Cavs: Best and worst-case scenarios for Dylan Windler in 2021-22

Worst-case scenario for Windler: He’s continually hampered by injury, never can find a rhythm and is clearly expendable

As far as the worst-case scenario for Windler this season, it’s basically more of the same, but the shot not coming around at all whatsoever.

Of course, as we noted, Windler is reportedly healthy and the knee is “good,” per Fedor, and he seems all squared in camp thus far. So hopefully we’ll see him receive ample playing time in preseason action, set to begin on Oct. 5 at the Chicago Bulls.

Nonetheless, the health for Windler at this point is still a question mark long term, given that the 25-year-old has been sidelined far more often than he’s been available. In a worst-case scenario, while I think he could be fine from here, in that case, he’d continued to hampered by injury.

Windler struggling to find a shooting rhythm as a catch-and-shoot guy/spacer would be essentially coincided with that, and realistically, he’d seem to be expendable looking onward if that were to unfortunately play out. Perhaps in that sense Windler could be a potential deadline trade candidate used as filler in conduct a deal, whereas another team could take a flyer on him.

We’ll have to see if the Cavs, given Windler’s injury woes, will end up exercising his team option for the 2022-23 campaign, anyhow. They still seemingly could, given his shooting capabilities if healthy.

To be clear, I do believe we could definitely see Windler end up being an impact shooter off the bench for the Cavs this season, and he can affect games in other ways if healthy. That’s the key, but he’s only heading into Year 3, so I’m pretty optimistic he can, and if that is how things are looking onward, he could provide quite a boost for Cleveland.

Only time will tell.