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Cavs NBA Draft Profile: Eric Dixon

Michigan v Villanova

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Dixon is a versatile, scoring forward.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a pair of second-round NBA Draft picks this summer. We’re profiling several prospects to keep an eye on as we approach the big day.

Today, we’re focusing on Eric Dixon.

Who is Eric Dixon?


Dixon is a 6’8” forward who played five years at Villanova. He holds the school’s all-time scoring record and averaged 23.3 points in his final season.

Where is Dixon expected to go in the draft?


Experts feel confident that Dixon’s scoring will at least somewhat translate to the big leagues. But because of his age and concerns of his athleticism, mock drafts have Dixon going in the second round.

What do the experts say about Dixon?


Sports Illustrated:

“Dixon will be 24 years old on draft night, so relative to most of his peers in this class, he will be older. Even then, what he’s been able to showcase in this breakout fifth season has been nothing short of spectacular, and there’s no question his scoring can translate at the next level. That’s not to say he’ll ever score at this rate in the NBA, but the ways that he gets to his spots and the perimeter shooting accuracy at his size is well worth a draft selection despite his age. ”

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports:

“Dixon is a burly forward who brings a toughness and physicality to the game. As Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, he showed versatile scoring skills but in the NBA his lack of athleticism will put a limit on the type of usage he can receive.”

How could Dixon help the Cavs?


You can never have enough wings in today’s NBA. Dixon’s toughness and ability to set screens would make him a welcome presence in Cleveland. His burly, 6’8” frame is exactly what the team needs more of.

Dixon’s scoring might not be a perfect translation to today’s NBA. His success will rely heavily on developing his three-point jumper. This has been trending in the right direction with Dixon shooting above 40% in his final collegiate season.

The path forward for Dixon is to become a competent three-level scoring threat who also serves as a garbage man. He’s shown tenacity for screen setting and rebounding. Packaging that with even a dose of scoring would make him a helpful role player for any team — but especially the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6/22/24451846/cavs-nba-draft-profile-eric-dixon
 
Cavs NBA Draft Profile: Amari Williams

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional-Kentucky at Tennessee

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Williams has the defensive upside you’re looking for in a possible back-up center.

The NBA Draft is this week. The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have two late second-round picks (49 and 58) they can use to improve their team. They might use one of those picks on a defensive-first center like Amari Williams.

Who is Amari Williams?


Williams is a 6’10” big from Nottingham, England. He played his first four collegiate seasons at Drexel and his final at Kentucky.

The production Williams showed at Drexel carried over to Kentucky. He averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, 0.6 steals, and 2.3 turnovers per game in 36 outings with the Wildcats.

Williams is a traditional center. He only took four triples last season and does most of his damage around the rim. Williams shot 56.1% from the field last season and 62.3% from that line.

The defensive upside is what is going to determine whether or not he’s an NBA player. He was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year three straight times. We’ll see if that can translate to the professional game.

Where is Williams expected to go in the draft?


Some draft boards have Williams as one of the last picks in the draft, while others have him going undrafted. The Cavs have brought him in for a workout. He may be someone they target with the 58th selection or as an undrafted free agent.

What do the experts say about Williams?


Maxwell Baumbach of No Ceilings:

He’s an excellent paint deterrent who often forces opponents to settle for tough looks instead of getting to the rim. His awareness allows him to get into the correct positions consistently, and his bounce allows him to turn away opponents at the rim (career 8.7 BLK%). He also owns the glass and limits second chances (career 27.9 DRB%). Pulling him out to the perimeter isn’t much of a solution, though. He has fantastic north-south burst that allows him to be the rare big who can jump passing lanes. His 2.7 STL% over the past two seasons is an uncommon mark for someone with legitimate five-man size. He’s shockingly light on his feet laterally. Williams’s signature skill is going to be locking down the rim in drop coverage, but he’s more than adept at handling his business on the perimeter. This blend of feel, power, and quickness makes the three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year one of the most intriguing sleeper prospects out there.

