With one roster spot still open after the Cavaliers officially waived Cam Whitmore, Cleveland has a decision to make. The team chose that move to let James Harden pick up a few million more, pushing his final deal to three years and $97 million, and now the last standard contract is still on the table.
One option that has been discussed is Victor Oladipo. Another is to use the opening on the frontcourt, where a backup big man remains a possible need. That’s where Nick Richards enters the picture.
Richards is a six-year veteran who checks a few boxes Cleveland could use. He’s 28, he brings size, and he plays with toughness.
He also showed he can produce when given a real role. By the end of his time with the Hornets, he was averaging 10 points, eight rebounds and nearly a block per game.
His numbers stayed solid after that. The Suns picked him up as a center option and he continued to contribute, and then the Bulls acquired him at the trade deadline last season. In that stretch, Richards averaged nine points and eight rebounds while shooting 52% from the field in 22 minutes per night.
What makes him interesting for Cleveland is pretty straightforward. In a league where floor-spacing dominates, Richards still gives you a presence inside.
He can finish lobs, rebound, and protect the rim as a backup. He wouldn’t necessarily be a nightly rotation lock, but his energy would add something.
And if he and Thomas Bryant are competing for minutes, that kind of battle could sharpen both of them.
He would also fit the kind of bargain the Cavaliers can still make. The veteran minimum is available, and Richards is serviceable enough to be in the mix.
Koby Altman has clearly understood what the Cavs need better than anyone else. The 2026 offseason started slowly and left plenty to be desired, but the last three days have changed that. Cleveland brought in Peyton Watson on a four-year deal and finalized Harden’s contract so he could get to work with the group.
Richards would fit the same mold: a player willing to do the dirty work and embrace the physical side of the game. That kind of edge has value. Still, if the Cavaliers decide to use the final spot on a wing instead, there would be no argument against that either.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Just Got Pulled Into A Move With Bigger NBA Stakes
The Cavaliers latest ripple came out of a five-team deal that sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland and shuffled draft picks and players across the league. For a team that is always watching the margins for ways to improve, the move adds another young piece to the roster while also placing Cleveland in the middle of a transaction that immediately drew more attention elsewhere in the NBA.
Denvers next step is the one that could shape the broader fallout, as the Nuggets are now being linked to free agent DeMar DeRozan after his release from Sacramento. A six-time All-Star with a long track record as a scoring option, DeRozan would give Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray another offensive layer if the Nuggets close on him, and that possibility makes the original deal feel like only the beginning of a bigger league-wide domino effect. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Have A Roster Decision That Could Spark Plenty Of Debate
Following the recent trade activity, the Cavaliers have an open roster spot and are expected to use it on James Harden soon, but there is another name hovering around the edges of the conversation. Cleveland is also weighing whether to bring in a veteran forward for added experience and depth, a move that would give the front office another chance to shape the rotation as it looks to stay flexible heading into the stretch run.
The player in question has been working his way back from a long injury layoff and has reportedly impressed in workouts and in the G-League, which is enough to make this more than a routine camp-body discussion. For the Cavaliers, the appeal is obvious: a proven option on the wing who could help fortify the frontcourt, even if the path back to a steady NBA role is still very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs' Peyton Watson Move Could Be Tied To A Bigger Kuminga Chase
The Cavaliers addition of Peyton Watson in the multi-team trade gives them another wing to work with around their core four, and it also adds to the sense that Cleveland is keeping an eye on the bigger market picture. Watson fits the kind of connective, defensive-minded piece teams tend to value when they are trying to round out a roster without disrupting the main rotation.
Jonathan Kuminga remains the name to watch as the broader trade conversation develops, with his situation still unresolved and no deal officially in place. Around the league, the talk has centered on possible landing spots such as the Lakers, Timberwolves, and Hawks, and the real hurdle appears to be financial, with any agreement likely depending on how much flexibility someone is willing to show. [Read more 🡒]