Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (hip) was limited to nine minutes in Tuesday's preseason contest against Chicago. He had zero points with two rebounds and one assist before being forced to exit the game due to a right hip contusion. Dean Wade started the second half in Strus' place. Cleveland returns to action on Thursday versus Indiana and might elect to keep Strus out of the lineup as a precaution ahead of the regular season. The 28-year-old sniper missed 12 games last term.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has denied that he wanted to be traded in the offseason. Speaking during Monday's Media Day, Garland said the trade rumors were "definitely false" and that Cavaliers president Koby Altman was upset about what was being said and wanted Garland to remain with the organization. With the trade rumors squashed, Garland can now focus on producing a bounce-back campaign. His numbers dropped across the board in 2023-24 as Garland struggled to stay healthy. He managed to make only 57 appearances during the regular season. The 2022 All-Star has hit 60-plus games just twice during his five-year NBA career, and Garland's health is definitely something to consider for fantasy managers.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, restricted free-agent forward Isaac Okoro agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both sides have been at a stalemate regarding a new contract for months. However, things finally worked out, meaning the Cavs will retain a capable defender. Okoro has spent his entire four-year career in Cleveland. He's appeared in 279 regular-season contests for the club, averaging 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds. With that in mind, the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen doing most of the heavy lifting offensively, so there's little room for anyone else to get involved. As a result, Okoro likely won't see much attention from fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign. On the other hand, there could be streaming potential at some point during the season.

Veteran center Tristan Thompson will spend another campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thompson, who won the NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016, returned to Cleveland last offseason, following short stints with five different teams. Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Thompson is now extending his stay for another year. The 33-year-old was a double-double machine during his heydays but has taken on more of a mentorship role on the current Cavaliers team. He posted 3.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11.2 minutes last season, coming off the bench in 49 games. Thompson served a 25-game suspension in the middle of the campaign for violating the league's anti-drug program.

According to Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs tried to trade for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Although Mathur didn't get into the details of each offer, it's apparent it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers made moves this offseason to bolster the roster for years, specifically, giving new deals to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. However, Garland's future with the Cavaliers is far from guaranteed. The 24-year-old has spent his entire career in Cleveland since entering the NBA in 2019. He finished last season by averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. While some of those averages are a dip from the 2022-23 campaign, Garland has at least kept himself with the club. He could still be one of the first players traded if things fall apart for the Cavaliers, impacting his fantasy value. But outside of that, Garland's inability to stay healthy remains the most significant issue for fantasy managers, considering he's logged fewer than 60 games in three of his first five years in the league.