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Schedule
| Preseason | |
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| vs | |
| vs |
Sun, Oct 11
6:30 pm
ESPN
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| @ |
Tue, Oct 13
7:00 pm
NBCS
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| Regular season | |
| @ |
Thu, Oct 22
7:00 pm
ESPN
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| vs |
Sat, Oct 24
7:30 pm
DZNY
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9:21NBA Strips Clippers of Five First-Round Picks
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0:52LeBron James Games To Watch: NBA Cup Game
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0:53LeBron James Games To Watch: First Home Game
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0:50LeBron James Games To Watch: Christmas Day Game
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12:52James Harden and the Cavs Agree To 3-Year, $97 Million Deal
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1:55LeBron's Potential Farewell Tour Revealed
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2:00Is LeBron Joining 76ers Like KD Joining Warriors?
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10:02NBA Offseason Grades Post Lebron Signing
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1:09James Harden Expected to Re-Sign with Cavs
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0:23Draymond Green Agrees to 1-Year Deal with Warriors
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1:48Where Does This Core Rank Among LeBron's Best?
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1:52The LeBron Losers: What's Next for Cleveland?
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9:14What's Next For the Heat, Warriors, and Cavs After Missing Out on LeBron?
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1:53What's the Next Big Domino To Fall in the NBA?
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1:53What Does LeBron Going To Philadelphia Do For His Legacy?
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9:42LeBron James is Signing With the Philadelphia 76ers
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1:17Lebron James Signs With 76ers In Shocking Turn Of Events
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1:53Why Cavs Are Biggest Losers If They Don't Land LeBron
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1:31How Long Can Teams Afford to Wait for LeBron?
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1:58LeBron James 'Not Going to be Rushed' into Decision
2026 NBA Draft Picks
| Rd | Pick | Selection | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 |
OVR RK: 31 • POS RK: 12 • HT: 6-7 • WT: 225
| B |
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Top Cavaliers News
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Cavaliers' Nae'Qwan Tomlin: Fighting for rotational spot
Head coach Kenny Atkinson said Friday that Tomlin is "fighting to be in the rotation," Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.
The Cavaliers acquired Peyton Watson (hamstring) from the Nuggets and signed Mario Hezonja this summer, adding to an already deep roster. The club also has Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill, so Tomlin will have significant competition for playing time. The 25-year-old forward is no stranger to being buried on the depth chart, though he's proven he can handle meaningful playing time in the NBA. Over 64 regular-season games (three starts) in 2025-26, he averaged 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists while shooting 47.8 percent from the field in 15.7 minutes per tilt.
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Cavaliers' Peyton Watson: Starting role not yet guaranteed
Although head coach Kenny Atkinson said the starting lineup for the beginning of the 2026-27 season is not yet set, he praised Watson's (hamstring) fit in Cleveland and added that "there's a lot of room for growth in his offensive game," Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.
Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.
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Cavaliers' Mario Hezonja: In mix for rotational spot
Head coach Kenny Atkinson said Hezonja is "going to be in the mix" for a spot in Cleveland's rotation to begin the 2026-27 campaign, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.
The Cavaliers essentially have four of their starting five confirmed, and Peyton Watson (hamstring) appears likely to slot into that fifth spot. However, training camp will be important in determining who else fills out the rotation. Hezonja, the fifth overall pick in 2015, hasn't played in the NBA since the 2019-20 season but has plenty of experience overseas. The Cavaliers boast a deep roster heading into training camp, and players like Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin are all likely to challenge Hezonja for minutes. Furthermore, Craig Porter, Tyrese Proctor and rookie Meleek Thomas will also be competing for playing time off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Jaylon Tyson: Lesser role incoming?
Cleveland's offseason acquisition of Peyton Watson gives Tyson another threat for playing time in 2026-27, per Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland.
Tyson started a career-high 42 games last regular season, but that could change with Watson in the fold. Sam Merrill is also in the mix, offering the Cavaliers the opportunity to take a hot-hand approach between the three at small forward on a game-to-game basis. Tyson is just a late-round flier in fantasy leagues this fall.
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Cavaliers' Kadary Richmond: Inks pact with Cleveland
Richmond agreed to a contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot reports.
The exact terms of the deal are unclear, though Richmond could compete for a spot on the Cavaliers' regular-season roster in training camp. Over 36 G League appearances with the Capital City Go-Go last season, he averaged 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks in 25.7 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Curtis Jones: Inks pact with Cleveland
Jones agreed to a contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot reports.
The exact terms of the deal are unknown, though it wouldn't be surprising to see Jones compete for a spot on the regular-season roster during training camp. He appeared in 10 regular-season games with Denver while on a two-way pact last season, averaging 2.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 8.8 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Zack Austin: Signs with Cleveland
Austin signed a contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot reports.
Austin presumably signed with the Cavaliers for training camp, meaning the club owns his G League rights and could waive him at any time. Over 20 G League appearances with the Oklahoma City Blue in 2025-26, he averaged 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.2 assists and 0.9 steals in 27.5 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Sean McNeil: Signs training camp contract
McNeil (calf) agreed to a training camp contract with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot reports.
