The Cleveland Cavaliers will need to break the cycle of limbo on the 14th roster spot eventually. When they do, the goal should be clear: add an insurance policy to protecting from the mounting injury concerns on the team.
This decision may have been an obvious one when it was just Darius Garland slated to miss time due to his recovery from toe surgery. However, the situation has evolved since then.
Max Strus needing surgery on a fracture in his left foot suddenly thinned the depth on the wings quite significantly for the Cavaliers. With Strus anticipated to be out until December, adding another playable option starts to make a lot of sense too.
Being without both Garland and Strus may even force the Cavaliers to consider where their next injury may come from. The fragility of someone like Larry Nance Jr. in the frontcourt starts to stick out in that conversation.
One thing is clear, the decision on the 14th spot needs to offer protection and stability. Depending on where Koby Altman decides needs the most of it, there are still a handful of names who make sense for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland must act quickly to secure reliable reinforcements
The backcourt still comes across as the most pressing spot that needs a little bit more punch. Garland is already out and Lonzo Ball is equally a concern. Relying on Craig Porter Jr. or Tyrese Proctor may prove to be too much of a gamble.
A veteran guard like Malcolm Brogdon would have been a great answer for the Cavaliers, but the New York Knicks took him off the board. If this is still the biggest insurance policy desired, Cameron Payne could be a player who makes sense.
Payne averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 assists per game in 2024-25, shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc. The name is not the most attractive, but the veteran is still a playable option off the bench.
If the insurance policy is desired on the wings, Gary Payton II would be a great addition. However, insider information suggests Payton will return to the Golden State Warriors and is simply stuck in a holding pattern until the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved.
The pool of free agents for the frontcourt may be the least attractive of the bunch at this point of the offseason. The Cavaliers could search externally for an addition, but a cost-cutting move would just be to promote Nae'Qwan Tomlin to a standard deal.
Adding a guard or wing continues to stand out as the most pressing move. With one last wave of free agent signings expected around the league, the Cavaliers will need to make the move to secure their 14th man with some urgency.