NBA Player News

Nance won't start Saturday's Game 1 against the Raptors.

The Cavaliers held multiple players out for their regular-season finale, opening the door for Nance to enter the starting five. However, the veteran big man will retreat to the second unit Saturday and isn't guaranteed to see the floor.

Tyson won't start Saturday's Game 1 against the Raptors.

Tyson started each of Cleveland's final two regular-season games due to multiple key contributors being sidelined, but he'll retreat to the second unit for the start of the playoffs. The second-year forward averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 23.2 minutes per contest in 24 regular-season outings off the bench.

Tomlin is not in Cleveland's starting lineup against Toronto for Game 1 on Saturday.

Tomlin made his third start of the 2025-26 campaign during this past Sunday's regular-season finale against the Wizards, when he played 36 minutes and finished with a career-high 26 points along with eight rebounds and five assists in a 130-117 win. Tomlin will return to a bench role for Game 1, though it's unclear how much playing time he'll see given that rotations tend to tighten up in the playoffs.

Shead is in the Raptors' starting lineup for Game 1 against the Cavaliers on Saturday.

Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) has been ruled out for Game 1, prompting the Raptors to move Shead into the starting lineup alongside Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. Shead started 12 regular-season games, during which he averaged 11.5 points, 7.5 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 threes and 1.3 steals over 32.1 minutes per game.

Strus won't start Saturday's Game 1 against the Raptors.

Strus got the starting nod in Cleveland's final two regular-season games with multiple key contributors out, though he'll slide to the second unit for the start of the playoffs. Over seven regular-season appearances off the bench, he averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 23.6 minutes per tilt.

Porter is not in the Cavaliers' starting lineup for Game 1 against the Raptors on Saturday.

Porter started the Cavaliers' regular-season finale against the Wizards this past Sunday, when he played 28 minutes and finished with seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and one block in a 130-117 win. He'll revert to a bench role for Game 1 while the Cavaliers roll with a starting five of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade.

Post (foot) averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals in 17.3 minutes per game across 67 regular-season appearances (35 starts) in 2025-26.

Even as a member of the starting five, Post saw inconsistent playing time for the injury-plagued Warriors this season. The big man produced numbers similar to his rookie campaign but saw a dip in his three-point efficiency, shooting 33.6 percent from downtown. He still appeared in 25 more regular-season games than in 2024-25, though he missed the final seven outings of the regular season and both Play-In Tournament games due to a right foot injury. The 26-year-old's future in Golden State is uncertain, with the club holding a team option for 2026-27.

Williams averaged 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.4 steals in 17.1 minutes per game across 14 regular-season appearances (two starts) in 2025-26.

Williams joined Golden State on a two-way contract in mid-February and saw an expanded role at times for the injury-plagued Warriors. The 27-year-old wing will look to earn a full-time NBA roster spot next season, as he's no longer eligible for a two-way pact.

Leons averaged 3.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks in 11.0 minutes per game across 25 regular-season appearances (two starts) in the 2025-26 campaign.

After averaging just 3.5 minutes per game over six regular-season appearances with the Thunder in 2024-25, Leons saw an increased role for the injury-plagued Warriors this season. The two-way player signed with Golden State in early December on a two-way pact and logged the majority of his action in the second half of the season. The 26-year-old forward also appeared in 33 G League outings between the Santa Cruz Warriors and Oklahoma City Blue, during which he averaged 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks in 34.1 minutes per tilt.

James amassed six points (2-5 FG, 2-5 3Pt), two rebounds and two assists across 18 minutes during Friday's 121-90 Play-In Game loss to the Magic.

The rookie second-rounder was a key contributor for the Hornets during the first half of the 2025-26 regular season, and he started 11 of Charlotte's 13 games from Oct. 30 to Nov. 23. He saw his playing time dip slightly in 2026, and in the 27 regular-season games since the All-Star break (one start), James averaged 4.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 threes and 0.8 steals over 19.4 minutes per contest. He figures to serve in a bench role for the 2026-27 season unless a path to more playing time opens up for the Duke product.