Cavs: Predicting the final 15-man roster – Bigs
Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Dean Wade, Mfiondu Kabengele
The big men on this roster fill up a room, both due to size and quantity. The organization has loaded up on bigs to lean into the inherent advantage size has in basketball. The trick in the modern NBA is for that size to be skilled enough to play against spaced-out teams.
Evan Mobley is the hoped-for answer to that question, a modern big man who combined a 7-foot height with perimeter skills. He is in line to start at the 4, alongside Jarrett Allen and his new contract at the 5. Lauri Markkanen is the newcomer expected to slot in as the third big.
Kevin Love is still around on his $31.3 million contract, and he should see minutes most nights if he can stay healthy. The team also loves Dean Wade, who was sneakily part of the team’s best lineup a year ago, and despite being on a non-guaranteed contract, is far-and-away a roster lock.
Key Battle: Mfiondu Kabengele vs Tacko Fall. The Cavs need another body who can play minutes at center, because despite the packed room most of their bigs are best suited for the 4. Mfiondu Kabengele has the draft pedigree and the familiarity with the system, so he has the inside track here.
That doesn’t mean Tacko Fall can’t overtake him. Kabengele is on a non-guaranteed contract, and it’s not like he has done much of anything to prove himself to the team or to the league. If Fall has an impressive camp, his pure size could make him a better fit as a reserve center to bring in for certain matchups.
For those keeping track at home, there are likely just two roster spots up for grabs, with Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade looking like locks despite their non-guaranteed contracts and Kevin Pangos a safe bet to make it. Mfiondu Kabengele and Denzel Valentine get the nod for now, but watch Kyle Guy and Tacko Fall in preseason to see if they can make a push for a roster spot.