Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Dosunmu, Walker, Jerome, Pistons

March 5th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, who was scheduled to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday, said on Tuesday that he’s still not sure when the initial injury – a fracture along the back side of his left shoulder – occurred, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune.

“It is kind of bizarre just knowing that there was a fracture there,” Dosunmu said. “It was something that I played on — and I think I could have continued to play on. But I don’t know, for whatever reason the last time (he aggravated the injury), it probably knocked it out in a different way, because it was a different pain than I previously felt.”

Dosunmu will be entering the final year of his current contract in 2025/26 as he comes back from his procedure on his shoulder. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times observes, that would be a stressful situation for many NBA players, but the Bulls guard welcomes the challenge of returning from this injury, having a big contract year, and helping the team take a step forward.

“I thrive in situations like that,” Dosunmu said. “I thrive in adversity, proving people wrong, wherever the doubters may be. . . . I’m excited for the rehab process. Like I said, taking it one day at a time. Just looking at it as a blessing in disguise.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Pacers forward Jarace Walker, who hasn’t been part of the rotation for the past month, continues to handle his demotion admirably, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. As Dopirak details, the former eighth overall pick hadn’t been assigned to the G League all season before this week, but welcomed the opportunity to suit up for the Indiana Mad Ants and see legitimate game action on Monday. “I’m not gonna lie, I was excited,” said Walker, who ended up posting a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists) for the Pacers’ G League affiliate. “Any time I can work on my game, hoop, have fun, still be with the guys, it’s a good experience for me. I had a great time. It was kind of a no-brainer.”
In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor considers whether the Cavaliers can – and will – re-sign Ty Jerome when he reaches free agency this summer following a breakout season. As Fedor writes, the Cavs are headed into apron territory next season, but will have the ability to make Jerome a competitive offer using his Early Bird rights if they’re comfortable further increasing their team salary.
The Pistons‘ decision to bring in Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. as veteran leaders last summer has paid major dividends. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press takes a closer look at the positive impact the “Uncle T’s” have had in Detroit’s locker room this season.

Cavs’ Mobley, Blazers’ Camara Named Defensive Players Of The Month

March 4th, 2025 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been named February’s Defensive Player of the Month for the Eastern Conference, while Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara has earned the honor in the Western Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).

Mobley joins teammate Donovan Mitchell, who was named Player of the Month in the East, as award winners for February after the Cavs won 10 of 11 games over the course of the month. Cleveland had the best defensive rating (108.0) of any Eastern team in February, with Mobley anchoring that unit.

According to the league, Mobley was second among East players in blocks per game (2.3) in February and ranked third in the conference in contested shots per game (11.5).

The ascendant fourth-year forward/center, who was also named the East’s Defensive Player of the Month for December, is considered one of the frontrunners for this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

As for Camara, the second-year forward has been establishing himself as one of the NBA’s best wing defenders this season. According to the NBA, he ranked fourth in the conference in steals per game (2.0) in February and was the only player in the conference to compile at least 50 defensive rebounds, 20 steals, and 10 blocks for the month.

Portland entered February with a 19-29 record, but won eight of 12 games over the course of the month and had the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA (109.2) during that time.

Nets center Nic Claxton, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Pacers center Myles Turner, and Pistons teammates Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson were also nominated for the award in the Eastern Conference, while Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., Rockets swingman Amen Thompson, and Clippers teammates Kris Dunn and Ivica Zubac were nominated in the West, per the league (Twitter link).

LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell Named Players Of The Month

March 4th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers forward LeBron James has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for games played in February, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). While it’s the 41st time in his decorated 22-year NBA career that James has earned the honor, it’s the first time he has done so since 2020.

James’ Lakers went 10-2 in February, with the four-time MVP averaging 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 35.1 minutes per game to lead the way. The 40-year-old posted an impressive shooting line of .555/.443/.738 in his 11 games over the course of the month.

James’ teammate Austin Reaves was among the other players nominated for the award in the West, along with Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaren Jackson Jr., Nikola Jokic, and Anfernee Simons, according to the league (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has earned February’s Player of the Month award. He was selected over fellow nominees Cade Cunningham, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton, and teammate Evan Mobley.

Mitchell, who appears well on his way to an All-NBA berth, averaged 25.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game with a .487/.381/.786 shooting line in 10 games in February. His Cavaliers continued to extend their lead atop the Eastern Conference standings during the month, with a 10-1 record.

It’s the third time in Mitchell’s career that he has won a Player of the Month award, including his second time as a Cav.

