The Cavs will have a four-game slate followed by playoffs provided they make the most of their opening round game. It goes as follows:
- July 10 – Pacers at 5:00 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
- July 12 – Bucks at 3:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
- July 13 – Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
- July 16 – Kings 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
The primary goal of Summer League’s is a showcase for young talent, and the Cavs have some interesting names this year.
We’ll breakdown each of those names and give you a reason to watch each of them.
Tyrese Proctor, guard – Putting the role in role player
Drafted 49th overall by the Cavs this year, Proctor enters as a player the Cavs really wanted. So much so, the Cavs angled specifically to get Proctor to fall to their slot and guaranteed him an active roster spot in doing so. With 2nd Round picks now being eligible for two-way contracts (less money, less guarantees, and not a guaranteed active roster spot), the 2nd Round becomes much less about how high players go and which teams have active roster spots to offer. Because of that, the Cavs draft slot, albeit on a playoff team too, was a highly coveted slot.
Some were surprised at the Proctor selection, but it was much less about Proctor himself and more so about what it meant for upcoming moves.
On the outside looking in, the player was worth the slot. Cavs General Manager Mike Gansey said the Cavs had Proctor “at a first-round grade,” which isn’t too far off from the consensus. The Ringer had Proctor 33rd overall, databallr, Sam Vecenie (The Athletic) at 36th, No Ceilings at 41st and ESPN at 43rd. Add it all up and it spits out to an average of the 37th slot which is just outside the 30th pick. Still, not bad at pick 49.
From the inside perspective, acquiring a talent like Proctor allowed the Cavs to feel a little bit more comfortable in losing point guard Ty Jerome to free agency. While draft picks don’t always predict the future, they oftentimes can provide an inkling into a team’s thinking. It’s the same way that when Jaylon Tyson was drafted, it was likely a move in anticipation of losing Isaac Okoro and/or Caris LeVert. Now, both aren’t on the team.
For a team like the Cavs, set to enter the 2nd Apron stratosphere, being able to churn out lower-level talent that can outproduce their salary will be critical moving forward especially if they plan to keep the core together. The more they can have lower-level rotational players, the longer they can afford to keep their more expensive players. The more they can develop lower-level rotational players, the longer their window stays open. It’s a symbiotic relationship that allows top heavy teams to exist. The reason teams shift resources around is usually because the top end talent isn’t producing but also teams look to redistribute the salary to lengthen a team’s talent.
That’s where Proctor comes in.
While Proctor is not likely to contribute this year, unless something goes wrong or Proctor goes right, there is a pathway to production, and it still could come sooner rather than later. In reading through Proctor’s draft reports, databallr’s particularly stuck out as what he can be for this team:
Does “seamless fit next to more ball-dominant stars” and “capable of fitting into switch-heavy schemes” ring any bells?
The role that Proctor is likely to play in Cleveland is very similar to the one he played in Duke his junior year.
Proctor entered Duke as a high level, five-star recruit out of the NBA’s Global Academy in Australia. He started as a true freshman for Duke and proceeded to start just about every game over the next three years but how he was utilized changed particularly as the most recent freshman class of Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel came in.
Starting out, Proctor was asked to do lead guard type things. Initiate the offense. Create for others. Be a primary pick-and-roll ball handler. He posted assist rates of 20.8% and 21.1% in back-to-back years while lowering his turnover rate from 14.7% to 11.5% -- all good signs.
Upon Flagg, Knueppel and others arriving, Proctor was shifted to a more secondary playmaker role. Less time on the ball, more time off it, and less creation heavy asks. The result? The lowest assist rate in his three years but also the lowest turnover rate in his three years. Proctor also posted a career high usage rate and a career high shooting efficiency rate (TST%, eFG%, FG%, 3P%, 2P%) – go figure.
Proctor’s time off the ball allowed him to lean more into his complimentary skillset. He was 95th percentile in spot-up and 71st in catch-and-shoot opportunities last year. Playing off the ball with those freshmen also saw his three-point rate jump to 11.6 attempts per 100 possessions (top 100 rate in the country). His 40.5% on three’s is just the type of player the Cavs need playing off Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
He also flashed a mid-range game that was equally effective driving off catches, ball swings and even when creating. This too can be a critical complimentary skillset utilized when defenses overcommit and try to help off rotations, or when the Cavs just need someone else to create a bucket. Proctor shot 50% and 45% on mid-range shots his last two seasons at Duke, both top 100 numbers.
