Right when everything was starting to click for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the same issue that has plagued the team over the last three postseasons is creeping back at the worst time: injuries.

The Cavaliers have a lengthy injury report ahead of their pivotal matchup against the Detroit Pistons, who currently hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

As of Thursday evening, here’s who is on Cleveland’s injury report on their status for the game:

Donovan Mitchell will miss his second consecutive game with a groin injury. The star guard has been readily available for the Cavaliers this season, playing in 55 of the team’s 60 games 

The concerning part, though, is that Mitchell has a history of groin injuries. He missed time in March of 2025 with groin soreness and even played through a similar injury during the 2023 playoffs.

Hopefully, this is not an issue that keeps Mitchell on the sidelines for too long.

The Cavaliers announced on Wednesday that James Harden fractured his right thumb in the team’s win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. 

Right now, the plan is for Harden to play through the injury; it is on his non-dominant hand, which is a key piece.

We’ll see if Harden decides to give it a go against the East’s top team.

With both Mitchell and Harden working through injuries, Dennis Schroder was in line for a much bigger role. However, now he’s dealing with his own ailment: a right ankle spring which has Schroder listed as questionable.

Schroder rolled his ankle in the closing minutes of Cleveland’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. He was noticeably limping in the fourth quarter, but played through the obvious pain. 

Keon Ellis’ availability against the Pistons is also up in the air with an index finger fracture. 

This injury must have occurred in his 14-point, two-steal, and one-block performance against the Bucks. Ellis wasn’t on the injury report leading up to the game on Wednesday, but is on it on Thursday. 

Dean Wade has suffered a variety of injuries throughout his career. Now, he’s on the report with an ankle sprain and is listed as questionable for Friday night. 

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