Cavs: Predicting 3 most impactful bench players in 2021-22

When thinking of the starters for next season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, one could feasibly slot in Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, and Jarrett Allen, to start.

And even with him being a rookie, it does appear that Evan Mobley, who was the #3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will likely start at the 4. Comments by Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor in a recent report/mailbag set of responses drove that possibility home, too.

Fedor touched on how with general manager Koby Altman and Cleveland acquiring Lauri Markkanen from the Chicago Bulls via sign-and-trade of late, that Kevin Love could seemingly have a role that could be reduced even more, too.

Even prior to that, it was reported that Love could be in a reduced role to aid him health-wise and optimize his effectiveness as well, so it’s unlikely he’s a regular start next season. He only appeared in 25 games last year because of a right calf injury, along with that.

That said, he could still have a role for Cleveland, and at this juncture he/his representation is reportedly not considering a potential buyout. He’ll get in there some though, one would think, with how Love, if/when healthy, can space the floor and knock it down from deep at a high clip.

So in regards to the Cavs bench, excluding Love in this sense, who will likely be Cleveland’s most crucial players?

In that realm, we’ll predict the three most impactful bench players for the Cavs for next season.

First, we’ll touch on Markkanen, who looks to be a crucial part of the Wine and Gold’s offense for years to come.