Ersin Demir of Ersin’s NBA Draft Newsletter:

Williams’ slow feet often lead to opponents putting him in ball screen actions. He’s mostly relying on his drop coverage to keep himself in the paint and respond actively to initiated switches. Against floor-stretching forwards and fives, Williams is likely to get outside, but the Wildcats often relocated with their team defense to keep Williams in the paint. Regardless, in the NBA, it’s imminent that he’ll get beat by three-point shooters off the dribble. However, his presence at the rim and decent footwork offer counters when he’s put in a position to effectively drop his coverage.

Eric Yearian of nbadraft.net:

Williams is one of the more unique center prospects in this class — a physical, pass-first big who thrives as a high-post connector and low-post defender … While he may not fit the mold of a modern floor-spacing five, his vision, feel, and toughness give him a real path to NBA rotation minutes … He projects as a face-up center who can initiate offense in motion sets, anchor a second unit defensively, and add value with his basketball IQ and screening … A late bloomer who didn’t begin playing basketball seriously until sixth grade … If he lands in a scheme that leverages his strengths and hides his shooting limitations, he could stick as a dependable role-playing big.

How could Williams help the Cavs?


Williams is a more intriguing backup big-man option to me than someone like Viktor Lakhin, who fits more into the traditional drop-center mold. There is defensive upside there. Whether or not that translates to the professional game remains to be seen.

The Cavs need someone who could eventually grow into a backup center role. There would be offensive concerns, but they wouldn’t be looking for an offensive hub in this spot. They would need someone who could provide good defense, rebounding, and toughness. This could make him a good fit in Cleveland.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...illiams-kentucky-wildcats-cleveland-cavaliers
 
2025 NBA Draft Tracker: Full results and picks for each team

2025 NBA Draft - Round One

Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Keep track of the 2025 NBA Draft results right here!

We’ll be keeping track of all the 2025 NBA Draft results here! Check back as each team makes its selection.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t be on the board until Thursday, unless a trade happens. It’s unlikely their two picks will be super impactful next season, considering their team is already loaded with talent. Cleveland has the second-best odds of winning the championship next season, according to FanDuel. That means there isn't much room for a second-round pick to make an impact.

But never say never.

