3 Cleveland Cavaliers Players Whose Roles Could Change Most This Season

Looking at the Cavs with their new additions in 2026-27 there could be some real change. Some for the better, and others for the worse. Minutes opened up here, and closed there. As it usually does for most teams coming into a new year.

With that said, let’s look at three players with the franchise who will see a significant difference in roles coming into the start of the new year.

Sam Merrill: The Sixth Man

For the most part last year, Sam Merrill was a starter. 38 of the 52 games he logged in the regular season were in the first five. Most importantly from him was the 37-15 record the team had when he was healthy and available.

This time however, the expectation will be for sixth man Merrill to emerge. A potential candidate to be the most impactful reserve in the league is going to await the sharpshooter. After scoring 13 points per night a year ago, the Utah State product should settle right into another high leverage opportunity in Cleveland.

Few guys impact winning for the Cavs as much as Merrill does, and they’re extremely lucky to have him. He’ll be amazing in the new role.

Evan Mobley: Getting More Consistent Shots

Hard as it is to believe, Evan Mobley averaged a career-high number of shots in 2025-26. At 13.2 attempts per night, this was slightly above the mark he had the previous year. But even still, it felt like they didn’t value him as a scorer quite as much.

Mobley only hit 29.7% of threes in the regular season, but the number (along with the attempts) jumped up in the playoffs. 3.9 attempts per game at a 34% clip was a bit more respectable than what they got before. He was at about two less total attempts per game, though. That is bound to be different this time.

With James Harden’s thumb healthy and Peyton Watson in the fold, the team will likely be more inclined to feature the big man right away. First quarter touches for the forward to get things going inside out. Plenty of lob opportunities will be available for Mobley with one of the best passers of this generation running point.

MOBLEY UP TO 34 PTS 🔥

Three tough buckets inside spark a 14-1 CLE run! pic.twitter.com/SXiNcgQRSo
— NBA (@NBA) March 31, 2026

Look for the big man to be at 15-16 shots a night in 2026-27, a nice healthy increase from last season.

Tyrese Proctor: More Minutes

Tyrese Proctor impressed in limited doses during his rookie campaign. While his spot in the rotation is not fully secured right now, his shooting and creating ability should convince Kenny Atkinson to toss him out there from day one.

His impressive summer showings with Australia during their international qualifiers were very telling of the player he is capable of being. The guy who hit 5-5 from 3PT vs. the Wizards in a single quarter. He may well be the #4 guard in the rotation behind Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Sam Merrill.

Look for the Duke product to show out and help keep opponents at bay, with leads staying up.

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