INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting ready to head to Las Vegas this week as the Summer League is set to begin on Thursday. Some of the guys on the roster are looking to earn a spot on the team this fall, while others are simply looking to continue developing.
Cleveland's Summer League roster was announced last week:
# |
NAME |
POS |
HT |
WT |
DOB | COLLEGE/ HOME COUNTRY |
LAST TEAM | NBA YRS PRO |
| 37 | Warith Alatishe | F | 6-7 | 200 | 1/20/00 | Oregon State / USA | Cleveland Charge (NBA G League) | R |
| 36 | Darius Brown | G | 6-2 | 195 | 7/28/99 | Utah State / USA | Cleveland Charge (NBA G League) | R |
| 38 | Tristan Enaruna | F | 6-8 | 220 | 6/26/01 | Cleveland State / Netherlands | Maine Celtics (G League) | R |
| 39 | Chaney Johnson | F | 6-8 | 225 | 6/20/02 | Auburn / USA | Auburn (College) | R |
| 44 | Denver Jones | G | 6-1 | 196 | 10/2/00 | Auburn / USA | Auburn (College) | R |
| 77 | Saliou Niang | F | 6-8 | 204 | 5/14/04 | Trento (ITA) / Senegal | Trento (Italy) | R |
| 15 | Norchad Omier | C | 6-7 | 245 | 8/28/01 | Baylor / Nicaragua | Baylor (College) | R |
| 9 | Craig Porter Jr. | G | 6-2 | 176 | 2/26/00 | Wichita State / USA | Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) | 2 |
| 24 | Tyrese Proctor | G | 6-5 | 183 | 4/1/04 | Duke / Australia | Duke (College) | R |
| 14 | Jaxson Robinson | G | 6-6 | 190 | 6/4/99 | Kentucky / USA | Kentucky (College) | R |
| 21 | Kadin Shedrick | C | 6-10 | 213 | 7/27/01 | Texas / USA | Texas (College) | R |
| 30 | Nae’Qwan Tomlin | F | 6-9 | 210 | 12/19/00 | Memphis / USA | Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) | 1 |
| 20 | Jaylon Tyson | G | 6-6 | 215 | 12/2/02 | California / USA | Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) | 1 |
Cavs assistant coach Omar Cook was named the head coach of the Summer League. He said what stands out about the roster for him is the size.
"We got a lot of size and length, a lot of switchable players. We got two small guys, and then everybody else is like 6'5" and over," Cook said.
Amid the 13 players on the Summer League roster, one name stands out as one to watch: Cavs' No. 49 overall pick in this year's draft, Tyrese Proctor.
Procter signed a multi-year contract rather than a two-year contract, paving the way for him to make a real impact on the team sooner rather than later. That's something he is eager to do.
"I'm a really good shooter. I think I showed that last year at Duke and just playing off the ball, different positions, and then just defensively keep growing, keep learning defensively and just try to impact winning as much as I can."
Proctor's shooting ability is something the Cavs are looking to see on full display during the Vegas games.
“Shoot the ball. Shoot the ball. I think we drafted him because he's a shot maker. Don't pass up shots. Shoot the ball. Obviously, being a rookie, his first time playing, he’s going to have to learn on the fly. But we want him to be aggressive.”
The Australian native will be taking a lot in during this summer of exhibition games. Then he'll get the chance to work with the Cavs' regular-season roster. And while he's looking forward to meeting all of his teammates, there's one in particular he wants to learn from.
"Don. I was on the phone with him after I got drafted, so we spoke for a little bit. He's a great player and just seeing his daily work and his habits, I think he's going to be really cool to just be a sponge from."
The Cavs practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before taking off for Vegas. Summer League tips off July 10 and runs through July 20.
Here is the Cavs Summer League schedule:
- Thu., July 10 vs. Indiana—5:00 p.m., COX Pavilion—NBA TV
- Sat., July 12 vs. Milwaukee—3:30 p.m., COX Pavilion—NBA TV
- Sun., July 13 vs. Miami—7:30 p.m., COX Pavilion—NBA TV
- Wed., July 16 vs. Sacramento—3:30 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center—ESPN 2
