By RICK NOLAND

Assistant Sports Editor

INDEPENDENCE — The Cavaliers have, at most, one job opening. The applicants are Ronald Dupree, Vernon Hamilton and Jawad Williams.

There’s a chance none of them will be kept, though all are expected to be in uniform tonight when the Cavaliers play an exhibition game against the Boston Celtics in Providence, R.I.

“We’ll keep someone if we feel like that person can help our team,” coach Mike Brown said. “And there are different ways that person can help our team.”

Translated, that means if one of the above players sticks, he will probably be used exclusively as a practice player in the regular season, unless multiple injuries occur.

Eventually, that player could be sent to the team’s NBA Developmental League affiliate in Erie, Pa., but the Cavaliers generally like to keep their players in town for a decent stretch before shipping them out.

Fourteen Cleveland players have guaranteed contracts. The Cavaliers can keep 15 players, but only 12 can be on the active roster for each regular-season game.

Eric Snow, who isn’t in camp but will be paid $7.3 million by someone this season, will count toward the 15-man roster at least until the league and insurance companies decide who is responsible for the final year of his contract.

Thirteen other players — Daniel Gibson, J.J. Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Darnell Jackson, LeBron James, Tarence Kinsey, Sasha Pavlovic, Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Varejao, Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Mo Williams and Lorenzen Wright — are guaranteed of making the team.

Guard Michael Dickerson, who left the team on Oct. 1 to attend to personal matters, and center Lance Allred, who was with the Cavaliers at the end of last season, were cut Wednesday, meaning Lakewood St. Edward High School and North Carolina product Williams probably has the best chance of sticking out of the three remaining camp invitees.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pounder didn’t do much Tuesday in Cleveland’s exhibition opener against Toronto, but he’s looked good in practice. James went so far as to say the rookie was better than some players who have NBA roster spots and that all Williams needs is to find a team that has an opening.

The 6-7, 209-pound Dupree was not drafted out of LSU, but he’s played with Chicago, Detroit (twice), Minnesota and Seattle in the NBA. The Cavaliers, however, have a ton of swingman-type players.

Hamilton, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, was not drafted out of Clemson this year and has almost no chance of sticking with the already guard-heavy Cavaliers, but Brown praised the play of all the newcomers.

“They’ve all stood out in one way, shape or form,” he said. “They’ve all been a joy to have here.

“They call can play.”

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REMATCH: The Cavaliers have different views on tonight’s exhibition game against Boston, which eliminated Cleveland in seven games last season in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “They’re the champs,” Szczerbiak said. “They have a bull’s-eye on their chest. We want to try to knock them off their pedestal. That’s where we want to get. It was very motivating watching them celebrate and win it all last season. We’ve got to keep that in the back of our minds. We know how close we were.” James and Ilgauskas were more low-key in their approach to an exhibition game where many starters will play limited minutes. “You can’t carry the playoffs into a preseason game,” James said. Ilgauskas agreed, saying, “It’s not significant for one team or the other.” Things will be different when the teams meet in Boston in the regular-season opener on Oct. 28. “The first game is when it starts,” Ilgauskas said. “It will be Boston and they’re going to get their (championship) rings. That’s the game that matters.”

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TIP-INS: Szczerbiak, who is battling Pavlovic and West for the starting shooting guard spot, will be on the floor for the opening tip against the Celtics. Brown started Pavlovic — he did not accompany the team to Providence in order to continue treatment on a mildly sprained right ankle suffered Wednesday in practice — in the exhibition opener against Toronto. … West has now missed a week of camp while attending to a personal matter. The Cavaliers are uncertain when he will return. “Any time anybody misses, it hurts you,” Brown said. The coach added, “He’s missed a lot. He’s going to have to catch up when he gets back.” … James will play a little more against Boston than the 8:25 of action he saw against Toronto, but not much more.

Noland may be reached at rickn@ohio.net or 330-721-4061.