2026 Cleveland Cavs Starting Lineup

2025-26 Cavs Starting Lineup: Get to Know the Cavs Depth Chart in January 2026

Cleveland held the top spot in the East for 165 consecutive days and stood as the only team with three All-Stars in 2025: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. Mobley captured the Kia Defensive Player of the Year award, while Kenny Atkinson earned Coach of the Year honors.

After sweeping the Heat in Round 1, the Cavaliers again fell in the East semifinals, losing 4–1 to the Pacers. Cleveland returns its core with key offseason additions, aiming to turn regular-season success into a deeper playoff run.

Cleveland is currently 22-1,9 and the Cavs' odds from sportsbooks have them with the seventh-shortest odds to win it all, thanks to the Cavaliers’ dominant starting five.

What Is the Cleveland Cavs' Starting Lineup?

The Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro to Chicago for Lonzo Ball, adding two-way playmaking to the backcourt. With Darius Garland recovering from toe surgery and Max Strus out for the start of the season, Cleveland also reunited with Larry Nance Jr. The core of Donovan Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen returns, now joined by Jaylon Tyson. Below is the Cavaliers’ starting five for the season, when fully healthy. Due to injuries and other factors, the lineup can change at times.

Position	Starter
Point Guard	Darius Garland
Shooting Guard	Donovan Mitchell
Small Forward	Dean Wade*
Power Forward	Evan Mobley
Center	Jarrett Allen

*out with injury

Point Guard Darius Garland

Garland is a speed guard, one of the fastest players in the entire NBA. His quickness creates matchup problems, as most defenders struggle to stay in front of him. Entering his seventh NBA season after offseason toe surgery, he has regained full mobility and is expected to be the starting PG throughout the season. Garland is averaging 17.7 PPG and 6.9 APG.

Shooting Guard Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell was the Cavaliers’ marquee acquisition before the 2022–23 season, costing the team multiple future first-round picks as they outbid the New York Knicks to land him. He serves as the primary option in the offense and is the player who makes it click. Ranking among the NBA’s top talents, Mitchell has been central to the team’s success and remains vital to their championship aspirations.

Small Forward Dean Wade

Stepping in as the starting small forward, Dean Wade serves as a multi positional defender, helping offset the smaller backcourt of Garland and Mitchell with his size on the wing. While he has made a positive impact on the roster, his season has been affected by knee and toe injuries.

Power Forward Evan Mobley

Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year last season and is once again near the top of the odds boards at most Ohio sportsbooks. The 24-year-old has proven himself as a dynamic two-way talent, and his rim-protecting presence alongside Jarrett Allen makes the Cavaliers a challenging matchup for any opponent this season.

Center Jarrett Allen

Jarrett Allen is an elite shot-blocker whom the Cavaliers were fortunate to acquire when the Brooklyn Nets went all-in on James Harden, trading away several of their top young players, a smart move by GM Koby Altman. Allen brings elite rim protection and rebounding to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting five, anchoring their defense while contributing efficiently on offense.

Bet And Get Up To $2,000 In No Sweat Bets FanCash

21+. New customers in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV, or WY: wager $10+ cash on any market with odds of -500 or longer to be eligible to receive $50 in FanCash each day for your first five (5) days. Terms, including FanCash terms apply - see Fanatics Sportsbook app. Gambling Problem? Call or Text 1-800-GAMBLER, 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Who Is on the Cleveland Cavs' Bench?

Lonzo Ball joins the roster and will look to provide a spark off the bench, alongside Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, and Larry Nance Jr. There is great potential for this bunch to help the Cavs get to the next level.

Position	2nd	3rd	4th
Point Guard	Craig Porter Jr.	Lonzo Ball	Tyrese Proctor
Shooting Guard	Sam Merrill	Jaylon Tyson	Lonzo Ball
Small Forward	Jaylon Tyson	De'Andre Hunter	Sam Merrill
Power Forward	De'Andre Hunter	Nae'Qwan Tomlin	Dean Wade
Center	Evan Mobley	Larry Nance Jr.	Thomas Bryant

And if you want to make any of these players the nominal "captain" of your fantasy season, be sure to check out our story about funny fantasy basketball names.

Who Is the Cavs 6th Man?

De'Andre Hunter, the team’s sixth man, enters his first full season with the Cavaliers following a midseason trade. He has already shown himself to be a versatile two-way player, contributing on offense while fitting seamlessly into the small forward role. Hunter currency has +2000 NBA Sixth Man Award odds at DraftKings. A surprise contender, Jaylon Tyson has stepped into the sixth man role, adding physicality and edge to the Cavaliers’ lineup. His defensive versatility, improved perimeter shooting, and relentless motor give Cleveland a reliable wing who fits well alongside Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, especially in transition and on the defensive end. Tyson has +2500 odds to take home the award.

If you're considering betting on Hunter or Tyson to win NBA awards (or on the Cavs to win the Finals or the East), make sure to use the best Ohio sportsbook promos available today.

First Bet Safety Net Up To $1,000

Must be 21+ to participate. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, IL, IA, KY, KS, LA, MD, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA). Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ). Call 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Deposit required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customer only. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Code is for marketing/tracking purposes.

Get to Know the Cleveland Cavs' Front Office

Position	Staff Member
General Manager	Mike Gansey
Head Coach	Kenny Atkinson
Associate Head Coach	Johnnie Bryant

Who Is the Cavs' Head Coach?

Kenny Atkinson is the head coach after the Cavaliers hired him before the season began, following the firing of J.B. Bickerstaff. He is in his second season with the Cavaliers. He previously served as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016-2020, and served as an assistant coach for four seasons for the Golden State Warriors.

Who Is the Cavs' General Manager?

Gansey was a very good high school player who finished runner-up to LeBron James for Ohio's Mr. Basketball at Olmsted Falls H.S. He played in the D-League and in the Summer League for the Heat and Clippers but never made it to the NBA. He was G-League Executive of the Year for the Canton Charge in 2017 before joining the Cavaliers' front office, where he was promoted to GM over a year ago under president of basketball operations Koby Altman.

$1,500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets If You Don't Win

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (Available in the US) Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR) 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. This promotional offer is not available in DC, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.

Cleveland Cavaliers Depth Chart FAQs

Dan Gilbert, who made his fortune in the online mortgage industry, has been the team's primary owner since 2005, purchasing the team for what was the highest bid for a professional sports team at the time. Rapper Usher is a minority owner of the Cavaliers.

Koby Altman is president of basketball operations. From Brooklyn, he's been in the Cavaliers' front office since 2012. He is credited with making the trades that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston and brought Wade to Cleveland. His draft picks have included Garland, Collin Sexton, Okoro, and Mobley. The brains of the operation, he also engineered the deal for Mitchell.

That list starts with LeBron James, of course, but the Cavaliers have had seven Hall of Famers on their roster: Shaquille O'Neal, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Dwayne Wade, Nate Thurmond, Ben Wallace, Lenny Wilkens, and Jim Chines, along with coaches Chuck Daly, Wilkens and Bill Fitch.

Author

Robert Hayek

Robert B. Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of the Gambling.com Group team. In his spare time, he runs the largest sports meetup group in Orange County, CA, actively participating in every sport imaginable. He is also a published author of five thriller novels, all available on Amazon.