Cavs’ Ty Jerome Fined $25K For Criticizing Officiating

March 4th, 2025 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome was fined $25K by the NBA on Monday for public criticism of the officiating, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).

The comments that got Jerome in trouble came after the Cavaliers eked out a 133-129 overtime win against Portland on Sunday.

The game featured a total of 53 fouls and 70 free throws between the two teams, far above their usual rates, and Jerome was asked after the win how difficult it was to get into a rhythm.

“Yeah, I thought the refs were really bad tonight,” he said. “Especially Natalie (Sago), she was really bad. So when stuff like that happens, they kind of lose control of the game and you’ve just got to keep your head. I thought that first half was ridiculous, third quarter was horrendous.”

A $25K fine isn’t significant as far as potential penalties from the NBA go, but it’s more meaningful for Jerome than it would be for many players — his $2,560,975 salary this season is well below the league average.

After missing nearly all of last season due to an ankle injury, Jerome has had an impressive bounce-back year in 2024/25 and is in contention for Sixth Man of the Year honors. In 56 games (two starts) for the East-leading Cavs, he has averaged 12.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .516/.449/.889.

And-Ones: Kerr, Traveling, Draft, Roberts

March 4th, 2025 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors rebounded on Monday from a Saturday loss to Philadelphia, getting back in the win column with a 119-101 victory in Charlotte. But head coach Steve Kerr had a bone to pick after the game, telling reporters that he believes NBA referees let far too many traveling violations go uncalled.

“I don’t understand why we are not teaching our officials to call travel in this league,” Kerr said, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. “They do a great job and work their tails off and communicate well, but I see five or six travels a game that aren’t called.”

Kerr earned a technical foul in the third quarter on Monday for arguing with officials over what he believes what a travel by Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (video link). Officials let it go and the play resulted in a Warriors foul.

While Kerr was upset in that instance about a non-call that hurt the Warriors, he said his own team is just as guilty as any other, noting that when he watched film of the team’s loss to the Sixers, he noticed four Golden State travels that weren’t called.

“The entire game is based on footwork,” Kerr said. “We need enforce traveling violations and we are not doing it and I don’t understand why. … These (officials) are awesome. They do a great job, and they have a million things to watch, but footwork is the entire basis of the game and we need to call traveling. It will be a much better game if we clean it up.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) have updated their list of this year’s top 100 draft prospects. Texas guard Tre Johnson (No. 11 to No. 5) and French center Joan Beringer (No. 24 to No. 13) are among the big risers in the lottery, while French point guard Nolan Traore has dropped from No. 7 to No. 15 and Israeli guard Ben Saraf has fallen from No. 13 to No. 21.
Just one year ago, Long Island Nets guard Terry Roberts was in the hospital on a ventilator after being shot in the upper chest by a stray bullet. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required) takes an in-depth look at Roberts’ recovery and his road back to being a regular contributor this season for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
With less than six weeks in the 2024/25 regular season, several of ESPN’s NBA reporters pose 19 questions facing teams down the stretch as the playoff races in both conferences heat up. Among those questions: Do the Cavaliers have enough to beat the Celtics? How do the Bucks avoid another early playoff exit? Are the Grizzlies ready to take a step forward in the postseason? And what is the Warriors‘ ceiling?

Cavaliers Sign Nae’Qwan Tomlin To Two-Way Deal

March 2nd, 2025 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

March 2: Tomlin has been officially signed, according to the NBA transactions log. The Cavaliers waived Thor to create a two-way opening, as we detailed in a separate story.

March 1: Nae’Qwan Tomlin will sign a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The deal will cover two seasons, Scotto adds (Twitter link).

Last week, Cleveland gave the 24-year-old power forward a 10-day contract. He has appeared in three games during that deal, which will expire tonight, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 4.7 minutes per contest.

The 6’10” rookie signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavs in September after going undrafted out of Memphis. He spent most of the season with the G League’s Cleveland Charge, posting 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks per night in 35 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games,

The Cavaliers will have an opening on their main roster once Tomlin’s 10-day contract expires, but all three of their two-way slots are currently filled. Either Emoni Bates, Luke Travers or JT Thor will have to be waived or promoted to the 15-man roster before Tomlin’s new deal can be finalized.

Whatever the Cavs decide to do, it will have to happen by March 4, which is the deadline to sign players to two-way contracts.

Cavaliers Waive JT Thor

March 2nd, 2025 at 6:31am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have waived forward JT Thor, who was on a two-way contract with the team, according to the official transaction log at NBA.com.

Thor, 22, was the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Auburn and spent three seasons with the Hornets before signing a two-way contract with Cleveland in September.

