The toughest decisions are going to be made by NBA head coaches in the coming days. With the regular season just six days away, the opening night rotations are going to need to be set. There will be players happy to be on the floor and logging big minutes. Others will likely be unhappy with a lack of opportunity.
With that said, the Cavs have plenty of choices to make. The backup point guard battle remains ongoing. The backup PF spot is not exactly finalized yet behind Evan Mobley (and Peyton Watson).
Here are the three players I believe will be on the outside looking in of the rotation when Cleveland battles Philly on Oct. 22 in LeBron James’ new home.
Tyrese Proctor
As solid as he has been for the team since arriving and over the summer, Tyrese Proctor won’t get any minutes on night one. It’s tough to say because it’s clear he’s continued to put the work in. The shot has been there, while he has been able to play solidly on both ends during his minutes.
The main issue isn’t Proctor. It’s who he’s been competing with. Both Craig Porter Jr. and Meleek Thomas offer a bit more at this point in time. CPJ is a fantastic facilitator and athletic defender. The Arkansas product as a scorer and with quick hands on the defensive end.
The backup PG job battle has been ongoing, and because of Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson’s presence, only one of them can get on the court. Later in the season, Proctor will get his chances. But, not to open the year.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
There is kind of a three-person battle for two spots in Cleveland. Mario Hezonja, Thomas Bryant, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin cannot all be in the rotation. At minimum, one of them will be on the outside looking in.
Hezonja has looked like a player that should be on the floor right away. His offensive prowess and versatility make him tough to keep down. Even as he gets up to NBA speed again, there have been real flashes. As for Thomas Bryant, he definitely outplayed expectations in preseason, knocking in some extra threes and cleaning the glass.
Tomlin, unfortunately, missed preseason with back soreness. With the other two healthier and more in sync, they’ll get the minutes off the bat. Kenny Atkinson has said he’d go 10-deep to open, ensuring two of the three mentioned get in.
Tomlin brings fantastic energy to the floor, with his jumper still leaving a lot to be desired. If he continues to work on that, he’ll still log plenty of minutes in 2026-27. The question will be if he's an every-night player at some juncture.
The Others
Khalifa Diop is not expected to play a ton this year for the Cavs. The 2022 second-round pick signed because he financially fit the bill and will get a chance to be developed in-house. Injuries could change this stance, but coming in, he likely won’t log much time.
Additionally, one of Craig Porter Jr. or Meleek Thomas will be on the outside looking in. The toughest position battle to determine, each guy has been exactly what the team has needed in their minutes.
Perhaps just for experience purposes, Porter will be the one out there against the Sixers. Trust that Thomas will get a number of shots to impress on the floor with the big-league club in his rookie campaign. But not right away.
This would make the Cavs rotation as follows:
Starters: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Reserves: Craig Porter Jr., Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Mario Hezonja, Thomas Bryant
Six days until the season. Kenny Atkinson has the final say, of course. But this is what I believe the team will do.
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