The Cavaliers have spent the opening stretch of the 2026-27 season looking for answers, and Friday’s 133-121 loss to the Miami Heat in an NBA Cup game only deepened the slow start. Cleveland is now 6-7, but even in defeat, two reserves kept flashing real promise.
Tyrese Proctor and Meleek Thomas were the bright spots again. Coming off the bench, the pair combined for 34 points and six assists, hitting 12 of 17 shots overall and 7 of 12 from 3-point range. That kind of production has been hard to ignore, especially with the Cavs trying to steady themselves early in the year.
Analyst Danny Cunningham believes the team may already have uncovered something significant in the two young guards.
“I think it’s become so clear - even this early in the season - that the Cavs have something potentially special with Tyrese Proctor and Meleek Thomas. Both of them have been so awesome,” Cunningham posted.
Proctor, a second-round pick from Duke in the 2025 NBA Draft, spent his rookie season appearing in 50 games. He averaged 5.4 points, 1.5 assists and 1.3 rebounds in roughly 11 minutes per game.
This season, his role and production have both jumped. Proctor is averaging 8.1 points, 2.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 18 minutes a night, while shooting 53.1 percent from the field. His 3-point accuracy has taken a major leap too, climbing to 52.8 percent after he made 35.1 percent of his attempts last season.
Thomas has made an immediate impact of his own. The 20-year-old second-round pick out of Arkansas arrived in Cleveland via the Sacramento Kings in the 2026 draft, and through his first 10 NBA games he’s putting up 13.0 points, 1.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds in more than 22 minutes per game. He’s also shooting 49.0 percent from the floor and 47.3 percent from deep.
Cleveland’s need for both players has grown with injuries elsewhere in the rotation. Jaylen Tyson has been dealing with an ankle injury, while Sam Merrill has been out with an elbow issue. Tyson also made his first start of the season on Friday with Evan Mobley sidelined by a toe injury.
Tyson returned Wednesday after missing six games and scored three points on 1-for-5 shooting in 23 minutes during Cleveland’s 115-107 win over New York. Against Miami, he bounced back with 16 points in 30 minutes.
When the Cavaliers get healthier and start playing better, the early breakthroughs from Proctor and Thomas could become even more valuable.
In Other News...
Donovan Mitchell Just Sent A Strong Message About Clevelands Future
Donovan Mitchells latest move says plenty about where he sees the Cavaliers headed. Fresh off Clevelands first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in his time with the franchise, Mitchell committed long term with a four-year extension that keeps him in place through 2031 and gives the team a clear centerpiece as it tries to build on this run. Even after the sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks, the message from Mitchell is hard to miss: he believes this group still has room to grow.
For Cleveland, that matters as much as any box score. Mitchell has continued to anchor the offense this season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game while carrying the expectations that come with being the face of a contender. The extension locks in stability at the top of the roster, and it also raises the stakes for what comes next, because the Cavaliers are no longer just trying to prove they belong in the East's upper tier. They are trying to turn that into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylon Tyson Still Has A Chance To Change Clevelands Bench Rotation
Jaylon Tysons first month has been a reminder that even a promising young wing can find his path to steady minutes blocked by health and by the numbers game. He has appeared in six of Clevelands 12 games, logging 21.1 minutes and seven points per night, but his shooting has not matched last seasons efficiency as he works through a neck issue and an ankle problem that have interrupted both his rhythm and his availability.
For a Cavaliers team trying to sort out its bench on the fly, Tysons situation is still one worth watching because the door is not closed on him reclaiming a useful role. Cleveland has been patient with his recovery and development, but the competition for wing minutes is real, and Tyson will have to show he can stay on the floor and rediscover the consistency that made him part of the conversation in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have A Sam Merrill Decision Fans Didn't Expect
Sam Merrill has quietly become one of the more useful two-way pieces on Clevelands roster, which is why his current situation feels a little more complicated than anyone expected. The wing has carved out a role with his shooting and steadiness, but an elbow injury has knocked his rhythm off enough that the Cavaliers are now watching closely as he works through it.
The bigger issue is that Cleveland has depth on the wing, so the front office has to weigh whether Merrills long-term value to the rotation is enough to keep him in place or whether he becomes part of a trade conversation. Other teams have already shown interest, and the Nuggets are among the clubs linked to him, which only adds to the intrigue as the Cavs wait to see whether his play rebounds once he gets healthier. [Read more 🡒]