The 6’9″ forward was a regular in Charlotte, appearing in 165 total games as a Hornet, but played a limited role for the Cavaliers this season, appearing in just nine games and averaging 4.7 minutes per night. He was effective in his rare appearances, compiling 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting in 42 total minutes.

Thor also saw action in 24 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games for the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, averaging 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest, with an underwhelming shooting line of .434/.276/.762.

Waiving Thor opens up a two-way slot for the Cavaliers to sign Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who has reportedly agreed to a two-year, two-way deal with the team. Thor was technically waived on March 1, per NBA.com, so he would retain his playoff eligibility if he signs with a new team before the end of the season.

Cavs Notes: Garland, Mitchell, Allen, Celtics Win

March 1st, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Tristan Tucker

Despite some speculation that the Cavaliers and Darius Garland might separate after the team’s second-round loss to the Celtics in the playoffs last season, that was never under serious consideration for either side, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“It crossed my mind. Like just literally crossed it for like five seconds,” Garland said. “But I really love this group, man. It’s like a real brotherhood. We’ve been together for three years now, four years now, and I really want to win here. I think this group has the opportunity to do something special and bring a championship back to Cleveland. And that’s what I want to do.”

After remaining in Cleveland, Garland is having a career year for the East-best Cavaliers, averaging 21.3 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting career highs of 49.1% from the field and 42.3% from three. It certainly helped that new head coach Kenny Atkinson met with Garland after being hired and discussed what his role could look like.

“He wanted to get back to an All-Star level and that was our job to help him get back there,” general manager Koby Altman said. “It was our job to help him with the staff that was going to empower him again. But never once did Darius ever ask out, never once did Darius have an issue with Donovan (Mitchell), and never once did he have an issue with the organization. His issue was, like, how do I get back? I know I’m one of the best players in the league, one of the best guards in the league. How do I get back?”

After last year’s playoffs, Garland’s goal for the offseason was building out his physique and becoming a more physical player, according to MacMahon.

“In an era or day and age where so many kids push for different things to happen, to get a new start, he put his head down and grinded every single day this summer to come back and be prepared for what was coming forward,” former Cavs and current Hawks forward Georges Niang said. “I’m happy for him because he deserves it.”

We have more from the Cavaliers:

Mitchell recognized that in order for the Cavaliers to become true contenders, Garland would need to have the ball in his hands more often, MacMahon writes in the same story. Mitchell’s numbers have dipped this season and Garland credits the former Louisville guard for setting the cultural tone in Cleveland. “It’s one thing to be great talents, but it’s another thing to be great dudes,” Garland’s agent Rich Paul said. “When you got two ball-dominant players, they have to get a rhythm. In any relationship it takes the effort, no matter if it’s personal or business. It takes the effort to stay consistently successful. Those two guys have come out, checked their egos at the door and it’s really shown that, ‘Hey, this thing could work now.’“
In addition to rumors circulating about the Cavs’ backcourt, there was talk during the 2024 offseason regarding the fit between Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the frontcourt. In an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Allen said he understood the nature of the business and the talk that comes with it, but he was happy to not have been traded out of Cleveland. “I really mesh well with these guys,” Allen said. “It’s just a good group to be around.”
The Cavaliers split the season series against the Celtics 2-2 after an impressive come-from-behind win over Boston on Friday. As Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes, the Celtics took a 25-3 lead in the first quarter and could have easily run away with the game, but Cleveland ended the night with its biggest comeback in 11 years. Mitchell and Mobley’s contributions were key to getting the win. “The game rewards people when they stick with it,” Mobley said. “Just believe in myself, that’s the biggest thing. When you believe in yourself, you feel like you can do anything. Even with this slow start to the game, just believing in myself the entire game and eventually things started falling, and I think that’s the biggest factor in getting where you want to get to.“

Cavs Notes: 48th Win, Celtics Matchup, Garland, Wings

February 26th, 2025 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

With their win over Orlando on Tuesday, the Cavaliers are now 48-10 on the season, matching their 2023/24 season win total with 24 games still left to play, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, that wasn’t a milestone that the team and head coach Kenny Atkinson felt was worth celebrating.

“In our locker room, amongst us, no one is talking about our record,” Atkinson said after the victory, per Fedor. “Focused on trying to prepare for these playoffs. Championship mentality.”

As Fedor writes, it took the Cavaliers seven hard-fought games to sneak by the Magic in the first round of last spring’s playoffs. Their 122-82 beat-down of the Magic in Orlando on Tuesday night served as a reminder of how far the Cavs have come in less than a year and how much higher their expectations are now.