On the flipside, the mid-range shots and the three-point rate are also the result of something else that limited his shot creation game – his explosiveness. While registering a 36.5” max vert, he doesn’t play like an explosive player. His explosiveness off one foot is just average. His burst off the dribble is enough to get by not enough to consistently separate. His vertical ability really shows up at the rim where he shot 12% less of the time than the D1 average and was 3% less accurate when he did get there. Playing off two feet, allowing him to neutralize more athletic defenders, may be an adjustment he has to make like how Jerome did so well this year.
But despite all the changes, Proctor still managed his 80th percentile P&R ball-handler rate. Put Proctor in situations where he’s not asked to do too much and he can deliver. Put him in situations where he’s asked to do too much and he may falter. Luckily for the Cavs, playing with Mitchell and Garland the latter shouldn’t happen (at least not initially).
Defensively, Proctor offers solid size (6’5.5”, 6’7.25” wingspan) that gives some versatility to how the Cavs can play Mitchell and Garland. While Proctor is a similar height as Jerome, his longer arms project to be more of a SG size than a PG size.
In a scheme that likes to switch a lot, Proctor’s size and defensive chops will come in handy. His weight will likely be a limitation that he’ll need to overcome – 183lbs as a guard, or wing, won’t get him far and will be at a significant size disadvantage particularly when switched onto bigger guards/wings in the post.
But alas, while Proctor isn’t a perimeter isolation lockdown defender, he’s a more than capable team defender. He shows good awareness of players and passing lanes; competes; is willing to mix it up and has the mentality and willingness to do the dirty work.
Proctor’s extremely low stock metrics (1.4% STL% and 0.4% BLK%) likely limit his upside as a defensive playmaker but also didn’t stop him from posting at least a +2 DBPM every year in college.
While Craig Porter Jr and Jaylon Tyson aren’t Mitchell and Garland, experienced NBA players typically look like that in Summer League. It’ll be a good opportunity for Proctor to play in-between two on-ball playmakers in the Vegas setting and show how his complimentary skillset can work to their advantage.
Saliou Niang, wing – Can he feel it?
What separates NBA players is the ability to feel and think the game.
For the most part, every player is a great athlete. There’s a certain baseline athleticism players must have to play. Now, it may not be the case for the “other” Niang, but compared to a normal person, most players are athletic.
But once players get on the court, you can tell who’s really an athlete playing basketball and who’s really a basketball player that also happens to be a good athlete.
Enter Saliou Niang.
Niang is a very long (6’10.5” wingspan), athletic, bouncy prospect. His physical skills allow him to do things other players can’t. His frame and athleticism also provide a baseline ability to be a productive player on the floor to a certain extent. Run, jump, defend, collect boards, finish around the rim, those types of things.
There’s some hope/promise in how his jump-shot has developed that eventually makes it his swing skill. He shot 51.3% from the field, 31.4% on 3’s (just 1.2 per 36) and 69.6% at the line. Not great splits any means but if he can continue developing his shot, there could be something there.
But in the meantime, his ability to feel and think the game will dictate if there’s a real prospect to be had.
His assist rate (2.7 per 36) and steal rate (1.3), which typically offer a semblance of feel and instincts in a prospect, are decent enough where it signals Niang may have some of those instincts. By comparison, albeit a different league, Luke Travers posted 3.8 assists per 36 and 1.4 steals per 36 in the Australian league. But he also posted 1.1 blocks per 36 while Niang posted 0.3 blocks per 36.
For Niang, the interest is much less around scoring and rebounding, one which we know he can do and one which will eventually come, and more around assists, steals, blocks and plus-minus that can give us a better feel if Niang has the feel to be a positive impact player at the next level.
Craig Porter Jr, guard – Put the lead in lead guard
Jerome’s departure, Garland’s early season absence and Ball’s injury history, place an opportunity right in front of CPJ to snatch. Question is, can he take it?
After a breakout rookie year, Porter Jr took some important steps forward but also some disappointing steps backward.
