Cavs Entering Camp With Fewest Guaranteed Contracts In Entire NBA

September 24, 2024

When it comes to roster flexibility, the Cavaliers might have more than you might think. Not that they really need it.

But the truth is, Cleveland enters training camp next week with the fewest fully guaranteed contracts in the entire 30-team NBA. For the record, they have 11.

Now, this doesn’t take into account the partial guarantees of veteran center Tristan Thompson and second-year point guard Craig Porter Jr. Both are locks to make the team. Same goes for shooting guard Sam Merrill, whose deal is also non-guaranteed.

Thompson’s deal is guaranteed through Jan. 7, at which point the Cavs will have to decide whether to pick it up for the rest of the season. He had the same deal last season — and the Cavaliers did indeed opt to keep Thompson for the year.

Other than that, though, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman has decided to run it back with the same primary cast. The only major change was the hiring of coach Kenny Atkinson, who replaced J.B. Bickerstaff, now of the Pistons.

Clearly, Altman and GM Mike Gansey want to see what Atkinson can do with a roster that reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Given that the Cavs have made no other moves — they’re one of three teams to have not signed an outside free agent to a standard deal — there’s a sense that they’ll be banking on familiarity.

If that doesn’t work, hey, you have all the way to the February trade deadline to make a move. Right? Right.

At any rate, at least 14 spots are accounted for on the Cavs’ standard roster. Word has it that they don’t intend to add a 15th player for opening night. That can always change, but that’s where things stand today.

Below is a look at the roster as of late Monday. Camp opens Tuesday, Oct. 1, in Florida.

Players on guaranteed standard deals: Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Georges Niang, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade.
Players on non-guaranteed deals: Thompson, Porter Jr. (partial guarantee), Merrill.
Players on two-way deals: Emoni Bates, JT Thor, Luke Travers.
Players on camp deals: Pete Nance, Darius Brown II, Jules Bernard, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Gabe Osabuohien, Zhaire Smith, Jacob Gilyard.