All has been quiet for the Cleveland Cavaliers in their pursuit of the perfect 14th man for the 2025-26 roster. That due diligence surely has a lot to do with finding the right fit for the team. A big part of that will be ensuring their last significant spot goes to a player who can add veteran leadership.
When trying to identify the direction in which the Cavaliers could go with this spot, Danny Cunningham of Locked on Cavs highlighted that exact point in his discussion. The impact of that 14th player extends far beyond what can be offered on the court.
Cunningham said, "Leadership also matters in this discussion. ... I very much believe in development. Even when you're a great team the way the Cavs look like they should be, you still have to have developmental pieces. You still have to be a team that is actively developing players."
The Cavaliers reporter wanted to dismiss the myth that only young, bad teams put a focus on development. That aspect is still important to Cleveland. Cunningham insisted that may just look a little bit different than it would for a bottom-feeding franchise than it would the Cavaliers.
Cavaliers must equip all members of roster to thrive in 2025-26
There are certainly numerous names one could look at to fill the 14th spot on the roster out of the remaining free agents still available in late August. That includes players who could serve the Cavaliers both on and off the floor.
Malcolm Brogdon has been a popular name to enter these discussions. The Cavaliers could even provide a path to an NBA comeback for Victor Oladipo. Reuniting with Tristan Thompson or Kevin Love is still on the table. Even stealing someone like Gary Payton II could be in the cards.
The common factor among all of those players is what was already mentioned. There is wisdom to offer and leadership available to guide the next wave of Cavaliers contributors.
Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor, Nae'Qwan Tomlin, and Craig Porter Jr. are all key names who Cleveland will want to see take the next step in their developmental journey to each of their own individual capacities. Having someone who has spent a good portion of time in the NBA provide tutelage brings the value often unseen.
The Cavaliers are already one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Having another on-court contributor would only add to that. However, having an off-court leader would ensure that remains the case for several seasons onward.