First Round


1. Dallas Mavericks - Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

2.
San Antonio Spurs - Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers

3.
Philadelphia 76ers - VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

4. Charlotte Hornets - Kon Knueppel, F, Duke

5.
Utah Jazz - Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers

6.
Washington Wizards - Tre Johnson, G, Texas

7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma

8.
Brooklyn Nets - Egor Demin, G, BYU

9.
Toronto Raptors - Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina

10.
Houston RocketsReportedly traded to Phoenix - Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

11. Portland Trail Blazers - Cedric Coward, F, Washington State

12. Chicago Bulls - Noa Essengue, F, France

13.
Atlanta Hawks Reportedly traded to New Orleans - Derik Queen, C, Maryland

14. San Antonio Spurs - Carter Bryant, F, Arizona

15. Oklahoma City - Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown

16. Memphis —
Reportedly traded to Portland - Yang Hansen, C, China

17. Minnesota
- Joan Beringer, C, France

18. Washington
Reportedly traded to Utah - Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida

19. Brooklyn
- Nolan Traore, G, France

20. Miami
- Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois

21. Utah —
Reportedly traded to Washington - Will Riley, F, Illinois

22. Atlanta — Reportedly traded to Brooklyn - Drake Powell, F, North Carolina

23. New Orleans - Reportedly traded to Atlanta - Asa Newell, F, Georgia

24. Oklahoma City —
Reportedly traded to Sacramento - Nique Clifford, F, Colorado State

25. Orlando
- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State

26. Brooklyn
- Ben Saraf, G, Israel

27. Brooklyn
- Danny Wolf, F, Michigan

28. Boston - Hugo Gonzalez, F, Spain

29. Phoenix
— Reportedly traded to Charlotte -Liam McNeeley, F, UConn

30. LA Clippers
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State

Second Round


31. Minnesota

32. Boston

33. Charlotte

34. Charlotte

35. Philadelphia

36. Brooklyn

37. Detroit

38. San Antonio

39. Toronto

40. Washington
Reportedly traded to New Orleans

41. Golden State

42. Sacramento

43. Utah

44. Oklahoma City

45. Chicago

46. Orlando

47. Milwaukee

48. Memphis

49. Cleveland

50. New York

51. LA Clippers

52. Phoenix

53. Utah

54. Indiana

55.
Los Angeles Lakers

— New York

56. Memphis

57. Orlando

58. Cleveland

59. Houston


* The 2025 second round pick for the Knicks was rescinded by the NBA.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...-tracker-full-results-and-picks-for-each-team
 
Cavs select Tyrese Proctor from Duke with 49th pick

NCAA Basketball: Final Four-Duke Practice

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Cleveland opts for more backcourt help with their first second-round selection.

The Cleveland Cavaliers used the first of their two second-round picks on combo guard Tyrese Proctor from Duke University.

The 6’5” guard played three seasons at Duke. He averaged 12.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on .452/.405/.680 shooting splits. He was also named Third Team All-ACC this past season.

Proctor is known for his shooting and passing. He went 13-16 from distance in Duke’s first two NCAA tournament games. He cooled off some in the ensuing games, but still finished the tournament shooting 55.2% from three. That’s a pretty good showing in high-stakes games.

Here’s a snippet of what Nick Agar-Johnson from No Ceilings wrote about Proctor’s shooting:

He’s continued his upward trajectory as a jump shooter, ranking in the 94th percentile on jump shots per Synergy, and he’s mostly maintained the steps forward he took as a finisher (shooting 51% inside the arc this season after finishing last season at 52% on two-pointers). The shot, once a swing skill for Proctor, has become his main selling point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected Duke's Tyrese Proctor with the No. 49 pick. They will be rostering this pick.

Sweet-shooting Australian who played multiple roles at the college level, showcasing his ability to function on and off the ball, helping Duke to the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/w70aSxBBrg

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025

Proctor has been efficient with multiple types of three-point shots. He connected on 37.2% of his catch-and-shoot threes and 40.5% on his pull-up threes this past season. That is encouraging as he will be someone who will likely be asked to play with and without the ball at the professional level.

Proctor’s assist numbers from this past season are much lower than his previous two where he averaged 3.3 and 3.7 helpers per game. That’s partially due to moving to a more off-ball role last season.

According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, finishing ability and athleticism were among the reasons why Proctor was expected to fall to the second round.

O’Connor wrote:

At-rim finishing: Below-the-rim player despite his height. He doesn’t explode at the basket and looks more like a finesse player than a power driver. Synergy data shows he made only 49.3% of his layups as a Duke junior.

Athleticism: Lacks elite athletic traits, both vertically and with his first step. He may be better suited as one of a team’s multiple creators, rather than a lead option.

Ball handling and an inability of role players to hit outside shots led to Cleveland’s downfall in their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. A second-round pick isn’t going to solve those issues, however, those are both skills an NBA team can’t have enough of. That’s especially on a team that could potentially lose either or both of Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill in free agency.

Cavs general manager Mike Gansey confirmed that Proctor will be on a standard roster spot. The team had “almost” a first-round grade for him. That made it easy for them to give him one instead of a two-way deal, which they’ve done with other recent second-round picks.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...-from-duke-with-49th-pick-cleveland-cavaliers
 
Report: Cavs to sign Sam Merrill to four-year, $38 million contract

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs

Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

The Cavs lock up a key part of their backcourt and wing rotation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly signed guard Sam Merrill to a four-year, $38 million contract per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The 29-year-old Merrill evolved into an integral part of Cleveland’s rotation.


