On Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers will take part in their first game of the 2018 NBA Summer League.
And for the first time in four years, the annual exhibition tournament will have a tangible impact on the Cavs' upcoming season.
In the three years that followed LeBron James' return to the franchise in 2014, the Summer League provided the Cavs with little more than an extended look at prospects to potentially sign to the Canton Charge. The closest year to an exception came in 2016, when Kay Felder, DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae represented Cleveland in Sin City.
But while Felder, Liggins and McRae each played sparingly for the Cavs the following season, Cleveland's current Summer League roster will feature at least three players who figure to factor prominently into the team's plans for the upcoming year -- and perhaps, beyond.
At the very least, both Cedi Osman and Collin Sexton have already been penciled into the Cavs' rotation -- if not starting lineup -- for the 2018-19 campaign. Osman appeared in 61 games -- including 11 starts -- as a rookie this past season and could ultimately be called upon to fill the void left by James at small forward in Cleveland's starting lineup.
Sexton, meanwhile, was selected by the Cavs with the No. 8 pick in the 2018 Draft, making him the team's first top-10 selection since picking Andrew Wiggins first overall in 2014.
"When you've got guys who work as hard as Collin does to get what he wants to get, those are the guys you want on your team," Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue said of his new point guard last month. "His toughness, his character, being a great student in the classroom -- all that exemplifies what we want to do in Cleveland."
The wildcard for the Cavs in this Summer League could very well be center Ante Zizic, who arrived in Cleveland a little less than a year ago as a part of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics. Although the 6-foot-11 big man was limited to just 32 games in his rookie season, he showed plenty of promise as an offensive presence, averaging 3.7 points in just 6.7 minutes per game.
The Cavs' Summer League roster also features a number of intriguing, albeit less proven prospects, including 6-foot-10 forward Billy Preston. The former 5-star prospect signed with Cleveland after seeing his college career at Kansas cut short due to eligibility concerns.
In wake of James' departure to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs find themselves on a new path. The first stop comes in Las Vegas on Friday night, as a new era of Cleveland basketball gets set to begin.
