The Cavaliers entered the summer needing help, and what they wound up with looks a lot like the same old problem in a slightly different outfit: a roster built heavily around the top of the rotation, with very little certainty behind it.
Cleveland did make one worthwhile swing in Peyton Watson, a move that makes sense because of his age, athleticism and reasonable extension number. But that kind of addition doesn’t erase the larger picture. The Cavs are more top-heavy than they were before, and that has left the bench looking thin in ways that could matter once the games get tight.
The wing group is the clearest example. Jaylon Tyson has shown promise, but he disappeared from the playoff rotation and spent too much time in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s doghouse.
Mario Hezonja is an even bigger question mark, especially since he has not played in the NBA since before COVID and is on a non-guaranteed deal. There is no real way to know what he can give Cleveland, much less in a playoff setting where every possession gets magnified.
The frontcourt doesn’t inspire much more confidence. Thomas Bryant is back, but the Cavs would have been better served by a more athletic, non-traditional backup center.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin is listed as the backup power forward, which is a risky place to be for a player who was on a two-way deal last season. Craig Porter is a useful player, but Cleveland is asking a lot if it expects him to handle the full-time backup point guard role without issue.
That’s why the departures matter so much, even if some of them were unavoidable. Dean Wade was never a box score darling, but the Cavs were +5.9 with him on the floor last season, a full +3 better than they were without him.
His value came from the stuff that doesn’t jump off the page: guarding the arc, blowing up passing lanes and staying in front of guards. When he added a few shots and a few rebounds, he became nearly invaluable.
Cleveland will feel that absence, even if he was not always a favorite with the fanbase.
Keon Ellis was once viewed as the real prize of the De’Andre Hunter trade, but he barely registered in the postseason. Still, letting him go is hardly ideal.
He had given the Cavs real bursts off the bench, the kind that could snap a team out of a winter lull and change the tone for a stretch. Sam Merrill was already important, and now he has to do even more.
The Dennis Schroder move is harder to frame as a disaster because his play had already become a net negative. But replacing him with Porter comes with its own set of concerns.
Tyrese Proctor is interesting, but not dependable yet. Porter has his supporters inside the organization and among fans, but Cleveland still felt the need to bring Schroder in last year for a reason.
Max Strus was another tough name to move. He is a movement shooter who can sprint around pin-downs and fire quickly, and that kind of shot-making has rescued the Cavs more than once.
He also brings size on defense, even if that side of his game can get overstated, and his leadership and locker room presence are part of why Cleveland was reluctant to deal him. Hezonja will be asked to help fill some of those gaps.
He might do it. He also might not be able to stick at the NBA level at all.
That is the larger issue for Cleveland: the bench does not have enough players with a clear, bankable skill that can swing a playoff possession. Strus brought shooting, Ellis brought energy, and Wade brought defense.
Those are the kinds of role-player traits that can decide a seven-game series. The Knicks got that sort of help from Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart.
The Cavs, at least right now, do not have that same kind of reliable punch.
So once again, Cleveland heads into a season with a roster that leans hard on its stars. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are talented enough to put the Cavs in position for home-court advantage, but the bench remains the glaring concern. This is an NBA Finals or bust team, and the same old weakness could show up at the worst possible time.
In Other News...
New Look Cavs Bring Real Rotation Drama Into Preseason
The Cavaliers preseason slate will arrive with a little extra spotlight attached, starting with a home meeting against the Magic on Oct. 11 that will air on ESPN and then a quick rematch in Orlando two days later on Peacock. Cleveland is also planning to open training camp in Spain from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5, a setup that gives the team an unusual early rhythm before the exhibition games begin and the regular season opener lands on Oct. 22.
That schedule would matter anyway, but it takes on more weight with Peyton Watson set to make his debut and roster decisions still looming after recent transactions. A three-game preseason does not leave much room for coaches to experiment, which is why every minute in camp and every early exhibition matchup figures to carry real meaning as Cleveland sorts out its rotation heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
James Harden Has Changed Everything In A Cavaliers Trade Debate
James Harden has already altered the conversation around the Cavaliers in a way few midseason moves ever do. Since arriving from the Clippers in the deal that sent Darius Garland the other way, Harden has given Cleveland a different kind of offensive engine, one that has fit into a team pushing for meaningful wins and carrying that momentum into the playoffs even while managing injury questions along the way.
Garland, meanwhile, has dealt with his own injury setbacks in Los Angeles, which keeps the trade from feeling settled in either direction. Clevelands side of the deal now looks tied not just to what Harden has already provided, but to how long he can sustain it and whether the Cavs have made the kind of swing that changes their ceiling for good. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Linked To A Championship Guard With Real Bargain Appeal
Bruce Brown is again drawing the kind of attention that follows a useful playoff piece, with the unrestricted free agent reportedly on the radar of the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers. For Cleveland, the appeal is easy to see: he brings versatility, defensive reliability and the kind of veteran presence contenders often want in the back half of the rotation, especially if the price stays within reach.
What makes the situation even more intriguing is the idea that Brown could be had on a minimum deal, which would make him a tidy fit for several teams looking to shore up their guard depth without sacrificing flexibility. Nothing is settled yet, but for a club like the Cavaliers, monitoring a player with championship experience and a reputation for fitting just about anywhere is the sort of offseason detail worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]