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With the NBA's annual trade deadline in the rearview mirror, the Cleveland Cavaliers will sadly not see De'Andre Hunter make his debut against the Washington Wizards. However, the Cavs will see a welcome return to their lineup. Superstar guard Donovan Mitchell, who missed Cleveland's latest win over the Detroit Pistons with an injury, is back in action on the road against the Wizards.
Mitchell missed time due to a random shoulder injury, which led to Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson shutting him down against the Pistons. Atkinson admitted that Cleveland's staff evaluated Mitchell to test the injury's severity. However, it won't be a long-term issue for the Cavs.
However, while Mitchell is back in action, several Cleveland players, like Hunter, are unavailable. Joining Hunter are Dean Wade (knee), Isaac Okoro (shoulder), and Sam Merrill (personal), who are all unavailable for the Cavs against the Wizards. Technically, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang (traded to the Atlanta Hawks) are also unavailable while they wait to finish their pending physicals from the Hawks.
Not having Okoro available hurts Cleveland's defense. However, not having Wade makes things even worse. Wade has emerged as a critical lynchpin for the Cavs on either end of the floor. The Cavs recently announced that Wade would be sidelined indefinitely, making it a harder pill for Cleveland to swallow in the interim.
Cleveland will also be without JT Thor and Luke Travers, both on assignment with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs' NBA G League affiliate. Neither player has gotten much in-game action with the leading club this season, which is detrimental to their development. With that in mind, Travers and Thor all need on-court opportunities to grow and develop with the Charge, something they don't regularly get with the Cavs.
What to watch for as the Cavs try to counterspell the Wizards
Heading into this matchup, Cleveland is 3-0 this season against Washington and riding an eleven-game winning streak. The Wizards are at the beginning of a rebuild. So, the Cavs should have an easier time against a young, inexperienced squad mired in losing – especially when missing so many players.
Against Cleveland, Washington will be without Saddiq Bey (ACL), Malcolm Brogdon (foot), Justin Champaigne (rib), Colby Jones (trade pending), Alex Len (trade pending), Khris Middleton (rest), Alex Sarr (ankle), and Marcus Smart (trade pending).
The Wizards were incredibly active at the trade deadline. They took on other team's slop to help build contenders elsewhere. Their injury report is extensive, with multiple rotation players unavailable. It will be a lot of Jordan Poole in this matchup, who will earn most of Cleveland's defensive attention.
Given that the Cavs should be able to take down the Wizards in the first half, they can rest their starters in the second half. This is key for a veteran Cleveland team looking to stay as healthy as possible. It's also a golden opportunity for the Cavs bench, especially rookie forward Jaylon Tyson, to have extra on-court opportunities.
Tyson has had an intriguing rookie season, garnering heavy praise from his teammates and coaches. With some extra time on the floor, Tyson could make a case to earn consistent minutes – especially after the Cavs made a significant trade.