Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates revealed on social media that he suffered a “slight tear” in his meniscus and underwent surgery for the injury.
The No. 49 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bates shared a positive message, saying that he will be “back stronger n better” after the injury.
Had a slight tear in my meniscus got surgery today n everything went good thank the most high for getting me through this❤️🙏🏽 21 gone be back stronger n better see y’all soon💯… pic.twitter.com/UCvvw9tJQb
— Emoni Bates (@BatesEmoni) October 7, 2024
Bates spent a lot of his rookie season with the Cavs in the G League. He did appear in 15 games for Cleveland, averaging 2.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game while shooting 30.6 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc.
With the Cavs bringing back Isaac Okoro this offseason and drafting Jaylon Tyson in the first round, it was unlikely that Bates was going to crack Cleveland’s rotation right away in the 2024-25 season.
Still, the 20-year-old forward could have a bright future ahead of him in the NBA.
Last season while playing in the G League in the regular season, Bates showed some impressive scoring prowess, averaging 19.8 points. 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game across 17 contests. He shot 34.6 percent from beyond the arc in those games.
Plus, across 10 Showcase Cup games, Bates was even better, averaging 24.8 points on 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 41.2 percent shooting from 3-point range. His 3-point shooting could be a key skill that allows him to eventually crack an NBA rotation.
The Cavs are looking to compete for an NBA title in the 2024-25 season, and they showed a lot of confidence in their core players by extending the contracts of guard Donovan Mitchell, center Jarrett Allen and big man Evan Mobley this offseason.
After making the second round of the playoffs last season, the Cavs are hoping that their core can take the next step when it comes to a playoff run under new head coach Kenny Atkinson.
As for Bates, it’s currently unclear when the former second-round pick will be able to return to action. Cleveland has preseason games against the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and Bulls again before the 2024-25 regular season starts.
The Cavs open up the regular season on Oct. 23 against the Toronto Raptors.
