Cavaliers’ offseason checklist includes Kuminga pursuit, while Hawks keep an eye on Jarrett Allen

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still working through major roster decisions after a major offseason storyline shifted when LeBron James was reportedly no longer in the picture. According to Yahoo Sports, the Cavs are now sprinting to complete their internal checklist, with multiple moving parts that could reshape their rotation before the start of the regular season.

At the center of that work is a trade conversation involving Jonathan Kuminga. Yahoo Sports reported that Cleveland continues to chase a Kuminga trade, but that the Cavaliers want to land him for less than what the other side is believed to be seeking. That difference in valuation is part of why the deal is described as ongoing rather than resolved, even as Cleveland pushes to close out its offseason priorities quickly.

While Cleveland weighs Kuminga, Yahoo Sports also framed the parallel interest coming from the Atlanta Hawks. The report states that the Hawks are interested in trading for Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, but that the dynamics of any potential swap likely hinge on what Cleveland is willing to take back and how it plans to balance its remaining needs.

Beyond trade talks, Yahoo Sports listed additional priorities that Cleveland is reportedly treating as immediate work: signing forward Mario Hezonja, restructuring James Harden’s deal, and completing the Kuminga effort. Each item points to a specific kind of offseason problem. A signing like Hezonja suggests Cleveland is seeking to fill depth and fit, while restructuring Harden implies front-office work to align financial flexibility with on-court goals.

For the Cavaliers, the stakes of these negotiations go beyond one transaction. A Kuminga acquisition would strengthen the team’s long-term athletic and scoring profile, while an Allen-to-Atlanta type of conversation would meaningfully change the defensive and rebounding foundation in the middle. The report’s emphasis that Cleveland wants Kuminga “for less” underscores that Cleveland is not only trying to improve, but also trying to do so without overpaying in assets.

Atlanta’s stated interest in Allen adds urgency to Cleveland’s decision-making timeline. If both teams are exploring paths that would involve the same central players, the relative willingness of each side to adjust demands could determine whether a trade becomes workable before the offseason window narrows. The reported “chasing” language suggests both sides are actively probing, but not yet aligned.

What to watch next is whether Cleveland can narrow the gap that Yahoo Sports described in the Kuminga talks. If the Cavaliers’ asking price adjusts, or if the other side can get closer to Cleveland’s valuation, the trade effort could move from discussion to finalization. Separately, the Cavs’ ability to execute the other offseason checklist items, including the reported Hezonja signing plans and the Harden deal restructuring, may reveal what Cleveland’s fallback options look like if a Kuminga deal takes longer than expected.