Free agent guard Sam Merrill intends to sign a four-year, $38 million contract to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. The Cavs negotiated the new deal with Kieran Piller and Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports, a success story for the 60th pick in 2020 draft. pic.twitter.com/NUo8CKR9vH

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 28, 2025

Merrill logged a career-high 1,336 minutes last season, averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 40.6% shooting. His 37.1% from long distance was a dip compared to 2023-2024, but Merrill became much more than just a sharpshooter. The Cavs had a +2.2 efficiency differential with Merrill on the floor versus off per Cleaning the Glass, almost a complete 180-degree turn from the year prior (-2.4).

Head coach Kenny Atkinson progressively relied more and more on Merrill to attack the passing lanes and space the floor. While his shooting never came back to what it was a year ago, the defensive capabilities were a nice boost. Merrill spent 23% of the time at shooting guard and the other 73% at small forward, per Cleaning the Glass, giving the Cavs a little more flexibility in the rotation. That figures to be the case next season as well.

The Cavs have come out of the gate this offseason, trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball and now signing Merrill to a new deal. With both of these backcourt-focused moves, the Cavs appear increasingly likely to be moving on from Sixth-Man of the Year candidate Ty Jerome. Ball is a true combo guard who can pass and play defense, while Merrill is a capable shooter and sneaky defender. Given the presumed asking price for Jerome, coupled with the Cavs’ financial situation, it appears the fan-favorite backup point guard is on his way out of town.

As an aside, this is a big contract for a former two-way player and the last pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Credit to the Cavs’ front office for finding quality players (see: Craig Porter Jr.) and helping them to meet their potential.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...-sam-merrill-to-four-year-38-million-contract
 
The Cavaliers failed Isaac Okoro

NBA: Los Angeles Clippers at Cleveland Cavaliers

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

In many ways Okoro was the victim of circumstance and lack of developmental vision.

Trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball was widely praised as a good move. I found myself agreeing that a divorce was needed for both parties to grow and elevate their respective ceilings. Now, how much of that is on Isaac Okoro and how much of that is on the Cleveland Cavaliers?

There were notable asterisks that needed to be built into the selection when Okoro was drafted fifth by the Cavaliers back in 2020. One, the 2020 draft was weird during the pandemic. It was essentially a virtual process conducted over Zoom calls.

The second asterisk is that the 2020 draft was thought at the time to be a very shallow draft outside of the top three (Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball). The Cavaliers made their selection based on positional over current talent. Okoro was always mocked as a lottery pick, not necessarily a top-five selection that comes with a different level of expectations.

Okoro didn’t come into the best environment as a rookie. The 2020 Cavaliers were a team with possessions dominated by a young Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. This left Okoro with little to no on-ball opportunities. Okoro's progression basically played through his shooting development. In the corner, with little to no offensive flow. The Cavaliers' offense then, along with the team as a whole, stunk. They were a group with no offensive identity, and with questions of who the offensive leader was. It wasn’t a place for a rookie to blossom, especially one like Okoro, who came in with a lot of offensive questions already.

Okoro worked on operating as a one-ball creator in Summer League after his rookie season. Like in college, Okoro flashed cause he played at his best with the ball in his hands in transition and was a smart decision maker as a passer. Did it translate to the regular season? No, nothing really changed. This was the start of the trend where the Cavaliers never actually developed Okoro. His shooting splits went up on lesser volume and more concentrated locations (aka the corners).

That story arc would plague the rest of Okoro’s tenure in Cleveland. A player with an insanely high defensive upside, but offensively would improve his outside shot without becoming a well-rounded weapon. The variety of his game became stale fast. There felt like there was such an emphasis on the corner three that Okoro never really got to expand on anything else. It was rare to see him do much more than that or take one-dribble drives in the halfcourt.

