A slow start to the offseason finally came to an end after the Cleveland Cavaliers added Peyton Watson in a five-team sign-and-trade.
With Watson on board, the Cavs quickly re-signed James Harden and navigated the salary cap to complete the roster following that deal. To start the summer, the Cavaliers saw Dean Wade and Keon Ellis leave for a new home while Cleveland waiting for LeBron James' free agency decision. After James joined the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cavaliers had nothing to show for the offseason after weeks of waiting.
Signing Mario Hezonja was little reconciliation, but Watson's four-year deal finally gave hope to a painful offseason. The final decision still had yet to be made. In the Watson deal, the Cavaliers also added Cam Whitmore, but his $5.4 million salary was just slightly too rich for the Cavs with a first apron hard cap instituted by the sign-and-trade.
Depending on how the Cavs moved on from Whitmore, their options for a 14th roster spot were noticeably slim. In the end, Cleveland waive-and-stretched the 22-year-old wing, meaning the Cavs were limited to signing a former second-round pick to a minimum contract in order to remain below the first apron limit.
Cleveland's only options were draft-and-stash prospects from overseas. Drafted in 2025, Sailou Niang became one of the clear options alongside newly-acquired Ismael Kamagate. Both players presented an easy selection and an interesting skill set. Niang is a high-flying defensive wing with impressive athleticism. Kamagate is a tall and physically imposing big man from France, playing in multiple European leagues in recent years.
Instead, the Cavs signed Khalifa Diop, drafted in 2022, to a four-year, $9.26 million deal. The first year at $1.36 is the only guaranteed salary, but the contract offers nearly half a decade with Diop at a team-friendly number if his tenure proves worthwhile. Diop joins the Cavaliers after three seasons with Baskonia of Spain.
Diop is a sneaky win for the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have a repeated history of stashing talent in the G League or overseas in the second round of the draft. Diop has been a topic of speculation for Cavaliers fans since being selected 39th overall back in 2022. After four years of watching his development in Europe, the Cavs finally have made his NBA dreams reality.
Signing Diop certainly centered around the financial abilities the Cavs held, but he is nonetheless a promising addition to the squad. At 24 years old, Diop is still a young, developing center with some exciting sparks of talent in Spain. Standing at 6-foot-11, Diop has the size to produce in the NBA if he can impose his will physically and position himself for rebounds and easy dump-off passes in the paint.
In his latest season with Baskonia, Diop averaged 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game. He was not the star of his franchise, but he showcased enough talent to warrant a cheap, flexible contract. The young center played his role dutifully in Spain, helping the team capture the 2026 Copa del Rey title for the first time in 17 years.
The Cavaliers will likely only deploy Diop in spot minutes, but his size and athleticism will help fill a void when Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen rest. Placing Diop behind Thomas Bryant gives the Cavs a more reliable center rotation, and if Diop can continue to develop, he could transform into the long-term answer for the Cavaliers' desperate frontcourt needs.
Diop joins fellow aspiring big Nae'Qwan Tomlin on the growing list of hidden gems lurking in Cavs' depth chart. With Tomlin and Diop as the Cavaliers' third string options, Cleveland can rely on their youth and growth over a continually revolving door of backup bigs for the next few years.
With the arrival of Diop, the Cleveland Cavaliers' offseason is almost certainly over. The team is directly below the first apron, and without a salary dump move to make space, have no room to make any more additions. While Diop is not coming to be a nightly contributor, he is an intriguing prospect at a position of need.
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