Cleveland Cavaliers at Minnesota Timberwolves

Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.

DiVincenzo will have his surgery done by Dr. Martin O'Malley, the same surgeon who repaired the torn right Achilles of Jayson Tatum in May of 2025. The fact that the procedure is taking place within 24 hours of DiVincenzo's injury should help with the recovery, though it would be unfair to expect the veteran guard to return as quickly as Tatum did, which took approximately 10 months for the latter. It seems more likely that DiVincenzo will miss the entire 2026-27 season, though if he does progress enough to return, it wouldn't be until late in the regular season. The Timberwolves will also be without Anthony Edwards (knee) for multiple weeks, so the team will turn to Ayo Dosunmu, Mike Conley and Bones Hyland to carry more of the load for the rest of the postseason.