Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors

And-Ones: Fall, F. Jackson, Z. Simpson, ESPN

August 28th, 2025 at 8:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association have added a trio of former NBA players for the 2025/26 season, according to Alberto De Roa of HoopsHype. Center Tacko Fall and guards Frank Jackson and Zavier Simpson have reportedly joined the CBA team.

Fall, a 7’6″ big man who appeared in 37 NBA games for the Celtics and Cavaliers from 2019-22, is no stranger to China’s basketball league, having spent time with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Nanjing Monkey Kings since he last played in the NBA. He also had a stint with the New Zealand Breakers last season.

Jackson has also played in the CBA with the Shanxi Loongs and Jiangsu Dragons, while Simpson will be playing in the country for the first time after spending last season in Romania. Jackson, a 2017 second-round pick, has appeared in 214 NBA regular season games, but has been out of the league since March 2023. Simpson made seven appearances for the Grizzlies on a pair of 10-day contracts near the end of the 2023/24 season after playing four times for Oklahoma City in ’21/22.

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

ESPN is making a change to its top broadcasting team for the 2025/26 NBA season and 2026 NBA Finals, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, who reports that Tim Legler will replace Doris Burke alongside Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson. However, Burke has signed a multiyear extension with ESPN and will be on ESPN’s No. 2 NBA broadcast team with play-by-play man Dave Pasch.
An ESPN panel of NBA experts is forecasting the Cavaliers to win an Eastern Conference-high 59 games in 2025/26, with the Knicks (54-28), Magic (50-32), Hawks (47-35), and Pistons (47-35) rounding out the top five. ESPN’s projections have the Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, Heat, and Pacers battling for the final playoff spot and play-in seeding. Over in the West, ESPN’s forecast calls for the Thunder (64 wins) to repeat as the conference’s No. 1 seed, followed by the Rockets (54-28), Nuggets (53-29), Timberwolves (51-31), Clippers (50-32), and Lakers (50-32).
Unsurprisingly, in a separate story predicting next season’s conference and NBA champions, ESPN’s panel picks the Cavaliers and Thunder as the favorites to meet in the NBA Finals, with Oklahoma City repeating as champions. For what it’s worth, the Nuggets received the second-most votes as potential champs, followed by Cleveland, the Rockets, and the Knicks.

Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Warriors, Brogdon, Highsmith, More

August 28th, 2025 at 2:35pm CST by Rory Maher

The status of free agent wing Malik Beasley is somewhat murky at the moment, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

While Beasley’s lawyers told ESPN their client is no longer the “target” of a federal gambling probe, a subsequent report said he was still a “subject” and could still face legal challenges. Beasley is also expected to be investigated by the NBA, Fischer reports.

According to Fischer, the Cavaliers, Knicks, Timberwolves and Pistons are the main teams to touch base with Beasley’s camp in the hope that he’ll eventually be able to play in 2025/26. However, Fischer hears none of those teams have actually discussed signing Beasley with his future seemingly still up in the air.

If Beasley is ultimately cleared of any legal wrongdoing and by the NBA, the 28-year-old will be seeking more than the veteran’s minimum on his next contract, sources tell Fischer. It’s worth noting that of the four suitors, Detroit — his incumbent team — can offer Beasley the highest starting salary ($7.2MM). Cleveland and New York would be limited to minimum-salary deals, while Minnesota could offer a little above the minimum.

