It seems like Shareef O’Neal, the son of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, had a pre-draft workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On social media, he showed some love to Cleveland, thanking the city while posting a Cavaliers practice uniform.
It will be interesting to see if the younger O’Neal eventually finds his way to the Cavs via the 2022 NBA Draft. Not many draft boards are high on the 6-foot-10 forward.
After coming out of high school as a four-star recruit, the younger O’Neal’s stock has plummeted following an injury-marred collegiate career.
He initially joined the basketball program of the University of California, Los Angeles. However, he was diagnosed with a heart condition, for which he underwent surgery. It ultimately led him to missing the entire 2018-19 season. In the next season, the younger O’Neal was given a clean bill of health, but he saw limited playing time.
In 2020, he transferred to Louisiana State University, his father’s alma mater. Unfortunately, he suffered some medical issues again, sustaining a foot injury that caused him to miss a significant number of games in the following two years.
Even so, the younger O’Neal is looking to further follow in his father’s footsteps by declaring for the 2022 draft. If Cleveland takes a chance on him, he wouldn’t be the first O’Neal to play in a Cavs uniform.
The elder O’Neal was traded to Cleveland in the 2009 offseason. But the legendary big man was already past his prime at that point. He averaged 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in the 2009-10 regular season.
