
After getting swept in the Eastern Conference finals by the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to make changes over the offseason.
They won’t be making changes on the sideline, as Kenny Atkinson will remain the head coach in Cleveland. But, the roster will be a different story.
Full List of Cleveland Cavaliers 2026 Unrestricted, Restricted Free Agents

One way or another, Cleveland’s roster is going to look different next season. The team has four players headed for unrestricted free agency, one player headed for restricted free agency and one with a club option for the 2026-27 season. How many, if any, of those players the Cavaliers decide to bring back remains to be seen. Here’s the full list:
- Dean Wade (unrestricted)
- Larry Nance Jr. (unrestricted)
- Keon Ellis (unrestricted)
- Thomas Bryant (unrestricted)
- Craig Porter Jr. (club)
- Olivier Sarr (restricted/two-way)
In reality, none of those guys played an enormous role for the Cavs in the postseason, so they’re all pretty replaceable. Wade was the biggest contributor of the bunch as he averaged 22.6 minutes of action per game in the playoffs. The rest of the players on the list were all virtual non-factors.
James Harden Could Become Free Agent if he Turns Down his Player Option

Star guard James Harden could also join the list of Cavaliers players headed for free agency. Harden has a $42 million player option for next season that he’s widely expected to turn down in favor of a new deal in free agency. He has until June 29 to make a final decision regarding his option.
Assuming that he turns down the option, Harden is expected to remain in Cleveland on a new deal, and he expressed a desire to do so after the Cavs were eliminated by the Knicks.
“Definitely want to be here,” Harden said. “I think we found something. It’s tough. It’s not ending how we wanted to, but I think we found something.”
Harden had a bit of an uneven postseason, as has been the norm for him over the years. But, after all the Cavs gave up to acquire him prior to the trade deadline, it seems unlikely that they’d want to give up on him after half a season. So, Harden is very likely to continue his career in Cleveland.
Full List of Cleveland Cavaliers 2026 Free Agents, Including Dean Wade and Larry Nance Jr.