Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Under contract for 2026-27
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The Cavaliers exercised Porter's $2.41 million team option for the 2026-27 season Monday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.
After signing with the Cavaliers as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Porter has proven to be a developmental success story through his first three seasons in the league. He appeared in a career-high 64 games in 2025-26, shooting 45 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from downtown while averaging 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per contest. Though he was left out of the rotation for most of the Cavaliers' postseason run while the team was at or near full strength, Porter's playmaking ability and disruptiveness on the defensive end made him a trusted member of the second unit during the regular season. The 26-year-old is expected to serve as a depth piece in the backcourt once again in 2026-27.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Scoreless in nine minutes
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Porter ended Monday's 130-93 loss to the Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals with one rebound and three assists across nine minutes.
Playing in his third NBA season, Porter averaged a career-high 17.9 minutes per game across 64 regular-season appearances for Cleveland. His fantasy value was limited, however, as he posted averages of 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.9 steals on 45.0 percent shooting from the field in the regular season.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Coming off bench for Game 1
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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.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Starting Sunday
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Porter is in the Cavaliers' starting lineup against the Wizards on Sunday, Serena Winters of FanDuel Sports Network Ohio reports.
The Cavaliers are without James Harden (rest), Donovan Mitchell (ankle) and several other key rotation players for Sunday's regular-season finale, so Porter will enter the starting lineup for the third time this season. His last start took place Jan. 16 against the 76ers, when he played 22 minutes and logged two points, 11 assists and three rebounds. Porter is averaging 17.8 minutes per game this season but should see plenty of on-court action against Washington.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Strong showing off bench in win
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Porter provided 11 points (4-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals over 26 minutes off the bench during Monday's 142-126 victory over the Grizzlies.
The third-year guard produced a strong all-around effort from the second unit, scoring in double digits for the first time since Jan. 2 while contributing multiple steals and blocks for the first time since Feb. 1. Porter's court time remains inconsistent, but he's seen a bigger role of late due to injuries. Over his last four appearances, Porter's averaging 20.0 minutes, 4.5 points, 3.8 boards, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocks.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Receives 15 minutes in return
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Porter (groin) tallied two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three assists, two rebounds and one block across 15 minutes Monday in the Cavaliers' 122-113 win over the Jazz.
Back in action following a seven-game absence due to a left groin strain, Porter managed to reclaim a modest role on the second unit. The third-year guard will likely be in danger of falling out of the rotation once the Cavaliers are back to full strength, however. Cleveland should get Jarrett Allen (knee) and Max Strus (foot) back for the second leg of a back-to-back set Tuesday versus the Lakers, while the returns of Jaylon Tyson (toe) and Dean Wade (ankle) are further down the road.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Getting green light Monday
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Porter (groin) is available for Monday's game against the Jazz, Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.
Porter will return to action following a seven-game absence due to a groin injury. He appeared in five games this month before going down with the injury, averaging 3.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.8 minutes per appearance during that stretch.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Likely to play Monday
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Porter (groin) is probable for Monday's game against the Jazz.
Porter has missed the last seven games due to a groin injury, but he will likely return to action Monday. In his last three appearances, he averaged just 1.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per contest, so he doesn't figure to have much fantasy relevance in most formats.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Still sidelined with groin strain
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Porter is out for Tuesday's game against the Magic with a left groin strain.
The Cavaliers announced last Monday that Porter could be sidelined for as many as three weeks with the strain. Given the timetable, the guard can reasonably be considered week-to-week.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Looking at 1-to-3 week absence
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Porter (groin) will remain out for the next 1-to-3 weeks.
The Cavs noted Monday that Porter was sent for an MRI, which confirmed a left groin strain. He's started the treatment phase of his recovery and will miss at least his team's three-game road trip while on the mend.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Remaining out Tuesday
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Porter (groin) has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Milwaukee.
Porter will miss a second straight game due to a left groin strain. In his absence, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder could see a slight uptick in minutes. Porter's next chance to play will come Thursday against Chicago.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Won't play Sunday
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Porter has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Dallas due to a left groin strain.
The groin injury is a new concern for Porter, who is set to miss his first game due to injury since Jan. 30. With the 26-year-old guard out, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder are candidates for a slight bump in minutes.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Drops out of rotation
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Porter (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Wednesday in the Cavaliers' 128-122 loss to the Magic.
Porter failed to see any playing time for the first time since Feb. 22, ending a stretch of seven consecutive appearances in which he averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.6 steals in 16.6 minutes per contest. The third-year guard had been able to maintain a spot on the second unit while the Cavaliers were without some key contributors, but Porter could find himself out of the rotation more often than not moving forward now that James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Dean Wade have all returned to action following recent multi-game absences.
Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Picks up slack with nine assists
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Porter finished with eight points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds and nine assists in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 118-116 loss to the Bucks.
Porter capitalized on the absences of Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb), handing out a team-high nine dimes off the bench. However, Wednesday marked just the second time Porter has appeared in Cleveland's last four outings, putting him at risk of falling out of the rotation altogether once the Cavaliers' dynamic backcourt duo is back healthy.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Falls out of rotation
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Porter (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Friday's 118-113 win over the Hornets.
Porter didn't end up playing for non-injury-related reasons for the first time since Dec. 25, as the Cavaliers opted to go with Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Thomas Bryant as the ninth and 10th men in the rotation rather than using the 25-year-old guard. Cleveland should get Evan Mobley (calf) back for its next game Sunday in Oklahoma City, and Max Strus (foot) could also be cleared to make his season debut at some point further down the road. With that in mind, it's difficult to envision Porter reclaiming regular minutes anytime soon while the Cleveland roster is at close to full strength.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Drops 12 dimes in return
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Porter closed Sunday's 130-111 win over the Trail Blazers with three points (1-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), four rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks and five steals across 28 minutes.
Porter struggled to score during the victory, but he adeptly handled floor general duties while on the court. Donovan Mitchell has slid into the point guard role during Darius Garland's (toe) absence, but his scoring responsibilities far outweigh the need to move the ball around. Porter took care of that job as he stepped in throughout the game to spell Micthell and Sam Merrill.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Available Sunday
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Porter (knee) is available for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Porter missed Friday's game against the Suns due to left knee soreness, but he will return to the lineup Sunday. In his last five games, Porter is averaging 5.4 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per contest.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Questionable for Sunday
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Porter (knee) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Porter remains day-to-day after missing Friday's game against the Suns. Porter is averaging 17.8 minutes across his last six appearances for Cleveland.
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Cavaliers' Craig Porter: Ruled out Friday
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Porter (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Suns.
Porter was a late addition to the injury report Friday and won't suit up due to left knee soreness. Tyrese Proctor and Lonzo Ball are candidates for increased minutes due to Porter being sidelined. The 25-year-old guard's next opportunity to play will come Sunday against Portland.
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