Instead, the mentality was the same game after game. Then, when the playoffs hit, the warts got ever more apparent. Okoro was the one that opposing teams were BEGGING to beat them. In all the series the Cavaliers played, Okoro never could.

Instead, he found himself struggling to stay on the floor. Every year, the narrative was “Okoro has become a good three-point shooter, now the Cavaliers can use his defensive prowess and not play offense four on five!”. Only to have Okoro riding the bench by Game 3 of a series.

While the simple answer you’ll hear is, “If Okoro hit his shots, he would still be on the Cavs,” there also needs to be a finger pointed at the Cavaliers. He wasn’t going to ever be an All-Star, but he had the potential to be a dynamic role player.

Okoro has all the athleticism in the world that is on display defensively on a night-to-night basis. The Cavaliers saw that and said, “Now what if we take that athleticism and stick him in the corner every possession?”

Hopefully in Chicago, Okoro can be given a proper development path. One that takes advantage of his raw athleticism rather than forcing a square block in a triangle-shaped hole.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6/29/24458040/cavs-failed-isaac-okoro-cleveland-cavaliers
 
The Cavs could trade for LeBron James, whether it would make them better is a different question

Lakers, Cavaliers, NBA

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Title windows aren’t guaranteed. You might as well go all in.

LeBron James picked up his $52.6 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers for next season. Whether or not the former Cleveland Cavaliers’ draft pick is happy about opting into the deal is another thing.

James’s agent, Rich Paul, released a statement along with the announcement from ESPN’s Shams Charania that made it clear his client “wants to compete for a championship” and that he understands that the Lakers are “preparing for the future.”

In short, it wasn’t the type of press release we get from an agent when their client is thrilled with how things are going.

The Cavs are the natural landing spot that comes up whenever you think of other destinations for LeBron. Ending his career back home on a championship-caliber team would be a storybook ending. But fictional stories don’t have second-apron restrictions.

Making moves in the second apron is difficult. There were reportedly conversations with the Phoenix Suns about a possible Kevin Durant deal with the Cavs. That didn’t seem to get off the ground, and Durant didn’t want to come to Cleveland. The same obstacles that made the mechanics of a Durant trade difficult — presumably minus the whole not wanting to come to Cleveland thing — would still be present.

James is set to make $52.6 million next season. Since the Cavs are above the second apron, they aren’t allowed to receive more money back in a trade than they send out. Additionally, Cleveland doesn’t have anyone on their roster who currently makes that much money, which means they’d have to add multiple contracts together to reach James’s $52.6 million mark.

The second apron prevents the Cavs from aggregating contracts in a trade. That means that Cleveland would need to get under the second apron in a prior deal or the actual trade that brings back LeBron.

In short, they’d need to send out at least $70,4 million to make it work.

The Cavs could reach that number if they moved Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Max Strus. All three couldn’t go to the Lakers, so a third, or possibly fourth, team would need to be involved to make the mechanics work.

Cleveland would be giving up a lot. Let’s take a look at whether it’d be worth it.

Is LeBron still good?


This is undoubtedly a yes. He isn’t the same player he was five years ago, but he’s still playing at an All-NBA level. He averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds on .513/.376/.782 shooting splits.

Older players typically struggle to get to the rim like they did in their prime. James is no exception, as only 35% of his shot attempts came at the basket last season (29th percentile). This is the lowest percentile of his career. However, he still finished 74% of his looks in the restricted area (82nd percentile).

Not getting to the rim as well has coincided with less frequent free-throw trips. He was only fouled on 11% of his shots (43rd percentile), which is his lowest since the 2005-06 season.

James’s playmaking and outside shooting have offset the decline he’s seen inside. Last season, LeBron connected on 38.2% of his above-the-break threes (72nd percentile) and 42% of his catch-and-shoot triples. Both are impressive numbers.

