Report: Nae’Qwan Tomlin may get rotation minutes with Cavs this season

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin got his first taste of NBA action with the team last season, even if he hardly saw the floor across Cleveland’s 82-game slate.

He suited up in only five games with the Cavaliers in the 2024-25 campaign and averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

While Tomlin was far from a consistent member of head coach Kenny Atkinson’s rotation as a rookie, that reportedly could all change in his sophomore season in light of how he fared in Las Vegas Summer League.

According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers organization believes that Tomlin might get consideration for regular-season rotational minutes.

“Two-way forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin continues to turn heads,” Fedor wrote. “The organization believes in Tomlin and he may get consideration for regular-season rotation minutes.”

Maybe Tomlin has what it takes to be a real contributor for the Cavaliers in the coming season.

The big man has a knack for scoring points and pulling down rebounds, and his game was on full display throughout his Summer League stint. He averaged 19.6 points per game and reached double digits in points in every game he played in.

Tomlin scored the bulk of his points inside the line, but encouragingly, he also showed confidence in his 3-point shot in Vegas. He put up 6.0 3s per contest and shot 33.3 percent from deep.

The Cavaliers should be enamored with how he fared on the offensive glass in Vegas as well.

He pulled down an impressive 5.0 offensive rebounds per contest and consistently provided his team with extra possessions. His penchant for keeping scoring chances alive could come in handy for the Cavaliers in the coming season.

While Tomlin deserves credit for the level at which he played in Summer League, he still might be facing somewhat long odds to crack Atkinson’s rotation in the 2025-26 season.

After all, the Cavaliers aren’t exactly lacking forward depth. But at the same time, the offseason is far from over. If they trade away one of their forwards, that could clear the way for Tomlin to play meaningful minutes with the Cavaliers in the coming season.

Regardless of what Tomlin’s role with the Cavaliers will look like in the 2025-26 campaign, he certainly has captured the attention of the Cavaliers organization with his quality of play in Vegas.