The Cavaliers have plenty of firepower on paper, but there’s still a gap in the picture: who exactly starts at small forward?
That’s the one spot that doesn’t feel settled yet, even as Cleveland’s projected lineup drew praise from Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz. He ranked the Cavs’ expected starting five seventh in the NBA, slotting in James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
That ranking comes with one big assumption: Harden is back, which is still the plan.
“Four of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting positions are locked in, assuming Harden returns on a new contract,” Swartz wrote. “Strus and Jaylon Tyson could battle for the fifth spot.”
Right now, Strus looks like the early favorite. Kenny Atkinson leaned on him heavily during last season’s playoff run, and that kind of usage usually tells you plenty about where a coach’s trust sits. Tyson is still in the mix, though, thanks to his defensive ability and his willingness to space the floor.
Even so, the Cavs may not be done shaping the roster. Harden has not yet formally signed his new contract, and Cleveland is trying to preserve enough flexibility to chase another meaningful move.
That’s why the team has been tied to a sign-and-trade for Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson, while also showing interest in Jonathan Kuminga. Either one could shake up the small forward picture in a real way.
The rest of the group is much clearer. Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen give Cleveland four players with All-Star credentials, and that core helped push the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Then came the abrupt end: a sweep by the Knicks.
So the same question hangs over the franchise heading into the offseason. Is this core good enough to win the East?
Cleveland already saw some turnover this summer, losing Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Larry Nance Jr. It also added Mario Hezonja after LeBron James chose Philadelphia in free agency.
If the Cavs can land Watson or Kuminga, that would be a much bigger swing than the moves they’ve already made. And if they do, the starting five that looks mostly set today could still change before opening night.
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The veteran scoring market got more interesting after Sacramento moved on from DeMar DeRozan, putting one of the leagues most proven perimeter options suddenly within reach. For a Cavaliers team always looking to sharpen its half-court offense and add a dependable shot-maker, the chance to get into that conversation is the kind of development front offices monitor quickly, especially with multiple contenders already checking in.
Cleveland is among the teams showing interest, but this is shaping up as a crowded chase, with Denver, Miami and Washington also in the mix. The Heat have been viewed as a leading candidate, which gives the Cavaliers plenty of reason to weigh how aggressive they want to be if they hope to land a scorer who is widely expected to be on a new team for the upcoming season. [Read more 🡒]
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Kevin Loves next move is still up in the air, but the possibility of him landing in Philadelphia is enough to keep Cavaliers fans watching closely. ESPNs Dave McMenamin reported that Love is interested in joining the 76ers, a team that suddenly has even more national attention after LeBron James signed there recently. Love, who spent last season with the Utah Jazz, is weighing his options as he looks for the right fit for the next phase of his career.
The Sixers, though, may not have an easy path to making it happen. Philadelphias roster situation could complicate any pursuit, even with Love said to be on the teams radar, and there is still no deal in place. For Cleveland, the storyline is less about a direct move and more about the uncomfortable reminder of how closely Loves career remains tied to the LeBron orbit. [Read more 🡒]