“We’re not going to talk around it. We want to win a championship,” guard Ty Jerome said. “That’s our goal. If that’s not your goal, why come to training camp? I don’t think there’s any added pressure. A lot of good teams in this league. One day at a time. Continue to do what we do.

“… We have a special group,” Jerome continued. “This is my fourth team, and you don’t find this often in the NBA. We all have individual goals, but winning is at the forefront of our mind and we all want to see each other succeed. We are genuinely happy for each other. You don’t find that a lot in the NBA. Just not taking that for granted. It’s special. Don’t want it to pass you by.”

Here’s more on the Cavaliers, whose current eight-game winning streak is just their third-longest of the season:

Among Eastern Conference rivals, the Celtics are the biggest obstacle in the way of a Cavaliers title. Cleveland is 1-2 against the defending champs so far this season and is looking forward to the fourth and final regular season matchup between the two teams on Friday in Boston, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We still have to prove we can beat them, beat them at their place,” Atkinson said. “I think we go in there, kind of guns blazing, go for the win, whatever it takes, throw everything at them. And then after that game, we can kind of step back and say, ‘Hey, what can we do in the playoffs?'”
Darius Garland, who has missed Cleveland’s past two games due to a left hip contusion, is aiming to be back in the lineup on Friday vs. the Celtics, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
While Javonte Green likely won’t play a major role in the playoffs for the Cavaliers, adding him on the buyout market is part of the team’s broader effort to “stockpile wings,” Vardon writes for The Athletic. As Vardon writes, it’s rare for a championship team to start two smaller guards like Garland and Donovan Mitchell, but the Cavs’ plethora of wings helps the team protect its smaller backcourt, especially during the minutes when just one of Garland or Mitchell is on the floor.

Checking In On Open NBA Roster Spots

February 24th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been no shortage of free agent signings across the NBA since the trade deadline, but several clubs still have at least one open roster spot as we near the home stretch of the season.

Using our roster counts tracker, let’s check in on which teams have openings and which are most likely to fill them in the short term.

Teams with multiple open spots on their standard 15-man rosters:

New Orleans Pelicans
Sacramento Kings

The Pelicans and Kings are both currently carrying 13 players on standard contracts, which teams are permitted to do for up to 14 days at a time or 28 days in total during a season.

New Orleans dipped down to 13 players last Thursday by buying out Javonte Green, which means the club will have until next Thursday (March 6) to get back to 14 players. Two-way player Brandon Boston is considered a strong candidate for a promotion, though he’s still eight games away from his 50-game limit because he has been out since February 8 with a sprained ankle.

Sacramento, meanwhile, dropped to 13 players when Daishen Nix‘s 10-day contract expired last Monday night. The Kings need to re-add a 14th man by next Tuesday (March 4) in order to adhere to the NBA’s roster rules.

Teams with one open spot on their standard 15-man rosters:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Golden State Warriors
- Note: Two of the Warriors’ 14 players are on 10-day contracts.
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks

The Celtics, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Knicks are all deep into luxury tax territory and may not be in any rush to add a 15th man, since that player would cost exponentially more once tax penalties are taken into account. New York is currently restricted by a hard cap but could sign a player as soon as February 28.

The Hawks and Pacers have enough breathing room below the tax not to worry about surpassing that line, so they may look to add someone sooner rather than later, perhaps on a 10-day contract.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will dip back to 12 players once the 10-day contracts for Kevin Knox and Yuri Collins expire this Friday night. Golden State has some hard-cap issues to navigate for the rest of the season and might not want to get back to 14 players right away.

Teams with full standard 15-man rosters that include one 10-day contract:

Brooklyn Nets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Memphis Grizzlies
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

These teams each have 14 players on standard contracts and one on a 10-day deal. With one exception, they’re all below the tax line and could continue cycling through 10-day signings or add a player on a rest-of-season contract when their current 10-day deals expire.

The one exception is Dallas. The Mavericks are right up against their hard cap, so once Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract ends, they won’t be able to bring in a new 15th man (or bring Brown back) until April 10.

Teams with an open two-way slot:

Brooklyn Nets
Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will reportedly fill their open two-way slot with Australian guard Taran Armstrong, so the Nets are really the only team with a two-way spot available, having promoted Tyrese Martin to a standard contract last Thursday.

It’s a pretty safe bet Brooklyn will fill that opening at some point before March 4, which is the deadline for two-way signings. You can also count on several other teams promoting, waiving, and signing two-way players before that deadline.