Cavs wing Dylan Windler was selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft with the hope that he could become an immediate contributor for a Cleveland team that desperately needed shooting. Fast forward two years later and Windler has only played a total of 31 games for the franchise.
A serious leg injury derailed his 2019/20 campaign and at this point, it appears that next season will be a make or break year for the sharpshooter, via sources close to Cleveland.com:
“Have no idea if he can play,” a source said. “We haven’t seen anything from him yet. Kid’s got to be available first. Bottom line.”
“At some point he’s got to produce,” added one Cavs coach. “He needs to stay healthy and become a consistent 3-point threat. If he can do those two things then I think he has a chance.”
Health is the main thing here. His 31 appearances last season were a result of another injury after undergoing surgery on his knee in April. The Cavs really have no idea what Windler could be capable of. At the college level, he was a brilliant long-range shooter and Cleveland still has a belief that Windler can find that success again if he can consistently stay on the court with the Cavs.
Only time will tell, though.