The Cavs are preparing a last-minute signing to complete their roster

Cleveland Cavaliers continues taking the final steps to finalize their roster for the 2026-27 season. After acquiring Peyton Watson through a signing and trade agreement and waiving Cam Whitmore, the Ohio franchise still needs to fill a spot to meet the mandatory minimum of players.

The solution the Cavaliers are considering is to sign a rookie through their draft rights, a method that would allow them to complete the roster with minimal economic impact. According to reports, the contract would have the minimum salary for a first-year player, set at approximately 1.4 million dollars for the 2026-27 season.

Cleveland seeks to fill their fourteenth spot

The Cavaliers have made several moves in recent weeks to adjust their roster and salary situation. The arrival of Watson was one of the latest significant moves, while the departure of Whitmore allowed Cleveland the necessary margin to proceed with their plans regarding James Harden.

Now, the priority is to complete the roster with a player to occupy the fourteenth spot.

The franchise does not seem inclined to make a large investment to achieve this. Instead, Cleveland is considering using the draft rights of one of the players they control to sign him for the corresponding rookie minimum salary.

This operation would allow the Cavaliers to comply with the mandatory minimum of players without compromising their economic flexibility too much.

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Three options on the table

Cleveland currently has several alternatives to make this move. Among them are Khalifa Diop, Ismael Kamagate, and Saliou Niang, although all signs point to Diop having an advantage.

The Cavaliers recently acquired the draft rights to Kamagate, so he also represents a possibility to fill the available spot. However, his situation does not seem to be as straightforward as that of other candidates.

Niang, for his part, has committed to play for LSU next season, which reduces the chances of him being chosen to immediately join Cleveland's roster.

Cavaliers' options

The move also impacts James Harden

Cleveland's decision is related to the franchise's salary situation. The Cavaliers continue working on renewing James Harden, after the veteran guard arrived in Cleveland last season and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Waiving Whitmore's contract allowed the Cavaliers to move forward in that direction and gain margin before reaching the salary cap. Therefore, any additional move must consider the potential economic impact it may generate.

A contract at the rookie minimum salary is, in this regard, a particularly attractive solution for the franchise.

Peyton Watson, the latest significant addition

The arrival of Peyton Watson has also changed the composition of the roster. Cleveland acquired the forward from the Denver Nuggets through a signing and trade agreement, adding a young piece to bolster their perimeter.

With Watson now integrated into the team’s plans and Harden still pending resolution of his contract situation, the Cavaliers are in the final stages of building their roster.

The immediate goal is simple: to find the right player to occupy the fourteenth spot without disrupting the franchise’s economic plans.

For now, Khalifa Diop seems to be the main candidate, although Ismael Kamagate still has options thanks to the rights Cleveland has just acquired. Saliou Niang appears as a more complicated alternative due to his commitment to LSU.

The Cavaliers could thus finalize their roster with a low-cost move while maintaining the necessary flexibility to finish defining James Harden's future.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los Cavs preparan un fichaje de última hora para completar su plantilla