INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers believe they have been building the needed foundation for a few years now. Their hope is that they reach the summit next summer, but it doesn't mean they're viewing this upcoming season as their last-ditch effort, either.

The Cavs enter the 2025-26 season with the "core four" of Donovan Mitchell , Evan Mobley , Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen — three of whom were All-Stars a year ago — intact, along with key contributors De'Andre Hunter , Max Strus , Sam Merrill and others in tow.

The NBA is a league of urgency. Contention windows often close much faster than they open. It can be a mental battle to balance urgency with patience when warranted. That's the intersection in which Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman finds himse

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