Apr 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (24) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images David Richard-Imagn Images

Can Former First-Rounder Breakout in Year Two with Cavaliers?

Originally posted on NBA Draft on SI | By Killian Wright | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a strong regular season team for the last three seasons, but haven't quite broke the cusp in the playoffs, failing to reach the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the three seasons of the Donovan Mitchell era.

The core four of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are a talented quartet, but have redundancies in skillsets that occasionally limit lineup versatility. When those four share the court, it's important that the fifth man is a multi-faceted shooter, defender and ball-handler.

Many faces have taken that role over the past three seasons –– De'Andre Hunter, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade and more –– with some succeeding and some not. A face brought in who hasn't gotten a large opportunity yet is the No. 20 pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson was touted as a well-rounded forward out of California, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range. He became an enticing option on the wing for his ability to play bigger than his 6-foot-6 frame while still maintaining the agility to operate on the perimeter.

Tyson was projected to be fairly ready contributor early on, given he spent three seasons in college before making hsi way to the association. He scaled down to a much smaller role in his rookie season with the Cavaliers, averaging 9.6 minutes, 3.6 points, 2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game across 47 appearances.

While a bit of an underwhelming statistical performance, Tyson could be in line for an increased role due to departures from veteran wings Okoro and Javonte Green, who combined for 28.3 minutes per game for the Cavaliers last season.

He'd still be slotted behind Hunter and Max Strus at the least, but Tyson offers a versatile as a sizable defender and ball-handler –– potentially crucial to a bench lacking both aspects. Something Okoro often struggled with was volume 3-point shooting, which was a likely factor in him ultimately being traded to Chicago this offseason.

If he's able to replicate his collegiate production in a more stable role with the Cavaliers, Tyson could become a viable member of a regular season, or even playoff rotation.

This article first appeared on NBA Draft on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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