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.
No. 1 – Ty Jerome
While Ty Jerome’s deal with the Cavaliers was far from headlining news, the combo guard may have the chance to become a prominent role player in the wake of Ricky Rubio’s decision to step away from basketball for the indefinite future.
Jerome is far from the playmaker that Rubio has been, only averaging 2.6 assists for his career, but his time in Cleveland could be an opportunity for Jerome to shift into a larger role as a bench leader. He is officially listed as a shooting guard, so the change to point guard would undeniably be a challenge – one he might not be able to overcome.
As it stands, though, the best chance for Ty Jerome to earn any significant minutes throughout the regular season will be contingent on his ability to orchestrate the second unit both on defense and offense. Standing at 6-foot 5-inches, Jerome has the build to defend the majority of backcourts in the NBA. All it takes from him is effort and quick decision-making.
Should he be willing to commit every night, training camp will be his first opportunity to prove an improved court vision and defensive mindset. Otherwise, Jerome will likely rarely see on-court play. His career 35.2 3-point percentage will be another weapon at the Cavaliers’ disposal, but his overall skillset will need to improve before he earns a spot in the nightly rotation.
Following Jerome, a set of players will probably be in a pseudo-competition with each other for minutes on the second unit.
Nos. 2 & 3 – Georges Niang and Dean Wade
At the backup power forward spot, J.B. Bickerstaff will have to make a choice between two former collegiate rivals, Georges Niang and Dean Wade. After last year’s trade deadline, the Cavs chose to increase Wade’s role on the team as the successor to Kevin Love.
In the wake of Love’s exit from the Cavaliers, Wade’s production severely underwhelmed. After the Cavaliers bought out Kevin Love in February 2023, Wade was expected to serve in his role immediately as a stretch big who can play center in a small ball lineup as well as a power forward. Instead, Wade only shot 26.5 percent from deep after Love’s departure.
By signing another 3-point shooting forward in Niang, Dean Wade’s spot on Cleveland’s rotation will seemingly be up for debate again. Wade failed to prove himself in his return from a shoulder injury, but the possible upsides of Wade could make him a high-level role player for the Cavs.
In a perfect world, both players can easily coexist. Wade has a more versatile playstyle than Niang, as Wade has shown himself capable at the three spot as well as the four. Niang, on the other hand, does not have the footwork and speed to play much time anywhere other than the power forward. Either way, though, Wade and Niang will be earning their minutes against one another.
Each one will be studied closely by Cleveland’s coaching staff to test their consistency from deep and defensive impact. Both players have numerous ways to positively produce for the Cavs, but they will no doubt be compared against each other by Bickerstaff to start the season.
Finally, this Cavalier not only needing to prove they are worthy of a large role in Cleveland but will need to prove themselves worthy to be off the trade block.
No. 4 – Isaac Okoro
Drafted by Cleveland in 2020, Isaac Okoro has had an unfortunate start to his NBA career. He joined the Cavaliers as a rough prospect with a high upside thanks to his athleticism and already strong defense.
In the face of Cleveland’s accelerated return to contention, Okoro’s development took a backseat. Okoro has continued to improve year by year on offense, averaging his career high at 36.3 percent from deep last season. Though Okoro had a slight improvement, his minutes per game were at a career low, and he still does not force rival defenses to respect him on the perimeter. His lack of offensive presence was a major factor in Cleveland’s underwhelming postseason showing.
This season, as the Cavaliers have made it clear that an improvement at the wing spot is a top priority, Okoro’s stability in Cleveland will be in the spotlight for discussions surrounding the former first-round pick.
With Strus’ playoff experience and better 3-point prowess, Okoro will likely be placed in a consistent bench role to start the season. Last year, Okoro came off the bench in favor of Caris LeVert as the starting three, but he eventually took over after LeVert’s role shifted throughout the year. Strus, though, has already solidified his fit in the Association much more than LeVert had by the time joined the Cavaliers. Okoro is likely to be in the second unit for the majority of the season unless his 3-point shooting takes a significant leap.
Overall, Okoro is in a unique situation compared to the other Cavaliers on this list. In a best-case scenario, Okoro fills a role for Cleveland similar to the role Josh Hart served for the New York Knicks last season. Both players are active, fast-paced 6-foot-5 wings with an emphasis on defensive impact, and reaching Hart’s greater shooting and offensive rhythm would be a terrific outcome for Isaac Okoro.
Otherwise, Okoro’s future with Cleveland centers more around where he plays next after a trade rather than how much time he plays per game for the Cavaliers.
His name has appeared in trade discussions plenty throughout last season and this summer; however, general manager Koby Altman seems to value Okoro more than the market dictates right now. This season, Okoro has ample opportunity to become the high-level 3-and-D wing that is so highly coveted across all 30 teams.
The ceiling is high for Okoro, and he has all it takes to reach it. But, his current level of impact is far from where it should be. It is make-it-or-break-it time for Okoro, and training camp will only be the starting point.