Austin Rivers isn’t sold on Cavs as contenders: ‘I do see them still in the middle’

Austin Rivers — who last played in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2022-23 campaign — would not classify the Cleveland Cavaliers as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference ahead of the 2024-25 season.

“I do seem them still in the middle,” Rivers said when asked if he expects the Cavaliers to compete with teams like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. “I would have them higher if not for the fact that those other teams drastically got better. Boston was already the top of the — top of the league. They’re all back, so they stay one, right? Philly, as we know, got a lot better. And then — it’s not just Paul George. They made key signings of returning players. They even added a little bit more depth. Who else did they sign? They signed the Martin twin. They signed — obviously they signed Paul George.”

The Cavaliers made several significant signings earlier in the offseason. The team inked Donovan Mitchell to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension to keep him in Cleveland. Additionally, the Cavaliers signed Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to extensions. Mobley agreed to a five-year extension and Allen agreed to a three-year extension.

However, Isaac Okoro remains a restricted free agent. The Cavaliers used the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft on Okoro.

While Cleveland did extend the contracts of many of its best players from last season, the Cavaliers haven’t made a significant addition to their roster via trade or free agency since the team was eliminated in the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

The Cavaliers’ second-round playoff series served as a measuring stick for Cleveland and suggested that the roster — which looks almost identical as of this writing — was not good enough to compete for an NBA title. Cleveland faced off against a Celtics team that went on to win the 2024 championship, and the Cavaliers were decisively outplayed for the majority of the best-of-seven series.

Three of Cleveland’s four losses to Boston came by double digits, with the one exception being Game 4. In addition, the Cavaliers lost their only two home games of the series, which came in Games 3 and 4.

The Cavaliers’ lone win of the series came in Game 2 on the road. The squad handed the Celtics a 24-point loss at TD Garden behind the play of Mitchell, who dropped 29 points. Boston lost at home only two times in the entirety of its title run during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Before the 2024-25 regular season commences, the Cavaliers will try to build good habits during the preseason. Cleveland’s first preseason contest will be against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 8, and that game will take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

After their preseason opener, Cleveland will take on the Indiana Pacers two days later on Oct. 10 in what will be another home game.