Nae’Qwan Tomlin has become one fo the most interesting stories in the NBA. He didn’t play basketball in high school, yet was able to work his way up and play for a Division 1 program in Kansas State.
The Cavs called him up to the active roster at the end of 2025, after spending quite a bit of time with the G-League team. Last season, he was given real rotation minutes due to the litany of injuries that Cleveland was dealing with, and Tomlin showed that he belongs in the NBA.
This summer, the Cavs lost a couple players from their rotation last year, meaning that Tomlin has a big opportunity in front of him this season. In order to make the rotation though, he needs to improve in one area, which was his offseason focus.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin improving as a shooter would be a huge development for the Cavaliers
Tomlin said during his media day availability that working on his jumper and making plays off the dribble was a big point of emphasis in his offseason workouts. For a Cleveland team that needs more shooting and secondary creating, that would be a big help.
Defense was clearly Tomlin’s strong suit last season, as he never backed down from a challenge, was willing to do the dirty work, and crashed the glass like a maniac. He was just an overall ball of energy.
Offense was just the issue. Tomlin was dared to shoot by opponents and it cramped the Cavs’ spacing. He needs to become more of a threat with the ball in his hands in order to diversify Cleveland’s attack.
Tomlin’s inefficiency offensively was the reason why he was not able to crack the playoff rotation for the Cavs last season. He has the defense to hold up in the postseason, but now it’s about becoming a threat with the ball.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson is known for his player development and it will be very exciting to see Tomlin take another step this year. Atkinson also mentioned that he could make the case that 13 guys deserve to be in the rotation, with Tomlin being among those names.
Figuring out the depth will be key for the Cavs and Tomlin has a chance to contribute right away. A breakout from him would make Cleveland deeper and that depth will be needed in a stacked Eastern Conference.
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