The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced their roster for Las Vegas Summer League this summer. The collection of 13 players features a curious quirk: no player with more than two years of experience is on the roster.
Las Vegas Summer League has been a bright spot for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the past few seasons. Two years ago in 2023, the Cavaliers won the entire tournament by taking down the talent-rich Houston Rockets in the desert in the title game. Isaiah Mobley won the title game MVP, and while he is out of the league, current Cavaliers such as Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr. and Luke Travers all played key roles.
Things will likely look a little different now, as only Porter returns from that title team as the Cavaliers prepare for another session in Sin City.
The point of Summer League is twofold: to evaluate a team's young prospects and to look into other players who may be worth folding into a team's system. Across all 30 teams young players will be flexing their basketball muscle in a somewhat-realistic NBA environment to give fans and franchises a hint of what is to come.
Most of the time, teams have a handful of drafted players and then fill out their roster with other prospects -- undrafted rookies, for sure, but also players trying to find roster spots who have been in the G League or playing overseas. Many of these players are veterans with three or five or even more years of experience playing professionally.
While those players are often not of much value in terms of turning into NBA rostered players, but occasionally someone does break though, like Kevin Knox last season on the Warriors or Sam Merrill on the Cavaliers two years ago. Merrill, of course, parlayed strong play in the G League and at Summer League into a roster spot and just days ago a brand new contract.
The Cavaliers have an unproven roster for Summer League
The Cavaliers, however, have eschewed bringing any older veterans to Summer League. Craig Porter Jr. has played two seasons in the NBA and is the only player on the roster with more than one year of experience. Jaylon Tyson, the Cavaliers' first-round pick last season, and Nae'Kwon Tomlin (also on the roster) are the only two with even a year of experience.
The other 10 members of the 13-man roster are rookies. Tyrese Proctor was the No. 49 pick in this year's draft and is signed to a full contract over four years. Saliou Niang was the 58th pick and while he will likely be an overseas stash he will be in Vegas to show coaches where his game is and how he needs to improve.
From there, it's chaos, essentially. Not only do the Cavaliers not have older veterans, but the undrafted rookies they brought are well outside the range of those expected to make their way into the NBA one day. We already panned the signing of Auburn's Chaney Johnson as their sole move after the NBA Draft, but there is no one else moving the needle on the rest of the roster.
Baylor's Norchad Omier has the most name recognition, a onetime dominant college player who has dipped each year until finally running out of eligibility. Warith Alatishe and Darius Brown played last season on the Cleveland Charge. Other SEC players such as Denver Jones (Auburn), Kadin Shedrick (Texas) and Jaxson Robinson (Kentucky) are on the roster, as is Tristan Enaruna from the Maine Red Claws.
Bringing Porter Jr. gives the team a steady hand at point to run the offense and give the team a chance to see the players they care about in professional situations, but it's strange not to see any other supporting veterans around them. The Cavaliers appear ready to prioritize their players and to let the rest of the time be filled by undrafted rookies.
That's not a bad approach, necessarily, but it is somewhat unusual. Summer League play for the Cavaliers begins Thursday, July 10th.