Cleveland Cavaliers' Top Breakout Player Identified

The Cleveland Cavaliers could have a hidden gem on their bench.

Apr 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter (9) dribbles in the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers will primarily relying on their quartet of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, and rightfully so.

However, the "core four" will need some support from other pieces, and Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus has identified a potential breakout player on the Cavaliers' roster: guard Craig Porter Jr.

"Porter was a rotation player for the Cavaliers last year, though an ankle injury set him back," Pincus wrote. "He played 12.7 minutes a game in 51 appearances, adding some athleticism as a backup point. Porter needs to improve as a shooter but should round out the guard rotation this season in Cleveland."

Porter, who played his collegiate basketball at Wichita State, went undrafted but landed with Cleveland last year.

During his time on the court, the 24-year-old averaged 5.6 points, 2.3 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game on 50.9/35.3/73.2 shooting splits.

The 6-foot-2 floor general is definitely a bit undersized, but he appears to have a great feel for the game and could end up developing into a microwave scorer off the bench.

That's exactly what the Cavs need, too, as Caris LeVert is really their only reserve who fills that role at the moment.

Given the Cavaliers' lack of proven backcourt depth overall, Porter should have an opportunity to earn significant playing time heading into the season, and a strong preseason showing will certainly go a long way in landing him some favor with new head coach Kenny Atkinson.

We'll see if Porter can provide Cleveland with a pleasant surprise this year.