INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- DeAndre Liggins is getting an early chance to make good on his partially guaranteed contract with the Cavs.

Liggins will start at point guard tonight in Cleveland's preseason opener against Orlando, with Kyrie Irving resting and a bevy of players competing to be his primary backup. Coach Tyronn Lue chose Liggins over Jordan McRae, rookie Kay Felder and non-guaranteed contract players Toney Douglas and Markel Brown.

Liggins, 28, signed a two-year deal this off-season to join the Cavs, with a small portion of his roughly $2 million deal guaranteed. The contract was a sign from the Cavs front office that Liggins had a better chance to make the 15-man roster.

Starting him tonight is another one of those signs.

"If it was guaranteed or not, partial anything, I'm still going to have the same mindset if it's not guaranteed," Liggins said after the morning shootaround. "I'm just happy to be here. I'm a hard worker. It don't matter about guaranteed, non guaranteed. ... The coaching staff, they believe in me. And the GM."

Liggins is 6-6 and has been a wing player for most of his pro career -- which includes 57 NBA games spread out over three seasons and longer stints in the NBDL. A former defensive player of the year in the D-League, Liggins said he played point guard in basketball's minors for one half of a season, and was recruited to Kentucky as a point guard. He changed positions with the arrival of John Wall, among others.

Liggins also said he handled the ball for the Cavs during the NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas, when he averaged 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds.

"I'm not just a point guard, I can play all positions, one through three," Liggins said. "But I can also get people involved and can share the ball.

"I didn't know coming here, with Kyrie Irving and the situation with the backup point guard -- they think that I can distribute the ball during summer league and they gave me this opportunity."

There's an opening behind Irving because of Mo Williams' retirement and the departure of Matthew Dellavedova, who left this summer to join the Milwaukee Bucks.

Liggins was once a teammate of LeBron James for about 10 minutes in Miami during the 2013-14 season.

"Me and LeBron, we don't talk much," Liggins said. "My thing is I watch LeBron. I'm an observer at first. I watch what he do as far as him coming into practice, the way he talks. He's a very smart player, and I think I'm a very smart player. I still have a lot to learn at this level. I'm experienced but I'm not that experienced."