The Cleveland Cavaliers had an up and down season last year, but they were able to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2018.
The reason for the inconsistency was in large part because of the fact that the Cavs used 41 different starting lineups last year. However, they were able to right the ship during the postseason and everyone in their rotation was mostly healthy.
One area that the team struggled in and led to all of that lineup reconfiguration was their bench. Cleveland went from seventh in bench scoring in 2025 to 21st in 2026. The loss of Ty Jerome was a big reason for that and the Cavs were never able to replace him last season. However, that may change this year, thanks to recent developments.
Cleveland’s youth could be the key to a bench turnaround
It remains to be seen what other moves the Cavs make this summer, but they have a lot of youth on their squad that looks ready to take a leap.
Jaylon Tyson had his best season as a pro last year and while he had a bad playoff debut, he looks primed for another jump in year three. Sam Merrill emerged as one of the best reserve shooters in the league last year and Cleveland’s offense hums because of his off-ball movement.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin is another guy who could take a big step. Tomlin came onto the scene last season and always had the right energy, but looked out of sorts offensively. He looked much improved in Vegas and if he continues working on his shot and adding strength to his frame, he will be a rotation fixture this season.
Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter Jr. have also both shown flashes of what they can do for the group. Koby Altman said in his end of season press conference that he expects a big summer from Proctor. The team even sent a coach with him as he suited up for Team Australia for FIBA qualifying.
The biggest development of all though could come from Meleek Thomas, who set the summer league on fire. He was the leading scorer in Vegas and looked extremely comfortable as a ball handler. He showed that he could be ready for a big role early.
The bottom line is that the Cavs have a lot of youth on their bench and there will be chances for opportunities next year. Cleveland is going to need all the production from the second unit if want to keep up in the East.
Add us as a preferred source on Google