Additionally, he’s still the same level of playmaker he’s always been. He was once again in the 99th percentile for assist percentage and the 97th percentile for assist-to-usage rate. Those are both in line with his incredible career-long averages.

While these are impressive, it’s fair to point out that the defensive and impact metrics aren’t nearly as good.

For the first time in his career, his team performed better when he was on the bench. The Lakers were 6.9 points per 100 possessions worse with James (18th percentile) than they were without him. That is a concern.

While James is still a fringe top ten player, he isn’t without flaws. In watching the Lakers closely last season, it seemed like a lot of that is due to the inconsistent lineups he was forced to carry with Anthony Davis missing a lot of the first half of the season and the lack of front-court depth after the Luka Doncic trade. That said, it’s also because LeBron just doesn’t move like he once did, and was asked to carry the bulk of the offensive burden at 40 years old.

LeBron is still one of the best players in the league and can recapture his former highs for stretches. The consistency just isn’t near where it was in his prime.

Would the Cavs be better next season?


This type of move would gut the Cavs' current roster. They would have five open roster spots in the wake of that type of deal, which they would only be able to fill with minimum-contract players.

There’s a lot to unpack with a trade that would send out that many pieces. The first thing we need to tackle is whether or not this would make them better next season, since this would be a move to prioritize the short term.

The depth chart is a good place to look when evaluating the short term. This is what it currently looks like:



This is what it would look like if you moved Garland, Allen, and Strus for James:



The Cavs have already sacrificed some of their depth this summer. They essentially swapped two key rotation players from last year in Sixth Man of the Year Finalist Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro, for a point guard who on paper fits well in Lonzo Ball, but has only played 70 combined games in the last four seasons.

They will undoubtedly be relying on Craig Porter Jr. — who could be overextended in a more regular role — and Jaylon Tyson for minutes that they may not be ready for. This could be an issue if they aren’t ready.

That will put more pressure on a starting lineup that hasn’t proven it can coalesce well in the postseason given the compromises inherently involved with their four best players. This isn’t an ideal position for a team that has consistently underperformed in the playoffs as is.

Conversely, the starting lineup with James would theoretically fit much better. James could take the playmaking burden, Donovan Mitchell could assume the scoring load, and Evan Mobley could be the interior defensive anchor. These were all roles that James was tasked with carrying by himself for stretches of last season in Los Angeles.

The depth would be an issue, but James’s diverse skillset would allow bench lineups to flow much better. Groups with James, Ball, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade should be able to operate smoothly on offense. And then lineups without James could be carried by hybrid bench units featuring Mitchell and Mobley, like they were for most of last season.

Yes, the Cavs would have less depth in a way that would hurt them in the regular season. But, they may have more optimal bench lineups when fully healthy that should transfer well to the playoffs.

For next season, I believe the starters would be better in the postseason, and there would be a similar number of functional bench lineups. For those reasons, I believe the Cavs would be better with James in the short term.

Would the Cavs be better five seasons from now?


Trading two core players that are entering or in their prime for a 40-year-old is a tough sale five years down the road. Even if James gave you two good All-NBA seasons, he likely won’t be playing at 44 or 45 years old. And if he is, even James (probably) won’t be at an All-NBA level then.

Meanwhile, a 29 or 30-year-old Garland should still be an All-Star caliber player.

On the surface, it seems like the obvious answer would be that you’d be better off if you didn’t move the Garland and Allen for James. But I don’t think it’s that simple.

The Cavs will be in a bad spot with the second apron as long as they have three max contract-level players on their team.

This CBA is designed to keep teams from being title contenders while retaining three players on at least their third max contracts together. That’s where the Cavs will functionally be in 2029 (given Mobley’s contract bonus) if they still have their three best players together. If you don’t believe me, just look at last year’s Suns.

There will likely come a time when the Cavs will need to choose only two of Mitchell, Mobley, and Garland. Of that group, Garland seems like the odd man out of that conversation, but that could change as Mithell may not age as gracefully as we assume now, due to the wear and tear he puts on his body with the force he plays with at his size.

