The Cavaliers Have a Craig Porter Jr. Decision to Make This Offseason

A theme for the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason will be salary cap and apron dynamics, which will force the front office to make some tough decisions about their roster moving forward.

Even if the Wine and Gold run back their starting five and rotation next season, they might still need to find ways to shed salary with their reserve and bench players.

This brings the Cavaliers to the decision of what to do with Craig Porter Jr. this offseason. The guard currently has a team option for the 2026-27 season worth $2.4 million. 

At face value, that doesn’t seem like too much salary for a team to take on. And in most cases, it’s not, but the Cavaliers are not most cases.

Cleveland had the highest team salary in the NBA at the beginning of last season, and being in the second apron also limits what they’re able to do in free agency and on the trade market.

So, not picking up CPJ’s contract could be one step closer to giving the Cavaliers more financial freedom.

On the other hand, Porter has been a solid role player for the Cavs over the last three seasons. 

In 64 games last year, the guard averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from behind the arc. Looking at Porter’s per 36 numbers, that would equate to 9.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.

Those numbers may not cut it as a starter, but they certainly aren’t bad for a third-string point guard.

What complicates Porter’s future with the Cavaliers even more is that Cleveland drafted Tyrese Proctor last offseason and immediately signed him to a four-year deal, which is cheaper than CPJ’s annual salary. 

The Cavaliers are expecting big things from Proctor heading into his second NBA season, which could leave Porter as the odd man out, despite what he’s brought to the team over the last few seasons. 

The question the Cavaliers must answer is whether Porter’s production is worth picking up his team option, or whether it would make more sense for the organization to decline it, with the possibility of getting closer to escaping the dreaded second apron. 

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