Stock up, stock down for Cavaliers players in Summer League

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CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 12: Luke Travers of the Wildcats is seen before the NBL Final Play In match between Cairns Taipans and Perth Wildcats at Cairns Convention Centre, on February 12, 2023, in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Emily Barker/Getty Images) /

Luke Travers – Stock: Up

Summer League stat line: 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 2.2 blocks

One of the two draft-and-stash second-rounders from the 2022 Draft, Luke Travers has been plying his trade in the Australian NBL. He had an up-and-down Summer League, at times looking like the perfect glue guy and at others playing a bit too fast and out of control.

His defensive energy is tremendous, however, and his weakside rim protection was electric as he averaged 2.2 blocks per game. Only Greg Brown had more total blocks in Las Vegas than Travers. He will spend the next season with Melbourne United and should he take a step forward offensively seems like a strong bet to join the Cavaliers the following season.

Pete Nance – Stock: Neutral

Summer League stat line: 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists

The younger brother of Larry Nance Jr. and son of Cavalier legend Larry Nance, Pete Nance joined the Cavs this summer after signing an Exhibit 10 contract to get a shot at the roster in Training Camp. To convince the Cavs to sing him even to a two-way deal he’ll need to be an elite shooter, and he did hit 42.9 of his 3-pointers on decent volume. He didn’t bring a ton else, however, and he probably doesn’t have enough juice in the rest of his game to hang on. He was certainly a fun addition to the team and will be good to have in training camp before likely playing the season with the Charge.

Khalifa Diop – Stock: Down

Summer League stat line: 4.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists

The Cavs’ other draft-and-stash from 2022, Khalifa Diop looked much farther away than Luke Travers from being an NBA player. He appeared in just three games before returning overseas, averaging four points per game. His size and athleticism were apparent, and he rebounded well, but he looked exposed defensively at times and doesn’t have much skill on offense.

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The hope is that with another year of development, he can return next summer and show something further to earn a spot as a long-term backup with the Cavs. For now, he looks too raw to factor into Cleveland’s plans this season.