With the NBA offseason winding down, the next major news cycle will be training camps as teams begin preparing for opening night. The Cleveland Cavaliers had a relatively active free agency, and training camp will give the club a chance to witness how the new additions fit on the roster.
Cleveland signed a new two-year contract with sixth man Caris LeVert, maintaining the team’s backcourt depth before building up the remaining needs. In the wake of LeVert’s return, the Cavs signed sharpshooter Georges Niang with the majority of their Mid-Level Exception and acquired ex-Miami wing Max Strus in a three team sign-and-trade.
Later in the offseason, both Ty Jerome and Damian Jones joined the Cavaliers. The offseason is not finished yet, but all major moves have seemingly already taken place for Cleveland. Training camp will focus around integrating the improved shooting and depth into head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s gameplan.
Last season, the Cavaliers earned the league’s best defense but only reached the 13th best 3-point percentage as a club. Though the biggest additions in Strus and Niang do not necessarily guarantee the Cavs will maintain their defensive strength, their long range capabilities upgrade Cleveland’s greatest weakness from last year.
Assuming that their young core continues to develop with Donovan Mitchell at the helm, then Cleveland has all the tools needed to take another step forward in their championship aspirations.
Training camp will be the first chance for everyone to earn their spot in the rotation
Cleveland’s newest additions greatly improve their depth, but these changes also mean the team will enter their training camp with questions about the minute distribution across the board.
The scrimmages and drills will be a key factor for some players to guarantee their spot in the lineup. While four of the starting spots are seemingly filled, the best overall rotation is up for speculation.
Training camp will be where Bickerstaff can test the fortitude and fit of everybody. These handful of Cavaliers will have the most to gain, and lose, by their performance in training camp.