First with the positive: His defensive impact remained steady (4.2% stock%; +1 DBPM), he upped his three-point rate (34.3% of his shots) while upping his efficiency (61% TS%) and not letting it impact his free-throw game too much (slight drop from 24.6% to 22.9% in free throw rate). It remains to be seen how real his shot progression is (43.8% on 3s after 35.3% the year before) with the improvement coming on just 3.4 3PA per 36 but his shot has always been his true swing skill. Do that on a consistent enough basis and there’s something there.
But what determines how high he climbs the rotational ladder also has to do with playing the point guard position. Porter can put up points, but can he help his teammates put him points?
His AST% dropped significantly from 26.5% to 17.7% while his TOV% increased from 15.1% to 19.8% -- all the while his USG% dropped from 20.2% to 15.9%. So, he was handling the ball less but turning the ball over more and not finding people as often. Not great.
Porter Jr has been a willing passer but can get caught up in the flow of the game and develop tunnel vision on drives to the basket. This was often a sticking point for JB Bickerstaff, and even Kenny Atkinson to an extent, where Porter Jr’s feel for the flow of the game, how to control tempo, when to slow the game down or speed it up, and how to dictate offense wasn’t quite there. The game looked too fast for him at times, and he often played more like a guy who was out for his own then out for his teammates. And that’s not being said in a bad way or saying Porter Jr is selfish – just the way he played was within a vacuum of his own individual abilities and not thinking within the context of others on the court.
If there’s one way that showed up it was in his on/off numbers. Even though his rookie numbers weren’t great, his sophomore numbers were even worst. His on/off splits were 3rd percentile – meaning 97% of the NBA produced a better impact than Porter Jr did. We know he has the skill, ability and athleticism to be a really important piece, but can he think the game through to harness that?
And it’s not a knock-on Porter Jr: Point guard is a hard position to play and doesn’t happen overnight. Just as being an NFL quarterback takes time, reps, and learning the ins and outs, so does being the quarterback of an NBA offense. The good news for Porter Jr is if there’s anyone to work this under, Kenny is the guy with his track record.
For Summer League, Porter Jr can score all the points he wants, grab all the rebounds, and collect all the blocks but none of that is going to show as great of sign of progress as his assist column does. If he shows he’s able to control the offense, get others involved and look like a productive unit, the next step is there for him. Any good player in Summer League can score but any great player knows how to pick his spots and make those around him better. That’s the switch for Porter.
Jaylon Tyson – Is the shot real?
Being a rookie on a 60+ win team usually means there’s not a lot of available minutes. So when Tyson received under 500 minutes this year it wasn’t exactly a shock. But how he looked in this minutes was… just a little bit.
Tyson showed some of the skillsets that make him an attractive role player particularly within the context of this team. He rebounded the ball well (11.5 REB%), showed some playmaking chops (12.4% AST), can handle the ball and create (17.4% USG%) and wasn’t a huge negative defensively (-0.2 DBPM). All good signs.
But at the same time, Tyson posted a 52.3% TS% and 34.5% three-point shot that limits his potential upside. He also looked lost at times on the court, often unsure of how he fit in within certain lineups and was a bit tentative with the ball. He looked like he was overthinking it at times and a 14% TOV% shows that.
Tyson has the baseline skillset and size to be a rotation player next year but how well he’s able to shoot it will determine if he stays on the floor when he gets out there.
In college, Tyson shot 3s at 37.2% on 5 3PA per 40 minutes. His sophomore year he shot 3s at a 40% clip while his senior year, in a much more on-ball playmaking role, he shot them at a 36% clip. Still both better than his rookie year albeit at a similar frequency (4.6 3PA per 36 minutes)
With a year of NBA experience under his belt, it should show up in the Summer League. But the key is if his shot also looks like it has a year of NBA experience under its belt.
While the Cavs have found regular season success shooting the ball, it’s escaped them in the playoffs. They’ve had just one player around the core shoot 35% on 3s in the last two playoffs and the Pacers series. The Cavs need more playable shooting around the core, and Tyson plays a key role within that.
