Cavaliers small forward Isaac Okoro has missed the past several games with a knee issue and whether he will be available for the playoffs remains a mystery.
Per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, Okoro is suffering from a bone bruise in his left knee.
“I don’t have an answer for you right now, to be honest with you,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said when asked if Okoro would return for the playoffs. “We are trying to progress him, but we’ll see what happens and we’ve always got to do, again, what’s right by him.”
Okoro, 22, has been the starter at the spot for the majority of the season. He is averaging a career-low 6.4 points but is shooting 49 percent from the field and a career-best 36 percent on 3-pointers.
The Cavs are starting him mostly, it seems, because Caris LeVert has been so impactful off the bench lately. Dean Wade has been the starter in Okoro’s absence for that very reason.
Cleveland (50-30) is locked into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and opens the playoffs vs. the Knicks next weekend.
A source told Hoops Wire the Cavs are targeting Games 1 or 2 in Cleveland for Okoro’s return, but added it’s very much a wait-and-see situation.
LeVert, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are all also out for Thursday’s meaningless road game vs. the Magic.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
