The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading into 2025-26 looking like a top-four team. After losing Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome to the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency, they may take a step back. That’s one of the reasons why their reported interest in free agent Malik Beasley (h/t Michael Scotto of HoopsHype) could be serious. With that being said, they have more top-end talent than most teams and should excel so long as they’re healthy.
But will they be?
While he’s ascended to All-Star status, franchise point guard Darius Garland has played fewer than 60 games in three of his six career seasons. In fact, after going under the knife this offseason, he’s projected to miss the start of 2025-26. As a result, for all the Cavs’ star power, it’s their depth that may be most important. Specifically, their third-string point guard. See, if Garland is injury-prone, backup Lonzo Ball is just plain unreliable. Over the past four seasons, the former No. 2 pick has played just 70 games.
This is an issue that Cleveland faces at no other position
Cavs 11th Man Will Be Key To 2026 NBA Finals Run
Given that it’s pretty much essential that the Cavs having 11th man, it’s worth taking a closer look at who the best candidates for the role may be.
Tyrese Proctor
Though his rookie tag likely puts him at a disadvantage, Tyrese Proctor‘s play for a program like Duke can’t be overlooked. In this year’s Summer League, he exceeded expectations, particularly as a facilitator. He was inefficient, but his upside was apparent throughout his time in Las Vegas.
Tyrese Proctor tonight:
27 minutes
35 points
46% FG
9/9 FT
4 assists
3 rebounds
2 stealsA lot of teams will be sick that they passed on Tyrese. pic.twitter.com/z1MpwX9rmc
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) July 16, 2025
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That being said, he’s not as natural a passer as either Garland or Ball. When it comes to stepping into either player, his best asset will be his impact as a scorer. However, if he can exhibit a high enough level of ball control, concept mastery, on-court leadership and playmaking to hold his own in a 10-15 minute window, he could win the job.
Craig Porter Jr.
Usually, a point guard with effective point-of-attack defense and instinctive playmaking would be able to break into the rotation. The problem with 25-year-old Craig Porter Jr. isn’t necessarily that his strengths aren’t as valued in today’s league though. The issue lies in the fact that his weakness is a glaring issue in the modern NBA.
At Wichita State, he was a career 35.8 percent shooter from deep, with two seasons shooting above 36 percent. In his two seasons of NBA service, he’s shooting 40.2 percent from 3. Yet, to watch him play is to realize he’s far too timid with his trey-ball, making him equal parts liability and weapon.
Jaylon Tyson
Soon-to-be second-year pro Jaylon Tyson has already generated plenty of positivity about his game.
At 6-foot-6, he’s a connector capable of impacting the game in a multitude of ways. Want buckets? He can get those. Need someone to generate an assist? Don’t hesitate to call him. It’s time for a defensive stop? The Texan might hold up like The Alamo.
Kenny Atkinson Postgame After Win vs Heat:
“We put him [Jaylon Tyson] out there for defense and rebounding. Task accomplished. We debated starting Ty [Jerome] or him and we just went with size… played his role perfectly—[0:58] We threw up some lineups that we maybe haven’t seen… pic.twitter.com/Cf0tMRl3uA
— Dylan
(@dillybar2145__) January 30, 2025
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The biggest question will be how effective he can be from beyond the arc. In college, he shot 37.2 percent from 3. However, he made just 34.5 percent of his 3s (on 4.6 attempts per 36 minutes) in 2024-25. Then he shot 55.6 percent from deep in the playoffs. The key could be getting him the ball in his hot spots, with Tyson shooting 57.1 percent on right corner 3s and 54.5 percent above the break (right).
When it comes to favorites to win the job as the Cavs’ 11th man, he’s as good a choice as anyone. In fact, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game in three starts last season.
© David Richard-Imagn Images
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