Cavs Rumors: Hunter, LeBron, Tyson, Tomlin
Despite his down year, the Cavaliers have received a fair amount of interest in forward De’Andre Hunter on the trade market, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, and are engaged in various discussions about him, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, Cleveland is hesitant to make a move involving Hunter, Siegel writes. As he explains, although the Cavs – the only club in the NBA operating above the second tax apron – have considered ways to reduce their team salary, the front office doesn’t want to flip the 28-year-old for less than it gave up to acquire him a year ago (Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps).
When Hunter is playing well, he’s the exact kind of three-and-D wing with size that many teams around the NBA would love to add. But he’s knocking down just 30.6% of his three-pointers this season and his injury history has given some teams pause, according to Fischer, who suggests those clubs are apprehensive about the guaranteed $24.9MM salary he’s owed in 2026/27.
The Bucks were one team that expressed interest in Hunter as they sought roster upgrades earlier in the season, Siegel writes, but their offer would have been centered around Kyle Kuzma. Not only does Kuzma not interest the Cavs, per Siegel, but they wouldn’t have been able to acquire him using Hunter, since Kuzma’s apron salary (factoring in his unlikely incentives) is larger than Hunter’s. Second-apron teams aren’t permitted to aggregate two or more players or take back more than 100% of a single player’s outgoing salary.
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- After LeBron James‘ contract with the Lakers expires this summer, could a third go-round with the Cavaliers be in the cards? He hasn’t indicated whether he intends to continue his career or whether he’d seriously consider leaving Los Angeles, but multiple team and league sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN that the Cavs would “gladly” welcome LeBron back if he decides he wants to return to Cleveland. Barring a significant roster overhaul, James would presumably have to be willing to take a massive pay cut in order to rejoin the Cavs, who already have $227MM in guaranteed money on their books for next season.
- After playing a very limited role as a rookie, Jaylon Tyson has enjoyed a breakout second season, earning a spot on the Rising Stars roster this week. While Tyson is pleased about that achievement, he said this week that he has bigger goals he’s working toward, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details (subscription required). “I do want to be an All-Star one day,” Tyson said, adding that he also thinks he deserves consideration for Most Improved Player. “… If we were winning more games right now, I would be in that (MIP) conversation, right? I feel like respectfully and humbly, the numbers speak for itself. You see my leap from last year. … They say second-year players can’t get it, but why not? I think I should be in that conversation. We’re going to continue to win games and I’m going to keep being me, and we’ll see how it happens.”
- Marc J. Spears of Andscape examines Nae’Qwan Tomlin‘s “unheard of and not normal” path to the NBA, detailing how the former Rucker Park phenom who didn’t play high school basketball eventually ended up on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers. Tomlin has been active for 44 NBA regular season games so far this season, six away from his 50-game limit, so Cleveland will have to promote him to its standard roster if it wants to keep using him after the trade deadline.
Flagg, Knueppel, Edgecombe Among Rising Stars Participants
The 2026 Rising Stars event will feature 11 sophomores, 10 rookies and seven G League representatives, the NBA announced in a press release. The mini-tournament will take place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on February 13.
Here’s the full list of participants:
Rookies
- Cedric Coward, Grizzlies
- Dylan Harper, Spurs
- Egor Dёmin, Nets
- Tre Johnson, Wizards
- VJ Edgecombe, Sixers
- Kon Knueppel, Hornets
- Jeremiah Fears, Pelicans
- Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors
- Cooper Flagg, Mavericks
- Derik Queen, Pelicans
Sophomores
- Matas Buzelis, Bulls
- Alex Sarr, Wizards
- Stephon Castle, Spurs
Reed Sheppard, Rockets- Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers
- Cam Spencer, Grizzlies
- Kyshawn George, Wizards
- Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers
- Ajay Mitchell, Thunder
- Kel’el Ware, Heat
- Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies
G League
- Sean East II, Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz‘s affiliate)
- Alijah Martin, Raptors 905
- Ron Harper Jr., Maine Celtics
- Tristen Newton, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets‘ affiliate)
- David Jones Garcia, Austin Spurs
- Yang Hansen, Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers‘ affiliate)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, San Diego Clippers
All 10 of the rookies — headlined by No. 1 overall pick Flagg, No. 3 Edgecombe, and No. 4 Knuppel — were lottery selections in last year’s draft, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). By contrast, only five of the sophomores were lottery picks, with three being first-rounders outside of the lottery and three picked in the second round.
