Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs: preview and player stats (Apr 7, 2027)

Injury/Illness - Left Knee Contusion/Injury Management (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Mitchell (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Mavericks. Mitchell is dealing with a left knee contusion and could sit out the second leg of this back-to-back set. The star guard's absence would open up more minutes for guys like Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor. James Harden (lower leg/calf), Peyton Watson (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (knee) are all also in danger of joining Evan Mobley (toe) and Sam Merrill (elbow) on the shelf, so Cleveland could be shorthanded against Dallas.

Injury/Illness - Left Great Toe Sprain (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Mobley (toe) has been ruled out for Saturday's meeting with Dallas. Mobley will miss a second consecutive contest due to a left great toe sprain, and his next chance to play will come Monday against the Bulls. Jarrett Allen (knee) is questionable for Saturday's contest, so Thomas Bryant could be asked to step into an expanded role.

Injury/Illness - Right Knee Injury Management (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Allen (knee) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against Dallas. Allen has played in each of Cleveland's last three games after sitting out two contests with a right knee injury, but lingering issues have now put his availability for Saturday's game in jeopardy. Thomas Bryant and Mario Hezonja could take on increased playing time if Allen ends up sitting.

Injury/Illness - Left Lower Leg/Calf Tightness (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Harden (left lower leg/calf tightness) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Mavericks. Harden could be held out of the second leg of this back-to-back set. If the veteran guard is ruled out, Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter would likely see increased playing time. Donovan Mitchell (knee), Peyton Watson (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (knee) are all also in jeopardy of joining Evan Mobley (toe) and Sam Merrill (elbow) on the inactive list, so the Cavaliers could be shorthanded Saturday.

Injury/Illness - Right Elbow Injury Management (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-10): Merrill (elbow) is listed as out for Wednesday's game against the Knicks. Merrill has battled a lingering elbow issue since the preseason. He will now miss a third consecutive contest, with his next opportunity to suit up coming Friday in Miami. While Merrill is sidelined, Craig Porter, Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor should see more minutes.

Injury/Illness - Right Hamstring Injury Management (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-11-14): Watson (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Mavericks. Watson missed a pair of games at the beginning of November due to a sore right hamstring, and he appears to still be battling problems in that same hamstring. Meleek Thomas and Mario Hezonja may step into larger roles if Watson is ruled out.

Injury/Illness - Low Back Stress Reaction (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE). Prior reporting (2026-10-20): Tomlin is set to miss several weeks with a lower back stress reaction, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. This is a tough blow for the forward and there's no guarantee he's cleared right away when he's re-evaluated in three-to-four weeks. Tomlin wasn't projected to crack the rotation ahead of Opening Night and was penciled in to be an emergency depth option.

G League - Two-Way (2026-11-14, DAL@CLE).

Harris (calf) is out for Wednesday's game against Chicago, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports. With Harris still sidelined, San Antonio will rely more on Julian Champagnie. Harris has yet to make his Spurs debut this season, so his absence continues to leave minutes available on the wing until he is cleared to return.

Quaintance has been around the team but has not yet been cleared for basketball activities, Matt Guzman of SI.com reports. The Spurs are expected to exercise extreme caution with the big man, as Quaintance suffered a torn ACL and meniscus with Arizona State in February 2025 before appearing in only four games with Kentucky last season due to severe complications and persistent swelling. The 19-year-old underwent a cleanup procedure on his meniscus in mid-July, and the Spurs will likely want him at 100 percent before ramping him up to basketball activities.