Garland. Don’t get any wrong ideas; the All-Star point guard is a great player, but between him, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, he has the most cons. With three years and approximately $127 million remaining on his contract, it seems the right move. This will not only provide some much-needed apron relief but also give the roster flexibility.

The right deal for Garland could potentially rejuvenate the team and make them contenders yet again. On the other hand, the Cavs also have to fill gaps in their roster, because this is the second straight year they’ve crashed out of the playoffs earlier than expected. It will be interesting to see how Koby Altman and the Cavaliers’ front office approach this situation, as a huge offseason awaits the team from Ohio. However, the problems don’t seem to end.

Beyond Darius Garland, more tough decisions await Cleveland in the offseason

The Darius Garland situation is not the only tough pill to swallow for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team will also face several other difficult choices if they even decide to ship Garland. The most notable ones will be Ty Jerome and the new acquisition, De’Andre Hunter. Both of these players have emerged as unlikely heroes of this star-studded roster this season. Jerome is set to hit the unrestricted free agent market as the Cavaliers wrap up their disappointing campaign.

Yes, the team can sign him using his early bird rights, but even a $10 million salary is too much for the Cavs at this point. Similarly, Hunter’s $24 million salary might not be the right fit for the team. Hunter joined the team from the Hawks midway through the campaign and immediately became a major part of the team. He averaged 11 points along with 3.6 rebounds in the playoffs and proved his worth. But the apron doesn’t care about the chemistry. So, the Cavs might have let him go.

Meanwhile, re-signing Jerome also seems a bit tricky, given the team has almost no room to wiggle. This makes offloading a big contract even more important for the Cavs. Well, it’s not as if they have a choice now. The Cavs are standing at a crossroads and will have to make a call sooner or later. What will their call be? Will they let go of Garland or surprise everyone? That will definitely be something to watch out for as the Cavaliers now shift their focus toward the next season.