The Cleveland Cavaliers have 13 players under standard contract, meaning they need to add at least one more player to meet the NBA’s roster requirement. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, it is unknown how the Cavs will fill the 14th roster spot, but they do have options available.
Cleveland’s 2025 offseason has been relatively quiet. The Cavaliers’ biggest moves thus far are re-signing Sam Merrill to a four-year contract and trading for Lonzo Ball.
Cleveland Cavaliers Have Roster Options Reportedly Interested In Two-Time All-Star
Still, Cleveland appears headed for the same fate as Boston faced this summer. The Cavaliers are over $22.2 million over the NBA’s second apron. Therefore, it is unlikely the Cavs will fill both of the open spots on their 15-man roster. Also, they are limited to offering only the veteran minimum to any player they sign.
So, What Does The Cavaliers Need To Add?
Cleveland is coming off its best regular season in 15 years. The Cavaliers won 64 games and were one of three teams to boast a top-5 offense and defense. The Cavs were an excellent shooting and rebounding team while also not turning the ball over.
Fedor believes there are two possible directions the Cavaliers could take. He said that, given Coach Kenny Atkinson‘s switch-heavy defensive system, they could use another versatile wing. However, he added that they also go with another ball handler.
With Darius Garland sidelined for the beginning of the season after undergoing toe surgery, the Cavaliers’ depth of ball handlers drops. Granted, the Cavs acquired Ball to take some of the ball-handling pressure off of Donovan Mitchell while Garland is sidelined. But Ball has not been able to stay healthy, appearing in 70 games over the last four seasons.
Craig Porter Jr. and 2025 second-round draft pick Tyrese Proctor are also on standard deals. However, it is uncertain how much Atkinson will trust the youngsters with the rock for extended periods in the early going. Porter has demonstrated that he is a capable shooter with the ability to score in bunches when he gets hot, but turnovers remain an issue.
Proctor has a lot of growing to do. He landed on Duke’s campus as a highly touted recruit, but he was inconsistent in his three seasons in Durham. The 21-year-old produced his best shooting season in his final collegiate campaign. While Proctor has struggled shooting the ball this summer, he dropped 35 points against Sacramento in Vegas on July 16.
Cavs Interested In Victor Oladipo
One possibility for the Cavaliers is Victor Oladipo. According to Fedor, the Cavaliers were among the attendees of a private workout on Monday in Las Vegas. The two-time all-star competed in a five-on-five scrimmage alongside a handful of international pros.
Oladipo sat out all of last season while recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. The 33-year-old guard has not appeared in at least 50 games since 2017-18.
Jeremy Woo of ESPN said that “Multiple team sources in attendance came away impressed, with Oladipo described as being in excellent shape as he pursues another comeback.”
Oladipo has seen his production drop significantly since 2020-21 as he has been dealing with injuries throughout. Oladipo has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He drains 1.6 treys a game at a clip of 43.6/34.7/78.8. While not the player he was during his younger years, Oladipo can still score and defend.
“I feel so great right now!!” Oladipo tweeted one week ago. “Better than I felt in the last 7 years, mind, body, and soul. I know I can help any team in any role win in any way! I also know the people want to see me succeed in this game and play at the highest level again. My injuries are behind me, and it will never happen again!”
Signing Oladipo would give the Cavaliers another ball handler. In essence, Oladipo would provide both things that Fedor mentioned, as the 6-3 guard can guard all three backcourt spots.
Dean Wade On the Trade Block?
The Cavaliers reportedly value having veteran forward Dean Wade on their roster. But Fedor suggested that the Cavs may trade Wade to cut their tax bill, which is estimated at $141 million per Sportac.
Wade — who makes his living based on physicality, defense, and rebounding — is in the final year of his contract. With the Cavaliers projected to be over the second apron for the next few seasons, unless the Cavs deal one of their core four or De’Andre Hunter, they won’t be able to afford to re-sign the 28-year-old this summer.
However, since Wade only makes $6.6 million this season, it doesn’t make sense for the Cavs to trade him until around the trade deadline. Additionally, a trade would likely constitute a salary dump, as the Cavs are unlikely to receive anything significant in return. Fedor said that Dallas was among the teams interested in Wade.
“It’s worth noting there was plenty of chatter in the desert about defense-first forward Dean Wade possibly being moved,” Fedor wrote. “An unrestricted free agent following the season, the current belief is that Wade likely wouldn’t return, with cap-strapped Cleveland being unable to afford him. Sources say numerous contenders from each conference have expressed interest. The Dallas Mavericks have been fans for a few years, and a former Cleveland assistant is part of the coaching staff.”
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