The Cleveland Cavaliers made a personnel move as the race for the 2025 NBA title is starting to heat up. Per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers and undrafted rookie forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin have agreed to terms on a two-way contract.
“Sources tell cleveland.com that the Cavs and Tomlin agreed to a two-way contract that will allow him to bounce between the NBA and G League affiliate [Canton] Charge — an investment in his continued development,” Fedor wrote. “Sources say it’s a two-year two-way deal.
“In order to make room on the roster, the Cavs are waiving little-used JT Thor from his two-way contract, sources say.”
Before the Cavaliers parted ways with Thor, he appeared in nine games with Cleveland this season and averaged 3.1 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.1 assists per contest in that stretch. The forward last suited up with the team in its blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks back on Jan. 30 and totaled zero points in that contest.
“Cleveland signed Thor, a 6-foot-9 forward, to a two-way contract in early September,” Fedor wrote. “Buried on the depth chart, Thor logged just 43 total minutes with the East-leading Cavaliers. Recognizing that there was no real path to considerable playing time in the NBA, the Cavs and Thor agreed to a split, allowing him to explore other opportunities. Sources say a few other teams have expressed interest.”
Like Thor, Tomlin is another youngster with very limited experience playing at the NBA level. The 24-year-old forward has played just three games in the NBA to date and has scored 10 points in the league in total.
However, his play with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate in the Charge so far this season suggests that he could perhaps evolve into a useful player for Cleveland down the line.
Across 37 total Tip-Off Tournament and regular-season games with the Charge in the 2024-25 campaign, he’s been consistently impactful on both sides of the ball.
On the offensive end, he’s putting up points both inside and outside the 3-point arc. He’s averaging 15.6 points per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from deep.
Then, on the defensive side of the floor, Tomlin has turned heads with his penchant for sending away shots. He seemingly has a real knack for coming up with blocks, as he’s averaging 1.5 per game with the Charge.
For as much potential as Tomlin has, though, it’s unlikely he’ll get many more opportunities if any to show off his skill set with the Cavaliers this season. The Cavs are almost 60 games through their 82-game slate, and they are likely focused on ending up with the NBA’s best record so they can have home-court advantage throughout the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Cleveland still has something to play for with the regular season winding down, as the Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t far behind the Cavaliers for the league’s top record at 48-11.
