The Cleveland Cavaliers have a deep roster. Some teams have roster spots taken up by developmental projects, by aging veterans who are basically just assistant coaches, by non-rotation second-rounders signed just to keep costs down. The Cavs have had such players in recent years, but they don’t this time around.
Dylan Windler is the closest thing, and he will almost certainly be traded or waived to make room for Collin Sexton to by re-signed, or to take in whoever the Cavs get back in a trade. Otherwise this roster goes 14-deep with players who will reasonably be expected to play minutes this season, and could be a part of the Cavs’ final rotation at the end of the year.
The Cavs have a whopping 5 options to sort through for a starting role. Which of the five below players has the best chance of changing their fate?
The deepest position on the roster might be power forward, but it’s evident that Evan Mobley will be starting at the 4. The question mark on the roster is at shooting guard, where the Cavs have as many as five options to start without even mentioning Windler or Cedi Osman, both of whom are likely on the outside of the rotation looking in.
Who are the 5 candidates to start at the 2? Can the Cavs possibly find time in the rotation for all of them? We’ll assume the other four starters stay the same: Darius Garland, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Let’s go one by one and evaluate each shooting guard’s chances of starting and impact on that group if they do.