Trading for James now sidesteps that issue.

The Cavs will be in a bad spot salary-wise as long as James would be on the team, but his money coming off the books when he retires would open up flexibility for the Cavs to re-tool their roster with more depth, similar to how most teams currently look that are built around two max-level players.

Cleveland wouldn’t necessarily be in a better spot in ‘29 or ‘30 because they traded a package that included Garland for LeBron. However, there probably won’t be a scenario where Garland, Mitchell, and Mobley are all still on the Cavs by that time unless a few of them take meaningful pay cuts to stay together.

The question isn’t, would this team be better with Garland in ‘29? Instead, it should be, was this team better off until ‘29 with Garland, and what trade package could you have gotten around that time that would’ve better set up this team?

In essence, you’d be accelerating the inevitable and doing a soft reset whenever James retired instead of launching the soft reset whenever you inevitably have to trade Allen and one of your other three best players.

Final verdict


I would personally make this deal. I believe James, even at 41 years old, significantly raises the playoff ceiling of this team. He’s still the chessmaster who has a counter for every obstacle thrown his way. Pairing that ability with Mitchell and Mobley should allow them to get over the hump in the postseason.

The state of the Eastern Conference calls for an all-in move like this. The Cavs don’t have a Giannis Antetokounmpo-led team or the full-strength Boston Celtics in their way. Instead, they have to get through a maxed-out New York Knicks team and the revamped Orlando Magic. The calculation would be very different if this were last year.

Things change quickly in the NBA. Just because the East looks one way now doesn’t mean that it’ll look that way again next season or the year after. This very well could be the best chance Cleveland has at a title in decades.

One championship is worth everything in this business. And with how quickly windows open and close, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. If you have a chance now, you might as well go all in.

And besides, I wouldn’t be able to come up with a more fitting end to LeBron’s career if I tried.

Just go for it.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...and-cavaliers-darius-garland-donovan-mitchell
 
Cavs extend qualifying offer to Luke Travers, decline Emoni Bates

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers

David Richard-Imagn Images

The former top high school recruit will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, while the Aussie sticks with Cleveland.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly declined the qualifying offer for forward Emoni Bates, making the 21-year-old a free agent, according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. Bates has spent the last two seasons in Cleveland’s system, mostly with the Charge of the G League. He is now free to sign with any team as an unrestricted free agent.


#Cavs did not tender a two-way qualifying offer to Emoni Bates, a source tells @clevelanddotcom

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) June 30, 2025

Bates, a very high prospect coming out of high school, ran into issues at the collegiate level. He left Memphis and transferred to Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference, with the Eagles going 8-23 that season.

Last season with the Charge, Bates averaged 18.5 points on 37% shooting, including 33% from deep. All three of those figures are slight downticks from the year prior. In the last game of the regular season, Bates scored 25 points against the backups for the Indiana Pacers, displaying a brief glimpse into what his shooting powers are when he is on.

On the flip side, the Cavs have picked up the qualifying offer for forward Luke Travers, per Keith Smith of Spotrac. The move makes Travers a restricted free agent.

Travers, an Australian player, made his G League debut this past season after coming over from overseas. In 16 games for the Charge last season, Travers averaged 15.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game on 47.3% shooting.


The Cleveland Cavaliers have tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Luke Travers.

Travers will now be a restricted free agent on July 1.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 29, 2025

The decision to move on from Bates and stick with Travers is somewhat puzzling, as neither player really showed enough to warrant remaining on the roster. Travers shot a very poor 26.7% from deep on nearly three attempts per game, but his all-around skillset may have enticed the Cavs to give him another chance this upcoming season.

