With the way the Cleveland Cavaliers’ rotation came together this season, it was easy to overlook guard Craig Porter Jr., who saw his role decrease slightly compared to that of his rookie campaign.
He averaged fewer points, assists, rebounds and minutes per game in the 2024-25 regular season and started just one of Cleveland’s 82 games. For the second time in two seasons, he appeared in exactly 51 contests (playoffs excluded).
However, an opportunity may open up for Porter to have a more significant role with the Cavaliers next season. After all, it’s undetermined as to whether guard Ty Jerome will re-sign with the team this summer. Jerome played the best basketball of his career with the Cavaliers this season but wasn’t at his best against the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The Cavaliers lost that series in five games.
With Jerome’s future unclear, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com has reported that the Cavaliers plan to “challenge” Porter, adding that they want to see more “fire” out of the youngster.
“The opportunity is there: The Cavs plan to challenge Craig Porter Jr,” Pluto wrote. “The point guard is heading into his third NBA season. While most of the discussion about Porter is about improving his 3-point shooting, the Cavs see other key areas that need an upgrade. They want him to be more assertive. His work ethic is fine, but it needs to be better than OK. Porter and several other Cavs will be challenged to play with the kind of physical pace and mental strength that Indiana and OKC have exhibited this season. Porter has ballhandling skills. He has good poise. But he needs to show he can lead an offense and be in elite physical condition. Bottom line: They want more fire from the 25-year-old.
