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3 Cleveland Cavaliers Ready for A Breakout Season
Feb 10, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the basketball shoes of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the pregame warmup against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

3 Cleveland Cavaliers Ready for A Breakout Season

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated Aug 6, 2025 8:15 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers have their superstar core in place, but there’s still room for other players to grow and break out in their own right.

Here are three players who could be ready to make that crucial jump for the Wine and Gold next season.

Jaylon Tyson

Jaylon Tyson didn’t get a ton of opportunities with the Cavaliers last season, simply because the depth at the NBA level was strong. However, when the rookie did get an extended look with the Wine and Gold, there was a lot to like about his game. 

Tyson’s per-36 numbers from last season are extremely encouraging. The prediction model has the guard averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists a game while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 34 percent from behind the arc.

With the Cavaliers trading Isaac Okoro over the offseason, a spot in the rotation for a defensive-minded guard-forward could be open. If Tyson claims that spot as his, he’ll see much more playing time next season and could be in store for a breakout season.

David Richard-Imagn Images

Craig Porter Jr.

Craig Porter Jr. has seen his fair share of NBA action through the first two seasons of his career, showing flashes of having the potential to be a rotation player. However, he’s still waiting to be a mainstay in the rotation over an extended period of time. 

With the Cavaliers relying heavily on their guard depth at the start of next season, with Darius Garland’s status uncertain and Lonzo Ball reportedly not playing back-to-backs, the opportunity for CPJ to be in the rotation, or even a starter, should be there.

Porter can do a little bit of everything: driving to the rim, long-distance shooting, and guarding either guard position on defense. However, where he could really sing, playing alongside other stars, is with his playmaking.

There’s a version of CPJ that averages over 5.0 assists a game, feeding Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen under the basket for easy layups, or finding Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus behind the arc for catch-and-shoot threes. 

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Sam Merrill

Some may say Sam Merrill’s breakout season was during the 2023-24 campaign. Yes, Merrill proved himself to be a reliable rotation option for the Cavaliers over the last two years, but there’s still another layer the three-point specialist can uncover. 

Merrill is a three-point specialist, and the stats back that up. Throughout his first two full seasons in Cleveland, he’s averaging 38 percent from behind the arc. However, with Merrill being a near 40-percent three-point shooter, his 7.5 points per game seem low.

Being the second year in Kenny Atkinson’s system, which is fast-paced and favors long-range shooting, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Merrill average 12 points a night next season while still shooting an efficient 40 percent from the floor.

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This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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