3 Big Wild Cards for Cleveland Cavaliers as Training Camp Grows Closer

A quiet free agency that still provided many talking points, the Cleveland Cavaliers head into training camp with questions about their current roster for this season.

The Cavs’ main goal was to acquire LeBron James, and they put everything into obtaining his signature for what will be his last run. But, he chose the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a crushing blow, and worse still, they still haven’t secured James Harden after he declined his lucrative player option in order to become a free agent, exclusively for Cleveland to negotiate a more favorable term. But the holdup seems to be leaning towards whether they can sign Peyton Watson or Jonathan Kuminga.

However, the Cavs have made adjustments in a messy offseason, and they, along with rising stars, will be a focus when training camp starts in late September. The biggest unknowns heading into camp revolve around rotational roles, the development of young talent, and potential final roster moves.

Mario Hezonja

Croatian international Mario Hezonja is back in the NBA after six years in the EuroLeague, most recently with Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Hezonja’s NBA tenure was solid, but nowhere near game-changing. He was more of a role player, but since arriving in Cleveland, he will look to play a pivotal part of the rotation, suggesting he will be more than he was when he last played in the league.

In the six years Hezonja has played in the EuroLeague, he has certainly flourished into a more aggressive scorer and defender. He has matured a great deal, but he remains unproven in today’s NBA.

As the team’s latest addition to bolster wing depth, Hezonja will need the ability to quickly adapt to head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system and securing the starting small forward role will be crucial to the team’s floor spacing and defensive versatility.

Tyrese Proctor

Tyrese Proctor showed flashes of what he is capable of last season; however, towards the final stretch, he was barely utilized.

Proctor now enters a crucial development phase after spending his offseason playing for the Australian national team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers. He will battle for primary backup guard minutes behind the main rotation.

It will be interesting to see how he fares when training camp starts.

Meleek Thomas

Rookie Meleek Thomas brings explosive scoring and a solid backcourt presence to training camp, where he will compete directly with the existing depth pieces to see if he can carve out regular-season minutes.

If the NBA Summer League is anything to go by, Thomas certainly has a strong case for minutes. He averaged 27 points in Las Vegas, showcasing his incredible scoring abilities, often being the primary offensive option.

However, Atkinson will want to see a more rounded game from Thomas when camp begins.

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