The Cavaliers may not have the kind of headline-grabbing summer other teams are chasing, but there are still a handful of smaller moves that could end up mattering a lot.
Cleveland has just $22.8 million in space to work with before next season, so the margin for error is thin. That makes the buyout market worth watching, especially for a team built to contend.
DeMar DeRozan is the name that leads the conversation for most teams in that lane, with the Cavaliers listed as an interested team. Another veteran who could fit is 38-year-old guard Mike Conley, whose value would come off the bench.
Conley would give Cleveland something it can always use: a steady playmaker who does not have to score every time he touches the ball. Even with the Cavaliers already carrying plenty of guard depth behind the starters, he could become a real difference-maker when Harden or Mitchell is off the floor.
One move that has slipped under the radar amid the Kuminga and Watson trade buzz is one that could create up to $38 million in extra cap, which would be a significant development for Cleveland.
Before anything else, the team ideally needs to move Schroder. That deal could produce a $14 million trade exception, and that kind of flexibility would matter. It would give the Cavaliers a way to avoid including a player such as Max Strus or Sam Merrill in future trade discussions.
Then there is Tyson, whose situation is still very much up in the air. If Kuminga or Watson are not on the roster when the season starts, would Tyson be pushed into the starting lineup? That question alone could become one of the bigger talking points around the team.
Right now, Tyson looks like a 3&D wing off the bench, someone who can supply useful offense in bursts. He appeared in 66 games and started 42 of them, and he has already flashed enough to suggest he could become a top player for this group. With Dean Wade gone, his role and Tomlin’s role both become even more important.
Tomlin also made a strong impression in Summer League, and he looks poised to matter off the bench. The next step is obvious: the shot has to come around. If he can knock down corner threes consistently, there is a real argument for giving him a much bigger role.
And then there is rookie point guard Meleek Thomas, who should be part of Cleveland’s plans for the foreseeable future. He led the team in scoring during Summer League and backed that up with confident answers to the media.
Kenny Atkinson will have to sort out how Thomas fits alongside Tyrese Proctor among the bench guards. Proctor appears set for a larger role, but that does not have to shut Thomas out of the picture. In fact, the idea of those two as the direct backup options to Donovan Mitchell and James Harden is pretty intriguing.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Will Recognize The Scorer In This Wild 4 Team Proposal
With training camp decisions looming, the Lakers find themselves in a familiar roster squeeze: they are carrying one player over the limit and weighing ways to get back down to 15. That has opened the door to the kind of trade chatter that tends to follow Los Angeles whenever the margins get tight, including a proposed four-team framework that would shuffle pieces around the league and leave the Lakers with a cleaner roster path.
For Cavaliers fans, the most interesting part may be the scorer at the center of the speculation, since this kind of deal would not just be about balancing numbers. The larger setup also includes the possibility of future draft compensation changing hands, but for now it remains only a proposal rather than an official move, which means the conversation is still about what could happen instead of what has. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Got A Fresh Reminder Of How The NBA Sees Them
The leagues latest schedule reveal offered a pretty clear snapshot of where the Cavaliers stand in the NBAs eyes right now. Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season and still having a roster headlined by Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland was left out of the leagues biggest showcase windows, including Opening Night and Christmas Day.
For a team trying to build on last springs run, that kind of omission feels like a fresh reminder that results on the floor do not always translate into national spotlight. It also leaves the Cavaliers in a familiar position, trying to prove they belong in the same tier as the clubs the league chose to feature when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Are Opening The Door To A New Game Night Role
The Cavaliers are taking a fresh look at the people who help shape the game-night atmosphere at Rocket Arena, opening auditions for three of the organizations entertainment groups: 216Stix, Wine and Goldies, and Lake Effect. For fans who have ever watched a home game and noticed how much the in-house entertainment adds to the event, this is a chance to be part of that experience rather than just a spectator.
Each group comes with its own audition date, age requirement and commitment level, with opportunities tied not only to Cavaliers home games but also to community events around the team. Candidates who want more details and a shot at a role can register through the Cavaliers official website, where the team has laid out the basics for anyone interested in joining the show. [Read more 🡒]