Here are a few more rumors from Fischer’s latest story:

Jonathan Kuminga‘s uncertain contract status has had a ripple effect on several free agents still on the market, Fischer notes, including Malcolm Brogdon. Fischer says the Warriors are expected to sign Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and No. 56 overall pick Will Richard once Kuminga’s situation is resolved and have expressed a level of interest in Brogdon as well. The Knicks and Timberwolves have also been keeping an eye on Brogdon, Fischer adds.
While Fischer’s breakdown of prospective Warriors signees includes Richard, he doesn’t mention No. 52 overall pick Alex Toohey at all. That could point to the Australian wing ending up on a two-way contract or as a draft-and-stash prospect rather than being a candidate for the 15-man roster.
Fischer hears that the Timberwolves are “actively trying to work through the financial details” in a new contract for Bones Hyland. That suggests Hyland, who is no longer eligible for a two-way deal, may receive a non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contract.
The Heat are still trying to trade Terry Rozier but there’s “scant” interest in the veteran guard, who is also being investigated as part of a federal gambling probe. Miami is also believed to be interested in a buyout, Fischer reports, though nothing is imminent on that front.
Fischer expects new Nets forward Haywood Highsmith to be back on the trade block at some point. Brooklyn has “no plans” to be competitive in 2025/26 and will continue to look to stockpile assets in trades, Fischer adds. The Nets recently acquired Highsmith, who is recovering from knee surgery, from Miami along with a second-round pick. Assuming he’s back to full health, Highsmith should have a chance to rebuild his trade value, and his expiring $5.6MM contract would fit into a team’s mid-level exception.

Wolves Among Teams To Touch Base With Malik Beasley

August 26th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are among the teams that have been in contact with Malik Beasley‘s camp about the free agent swingman, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Minnesota joins the Pistons, Cavaliers, and Knicks as the teams known to have expressed interest in Beasley, Scotto notes.

As we detailed earlier today, while the 28-year-old is no longer a target of a federal investigation into unusual gambling and prop betting activity, he’s still considered a subject of that probe, so he hasn’t been fully cleared by either investigators or the NBA. However, his outlook has apparently improved enough that teams are increasingly willing to explore the idea of signing him.

Beasley spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Timberwolves from 2020-22 before being traded to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert mega-deal during the ’22 offseason. He put up some of the best scoring numbers of his career in Minnesota, averaging 15.1 points per game in 130 outings, with a 38.9% mark on three-point tries.

The Timberwolves have 13 players under contract and are operating about $5.9MM below the second tax apron, so they would have the ability to offer Beasley more than a minimum-salary contract using the taxpayer mid-level exception, especially if they’re not committed to carrying a 15th man to open the regular season.

The Pistons still control Beasley’s Non-Bird rights, giving them the ability to offer him a first-year salary worth up to $7.2MM. However, their level of interest in re-signing him after adding Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson this summer is unclear.

The Knicks and Cavaliers are both limited to minimum-salary offers. As Scotto points out, Cleveland’s desire to add another wing may have increased in the wake of Max Strus‘ foot surgery.

Cavs’ Strus Undergoes Foot Surgery, Out At Least 3-4 Months

August 26th, 2025 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers wing Max Strus underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, the team announced today (Twitter link). The injury occurred during an offseason workout.

According to the Cavs, Strus is expected to resume basketball activities in approximately three to four months. That means he’ll be sidelined for the start of the regular season, which will tip off in less than two months.

It’s a tough break for the Cavs and for Strus, who averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 25.5 minutes per game during his second year in Cleveland in 2024/25. He’s one of the team’s most reliable three-point shooters, knocking down 38.6% of 5.9 attempts per game last season, and finished the year as the starting small forward.

The silver lining for the Cavs is that there should be enough wing depth on the roster to get by without Strus during the first half of the season. De’Andre Hunter is the leading candidate to move into the starting lineup, with newly re-signed sharpshooter Sam Merrill likely in line for an increased role off the bench.

Veteran forward Dean Wade and second-year wing Jaylon Tyson are among the other reserves who should move up on the depth chart this fall.

A Jones fracture is a break in the fifth metatarsal, the bone that connects the pinkie toe to the base of the foot. Zach LaVine (2024), Dariq Whitehead (2023), and Ryan Rollins (2023) are among the NBA players who have dealt with similar injuries in recent years.

The three-to-four month timeline provided today by the Cavs is a projection for when Strus will resume basketball activities, so his absence will likely extend beyond that. But for what it’s worth, four months from today would be right around Christmas.

