The Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to add a rookie whose draft rights they already hold to fill their 14th roster spot and meet the NBA mandatory minimum for 2026-27 on an estimated $1.4 million minimum contract, a move tied to the sign-and-trade arrival of Peyton Watson and the waive-and-stretch of Cam Whitmore to create room below the first-apron hard cap to re-sign James Harden, a projection published by RealGM — Basketball Wiretap and TalkBasket after laying out the plan as the team's intended path.
Cap context behind the move
The chain links the Watson addition to the cap relief created by stretching Whitmore's deal, which leaves Cleveland with enough breathing room under the first apron to bring back Harden. Even with that flexibility, the franchise still must reach 14 standard contracts and therefore expects to use a low-cost draft-rights option for the final opening.
Options under consideration
Potential candidates include Khalifa Diop, Ismael Kamagate and Saliou Niang. Diop is viewed as the frontrunner, Kamagate's rights were only recently acquired by Cleveland and Niang is committed to LSU for the upcoming season, which affects his immediate availability.
