The Cleveland Cavaliers have multiple players working through injuries as the start of the 2026-27 regular season looms.
Kenny Atkinson provided updates on Sam Merrill, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Khalifa Diop.
“[Everyone practiced] except for Nae’Qwan,” said Atkinson. “Sam was limited.”
Diop and Tomlin did not appear throughout the preseason. Merrill played in two of the three.
Atkinson noted that Diop had a setback in his recovery from a recent injury.
“He’s fitting great culturally, coming back from a setback injury,” Atkinson said. “I love his spirit, and he’s a guy who I can speak French with.”
Diop has played multiple years overseas and is set to play his rookie season in Cleveland. He’s one of only a few frontcourt players on the roster and could end up playing real minutes if any of the other bigs on the roster get injured this year.
Meanwhile, we know how important Merrill is.
Merrill was one of Cleveland’s most important bench players last season and will be even more so this year. He’s their lead sharpshooter with the second unit and arguably the best shooter on the team. The Cavs will lean on Merrill for volume three-point shooting as Max Strus was traded this summer.
As for Tomlin, another step forward from the lanky, athletic wing would be sweet. Tomlin brought energy and hustle to the table last season but struggled to put it all together. He’ll need to improve as a three-point shooter and refine his defensive impact before being a full-time rotational player. But Tomlin has all the tools to do so.
Cleveland plays their first game of the season on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. They’ll play their home opener in Rocket Arena on Saturday, hosting the Brooklyn Nets.