Eli Kell-Abrams Named Head Coach Of Cavs’ NBAGL Affiliate

August 26th, 2025 at 9:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have officially named Eli Kell-Abrams the new head coach of their G League affiliate, according to a press release issued by the Cleveland Charge. Previous reporting from HoopsHype indicated that Kell-Abrams would be hired for the job.

“We are very excited to have Eli join our Charge family and the long list of talented, hard-working coaches we have had here,” Charge general manager Liron Fanan said in a statement. “Eli has an infectious personalityi, great NBA experience and a really sharp basketball mind that will be an excellent combination to lead our team this upcoming season.”

Kell-Abrams was the head video coordinator in Portland for the past two seasons. He provided back-of-bench support during games and his responsibilities for the Trail Blazers also included on-court player development, game-planning, and opponent scouting. Before being hired by the Blazers, Kell-Abrams was a staffer with the Sixers and Heat.

Kell-Abrams will replace Chris Darnell, who coached the Charge last season before joining Doug Christie‘s new coaching staff in Sacramento this spring.

According to the Charge’s announcement, Darnell was the seventh consecutive Charge head coach who left that position for a job as an NBA assistant, which bodes well for Kell-Abrams’ future prospects. That group includes Jordi Fernandez, who was the head coach of Cleveland’s NBAGL affiliate from 2014-16 and is now coaching the Nets.

Cavaliers Among Teams Interested In Malik Beasley

August 24th, 2025 at 11:29am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers are among the teams that have checked in on free agent wing Malik Beasley, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

The Knicks are another team interested in Beasley, Scotto adds. Multiple reporters have stated that New York has been monitoring Beasley’s situation.

Beasley is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation being conducted by the Eastern District of New York, his lawyers recently told Shams Charania of ESPN.

However, as Michael McCann of Sportico details, just because Beasley is no longer considered a “target” of the federal investigation doesn’t necessarily mean he’s fully in the clear. It’s possible he still may still be a “subject” of the investigation, which has a different legal meaning with the Department of Justice.

And even if the 28-year-old is cleared of any type of criminal wrongdoing, that doesn’t necessarily mean he has not broken any NBA rules, McCann writes. The league will have to determine independently whether or not Beasley broke any “contractual, labor and employment obligations.”

The 6’4″ shooting guard is coming off a strong season in Detroit in which he was the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up after averaging 16.3 points per game while shooting a career-high 41.6% from long distance and ranking second in the NBA in three-pointers made (319).

Scotto points out that Knicks senior vice president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas signed Beasley to a lucrative contract while he was running Minnesota’s front office in 2020. Both the Cavaliers and the Knicks have open standard roster spots, but they can only offer Beasley a minimum-salary deal, Scotto notes.

Fischer’s Latest: Beasley, Martin, Hyland, Cavaliers

August 22nd, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Following the recent report that Malik Beasley is no longer the target of a federal gambling investigation, it is expected that the sharp-shooting free agent will rejoin the market as one of the more valuable players still available. One of the teams that has shown interest in his services is the Knicks, writes Jake Fischer for The Stein Line, confirming a report from Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

The Knicks currently have an open roster spot, and have been rumored to be considering Landry Shamet or Ben Simmons for the role, though there’s debate as to how real the Simmons interest is. Fischer notes that the Knicks’ interest in Beasley dates back to their first-round playoff series against the Pistons, who still hold his Non-Bird rights.

Begley, in a tweet, adds that it wouldn’t be surprising if Beasley’s market was more than the veteran minimum contract the Knicks would be able to offer. Beasley reportedly had a three-year, $42MM deal on the table from the Pistons before news of the gambling investigation broke and Detroit moved on to signing Duncan Robinson.

Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game last season while shooting 41.6% from three on 9.3 attempts and earning the runner-up status for Sixth Man of the Year. Despite coming off the bench for all but 18 games, Beasley ranked second in the league in total made three-pointers.