34.5% on a low volume of 3s isn’t going to play him off the floor but it isn’t going to exactly keep him on the floor. Tyson came in billed with an NBA ready jump shoot and continuing to show that will be key as he looks to a rotation spot next season.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin – Play like the best
Nae'Qwan Tomlin: Rookie Year Highlights (2024-25)
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The mini-Finney Smith came out of nowhere last year to finish the season on a two-way deal and offered some hope that he may be next in the Cavs G-League to active roster pipeline.
Going from 20.9 pets, 8.8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.7 blocks per 40 minutes in under 600 total minutes played at Memphis to 24.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 blocks per 40 minutes in 1000+ minutes in the G-League is a pretty large jump but also speaks to his rapid growth as a player.
Tomlin was a gangly, somewhat awkward looking athlete last Summer League who put up 7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1 assist per game on 50/23.1/44/4 splits in five games last summer. That’s not the profile of a guy who would eventually be outplaying former second round pick Emoni Bates, and being kept on a two-way over him, yet here we are.
The next step for Tomlin is simple: Dominate the Summer League.
There’s an obvious clear cut talent gap between players who look like they belong in the G-League and belong in the NBA. For Tomlin, given his progress, you simply want to see him look like he belongs in the NBA.
It doesn’t have to mean averaging 15-20 points per game, although it would be nice, but NBA players move at a different speed and look like they’re playing in slow motion compared to all the summer league chaos around them.
For Tomlin, you want to see him look like one of the best players on the team and in the Summer League – as he should. When he was provided limited NBA minutes towards the back half of last year, he didn’t look at all out of place. His length on the defensive boards and perimeter shined through. His ball-handling was a bit better than expected and played with a certain fluidity/agility that is exciting at that size.
There should be no question after watching a few minutes of Summer League basketball, without looking at names or jerseys, that Tomlin jumps off the screen when he’s on the court.
Jaxson Robinson – Can he just shoot it that well, or can he do more to support his shot? Robinson’s jumper is pure. He ranked 92nd percentile in spot-ups, 89th percentile on jump shots and 76th percentile on catch-and-shoot opportunities. His 37.6% three-point shooting on 6.9 3PA per 40 minutes speak to his skill in that area. His size also makes his shot even more intriguing (6’6” with 6’11.25” wingspan) and a really playable skill but can he do more? Robinson’s rebound rate (6.8% REB%), stocks (1.4% STL% but career 1.9% BLK%), free-throw rate (career 13.4%) and DBPM below 1 last year show a player that’s still a work in progress developing his role player traits. His size and shot got him a look on an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a potential pathway to a two-way deal, but his role player skills will seal the deal. Size and shooting will always play but doing more will get him paid.
Norchad Omier – What is his actual position? Seeing a center post a career 21.5% rebound rate with a 4.5% block rate isn’t uncommon. But seeing a player listed as center at 6’7”, 245lbs is a bit uncommon. Chuck Hayes made $30M+ being an undersized center, can Omier do the same? Omier has a really fun profile that will be interesting to watch. He rebounds like an oxe, showed some rim deterrent skills, posted a career 24.2% usage rate (showing some ball-handling abilities) and even showed a perimeter shot (just 31.4% on 3s on 1.4 3PA per 40 but popped at 35.3% his second year in Miami). If Omier is really going to stick at center, his rebounding and rim defense will have to be strong enough to stay while his shooting would offer an intriguing stretch big that would allow him to slide over to the four position should he be overwhelmed as a five. Otherwise, listed as a forward in college, if he’s also able to show enough lateral quickness to defend wings and forwards, it also opens his positional opportunities a bit more as well. Either way, the double-double machine will attempt to find his home at the next level.
Kadin Shedrick – Can the interior defense be elite? Shedrick has really good size (7’0” with 7’5” wingspan) and moves well for a guy at that size – he doesn’t look or move like a “stiff” big. Shedrick had a long, productive collegiate career where showcased his rebounding and shot blocking at ever stop finishing with a career 8.6 BLK%, 10.2 OREB% and 16.8 DREB%. His offensive game never quite popped, and neither did his shot, but there’s enough touch and finishing there he won’t be a complete zero. His Portsmouth performance likely earned him a look in the Summer League after showcasing his inside defensive presence in that format. If he can continue to showcase his defensive abilities and motor, like Ryan Hollins, there’s always a place in the league for bigs who can protect the rim.
