What happened
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said everyone practiced except Nae'Qwan Tomlin, while Sam Merrill was limited and Khalifa Diop did not appear in preseason action. Merrill played in two of Cleveland's three preseason games.
Atkinson also said Diop has hit a setback while recovering from a recent injury, and the article notes he is one of the few frontcourt options on the roster. The piece adds that Merrill is expected to matter more as Cleveland's second-unit shooter after Max Strus was traded.
Merrill's workload could shape Cleveland's bench shooting early, especially with Strus gone. Diop and Tomlin's uncertainty leaves the frontcourt and wing rotation less settled heading into Thursday's opener.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Cavs give injury update on multiple players — Yahoo Sports ↗