We have more news from Jake Fischer’s latest article:

While rival teams expect the Warriors to sign Al Horford, Gary Payton II, and De’Anthony Melton once their stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga is resolved, they will still have more moves to make. One name that they’re considering, according to Fischer, is Cody Martin. Fischer notes that Martin has interest from multiple playoff teams, and is waiting to determine if Golden State would offer the best situation or if it would be better to make his choice once training camps have started. The 6’5″ wing has struggled with his shot in recent years but is a strong athlete and capable defender.
The Timberwolves are hoping to bring Bones Hyland back with one of their two remaining roster spots, Fischer writes, confirming prior reporting from The Athletic. Hyland, a 24-year-old scoring guard, played just four games with the Wolves last year after starting the season with the Clippers, with whom he averaged 7.2 points and shot 38.8% on three-point attempts in 11.1 minutes per night. Hyland would provide depth for the Wolves’ point guard rotation, which currently features 38-year-old Mike Conley and 21-year-old Rob Dillingham,
The Cavaliers also have two open roster spots, but Fischer writes that they’re not expected to fill the 15th spot heading into the season. With a massive payroll and a punitive luxury tax bill, Fischer instead expects them to sign a a 14th man to a non-guaranteed contract and leave the 15th spot open.

Central Notes: Green, Kell-Abrams, Portis, Giannis

August 16th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Javonte Green fits right into the Pistons’ identity after establishing a reputation as a hard-nosed defender with versatility, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

The Pistons signed Green to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, filling the 14th spot on the 15-man roster. He’ll compete for minutes at the wing positions and could also be utilized as an undersized power forward. Green is a superior rebounder and shot-blocker for his size.

On the offensive end, Green’s dynamic athleticism stands out, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes. He will add another above-the-rim threat that already has a few in the rotation.

Green’s minimum-salary deal would pay him $2,874,436 if he earns the full amount. For now, the contract is partially guaranteed for $925K, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers are hiring Eli Kell-Abrams as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, Scotto tweets. Kell-Abrams spent the past two seasons as a video coordinator for the Trail Blazers. He has also had stints with the Sixers and Heat organizations.
While there’s still speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, Bucks teammate Bobby Portis doubts the superstar will ask the front office for a trade. Portis made his comments during an interview with ESPN Milwaukee (hat tip to Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints). “I talk to Giannis all the time. That’s my teammate,” Portis said. “Giannis bleeds green. That’s all I can say.” Portis also believes Milwaukee is still a true contender in the East, feeling recent postseason flops have been due to injuries. “I mean, what’s wrong with our team? Why can’t we do it this year? The only thing wrong with us is people being hurt,” he said. “We win the championship. 2022 came in and we go down. We lose Game 7 to Boston. 2023, first round, Giannis tries to dunk on K. Love, comes down, hurts his back. We don’t have big fella. 2024, Giannis hurts his leg against the Celtics in the regular season and then, doesn’t play another game. Then, coming back this year, we haven’t been really healthy. I don’t make excuses but that’s just what the tables was for us.” A video link to the interview can be found here.
The Bulls are reportedly turning down trade inquiries involving Coby White. Get the info here.

NBA Teams Average 14.4 Back-To-Backs In 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Five NBA teams will play a league-high 16 back-to-back sets during the 2025/26 regular season, while six clubs will have just 13 instances of back-to-back games on their schedules. The remaining 19 teams will play either 14 or 15 back-to-backs.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Schedules By Team]

Those totals – along with an overall average of 14.4 back-to-backs per team – are about what we’ve come to expect in recent years.

Prior to the COVID-shortened seasons of 2019/20 and ’20/21, the NBA’s regular season consisted of 177 days, and the league had made a concerted effort to reduce instances of back-to-backs. When the league announced its initial schedule in ’19/20, its press release boasted that teams were averaging a record-low 12.4 back-to-backs that season, marking the fifth straight year in which that number had reached an all-time low.

