The Cleveland Cavaliers have endured a lot of turnover in their guard room this offseason. With Ty Jerome heading to the Memphis Grizzlies, Lonzo Ball coming over from the Chicago Bulls, and Darius Garland sidelined to start the year, the Cavaliers will enter the season with a thin pool of talent at the lead guard spot. Ball will presumably be the lead point guard without Garland, which will lead to Craig Porter Jr. sliding into the backup role.
Porter Jr has been a frustrating developmental project
to this point in his Cavaliers’ tenure. Arriving on the scene in 2023, CPJ showed a lot of raw talent and athleticism in Summer League, swaying the Cavaliers to convert him from UDFA to a 2-way deal. That carried over into the early part of the 2023-24 season, where his contract was then converted into a standard deal.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been consistent since then. It wouldn’t be that hyperbolic to say that July to December 2023 was CPJ’s most consistent stretch of play. Porter Jr’s has left a lot to be desired for what his ceiling seemed like it could be.
There were reports regarding CPJ’s lack of work ethic that carried into the 2025 Summer League, prompting many, including myself, to believe that if everything went accordingly, it would be a short stint in Vegas for CPJ due to inspired performances.
This was not the case. Porter suffered a hamstring injury in the first game against the Indiana Pacers and was sidelined for the remainder of Summer League—a disappointing outcome for both Porter Jr. and the Cavaliers, who had outlined a clear path for him to seize the backup point guard role coming into this season.
Porter’s path is clouded more by his inconsistent shooting than by his overall talent. The skill is evident—CPJ would find a roster spot on most NBA teams—but when the Cavaliers are searching for surefire depth pieces for a title run, his track record from the past two seasons doesn’t check all the boxes.
A successful season for Porter Jr. would be one in which his shooting keeps defenses honest. In previous years, he developed a reputation as a poor yet willing three-point shooter. If there has been unseen growth in his shooting profile—paired with his confidence and elite athleticism—the Cavaliers may have made a solid bet by reshuffling their guard rotation.
With Garland out to start the season, the Cavaliers will quickly find out whether Porter has taken these reports to heart. If the story hasn’t changed, the front office may need to do some quick window shopping, as the guard room is far from the healthiest in the league.
