Season in Review: The Forwards

Since then, Wade has seen the good, the bad and the ugly – and after winning a combined 41 games in his first two years, he got one step closer to the NBA Finals in his seventh season. 

Wade’s offensive numbers are never going to blow anyone away. Over the past three years, he’s averaged 5.4 PPG, 5.4 PPG and 5.8 PPG, respectively. He’s shot between .354 and .391 from three-point range in each of his past six seasons. This year, he scored in double-figures on 13 occasions. 

On Monday – with the NBA Finals taking another dramatic turn later that night in New York – we took a look back at the Cavaliers assorted backcourt cast in 2025-26. 

Today – with Game 4 slated for later at the World’s Most Famous Arena – Cavs.com breaks down the group of forwards who manned the position this past year. 

In Monday’s wrap-up, we talked about the transformation at the guard spot as the year progressed – from Darius Garland and Lonzo Ball to James Harden and Dennis Schröder. The forward spot was affected at the Trade Deadline too, with De’Andre Hunter – who Cleveland acquired just one year earlier – being shipped to Sacramento (for Schröder and Keon Ellis) after 43 appearances this season, including 23 starts. 

Even with Hunter – who averaged 14.0 PPG and 4.2 RPG – on the roster, the Cavaliers were more or less small-forward-by-committee for most of the season – especially considering Max Strus’ offseason injury. 

Overall, Jaylon Tyson started 42 games this year (appearing in 66), Dean Wade started 38 (59), and Max Strus started five (12). Nae’Qwan Tomlin appeared in 64 games this year, with three starts. 

We’re saving the power forward spot – Evan Mobley – for our big man review on Friday. With that in mind, here’s a look at the Cavaliers forward rotation this past season … 

JAYLON TYSON 

The 20^th overall pick out of Cal the previous season, Tyson parlayed a strong Summer League showing right into a strong Training Camp. By the time the regular season rolled around, Tyson was the starting 3 on opening night in New York. By the end of the season, he was in the league’s top 5 in three-point shooting.

The Texas native’s sophomore season got off to a lukewarm start, but after four straight games of single-digit showings, he notched double-figure scoring in the next five straight and would eventually go on to post 46 on the year – with eight 20-point outings. From early January to early February, Tyson scored in double-figures in 15 straight games. 

As Kenny Atkinson dealt with injuries all season, the dependable swingman was indispensable. During the season’s dog days of December, Tyson averaged 15.8 PPG and 6.7 RPG, shooting 55 percent from the floor and 44 percent from deep in those 14 games.

But Wade is also the team’s most versatile defender and, more than anything, the Cavaliers win with Wade in the lineup. In the 59 games he appeared in this year, Cleveland was 36-23 – 24-14 with him in starting lineup. Dating back to 2021, the Wine & Gold are 93-48 with Wade as a starter.

MAX STRUS

He’d probably deny it, but Max Strus has a flair for the dramatic. So, it didn’t surprise anyone that, after missing the first 66 games of the year following offseason foot surgery, he’d come back and erupt for 24 points, going 6-of-7 from three-point range.

Strus outdid himself less than two weeks later, going off for 29 points on 8-of-11 shooting from deep in a home win over Miami. Less than a week after that, he went for 24 more to wrap up a West Coast roadie with a win at Golden State. 

Strus was very good in the playoffs this past spring, averaging 9.6 PPG on 36 percent shooting from deep, with six double-digit scoring outings in the mix. And defensively, his steal and layup off Cade Cunningham late in Game 3 will live in Cavs lore for years to come. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the Cavaliers handle having the rugged 7^th-year man back straight from the start of Training Camp this year. 

NAE’QWAN TOMLIN

The high-flying Harlem native might not be the Cavaliers’ best player, but he very well could be the squad’s most entertaining player. And over the course of a grueling 82-game grind, sometimes an energy guy is exactly what the team needs. 

After inking a pro contract midseason following a two-way deal last year, Tomlin found himself in Kenny Atkinson’s rotation – appearing in 64 games with Cleveland after just five as a rookie. 

The affable 25-year-old – who never played high school ball – notched double-figure scoring in 10 games this year, including the season finale against Washington, letting it rip for 26 points, eight boards and five assists.  

The 6-6, 215-pounder – whose brother was being drafted by the New Orleans Saints as he squared off against the Raptors in the 2026 playoffs – improved his scoring average from 3.6 PPG as a rookie to 13.2 PPG as a sophomore. His magnum opus came in a January 16 win over Philly – scoring a career-high 39 points, going 13-for-17 from the floor, including 7-of-9 from deep and 6-of-6 from the stripe, becoming just the third player in team history to score at least 39 points on 17 or fewer field goal attempts. 

Tyson, who never quite found his footing in the postseason, finished 4^th in the NBA from three-point range at .441 and will look to make another leap in Year 3.  

DEAN WADE

With Darius Garland being traded to the Clippers in early February, Dean Wade became the most tenured Cavalier on the squad, signing with the Wine & Gold as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State back in 2019.