The Cavaliers enter the season with a roster that looks set in place, but that doesn’t mean the group is frozen for the long haul. Barring a change of heart on Mario Hezonja, Cleveland is done adding players on standard deals, and the next meaningful move they make could reveal a lot about how they view the future.
One possible shift starts at the back end of the guard rotation. Craig Porter Jr. is on a cheap deal for this season, and he has already shown plenty on the floor.
He turns 27 in February, and his contract carries a guarantee date in mid-January. There is an open battle for the third guard role, with occasional starts in the mix, and Porter sits right in the middle of it.
Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor are right there with him. Both are second-round picks from the past two drafts, and both have flashed real scoring punch.
Thomas stood out in Summer League and at Arkansas, while Proctor showed shooting touch in Vegas and again during his rookie season in Cleveland. If the Cavaliers move on from Porter, that would signal a real commitment to one or both of those younger guards.
It would also likely mean Cleveland fills that spot with a big man or a wing instead of another guard.
Then there’s the bigger swing: Jarrett Allen. He has been on the trading block in past years with teams showing interest, but he remains the starting center and is under contract for three more seasons.
When he’s not available, Evan Mobley usually slides into the five spot. On nights Allen has been sidelined, the USC product has stepped in at center, splitting his minutes about evenly between power forward and center.
That setup gives Cleveland different looks. Playing Mobley at the four keeps multiple rim protectors and lob threats on the court.
Making him a full-time center would be about spacing, since Allen doesn’t shoot threes and lives more inside. A trade would save money and could open the door to a five-out look, though the return would most likely be a wing rather than another big.
Cleveland would be smart to keep The Fro, but if it doesn’t, that’s the kind of move to expect.
The other major question hangs over the bench. Kenny Atkinson’s job has not been fully removed from the conversation, even after two strong seasons in Cleveland.
The issue is what happened in the playoffs. The Cavaliers were underwhelming in the series that ended each of their last two runs.
Toronto pushed them to seven games, and the Detroit series also went the distance, even if Cleveland’s comeback from 0-2 down and its two wins at Little Caesar’s Arena showed the team could handle life on the road, something it did not do against Toronto. Against the Knicks, the Cavaliers were beaten badly for 12.5 quarters and an overtime after a slow start in Game 1.
Atkinson said the team was “analytically winning the series” and not making any changes to the gameplan.
Johnnie Bryant, who also worked with Donovan Mitchell in Utah, is the associate head coach. If Cleveland chooses to go in a different direction, he would probably get the first shot. A move away from Atkinson would be a clear sign the organization still believes in this core and wants a different voice guiding it.
For now, everything remains on the table. Atkinson should get a chance to open the year and try to take the Cavaliers deep. But if the front office decides to make a change, the ripple effects will tell the story.
In Other News...
Cavs Just Put A Familiar Voice At The Center Of A Title Push
Brandon Weems is moving into the biggest chair in the Cavaliers front office at a moment when the franchise is trying to keep its momentum pointed at a title chase. Cleveland promoted Weems to general manager, putting a longtime internal voice in charge after he spent the past decade with the organization, most recently as assistant general manager and before that as a scout.
For the Cavs, the appeal is continuity as much as experience. Weems now takes on the core duties that shape the roster, including contract negotiations, and team president Koby Altman pointed to his leadership as part of the reason for the move. In a league where front office changes can ripple through everything from trades to cap planning, Cleveland is betting that a familiar hand can help keep the machine running smoothly. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Expectations Just Put Serious Pressure On 3 Key Names
The Cavaliers have spent the last couple of seasons building real momentum, and that kind of success changes the temperature around everything. Expectations are no longer about simply being competitive or proving the foundation works. They now hinge on whether Cleveland can keep pushing forward, and that puts a sharper spotlight on the people closest to the teams direction and identity.
Kenny Atkinson, Craig Porter Jr. and Jarrett Allen each carry a different kind of pressure in that setting. For Atkinson, it is about guiding a group that is expected to take another step. For Porter, it is about earning more trust and carving out a larger role. For Allen, it is about showing he can still be a central part of where this roster is headed, because the Cavaliers success this season could shape how all three are viewed going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Watson Just Added To A Huge Cavaliers Ceiling Debate
Peyton Watsons arrival has already given the Cavaliers a new layer of intrigue, and ESPNs latest top-100 list only sharpened the conversation around what Cleveland might look like next season. Slotted at No. 96, Watson comes in with the kind of recognition that reflects both his rise and the belief that his game can translate into a bigger role after the sign-and-trade from Denver sent him to Cleveland on a four-year, $88 million deal.
The larger question is what that means for the Cavs ceiling if Watson settles in as the starting small forward. He is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists with the Nuggets, and Cleveland is clearly betting that production can scale up in a different setting. If that move clicks, it could change the shape of the rotation and the way this team is judged in an increasingly crowded East. [Read more 🡒]