The Cleveland Cavaliers still have one roster spot to sort out, and the choice looks set to come down to experience, scoring, and how much risk they want to take on a low-cost deal.
One spot is expected to go to Peyton Watson, leaving Cleveland with a final opening to fill. The Cavs want someone who can add offense while also bringing championship know-how and comfort in bigger moments. Watson’s arrival is expected to come via a sign-and-trade for either Dennis Schroder or Max Strus, which would leave the last addition to come from the free-agent market.
That is where DeMar DeRozan enters the picture. He would give Cleveland a dependable scoring presence, whether he starts or comes off the bench.
Last season with the Sacramento Kings, he played 77 games and put up 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game while shooting 49% from the field. The issue is the three-point shot, where he hit just 32%.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious: they need scoring on the wing, and DeRozan can still get buckets. But his game comes with a built-in tradeoff.
He’s at his best with the ball in his hands, creating his own looks off the dribble, not as a catch-and-shoot spacer. That makes him a less natural fit in some systems, especially when the floor needs to stay open.
Kevin Love was another name tied to the kind of final move Cleveland could have made in a different timeline. If LeBron James had picked the Cavaliers, the piece notes that soon-to-be 38-year-old Love likely would have returned for one last run in Cleveland. Money would not have been the obstacle, since Love has been on modest contracts since leaving the Cavaliers and most recently played limited minutes with the Utah Jazz.
The bigger question is whether he still has enough left to matter on a contender. Love’s last All-Star season came in 2018, and he has not averaged double figures since 2021-22. That stands in sharp contrast to the huge double-double production he posted early in his Minnesota Timberwolves days.
There’s also the matter of how his Cleveland exit played out. Fans remember that Love was unhappy in the post-LeBron era, eventually moved to a bench role, and later was waived before signing with Miami in 2023.
For now, though, that route appears unlikely. Reports have circulated that Love’s agents are in talks with the 76ers, making him more of a long shot for Cleveland’s final offseason move.
In Other News...
Cavs May Sacrifice Rotation Pieces To Land Their Long Pursued Wing
The Cavaliers have been circling Peyton Watson for weeks, and the interest has now reached the point where familiar rotation pieces may be part of the cost. Cleveland is trying to open up the kind of financial flexibility needed to chase the Denver wing, with Dennis Schroder and Max Strus both mentioned as possible trade chips while the front office works through the mechanics of a move that would have to include sign-and-trade cooperation from the Nuggets.
Watson remains the type of long-term wing Cleveland has been hunting, but the deal is complicated by his desire for a multi-year contract with a steep annual price tag. That makes this more than a simple talent pursuit for the Cavs, because landing him likely means reshaping the roster and finding a partner in Denver willing to help push the transaction across the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Face One Huge Trade Question As East Pressure Builds
With pressure building in the East, Clevelands front office is at least being measured against the kind of swing-big trade proposal that can remake a roster overnight. A hypothetical three-team framework making the rounds would drag the Cavaliers into a wider shuffle with Houston and Detroit, and it has enough star power attached to it to make the discussion feel less like pure fantasy and more like the sort of idea contenders are always forced to weigh.
The appeal is obvious: Cleveland would be adding proven perimeter help and another elite offensive option, while also trying to balance the cost against what it already has in place. But a deal this layered comes with the usual complications, from the sheer number of moving parts to the question of whether each side would truly be willing to part with what it has to give up, which is why this remains more a fascinating thought exercise than a clean path forward. [Read more 🡒]
Meleek Thomas Is Suddenly In The Middle Of A Cavs Roster Question
Meleek Thomas has already made himself part of the conversation in Cleveland after the Cavaliers took him with the 34th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. A strong showing in Vegas Summer League only added to the buzz, and the rookies All-Summer League First Team nod suggested he did more than just hold his own against summer competition.
Now the question is what comes next for Thomas in a backcourt that still has some sorting out to do. He looks like the kind of guard who could carve out a real early role, but his path to steady minutes will depend on how the Cavs roster settles around him. If things break the right way, he could be in line for a meaningful reserve job right away. [Read more 🡒]