Injuries are the worst part of the NBA. They have decimated so many teams already in 2026-27, and stars have been dropping like flies. And as it relates to the Cleveland Cavaliers' battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, there are many guys listed on the injury report.

The Thunder will be without three starters. And the Cavs have already ruled out three players, while listing another as questionable.

Let’s talk about those who will not be available, and those who are 50-50 to play for the Cleveland side.

Trouble On The Wing?

As reported by Danny Cunningham of Locked On Cavs, there are two updates to the Cavs injury report. With a right ankle sprain, wing Jaylon Tyson is going to miss a second game in a row. And coming in as questionable, with his first appearance of the season, is Peyton Watson.

The starting small forward is dealing with some hamstring tightness. Whenever that word comes up, it has got to be taken seriously. Evan Mobley dealt with multiple calf injuries a season ago, and they had to wait to make sure he was at 100%.

Cleveland did not seem to miss Tyson too much against Milwaukee, with credit going especially to Mario Hezonja. The forward grabbed 11 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench, looking perhaps as impressive as he has in any contest this year. He credits Kenny Atkinson and the staff for his resurgence. Meleek Thomas in double digits for a third straight time to open his career. And Sam Merrill has started to find a little confidence.

As Nae’Qwan Tomlin continues to miss time with a back issue, there is some energy missing from the second unit. Thomas and Hezonja have been bringing the spark and can be expected to do the same while Tyson remains out. Should Watson have to miss his first game of 2026-27, it will be interesting to see who Kenny Atkinson tabs as the starter.

Khalifa Diop is yet to debut as he deals with knee issues, and even when healthy, he may not get on the floor. If Thomas Bryant isn’t getting rotation minutes, it is unlikely the 2022 2nd-round pick that came over would be in the rotation.

Ready For A Busy Week Ahead

Four games against title contenders will certainly make for some fun ball for the Cavs. The Thunder twice, followed by the Sixers and Knicks. This provides a chance for the short-handed group to prove what they’re capable of.

Keep an eye on when Jaylon Tyson may be back by checking in on these articles, while enjoying the stylings of Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas.