Cleveland

Cavaliers

Cleveland selected Diop with the 39th pick in 2022, but he has remained in Spain since then. Now, they’ll finally bring him over, though the only the first year of his contract is guaranteed at $1.3 million. This is a low-risk move for the Cavs to add to their depth.

Whitmore was dealt to Cleveland as part of the Peyton Watson trade, but it doesn’t seem like the Cavs are interested in keeping him around. Stretching his $5.4 million contract over a few seasons will give them more flexibility to build out this team with players that are more ready to help win now. It isn’t official yet, but it seems likely that Whitmore won’t be playing in Cleveland next season.

Harden’s new deal includes a trade kicker and a player option, so he’ll retain some form of control over his future. The superstar guard was traded from the Clippers midseason, and Cleveland made the Eastern Conference Finals. The team will look to continue its upward trajectory with the pairing of Harden and Donovan Mitchell, and the former is still a reliable fantasy option heading into his 18th season.

Whitmore was added in to facilitate the Peyton Watson trade, and he’ll end up as a young depth piece in Cleveland. However, there are likely too many players in front of him on the depth chart on a team that is trying to compete in the East for him to get much of an opportunity next season.

The Cavs’ interest in Watson has been rumored for a while, and they were finally able to get a deal done, and it wasn’t just the trade. With the deal, Watson also agreed to a four-year, $88 million extension to stay in Cleveland for a while. Watson is coming off a breakout season and should fill in as the Cavs’ fifth starter alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Watson’s role will look different than it did last season, but his versatility on both ends should fit in well in Cleveland as they look to compete in the East. Watson’s departure should officially lock in Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson and Aaron Gordon as starters in Denver, though Julian Strawther should step into extra minutes off the bench.

Mann is headed to Cleveland after two-plus seasons in Charlotte, where he occupied a reserve role on most nights. Appearing in 53 games in 2025-26, the former first-round pick averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 12.6 minutes. With Cleveland’s backcourt being headlined by Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, Mann is unlikely to be in a position where he can offer reliable fantasy value.

The Cavaliers also sent cash considerations to the Hornets as part of the deal. According to various reports, the Cavaliers had been trying to offload Schröder’s contract since the NBA Draft. In this trade, they’ll save around $6 million in cap space. The Hornets will upgrade their backcourt depth here in the wake of trading LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves. Charlotte will be Schröder’s 12th team, bringing him one away from tying Ish Smith’s record for most teams played for. The 32-year-old point guard averaged 10.8 points and 4.9 assists in 70 games last season.

The fifth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hezonja has been out of the NBA since being waived by the Grizzlies in December 2020. However, a return to Europe was just what the doctor ordered for the forward, who most recently played for Spanish power Real Madrid. The expectation is that Hezonja will have a role within the Cavaliers’ rotation, but fantasy managers should not make it a priority to draft him until the role becomes clear.

Signed to a two-way contract after going undrafted, Udeh provided solid rebounding and rim protection in Monday’s victory. Given the Cavaliers’ frontcourt depth, carving out a consistent role for himself as a rookie may prove challenging. However, even if Udeh spends most of his rookie season in the G League, he is worth keeping an eye on in deeper dynasty leagues.

One day removed from going for 30 points against the Pistons, Thomas was even better on Monday. The 34th overall pick scored 21 points in the first half, shooting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and finished with 35. While the summer league competition is not on par with what Thomas will see in the fall/winter, he’s clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder after falling out of the first round of the draft. Regardless of what happens with Cleveland’s pursuit of LeBron James, Thomas scores too well to be out of Kenny Atkinson’s rotation.