NBA assistant coaches selected the 21 rookies and sophomores, according to the release, and those players will be drafted onto three different seven-player teams on Tuesday at 6:00 pm CT on Peacock. Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady will draft and be the “honorary coaches” of the three squads, while Austin Rivers will be the honorary coach for the G League representatives.
The four actual head coaches will be assistants from the All-Star game coaching staffs.
Six of the seven players representing the G League are actually on NBA contracts: Yang (No. 16) and Niederhauser (No. 30) were 2025 first-round picks, while Martin, Harper, Newton and Garcia are on two-way deals with their respective clubs. East, who played in Canada and Romania last season, is the lone player on an actual G League contract after Utah waived him in the fall.
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft, is the younger brother of Ron Harper Jr. Both players are the sons of longtime NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships with the Bulls and Lakers.
As for the tournament itself, the four teams will face off in a single-elimination semifinal, with the two winners competing in the final. The semifinal is first to 40 points, whereas the final will be first to 25.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Bam Adebayo Named Players Of Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Heat big man Bam Adebayo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, the NBA announced today (Twitter links).
Oklahoma City had a 2-1 record during the week of January 12-18, with the reigning Most Valuable Player averaging 31.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. Gilgeous-Alexander posted a shooting line of .547/.400/.912 as the Thunder outscored opponents by 43 points during his 103 minutes on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the first NBA player to be named the Player of the Week for the third time this season — he also earned the honor twice in November.
As for Adebayo, he posted averages of 27.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per night while shooting 65.5% from long range as the Heat won two of three games. This is the third time he has earned the award and first time since January 2024.
Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers), DeMar DeRozan (Kings), Luka Dončić (Lakers), James Harden (Clippers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) were also nominated for the Western Conference Player of the Week award, per the NBA.
Brandon Miller (Hornets), Norman Powell (Heat), Pascal Siakam (Pacers), Anfernee Simons (Celtics), Jaylon Tyson (Cavaliers) and Nikola Vučević (Bulls) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Central Notes: Tyson, Garland, Merrill, I. Jackson, Giddey
Jaylon Tyson could be the answer in the Cavaliers‘ long search for a productive small forward, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Tyson turned in one of the best games of his brief NBA career on Friday, scoring 39 points and handing out a game-winning assist in a two-point victory at Philadelphia.
“I feel like when you get into the NBA, you have to find your niche, the one thing you are good at,” Tyson said. “Last year, that was my rookie season, so I needed to figure out where I fit in with this team. There are a lot of really good players on the roster, so I needed to figure out what role I had to play. Tonight, Philadelphia tried to take Donovan (Mitchell) out of the game, so Donovan told me to be ‘California Jaylon.’ That meant for me to go and get a bucket.”
Tyson was a high-scoring collegiate player at California who was selected with the 20th pick in the 2024 draft, but he was used to being the focus of the offense. He had to adapt when he joined a Cleveland team where he was surrounded by scorers, and he averaged just 3.6 points per game while shooting 43% from the field during his rookie year. He has increased his scoring average to 13.4 PPG this season while connecting at 52.4% from the field and 47.5% from three-point range, and Tyson’s teammates are touting him as a candidate for Most Improved Player honors.
“No disrespect to people who have won it in the past, but it seems like people have won it who were already on a star trajectory,” Mitchell said. “The award is made for people like Jaylon. He came in, and he has worked on his game, and he’s improved so much since he has been here. He should win the award.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Darius Garland (toe soreness) and Sam Merrill (sprained right hand) were both injured in Wednesday’s game at Philadelphia and will be examined this weekend, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com states in a subscriber-only story. Garland, who’s the Cavaliers‘ second-leading scorer, is experiencing pain in his right big toe, which is on the opposite foot from the toe injury that required offseason surgery and has continued to bother him. Merrill missed about a month earlier this season with a right hand sprain, but team sources tell Fedor that the bruising and swelling are less severe this time. He was also able to use his hand normally before Friday’s game, coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters.
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who returned to action on Saturday after missing nearly four weeks with a concussion, talked to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star about the severity of the condition. “Headaches,” Jackson said. “Fogginess. My thoughts were foggy. … My symptoms were severe. Light sensitivity. Sound sensitivity. I couldn’t even be around. I was bad. I was literally just in my room the blinds were shut. I had sunglasses on. It was bad.”
