2026–27 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 2026–27 Cleveland Cavaliers season will be the 57th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Draft picks

Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 29 Alex Karaban SF United States UConn The Cavaliers entered the draft holding one first-round selection, which originally belonged to the San Antonio Spurs and acquired from a first-round swap with the Atlanta Hawks as part of a 2025 trade, triggered when San Antonio finished with a better record than Atlanta in the 2025–26 season. The team had traded their original second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2026 as part of a deal to acquire James Harden.

They used their only selection to select Alex Karaban, but soon traded his draft rights to the Sacramento Kings for the draft rights to the 34th pick, Meleek Thomas, and a 2032 second-round pick.

Roster

Standings Division

Conference

Game log Preseason

| October 8 | Boston

| Rocket Arena | –

| October 11 | Orlando

| Rocket Arena | –

| October 13 | @ Orlando

| Kia Center | –

Regular season

| 1 | October 22 | @ Philadelphia

| Xfinity Mobile Arena | –

| 2 | October 24 | Brooklyn

| Rocket Arena | –

| 3 | October 26 | Minnesota

| Rocket Arena | –

| 4 | October 28 | Washington

| Rocket Arena | –

| 5 | October 29 | @ Atlanta

| State Farm Arena | –

| 6 | October 31 | @ Milwaukee

| Fiserv Forum | –

| 7 | November 2 | Oklahoma City

| Rocket Arena | –

| 8 | November 4 | @ Oklahoma City

| Paycom Center | –

| 9 | November 6 | Philadelphia

| Rocket Arena | –

| 10 | November 7 | New York

| Rocket Arena | –

| 11 | November 9 | @ Charlotte

| Spectrum Center | –

| 12 | November 11 | @ New York

| Madison Square Garden | –

| 13 | November 13 | @ Miami

| Kaseya Center | –

| 14 | November 14 | Dallas

| Rocket Arena | –

| 15 | November 16 | Chicago

| Rocket Arena | –

| 16 | November 18 | Memphis

| Rocket Arena | –

| 17 | November 20 | Indiana

| Rocket Arena | –

| 18 | November 23 | @ Chicago

| United Center | –

| 19 | November 25 | @ New York

| Madison Square Garden | –

| 20 | November 29 | Miami

| Rocket Arena | –

| 21 | December 1 | Indiana

| Rocket Arena | –

| 22 | December 3 | @ Chicago

| United Center | –

| 23 | TBD | TBD

| TBD | –

| 24 | TBD | TBD

| TBD | –

| 25 | December 12 | Golden State

| Rocket Arena | –

| 26 | December 15 | San Antonio

| Rocket Arena | –

| 27 | December 16 | @ Orlando

| Kia Center | –

| 28 | December 18 | @ Detroit

| Little Caesars Arena | –

| 29 | December 20 | Utah

| Rocket Arena | –

| 30 | December 21 | New York

| Rocket Arena | –

| 31 | December 23 | @ Washington

| Capital One Arena | –

| 32 | December 27 | Washington

| Rocket Arena | –

| 33 | December 28 | @ Boston

| TD Garden | –

| 34 | December 31 | L.A. Clippers

| Rocket Arena | –

| 35 | January 2 | @ Charlotte

| Spectrum Center | –

| 36 | January 3 | @ Houston

| Toyota Center | –

| 37 | January 5 | Toronto

| Rocket Arena | –

| 38 | January 7 | @ Orlando

| Kia Center | –

| 39 | January 9 | Denver

| Rocket Arena | –

| 40 | January 11 | @ Minnesota

| Target Center | –

| 41 | January 13 | @ Atlanta

| State Farm Arena | –

| 42 | January 15 | @ Milwaukee

| Fiserv Forum | –

| 43 | January 16 | @ Memphis

| FedExForum | –

