NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers Reluctant to Move Key Pieces as Kenny Atkinson Firing Verdict Drops Amid Brutal Slide

Amid a disappointing start to the 2025-26 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been rumored to make roster changes. In addition, there have been speculations about the future of reigning NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson.

According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon on Tuesday, the Cavaliers are still reluctant to dismantle their roster and are not interested in discussing trades for their key players.

"At least two trade offers for rotation players were rejected by Cleveland, league sources said," Vardon wrote.

In addition, Vardon said that league sources have indicated that Cleveland will not make any coaching changes soon. Per Vardon, Atkinson, who is in his second season as Cavaliers coach, is "not on the hot seat."

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"To be clear, decision-makers, coaches and players are 'upset' with how the team has played for two months following last year's 64-win season, but those frustrations have not risen to the level of Atkinson's job being in imminent danger, those sources said," Vardon added.

Cleveland hired Atkinson in June 2024, and he led the team to a 64-18 record and the Eastern Conference's top seed in his first season.

Entering Tuesday's game against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland is No. 7 in a wide-open East with a 16-14 record. The Cavaliers have lost six of their last 10 games. They are coming off a 139-132 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, which snapped a three-game losing skid.

Per Spotrac, Cleveland is the league's most expensive team with a massive payroll of $228.1 million. Being the only team currently over the second apron, they have several restrictions on the trades they can make. This makes improving the roster via a mid-season trade difficult.

The Cavaliers' dismal start can be attributed to injuries to key players

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not been at full strength since the start of this season. Most notably, All-Star guard Darius Garland has only played in 14 of Cleveland's 30 games due to lingering issues with his surgically-repaired toe. Starting center Jarrett Allen has also missed time due to a finger injury.

Forward Max Strus, who was a starter last year, has yet to make his season debut due to an offseason foot surgery. In addition, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley is currently sidelined due to a calf strain.

The injuries to the Cavaliers' rotation guys have led to inconsistent production from the rest of the roster. Six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell has been the lone bright spot in Cleveland, averaging a career-high 30.7 points, 5.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game on 49.5% shooting, including 38.9% on 3-pointers.

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos