Wine and Gold Talk Podcast

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands, cleveland.com Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor and columnist Jimmy Watkins discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers' impressive comeback overtime victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Key themes include rookie Meleek Thomas's breakout performance and its implications for the team's backup guard rotation, particularly how it affects pl...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands reviews the Cavs' early-season performances and previews their upcoming matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite a 1-1 start, Sands expresses concern over the team's tendency to squander leads, attributing these collapses to poor free-throw shooting, defensive lapses, and a reversion to isolation-heavy basketball. He al...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and reporter Chris Fedor analyze the Cavs' historic season-opening collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite building a 29-point lead in the first half, the Cavaliers' subsequent meltdown highlighted recurring franchise issues, including a lack of mental toughness, an over-reliance on isolation play from stars, and the tend...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Cavs reporter Chris Fedor explore why the upcoming NBA season could be one of the league’s most competitive in a decade and where the Cleveland Cavaliers fit into the bigger picture. From a deeper Eastern Conference and growing championship expectations to questions surrounding Jarrett Allen’s knee, the final rotation spot and...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor discuss the impact of Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s lower back injury and how it will affect head coach Kenny Atkinson’s depth and lineup experimentation to begin the season. They also give an injury update on Sam Merrill. Additionally, the pair analyzes Tom Thibodeau's recent visit to a Cavs practice, the fluid...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Cleveland.com Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor break down the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship aspirations heading into the new NBA season. Following last year’s disappointing playoff exit, the Cavs enter the season with high expectations, a talented roster and plenty to prove in a loaded Eastern Conference. Sands and Fedor exa...

The Cavs enter the 2026-27 season with championship expectations and little room for error. The pressure is mounting on president of basketball operations Koby Altman’s roster construction and head coach Kenny Atkinson’s ability to turn Cleveland’s talent into a legitimate NBA Finals contender. On this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Cavs beat reporter Chris Fedor e...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Ethan Sands and Chris Fedor break down the biggest takeaways from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first two preseason games and examine the questions that could define their 2026-27 campaign. From Kenny Atkinson’s evolving rotation and the team’s rebounding concerns to the offensive ceiling of Cleveland’s star core, the guys debate which players will hav...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor preview the Cavs' preseason and discuss the ongoing battle for the backup point guard position. They analyze the competition between Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor, and Meleek Thomas, noting that the coaching staff is prioritizing a reliable, defensive-minded stabilizer to complement their primary b...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers' team identity and recent roster adjustments as training camp concludes. They debate whether the team will genuinely adopt a defense-first mentality or rely on a high-powered, versatile offense driven by their backcourt and new additions. The conversation heavily focuse...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor recap the first day of the Cavs' training camp. The discussion focuses heavily on head coach Kenny Atkinson's strategy for integrating James Harden's isolation-heavy skill set while doubling down on the team's core defensive principles. A major focus is Jaylon Tyson's development, whose maturity, adap...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor discuss key takeaways from the Cleveland Cavaliers' media day ahead of the upcoming season. The conversation centers on the team's off-season focus on building personal and on-court chemistry with James Harden, their collective maturity and accountability following a tough playoff sweep by the New Yor...

The Cavs’ preseason press conference with president of basketball operations Koby Altman and head coach Kenny Atkinson offered a revealing look at how Cleveland is thinking about its roster, its future and the expectations surrounding its core. Altman and Atkinson made their priorities clear, but some of what they said raised just as many questions as it answered. In this episode of the Wine and G...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Ethan Sands steps outside the Cavs bubble to take a bigger-picture look at where the NBA stands heading into the 2026-27 season. The Clippers’ stunning punishment over the Kawhi Leonard situation raises a larger question about how the league is policing itself, while the new CBA continues to force teams into increasingly difficult decisions about...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands looks ahead to what could be one of the most competitive Eastern Conference races in recent memory and examines where the Cavs fit into the crowded picture. With more teams believing they can compete for a spot near the top of the standings, Sands explores what could separate Cleveland from the pack, why the regular season may car...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins break down Peyton Watson’s introductory press conference as a Cleveland Cavalier. They discuss Watson’s journey from fighting for minutes in Denver to securing a starting-level contract, highlighting his ambition to be more than a traditional "3-and-D" player. A major point of analysis is...

In this mailbag episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands breaks down the two-man pairings that could define the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season. Sands examines what each grouping could unlock, how Cleveland can balance its veterans’ workloads with developing its younger players, and why Kenny Atkinson’s willingness to experiment during the regular season could be critical to buildin...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Detroit Free Press reporter Omari Sankofa II examine whether the Cavs and Pistons are the Eastern Conference’s most slept-on teams after both franchises made it to the conference semifinals this past season. Sands and Sankofa compare Donovan Mitchell and Cade Cunningham as players to build around and explore what separates the...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Boston Globe NBA writer Gary Washburn discuss the financial and developmental realities shaping the NBA under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Washburn provides insight into the Boston Celtics' offseason, explaining that the breakup of the Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum duo was an inevitable financial decision rat...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and The Athletic's Tony Jones discuss the Philadelphia 76ers' monumental offseason, focusing heavily on the franchise's acquisition of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown under new executive Mike Gansey, former Cavs GM. They analyze how these stars will successfully coexist alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, emphasiz...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands is joined by Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to examine the evolving Atlanta Hawks through a Cleveland Cavaliers lens. With Trae Young now gone, Atlanta is entering a new era built around a defense-first identity that could make the Hawks a difficult postseason matchup in the Eastern Conference. Sands and Willi...

In this mailbag episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands addresses Subtext subscriber questions regarding the Cavs' roster and their championship viability for the upcoming season. Key themes include the team's specialized approach to bench depth, the competition for the starting small forward position between Jaylon Tyson and newly acquired Peyton Watson, and the pressure on Ev...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and Denver Post Nuggets beat reporter Bennett Durando discuss the recent sign-and-trade that sent Peyton Watson from Denver to the Cavs. The conversation breaks down Watson’s defensive versatility, underdeveloped ball-handling relative to his high upside, and how he figures to slot into Cleveland’s frontcourt rotation. Finally, th...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands is joined by Orange County Register beat reporter Ben Royer as they discuss a radically transformed Los Angeles Lakers organization. Following LeBron James' departure, the Lakers pivoted their roster by building around their new franchise face, Luka Doncic. Royer discusses Doncic’s intense, quiet leadership and massive internation...

In this episode of the Wine and Gold podcast, host Ethan Sands and beat reporter Chris Fedor analyze the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent signing of James Harden to a three-year, $97 million contract. They discuss how Harden's willingness to structure a flexible deal allowed the front office to stay under the first luxury tax apron and successfully trade for defensive wing Peyton Watson. To maintain th...