| 44 | January 18 | Detroit

| Rocket Arena | –

| 45 | January 21 | @ Brooklyn

| Barclays Center | –

| 46 | January 23 | @ Dallas

| American Airlines Center | –

| 47 | January 25 | @ New Orleans

| Smoothie King Center | –

| 48 | January 27 | Detroit

| Rocket Arena | –

| 49 | January 29 | @ Toronto

| Scotiabank Arena | –

| 50 | January 30 | New Orleans

| Rocket Arena | –

| 51 | February 1 | @ Utah

| Delta Center | –

| 52 | February 3 | @ Phoenix

| Mortgage Matchup Center | –

| 53 | February 4 | @ Portland

| Moda Center | –

| 54 | February 6 | Orlando

| Rocket Arena | –

| 55 | February 9 | Toronto

| Rocket Arena | –

| 56 | February 10 | @ Indiana

| Gainbridge Fieldhouse | –

| 57 | February 12 | @ Toronto

| Scotiabank Arena | –

| 58 | February 14 | Phoenix

| Rocket Arena | –

| 59 | February 16 | Milwaukee

| Rocket Arena | –

| 60 | February 17 | Milwaukee

| Rocket Arena | – |- align="center" |colspan="9" bgcolor="#bbcaff"|All-Star Game

| 61 | February 25 | Sacramento

| Rocket Arena | –

| 62 | February 26 | @ Boston

| TD Garden | –

| 63 | March 1 | Philadelphia

| Rocket Arena | –

| 64 | March 4 | Portland

| Rocket Arena | –

| 65 | March 6 | Atlanta

| Rocket Arena | –

| 66 | March 9 | @ Detroit

| Little Caesars Arena | –

| 67 | March 11 | @ L.A. Clippers

| Intuit Dome | –

| 68 | March 12 | @ L.A. Lakers

| Crypto.com Arena | –

| 69 | March 14 | @ Sacramento

| Golden 1 Center | –

| 70 | March 16 | @ Golden State

| Chase Center | –

| 71 | March 18 | @ Denver

| Ball Arena | –

| 72 | March 20 | Chicago

| Rocket Arena | –

| 73 | March 22 | Houston

| Rocket Arena | –

| 74 | March 25 | L.A. Lakers

| Rocket Arena | –

| 75 | March 29 | Miami

| Rocket Arena | –

| 76 | March 31 | @ Brooklyn

| Barclays Center | –

| 77 | April 1 | Boston

| Rocket Arena | –

| 78 | April 4 | Charlotte

| Rocket Arena | –

| 79 | April 5 | Brooklyn

| Rocket Arena | –

| 80 | April 7 | @ San Antonio

| Frost Bank Center | –

| 81 | April 9 | @ Indiana

| Gainbridge Fieldhouse | –

| 82 | April 11 | Atlanta

| Rocket Arena | –

NBA Cup

East Group B

Transactions

Trades

Date Trade Ref.June 23, 2026 To Cleveland Cavaliers 2026 SAC second-round pick (No. 34) 2032 SAC second-round pick To Sacramento Kings Draft rights to Alex Karaban (No. 29) August 20, 2026Five-team trade To Charlotte Hornets Dennis Schröder (from Cleveland) Cash considerations (from Cleveland)To Cleveland Cavaliers Peyton Watson (sign-and-trade) (from Denver) Cam Whitmore (from Washington) Draft rights to Ismaël Kamagate (2022 No. 46) (from Los Angeles)To Denver Nuggets Julian Reese (two-way contract) (from Washington) 2031 CLE first-round pick (from Cleveland) 2032 SAC second-round pick (from Cleveland)To Los Angeles Clippers Max Strus (from Cleveland)To Washington Wizards Tre Mann (from Charlotte) 2027 second-round pick (from Los Angeles) Cash considerations (from Cleveland)

Notes

Free agency Re-signed Date Player Ref. July 7, 2026 Thomas Bryant September 8, 2026 James Harden

Additions Date Player Former Team Ref. July 31, 2026 Mario Hezonja Real Madrid

Subtractions Player Reason New Team Ref. Dean Wade Free agency Philadelphia 76ers Larry Nance Jr. Free agency Indiana Pacers Keon Ellis Free agency Brooklyn Nets Olivier Sarr Free agency Real Madrid

References