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey, who has been sidelined since December 29 with a strained left hamstring, has been upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” for Sunday’s game against Brooklyn, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Giddey isn’t expected to play, according to Johnson, but it’s a sign that he could return to action soon.
Cavaliers Notes: Merrill, Allen, Mobley, Mitchell
Sam Merrill was back in the starting lineup Tuesday night in his second game since returning from a jammed finger, and he made an obvious difference in the Cavaliers‘ win over New Orleans, Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only story. Merrill not only finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Sands notes that he teamed with Darius Garland to provide an outside shooting threat that stretched the Pelicans’ defense and gave the rest of the team more room to operate.
“You guys are going to get tired of me saying connector, connect, but he connects. He connects the game,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game. “He connects pieces. He connects the bigs and the smalls. He’s running. He’s just causing chaos out there. And that just opens up space and then we can throw the ball to space.”
Merrill was sidelined for more than a month, and his absence coincided with the team’s recent downturn. Jaylon Tyson moved to a bench role on Tuesday, and Sands points out that he and De’Andre Hunter are both capable of providing offense as reserves. Sands states that there was no stagnation against the Pelicans when the starters came out of the game.
“I think it obviously helps when there’s so much unpredictability,” Donovan Mitchell said about the lineup change. “But that’s been our biggest thing about us, right? Like, that’s who we are when we’re at full strength and at our best. … We’ve shot well the past two nights, but I think the biggest thing is just our intensity level. Both ends of the floor has been great.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- Atkinson was happy to see Jarrett Allen being physical with the Pelicans’ rugged frontcourt, Sands adds. The Cavs outscored New Orleans in the paint by a 72-54 margin and held a 27-18 advantage in second-chance points. “My challenge with JA, he can do better,” Atkinson said. “Like, I want more. Like, this is how the playoffs are. They go at you, they pound you. But I thought he put up pretty good resistance tonight. Right now, with Evan (Mobley) out, he’s kind of our guy.”
- Mobley has a chance to beat expectations in his return from a left calf strain. Projected to miss two-to-four weeks, he’s listed as questionable for the Christmas Day game at New York.
- Mitchell has been carrying a heavier-than-usual offensive load for the Cavaliers, but it’s due to necessity rather than by design, per Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Mitchell’s scoring average is at a career-high 30.6 PPG, and he’s sporting the highest usage rate in his four seasons in Cleveland. “I don’t want him to,” Atkinson said. “I don’t think that’s (sustainable) long-term. Conference finals, Finals, we need more balance. And I do think (we can get it) as we get healthier … as Darius starts to get his rhythm and we get guys back. But right now it’s (on him). He’s got to carry us.”
Central Notes: Bucks, Cavs, Hunter, Buzelis, Mathurin
The Bucks hoped last Thursday’s win over Boston would act as a catalyst as they look to turn their season around. But they’ve since dropped back-to-back games to Brooklyn and Toronto and now have an 11-17 record, with Giannis Antetokounmpo seemingly not close to returning from the calf strain that has sidelined him since December 3.
Still, head coach Doc Rivers said this week that he doesn’t plan to make any major tactical or personnel changes as Milwaukee attempts to get out of its slump, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press.
“We like our team,” Rivers told reporters on Wednesday. “I really like this team. We’re not playing well. We’re not playing well for a lot of reasons. You don’t recreate the wheel. You just don’t. Teams that do that, then they fail. I’m just being honest. I’ve been around this long enough.
“… We want to tweak things. We like what we run. We like our defensive package overall. We’ve just got to do it better. We’ve got to take care of the ball. But we like the parts of this team, and that has not changed. This is not, ‘OK, guys, we’re five games under .500, let’s blow it all up.’ This is not where we’re at. We’re not even thinking in those terms.”
We have more from around the Central:
- Shortly after Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com published a column advocating for the Cavaliers to move De’Andre Hunter out of the starting lineup, the team did just that on Wednesday, as Fedor writes in a separate story (subscription required). The early returns weren’t great, as the new starting five – with Jaylon Tyson in Hunter’s spot – was outscored by eight points in 11 minutes of action in a loss to Chicago. However, sources tell Fedor that the Cavs plan to stick with it for the foreseeable future in the hopes of stabilizing the second unit and getting Hunter, who thrived as a sixth man last season, back in his “comfort zone.”
