The Cavs’ preseason action is already pointing toward a Charge team that should be worth watching once the G League season gets rolling.
Cleveland has been a competitive G League outfit for years, and the high-water mark came when a group tied to the Cavs’ 2023 Summer League squad - Sam Merrill, Isaiah Mobley, Emoni Bates and others - went on to win the championship. That backdrop matters because a few of the players in Cavs camp right now look like they’ll spend a lot of time with the Cleveland Charge once the season begins.
Ernest Udeh Jr. has been one of the more encouraging names so far. He’s still viewed as a bit of a project while he adjusts to the NBA game, but he’s already flashed useful signs in preseason.
The loudest came in the opener against the Celtics, when he finished an alley-oop with authority. He added another one against the Magic, and his rim protection has never really been in doubt.
Ernest Udeh Jr. with the alley-oop dunk off a lob by the rookie Meleek Thomas pic.twitter.com/QwfnbRzxkA
Udeh, who went undrafted out of Miami (FL), spent Summer League with the Cavs and emerged as a real shot-blocking presence. He’ll open the year on a two-way deal, which limits how many games he can be active for, but he still looks like a strong option for the Charge and could end up starting at center. Cleveland went 23-13 last season, and Udeh gives them the kind of finishing and vertical presence that can make a G League offense pop.
Rashaun Agee may be alongside him in the frontcourt, too.
The roster picture has already shifted once. Kadary Richmond and Curtis Jones were both released last night to make room for Noam Yaacov and Jaxson Robinson, but Richmond and Jones could still wind up with the Charge to start the season.
Jones appeared in 10 games for the Nuggets last year and spent most of his season with the Grand Rapids Gold. He’s the kind of scorer who doesn’t hesitate - if a three is there, he’s firing it. He didn’t play in a preseason game, but that scoring edge could still make him stand out in the G League.
Richmond is a different kind of weapon. He also had NBA time with the Wizards and was excellent for the Capital City Go-Go. He brings a lot more than scoring, but he can absolutely be the leading scorer on a team if needed.
The two newcomers who helped push those moves are both interesting in their own right. Yaacov is only 21 and already looks like a prolific scorer and facilitator, while Robinson returns after being a double-digit scorer for Cleveland’s G League team in 2025-26. Coming back on an E-10 contract gives him another season with the Charge.
The Charge open the season against the Motor City Cruise on Nov. 10 at 7:00 PM ET. There’s every reason to think this group will be entertaining, and there may even be a 10-day signing or two for the Cavs that grows out of it.
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Harden was the standout on the night, giving Cleveland a steady scoring presence while the rest of the group showed how much balance the roster can have when everyone is available. There is still one more meeting with the Magic in Orlando to finish the preseason, and for a team that has spent much of camp waiting to get to this point, the bigger question now is how much of this look will carry over when the margin for error disappears. [Read more 🡒]