Raptors vs. Cavaliers: Is Cleveland in danger of an early exit? Series keys, schedule and prediction

The Eastern Conference’s fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers play the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs . The teams haven’t faced each other in the postseason since 2018, when LeBron James still owned Toronto. What we know about the Cavaliers They are probably better today than they were at the start of this season, all things considered, but neither version of these Cavaliers is better than they were at various points of last season’s 64-win campaign, which ended in the playoffs’ second round.

Despite averaging 54 wins over the past four seasons, Cleveland has won two series in three previous trips to the playoffs in its Donovan Mitchell era, and that is not good enough, given how good he has been and how much talent he has around him. Some of it was redundant among the All-Star quartet of Mitchell and Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Mobley’s development as a rising star stagnated, and Garland’s injury issues persisted.

The Cavs were taking a step in the wrong direction. They needed a shakeup and got a big one at the start of February. First, Cleveland executive Koby Altman swapped a disappointing De’Andre Hunter for both Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder from the Sacramento Kings, a brilliant depth-bolstering move.

A few days later, Altman turned Garland into James Harden, a more curious decision . So, here we are, with a 36-year-old Harden in 26-year-old Garland’s stead in lineups that boast Mitchell, Mobley and Allen — lineups that are +52 in 92 minutes together. Meanwhile, the Cavs are deeper than ever before on the wing, where Max Strus, Dean Wade, Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill can all play, along with Ellis and Schröder.