McNeil could join the Cavaliers for training camp and compete for a spot on the regular-season roster, though it's possible he'll be waived before camp begins since the Cavaliers own his G League rights. The 28-year-old guard appeared in 44 games for the G League's Cleveland Charge last season, averaging 9.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 42.5 percent from downtown in 22.5 minutes per contest. He ended the season on the inactive list due to a calf injury, and it's unclear if he'll be at full strength when training camp rolls around.
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Cavaliers' Khalifa Diop: Signs with Cleveland
Diop signed a contract with Cleveland on Wednesday.
Originally selected as a draft-and-stash player, the No. 39 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft will now join the team ahead of the 2026-27 season. Presumably, Diop will be brought along slowly, which would include plenty of reps in the G League.
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Cavaliers' Mario Hezonja: Strong showing for Croatia
Hezonja recorded 28 points (8-13 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 12-15 FT), three rebounds and seven assists in 30 minutes during Croatia's 115-80 win over Latvia in Thursday's FIBA World Cup qualifier.
The 31-year-old is returning to the NBA for the first time since 2019-20 after signing a one-year contract with Cleveland this offseason. Hezonja should have an opportunity to carve out a role on the wing following the departures of Max Strus and Keon Ellis, though he'll have to compete with Peyton Watson, Jaylon Tyson and others for minutes. After spending the last six seasons overseas, Hezonja's performance during training camp and the preseason should provide a better indication of whether he'll have enough of a role to warrant fantasy consideration.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Competing for backup spot
Porter is lined up as Cleveland's top backup point guard after the franchise re-signed James Harden.
Porter did benefit from the departure of Dennis Schroder, who previously served as the team's No. 2 point guard following last year's trade deadline. Tre Mann, who was originally acquired for Schroder, has since been rerouted to Washington, so Porter seems to have only Tyrese Proctor to beat out for the role during training camp.
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Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell: Prepping for first full year with Harden
Mitchell will be sharing the backcourt with James Harden again this season after the latter re-signed with Cleveland.
Harden may soak up more usage than Mitchell's previous backcourt partner, Darius Garland, but Mitchell didn't see a notable drop-off in fantasy value with Harden in the fray following last year's trade deadline. Mitchell averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 22 regular-season appearances with Harden in 2025-26, keeping the former squarely in conversations as an elite fantasy asset.
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Cavaliers' James Harden: Agrees to new deal with Cavaliers
Cleveland and Harden agreed Thursday to a three-year deal worth $97 million, per Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The expectation earlier this offseason was that Harden would re-sign on a new multi-year contract with the Cavaliers, and the deal is now in place. The star guard is entering his age-37 campaign but looks to have plenty left in the tank as an early-round fantasy player, having averaged 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 three-pointers per game in 26 regular-season appearances for the Cavs in 2025-26.
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Cavaliers' Mario Hezonja: Minutes could be hard to come by
Cleveland's acquisition of Peyton Watson adds another versatile forward to a frontcourt that already has plenty of competition for Hezonja and others.
Watson is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent from three across 54 regular-season outings, and his new four-year, $88 million contract indicates he'll command a substantial role. Hezonja's path to consistent playing time consequently becomes more complicated, leaving him with limited fantasy appeal unless injuries thin Cleveland's rotation.
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Cavaliers' Nae'Qwan Tomlin: Difficult path to minutes
Tomlin faces a more difficult path to meaningful playing time following Cleveland's acquisition of Peyton Watson and subsequent trade for Cam Whitmore.
Both newcomers can soak up minutes at forward, and Watson's four-year, $88 million contract essentially guarantees him a prominent role. Tomlin will likely need injuries to emerge as a regular fantasy contributor and profiles primarily as a depth option entering the season.
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Cavaliers' Evan Mobley: Could benefit from new addition
The addition of Peyton Watson could be beneficial for Mobley if Watson's improved outside shooting carries over to Cleveland.
Watson connected on 41.1 percent of his three-pointers last season over 54 regular-season games, and having a credible floor spacer at forward will make it easier for the Cavaliers to continue playing Mobley alongside Jarrett Allen without compromising spacing around Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Watson's defensive versatility also gives Cleveland another option for switch-heavy lineups alongside Mobley, although Watson's career-long reluctance to shoot at high volume makes his offensive fit worth monitoring.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Crowded wing rotation
Peyton Watson's arrival gives Cleveland another option on the wing, though Merrill's elite perimeter shooting provides him with a skill that remains particularly valuable alongside Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Watson shot 41.1 percent from three last season over 54 regular-season games, but he's historically been a relatively low-volume shooter, so Merrill could continue to have a role when the Cavaliers need additional floor spacing. Even so, Cleveland's increasingly crowded wing rotation leaves Merrill with a relatively narrow path to consistent fantasy relevance.
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Cavaliers' Jaylon Tyson: More competition for minutes
The Cavaliers' acquisition of Peyton Watson adds another high-upside wing to a rotation that already includes Tyson, creating additional competition for minutes on the perimeter.
Watson's four-year, $88 million contract suggests Cleveland views him as a significant part of its long-term core, and his defensive versatility should give him a clear path to playing time. Tyson should remain in the rotation, but Watson's arrival lowers his ceiling and could make it more difficult for Tyson to earn a substantial increase in minutes.
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Team Statistical Rankings
| PTS/G | OPP PTS/G | |
|---|---|---|
| Team |
119.5 (4th) |
115.4 (15th) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| P. Watson SF Peyton Watson SF | Hamstring |