James Harden's Cleveland Cavaliers debut was the story of Saturday night's win over the Sacramento Kings, and rightfully so. Harden impressed with 23 points, including two huge threes down the stretch.
On Super Bowl Sunday, virtually no one in Cavs Nation will be discussing Thomas Bryant's stellar contributions to Cleveland's win in Sacramento, but that's okay; Bryant is used to flying under the radar.
Thomas Bryant led the Cavs in plus/minus against the Kings
Bryant was Cleveland's most outstanding bench contributor in Sacramento. He led all players with a +24 plus/minus rating in 15 minutes, and his stat line was purely additive: 10 points (2-for-4 from 3), three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
With the deadline additions of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder, Cleveland's bench is suddenly tremendous. Don't forget about Bryant's part in that, not to mention his fellow bench big, Nae'Qwan Tomlin, whose emergence has been one of the best storylines for Cleveland in 2025-26.
But while Tomlin's play this season has been a shock, Bryant's continuing reliability shouldn't surprise anyone. This is a guy who was playing in the 2025 NBA Finals as a member of the Indiana Pacers' rotation.
Bryant's career numbers aren't going to wow you, but there's a reason winning teams keep giving him opportunities.
The reason is this: Bryant is an absolute workaholic who has maximized his talents to become a trustworthy NBA player. He's not the most athletic big out there, but he does a worthy job on the boards, and he's developed a 3-point shot that has greatly enhanced his value as a floor-spacer.
Moreover, on a Cavs team lacking NBA Finals experience, Bryant's been there, done that. Beyond his contributions to Indiana last season, he also has a ring from his stint with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. Bryant wasn't in Denver's rotation, but he surely picked up a ton of knowledge about their championship culture.
Bryant's presence on the Cavs' depth chart is underappreciated most of the time by fans, but that should change. Right now, he's coming up huge for Kenny Atkinson while Evan Mobley misses time. With Bryant, Tomlin, and Jarrett Allen still healthy, Cleveland isn't lacking in size, despite Mobley's absence.
And as the season wears on, and attrition becomes of paramount importance, Atkinson knows he can trust Bryant with a larger role if further injuries befall Mobley or Cleveland's other bigs.
For $2.3 million, Bryant provides excellent value, and it wouldn't be surprising to see someone give him a slightly heftier deal this coming offseason. Maybe it should be Koby Altman.