However, since 2021/22, NBA regular seasons have spanned just 174 days, making it a little more difficult for schedule-makers to avoid back-to-back sets. The average number of back-to-backs per team is still well below where it once was (teams averaged 19.3 in 2024/25), but it’s no longer at a record low.

Here are the back-to-backs by team in 2025/26:

Charlotte Hornets: 16
Denver Nuggets: 16
Philadelphia 76ers: 16
Phoenix Suns: 16
Washington Wizards: 16
Golden State Warriors: 15
Los Angeles Clippers: 15
Miami Heat: 15
New Orleans Pelicans: 15
Portland Trail Blazers: 15
Toronto Raptors: 15
Utah Jazz: 15
Brooklyn Nets: 14
Cleveland Cavaliers: 14
Dallas Mavericks: 14
Detroit Pistons: 14
Houston Rockets: 14
Los Angeles Lakers: 14
Memphis Grizzlies: 14
Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New York Knicks: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Sacramento Kings: 14
San Antonio Spurs: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Boston Celtics: 13
Chicago Bulls: 13
Indiana Pacers: 13
Minnesota Timberwolves: 13
Oklahoma City Thunder: 13

Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, Thunder Get Most Nationally Televised Games For 2025/26

August 15th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

Having gone from two national broadcasting partners (ABC/ESPN and TNT) to three (ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime) ahead of the 2025/26 season, the NBA’s schedule will feature a significant increase in nationally televised games.

When the league unveiled its full regular season schedule on Thursday, it announced 237 nationally televised regular season matchups, along with the seven knockout round NBA Cup games whose participants aren’t yet known, for a total of 244 contests.

As Colin Salao of Front Office Sports writes in a subscriber story, the total number of nationally televised games is up by more than 40% from last season, when the league’s partners nationally broadcasted a total of 172 games.

Salao also points out that beginning in the middle of the season, when the NFL schedule starts winding down, the NBA will have national games every day of the week: Peacock on Monday; NBC/Peacock on Tuesday; ESPN on Wednesday; Amazon on Thursday; Amazon and ESPN on Friday; Amazon and ABC on Saturday; and ABC, NBC, and Peacock on Sunday.

Every team will be featured at least twice on the national TV broadcast schedule, with the Warriors, Lakers, Knicks, and defending champion Thunder leading the way with 34 appearances apiece.

Here’s the full breakdown of nationally televised games by team:

Golden State Warriors: 34
Los Angeles Lakers: 34
New York Knicks: 34
Oklahoma City Thunder: 34
Houston Rockets: 28
Minnesota Timberwolves: 28
Denver Nuggets: 26
Boston Celtics: 25
Cleveland Cavaliers: 24
Dallas Mavericks: 23
San Antonio Spurs: 22
Los Angeles Clippers: 21
Milwaukee Bucks: 18
Detroit Pistons: 16
Orlando Magic: 14
Philadelphia 76ers: 14
Atlanta Hawks: 13
Memphis Grizzlies: 10
Indiana Pacers: 9
Phoenix Suns: 9
Sacramento Kings: 9
Portland Trail Blazers: 8
Miami Heat: 5
Charlotte Hornets: 3
Chicago Bulls: 3
Brooklyn Nets: 2
New Orleans Pelicans: 2
Toronto Raptors: 2
Utah Jazz: 2
Washington Wizards: 2

Since nationally televised matchups are subject to change, there’s no guarantee that every team will ultimately end up being featured multiple times on the national stage.

As Salao points out, all 30 clubs showed up at least once on the national broadcast schedule initially announced for 2024/25, but the Wizards didn’t get any nationally televised games after having their lone contest replaced by a showdown between Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Additionally, not every team this season will have a game aired on a traditional, non-streaming network — the only games featuring the Raptors or Wizards will air on either Peacock or Amazon Prime.