Denver Jones – Can the defense join the shot? Jones was an extremely productive player that finished his last two years at Auburn after starting at FIU. While at FIU, he posted usage rates of 24.8% and 29.8% showcasing the offensive load that was asked of him while there. He carried the weight quite well posting TS% of 55% and 60.7% along with PERs of 18.6 and 22.5. His TOV% rose a bit but he also averaged 18.7 and 24.1 points per 36 minutes in his freshman and sophomore year. Fast forward to Auburn, where he played his final two collegiate years, and his role completely shifted. Less on the ball scoring and more ancillary skills including his spot-up shotmaking. Jones was a 41%+ three-point shooter both years at Auburn who was asked to take on tougher defensive assignments as well. His ancillary role player stats are underwhelming (5.8 REB%, 1.8% and 1.2% STL% in Auburn and career 0.4% BLK%. Despite that, Bruce Pearl continually talked up Jones as one of the better defensive guards in the nation. If that’s the case, a two-way guard who can shoot it like Jones does is always a valued commodity.
Chaney Johnson – What’s his NBA skill? Johnson went from D2 star to SEC role player and while he got consistent minutes in his time at Auburn nothing truly popped. His shot is sub-par (career 28.6% 3P%), his rebounding is just okay (12.1% REB%), he didn’t self-create a ton (17.2% USG) and his playmaking chops are average for a wing (9.4% AST%). Johnson is a bit of a late bloomer, hitting a growth spurt while in D2 so perhaps there’s still developmental room to be had like a Tomlin did last year. Johnson did post really good stock metrics for a wing (career 5.5%) and posted strong DBPMs in his career (+3.3 and +4.4) that are more intriguing with his +4 OBPM last year. Johnson will have to figure out what his NBA skill is and for now it may be competing, hustling, playing defense and doing all the little things until more of his offensive profile pops.
Tristan Enaruna – Can he be an efficient scorer? He earned some late NBA draft buzz playing his last two years at Cleveland State after fizzling out as a former top 100 recruit in the Big 12. After playing just over 1,000 minutes in three years of Big 12 basketball, Enaruna played 1000+ minutes in his first year at Cleveland State. Enaruna turned heads during the pre-draft process in 2024, earning MVP of the Portsmouth Invitational. He spent last year with the Celtics G-League team putting up solid but unspectacular stats. Enaruna’s selling point is an energetic wing with size who offers a little more playmaking than you may expect. Enaruna played a lot with the ball in his hands at Cleveland State and took a reduced role while in the G-League. Putting up 46.8/28.7/53.8 splits as a wing/forward isn’t going to get many players far so improving his shot efficiency offensively, considering that’s what made his hay at Cleveland State, will be the key to watch for Enaruna in Vegas.
Darius Brown – Dropping dimes, but what else? Brown played with the Cavs Summer League team last year and earned a spot on the Charge. The results were rather underwhelming as Brown started a bulk of games and averaged 5.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, both of his selling points coming out of Utah State, but did so on 37.6% from the field, and 31.3% from behind the arc. We’ve seen time and time again point guards who can really create and defend but until they find their shot or are uber athletic (to which Brown is not), it’s hard to find a spot for them. Take Jordan McLaughlin, who has long posted one of the best assist rates in limited minutes, struggling to find a home due to his inconsistent shot and average athletic profile. Brown averaged 45.7% FG% and 37.3% 3P% over six years in college so the historic production is there but has yet to translate to the next level. Brown’s athleticism didn’t pop off the page last summer so time may be running out on Brown who is already 25 years old and may be destined for a career overseas.
Warith Alatishe – Is there an offensive profile to play off of? Alatishe was acquired late in the Charge season for a trade involving Zhaire Smith, who played in the Cavs Summer League last year and was a nice story after recovering from injuries as a former lottery pick. Alatishe is three years removed from college now and still trying to find his way onto an NBA roster. The problem is Alatishe is caught between positions and hasn’t really carved out an NBA level skill just yet. He’s got good size for a wing and rebounds and collects stocks like a forward but is a bit undersized to be playing on the frontline. Likewise, his ball-handling and shot creation, along with the shot itself, leave a bit left to be desired as a true wing. There’s enough there on the defensive end to find a home for him but until he manages to find a home offensively, it will be a struggle to find his way onto an NBA court.
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