Cavs’ Dean Wade Out; Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro And Sam Merrill Questionable vs. Celtics

Cavaliers forward Dean Wade will be among those missing for the team’s visit to the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday — though he may be the only one.

That’s because shooting guard Sam Merrill has been upgraded to questionable. Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro are also listed as questionable. 

Let’s start with Wade, who was forced to exit Sunday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets with a left ankle sprain. He seemingly wanted to remain in the game, but was quickly pulled, never to return. Wade went down under the basket after apparently stepping on someone’s foot.

He was spotted in the locker room afterward, sporting a walking boot and stepping gingerly.

Okoro also exited the game with a left ankle sprain. In the postgame locker room, he seemed to be walking fine, without any sort of assistance, and even cracked a few jokes. So Okoro seemed in high spirits, though that means nothing in terms of how badly his ankle may be hurting or his general availability.

Meanwhile, Merrill has missed the last three games with left ankle soreness, and coach Kenny Atkinson described him as day-to-day before the win over Charlotte.

“He’s still a little sore,” Atkinson said. “But again, I don’t see this as a long-term thing. He’s just trying to get the ankle right.”

As for LeVert, he missed one game already with left knee inflammation and that again has him questionable for Tuesday. Not much has been said or reported on LeVert’s issue, but you get the sense it’s lingering.

The Cavs can become just the second team in NBA history to start 16-0 with a win. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors were the other, on their way to a 24-0 start (and 73-9 finish).

Max Strus (ankle) remains out for the Cavs, as does Kristaps Porzingis (knee) for the Celtics. Also, Boston guard Payton Pritchard (sprained thumb) is listed as questionable.

The game will serve as the second for each team in NBA Cup group play. The Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls in the first; the Celtics lost at home to the Atlanta Hawks.