Kenny Atkinson knows the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely have to operate without Darius Garland for the early parts of the 2025-26 NBA season. When they do, Atkinson is already hinting that Craig Porter Jr. might provide what the Cavaliers need to get through that stretch.
The Cavaliers must know that practicing patience with Garland's injury will be crucial to their championship hopes in 2025-26. In the meantime, Atkinson hinted at possessing confidence in his third-year guard being someone worth keeping an eye on.
"We have Don [Donovan Mitchell]. We have Lonzo [Ball]. We have CP [Craig Porter Jr.]. We are kind of covered," Atkinston told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. "Sometimes that’s how you discover things in the NBA. We will discover something. It might be finding out that CP is better than we thought."
With Atkinson and the Cavaliers preparing for life without Garland, the opportunity should certainly be there for Porter. How that opportunity is seized will have some major implications on the start to the 2025-26 season for Cleveland.
Craig Porter Jr. provides huge swing factor for Cavaliers' training camp
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, Porter signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers. It was not long before that deal was converted to a standard NBA contract during his rookie season.
Porter Jr. has proven just enough to hang around the edges of the Cavaliers roster. Through two seasons, the former Wichita State guard has averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game during his 102 appearances for Cleveland.
His per-36 numbers are where the 25-year-old really shines. Those stats translate to Porter averaging 14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game throughout his career with the Cavaliers.
There have been no immediate answers as to how Cleveland will deploy their early-season lineups in absence of Garland. Ball could assume the starting role until the star point guard is ready. Mitchell could also slide over to the one and make room for someone like De'Andre Hunter or Sam Merrill to temporarily serve as a starter.
In the case of the former being the preferred by the end of training camp, Porter will definitely get an opportunity to be the point guard off the bench for the Cavaliers. The only instance in which that could prove untrue would be Cleveland filling their 14th spot with another guard.
Atkinson suggested a calm being in the room about how the team will manage without Garland. If Porter can step up in the early parts of the season, the Cavaliers can have their cake, filled with wins, and eat it too, while letting their All-Star get the rest that is required.