Why the Cavaliers’ Frontcourt Could Become Their Biggest Concern This Season

The Cavaliers may be strung short in the depth department in the paint.

Jan 12, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'qwan Tomlin (35) celebrates after a dunk against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Depth. Depth. Depth.

It matters a whole lot in the NBA, because when the injury bug strikes through the team, it comes down to who’s left standing, ready to get into the game and play. Teams have been bitten hard to open the 2026-27 season, with the Cavs no exception to this rule.

As Evan Mobley prepares to miss a little time with a toe injury, he’s far from the first player to be sidelined. Out with him now are Sam Merrill (elbow) and Nae’Qwan Tomlin (back). And that’s just it. How is this testing the team’s depth?

Let’s talk about where the frontcourt for this team stands, and if it is good enough as constructed to help the team compete in the East.

When Healthy: Yes

Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Peyton Watson, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Mario Hezonja are the Cavs' top five frontcourt players. Of course, Tomlin is yet to play with a back issue this season, so Thomas Bryant has filled in whenever anyone has gone down or had to miss time.

That is a very solid group, with Watson sliding up to power forward to stretch where one of Allen or Mobley is on the bench. The issue right now, though, is that #4 is going to join Tomlin on the sideline, leaving them with just three of their top guys healthy. It does make it hard.

There is a plethora of talent among the group, with all of them providing different skill sets. Watson has also missed time with a hamstring already, and Allen with his knee. Hezonja is the only one to play in all 12 games, which is certainly a little troubling for health's sake. Hopefully, though, when the year is coming to its close, they have everybody ready and can dole out minutes how they hope to.

Cleveland's frontcourt duo were a force in Milwaukee!

EVAN MOBLEY: 27 PTS, 3 3PM, 11-16 FGM
JARRETT ALLEN: 25 PTS, 11 REB, 12-16 FGM@cavs move to 4-2 on the season 😤 pic.twitter.com/RPP2O2qkxg

— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2026

Make no mistake. This group is good enough. But a trade for another player here for the reserve unit could also make a lot of sense at February’s deadline.

When Injured: No

Depth is the key word here. That’s why I wrote it three times in a row to begin the piece. With Evan Mobley and Nae’Qwan Tomlin out right now, Cleveland is very short-handed up front. It’s not easy to win without a full complement of guys, and now the team is left with two centers, a combo forward, and one true power forward. On the entire available list of players.

Kenny Atkinson has experimented (disastrously) with super-small lineups featuring James Harden at the PF, Jaylon Tyson at that spot, and sometimes even Tyrese Proctor there. A team can only work with what it has sometimes, but that’s the absolute last thing you want to see.

Now, it was only a few years ago that an extremely short-handed Cavs team turned an entire season around with an 18-2 stretch. But, that was a different coach. Different personnel. This group needs more up there.

That would be the main reason for trying to make a midseason deal. A healthy Tomlin does inject energy into the group. Mobley being out will certainly hurt the team’s ability to craft more unique lineups.

It could also provide a real chance for Jarrett Allen to take more than one three-pointer per game. In a small sample, he’s gone 3-for-4 from distance and looked comfortable taking them.

Perhaps more power-forward minutes with Peyton Watson will have him feeling just a little more comfortable. That was more of his position in Denver, after all.

But, there is concern here. Can the current group hold it down? Time to see.