- According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls‘ priority in the coming months shouldn’t be competing for a play-in spot — it should be doing all they can to unlock the star potential of forward Matas Buzelis, who has been up and down in his second NBA season. In Cowley’s view, it’s not inconceivable that Buzelis and Josh Giddey could be the only current Bulls still on the roster in a year, so maximizing their potential is crucial.
- As Tony East of Circle City Spin details, a handful of Pacers players provided updates this week on injuries they’re coming back from or are continuing to deal with. Among those players was Bennedict Mathurin, who admitted that the toe injury which sidelined him for 11 games earlier in the season isn’t fully behind him. “Still an issue. I would say it’s still a problem, but I’m a problem solver, I find solutions,” said Mathurin, who has played in every game since November 17. Asked specifically how the injury is affecting what he does on the court, the Pacers wing replied, “Without saying too much, I can still feel it, man.”
Eastern Notes: Ivey, Pistons, George, Carter, Cavs
Playing in his first regular season game since January 1, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey made his season debut on Saturday in Milwaukee and helped his team pick up its 12th straight win by registering 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Ivey said during his post-game media session that he “cherished the moment” to be back on the court after being sidelined due to a fractured left fibula last season and right knee surgery this fall. Ivey said he had “so much gratitude to be out there again,” and his head coach suggested the team reciprocated that feeling.
“We’re just happy to have him back,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters, including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “That’s the most important thing. For him to have that joy and competition and competing with his teammates, that was the most important thing for him out there. Obviously you see the way that he can impact the game at a high level. Fifteen minutes is hard to catch a rhythm sometimes but I thought he did all the things we needed him to do. This was just more celebration of his journey to get back out on the court and we were happy to be a part of it.”
All 13 Pistons who were active for the game saw the court in the 129-116 win over the Bucks, with 11 logging at least 13 minutes. Bickerstaff said after the victory that he’s going to try using a 12-man rotation going forward as he assesses Detroit’s best lineups and fits.
“We’re going to give guys opportunity, especially in the first half and see how the game progresses in the second half,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “It may not always be easy but guys are going to have an opportunity because they’ve earned it.”
We have more from across the Eastern Conference:
- With the 14-2 Pistons sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings and well positioned from a salary cap perspective for in-season roster moves, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) evaluates whether it makes sense for them to try to make a major trade before February’s deadline. Gozlan ultimately concludes that Detroit is more likely to wait until the 2026 offseason to take a big swing.
- Sixers forward Paul George played well in his second game back from knee surgery on Thursday, contributing 21 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes of action. George’s conditioning still isn’t 100%, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but he provides the team with some stability at the forward spot and said all the right things after the game about his role. “Listen, whatever it is, to make the game easy for No. 0,” George said, referring to Tyrese Maxey. “I’ve been saying he’s been doing a lot for us. He might not want to say it, but I know he’s tired. He’s got to be tired. So, you know, I’m just trying to make the game easy for him within the offense, play my game.”
- Starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has been an under-the-radar impact role player for the Magic so far this season, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who takes a look at the ways in which Carter is making the team better both offensively and defensively. “Both sides of the floor, (he has) a huge gravitation. Whether that’s rebounding, defensive position, I feel like that’s stuff that maybe goes unnoticed,” teammate Tristan Da Silva said of Carter, who is averaging 12.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on .530/.458/.797 shooting.
- Darius Garland (toe) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion) returned to the Cavaliers‘ lineup on Friday after missing five games apiece due to injuries and were on minutes restrictions of roughly 30 minutes, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. While the Cavs got some reinforcements in that game, they remain banged up as they prepare to host the Clippers on Sunday. Jarrett Allen (finger) will miss a second consecutive contest, while Craig Porter Jr. has been ruled out for the first time this season due to a left hamstring strain, per Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Injury Notes: Leonard, Jerome, Murray-Boyles, Heat, Cavs
Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard went through portions of Wednesday’s practice, though he didn’t do any contact drills, head coach Tyronn Lue told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members (Twitter video link).
“He did a few things,” Lue said. ” … He’s definitely gotten better. I mean, I don’t know how long it’s gonna be (until he returns). But he’s definitely gotten better. Just seeing him on the floor yesterday was really good to see.”
Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, was off to a strong start this fall prior to suffering right ankle and foot sprains on November 3. The Clips were 3-3 in the six games Leonard played but have gone just 1-7 without their highest-paid player. The 34-year-old missed his ninth straight game on Thursday in Orlando.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Free agent addition Ty Jerome has yet to play for the Grizzlies in 2025/26 after suffering a high-grade right calf strain during the preseason. The seventh-year guard will be reevaluated on Friday, with a return timeline expected to come in the days after that examination, tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- Collin Murray-Boyles, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 draft, will miss his second straight game on Friday due to an MCL sprain in his right knee, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (via Twitter). The Raptors forward/center has averaged 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game through 11 appearances as a rookie, with a shooting line of .500/.500/.762.
- Heat forward Andrew Wiggins has been diagnosed with a left hip flexor strain and will be sidelined for his first game of the season on Friday in Chicago, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Fourth-year forward Nikola Jovic was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with a right hip impingement and will miss at least two more, as he didn’t travel with the team on its two-game road trip, Jackson reports.
- While Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merrill will be out for the second straight contest on Friday with a right hand sprain, it’s possible point guard Darius Garland could return to action. The two-time All-Star is questionable against Indiana, per the NBA’s injury report, as are Jarrett Allen (right third finger strain) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion). Garland has missed the past five games after re-injuring his surgically repaired left great toe last week, but head coach Kenny Atkinson recently said the 25-year-old was “really close” to suiting up.
Cavs Pick Up Third-Year Option On Jaylon Tyson
The Cavaliers have exercised their third-year option on guard Jaylon Tyson for the 2026/27 season, the team announced today in a press release.
The move ensures that Tyson’s contract is guaranteed for at least the next two seasons. He’ll earn $3,492,480 in 2025/26 and $3,658,560 in ’26/27, with the Cavs facing a decision next fall on his $5,641,500 option for the ’27/28 season, the fourth year of his rookie scale contract.
Tyson, who will turn 23 in December, played a limited role as a rookie after being drafted 20th overall in 2024. While he saw the floor in 47 games, he averaged just 9.6 minutes per night and often only got off the bench in garbage time.
The 6’6″ shooting guard contributed 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while making 43.0% of his shots from the floor (including 34.5% of his three-pointers) and 79.2% from the free throw line.
As our tracker shows, Tyson is the only Cavalier whose contract includes a rookie scale team option for 2026/27, so the team won’t have to make any more contract decisions by the October 31 deadline.
Cavaliers Notes: Strus, Merrill, Wade, Tyson, Hunter, Ball
In a subscriber-only mailbag for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor states that Max Strus was slated to be the Cavaliers‘ starting small forward this fall prior to suffering a Jones fracture in his left foot last week. The injury required surgery and will sideline Strus for multiple months.
Fedor cautions that while the team gave a three-to-four month timeline for Strus to return to basketball activities, his actual absence will likely extend beyond that period. As Fedor observes, Jones fractures can be tricky and slow to heal, plus the Cavaliers typically take a cautious approach to injuries — it’s possible Strus might end up missing about half of the season.
Here’s more on the Cavaliers:
- Strus isn’t the only starter likely to be out to open 2025/26, Fedor notes, as All-Star point guard Darius Garland is still recovering from offseason toe surgery after being hobbled by the injury in the postseason. Sam Merrill, who re-signed with the Cavs on a four-year, $38MM deal this summer, is the “most obvious” player who needs to step up with Garland and Strus out, according to Fedor, who says the former second-round pick (60th overall in 2020) will likely be a replacement starter.
- It will take a team effort to cover for Strus and Garland during their absences. Veteran forward Dean Wade and second-year guard Jaylon Tyson are among the other players who should get more opportunities, Fedor writes, with Wade perhaps slotting in as the fifth starter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson may prefer to have De’Andre Hunter in a sixth man role to have more scoring punch off the bench, Fedor adds.
- According to Fedor, Tyson may be the biggest X-factor for the rotation, because the team had already planned him give him more run prior to Strus’ injury. The 2024 first-round pick (20th overall) will have a real chance to carve out minutes if he plays well, as Atkinson is high on him and is curious to see how he’ll mesh with the “core four” of Donovan Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen once Garland returns.
- Offseason trade acquisition Lonzo Ball is another player who will fit into the rotation, Fedor writes. However, it remains to be seen how active the 27-year-old guard will be. After missing two-plus years with a knee injury, Ball played surprisingly well in his return to action in ’24/25, but he was limited to just 35 games due to multiple wrist injuries.