Bates, after two years in Cleveland’s system, did not progress enough as an efficient scorer, nor did he develop any defensive skills to make up for the poor shooting numbers. The Cavs have been patient with Bates and provided him a plan to be more NBA-ready, but it never materialized. Now he will get an opportunity to play for another organization.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...ing-offer-to-luke-travers-decline-emoni-bates
 
Cavs are reportedly interested in Al Horford

Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics - Emirates NBA Cup

Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Cleveland could be getting some much-needed help in the front court.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have long needed a third big to pair alongside Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. They could be getting a good option in the free agent market if they’re able to land Al Horford.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype has reported that Horford is receiving interest from several teams. That includes the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Cavs.


Al Horford has received interest from several contending teams since the start of free agency, including the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told @hoopshype.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 1, 2025

The second apron prevents the Cavs from giving any free agent more than the minimum contract. For someone with Horford’s experience, that number would be $3.6 million for next season.

Finding a reserve big to pair with Mobley and Allen is difficult. They need to be versatile enough to play with both, which requires someone who has the skillset to work in lineups as either the four or the five.

Horford can still do that despite turning 40 years old next fall. He spent two-thirds of his time playing power forward last season. This was mostly in lineups that featured either Luke Kornet or Kristaps Porziņģis at center. Horford’s ability to rebound, still defend his position well, and make plays with the ball in his hands as a shooter and playmaker allowed him to do so well.

Adding Horford would provide Cleveland with more balanced lineups. Not being able to count on Dean Wade to provide enough offensive firepower to be in playoff rotations forced De’Andre Hunter to play power forward more often than would’ve been ideal. Horford’s presence would allow Hunter to transition to the starting lineup and play most of his minutes at small forward which is his natural position.

Last season, Horford averaged 9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on .432/.363/.895 shooting splits in 60 games.

Cleveland currently has three open roster spots — provided that Tyrese Proctor is on a standard deal — that they can fill with only minimum contract players.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/6...al-horford-cleveland-cavaliers-boston-celtics
 
Ty Jerome says Cavs never gave him an option to return

Indiana Pacers v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Two

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Jerome implies the Cavs never made an offer.

It’s been one day of free agency... and the NBA has already reminded us that the drama never stops. Ty Jerome, who recently left the Cleveland Cavaliers and agreed to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, got the ball rolling with this post on Instagram.


Ty Jerome says that the Cavs never offered him an opportunity to return pic.twitter.com/j7kmDTjC3x

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 2, 2025

This is a can of worms that should be carefully unpacked. Is Ty Jerome saying he was never given any sort of course for returning to Cleveland? Like, no offer whatsoever? Or did Jerome not receive an offer he deemed realistic? Did Jerome think the Cavs would push harder to retain him?

There’s no sense in speculating one way or the other. The simple fact is — Jerome is in Memphis, and the Cavaliers have moved on.

Cleveland’s trade for Lonzo Ball was an indication that this might happen. While both Ball and Jerome are different enough to fill separate roles — there’s enough positional overlap to make this an expensive redundancy. Keep in mind, Jerome’s contract would have resulted in a massive tax penalty for the Cavs.

One could assume that Cleveland chose to value defense over scoring by going with Ball instead of Jerome. In that case, I’m not sure I agree with their decision, even if I understand the vision. Ball’s availability makes him a shaky choice to hang your hat on. Jerome’s production from last season will be hard to replace.

Nonetheless, it was always understood that keeping Jerome in Cleveland was going to be a challenge. Most of us assumed it would be because Jerome took a bigger payday somewhere else. But having it implied that the Cavs never even bothered to try — while Memphis signed him at a reasonable 3-year, $28 million dollar tag — well, that’s a different story.

Again, there’s no sense in speculation. Though, that won’t stop anybody from doing it. The franchise just lost a Sixth Man of the Year finalist who is insinuating he didn’t want to leave. That’s never a fun story to cover.

Until we know more, we can assume Jerome is going to take this one personally. As if he needed any more motivation to bounce back next season.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/7...-says-cavs-never-gave-him-an-option-to-return
 
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