Cleveland

Cavaliers

Thompson got a chance to become a regular rotation player for small stints last year because of injuries. He averaged 3.3 points an 3.6 rebounds per contest. He likely won’t be a key piece when the Cavs are healthy.

Selected by Cleveland with the 56th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Travers remained in Australia for the last two seasons. Playing for Melbourne United, he finished last season with averages of 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 0.7 3-pointers in 26.3 minutes. Under normal circumstances, a player on a two-way deal would face significant odds in the quest to crack a rotation. However, Cleveland still has not agreed with Isaac Okoro, a restricted free agent, on a new deal.

Okoro is in a difficult spot regarding free agency, as the Cavaliers have the right to match any offer sheet he signs. In addition to that rule, only Detroit has suitable cap space at this point in the offseason, and the Pistons are dealing with a logjam on the wings. That means Okoro can take the qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency next summer, or he can wait for an offer of his liking. According to Windhorst, the Cavaliers did offer the 2020 lottery pick a multi-year deal, but he did not report a structure for said deal. Okoro may ultimately return to Cleveland for another season, but this standoff is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball. He hasn’t offered much value since entering the NBA, either as a starter or rotation player off the bench.

After spending his rookie campaign on a two-way contract, Bates will return to the Cavaliers on similar terms. He appeared in 15 NBA games in 2023-24, averaging 2.7 points and 0.9 rebounds in under nine minutes. Even if Cleveland does not bring back Isaac Okoro, who remains a restricted free agent, Bates is unlikely to get the run needed to make a dent in fantasy basketball.

Charlotte declined Thor’s fourth-year option in late June, and the unrestricted free agent has found a new home. Cleveland has one of the strongest frontcourt rotations in the Association, so minutes will be hard to come by for the South Sudanese big man. Thor logged just 12.4 minutes per game for the Hornets a season ago, and he won’t be on the fantasy radar in 2024-25.

Allen recorded career highs in points (16.5) and assists (2.7) per game last season and continued to be a strong rebounder and defender for Cleveland. Fantasy managers should view him as a strong fantasy center option ahead of 2024-25 despite how banged-up he was during last year’s playoffs.

With Donovan Mitchell receiving his extension earlier this month, the Cavaliers have secured another critical piece of their foundation. Mobley’s deal includes incentives that could increase the total value to $269 million by its completion. While the 23-year-old big man boasts a high fantasy floor, the spacing issues arising from sharing the court with Jarrett Allen have limited Mobley’s ceiling. He’s worth selecting with a third-round pick in standard league drafts, but don’t be surprised if the final return is fourth-round value.

Tyson’s play improved throughout the NBA 2K25 Summer League, culminating in a 23-point effort in Saturday’s finale. The former Cal standout’s selection with the 20th overall pick was a bit surprising, but he has the talent and scoring ability to help the Cavaliers immediately. Tyson was highly efficient on Saturday, and while he’s likely headed toward a low-usage role as a rookie, he’ll be worth tracking during the preseason.

After struggling in their loss to the Warriors on Wednesday, Tyson bounced back with his best game of the summer. He fell one assist shy of recording a triple-double and had more points, rebounds and assists than he has had in any other game during Summer League. The No. 20 pick in the draft has had a solid summer and could end up being a big part of Cleveland’s rotation this season. However, with the amount of talent already on the team, it is unlikely that he’ll contribute much in fantasy in year one.

Tyson, the 20th overall pick in last month’s draft, shot the ball well for a second consecutive game in Las Vegas. After scoring 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting in his summer debut on Friday, the former Cal standout produced another 50% effort from the field. Another positive for the Cavaliers has been Tyson’s rebounding, as he’s up to 15 boards in two games. Even with the moves made before last season, Cleveland still needed to upgrade its wing rotation, and the hope is that Tyson will be the answer.