Cleveland Cavaliers · Franchise era 7 of 7
A contender grows without LeBron: the Cleveland Cavaliers story
Franchise era
2018–19—present
A contender grows without LeBron
Cleveland Cavaliers
The story in one sentence
Cleveland rebuilt through the draft, then added Mitchell to a frontcourt-led foundation capable of contending on its own terms.
Size, defense and a new All-Star core
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2018–19
What came before
James returned, formed a new Big Three and led the 2016 comeback that delivered Cleveland its first NBA championship.
September 3, 2022
The Donovan Mitchell trade that produced two franchise stars
Cleveland accelerated a promising young core around Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Utah accepted a developmental centerpiece plus seven years of draft influence.
16Star-for-future swapSeptember 3, 2022CLE⇄UTAMitchell to ClevelandCleveland acquired Donovan Mitchell for Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected firsts and two swaps.9 assets · 2 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Cleveland Cavaliers received
- • Donovan Mitchell
Utah Jazz received
- • Lauri Markkanen
- • Collin Sexton
- • Ochai Agbaji
- • 2025 Cleveland first
- • 2026 Cleveland swap rights
- • 2027 Cleveland first
- • 2028 Cleveland swap rights
- • 2029 Cleveland first
Mitchell became Cleveland's lead scorer and Markkanen made his own leap into an All-Star in Utah, creating a rare blockbuster with a genuine star outcome on both sides.
Open full trade tree →2025
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers
2026
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons
2026
Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core