Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (24) dunks over Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cavaliers Rookie Receives Average Midseason Grade

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 19, 2025 5:25 PM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers made the questionable decision at the time to run back their same roster, which was eliminated in the second round of last year's playoffs.

The only true addition the front office made was selecting Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report released his midseason report card for every team's rookie class and gave the Cavaliers and Tyson an average grade of C+.

"It still seems safe to say Tyson has something to offer as a multi-skilled wing, but he didn't get drafted by a team bad enough to let him show it. Clearly overqualified to be in the G League, Tyson could be showing rotation-level capability on another squad."

David Richard-Imagn Images

This assessment of Tyson's rookie season so far is spot on. The 22-year-old hasn't cracked Cleveland's rotation because of their already deep bench, but there's been a lot of good when he's gotten playing time in limited opportunities.

When Tyson has seen extended minutes, he's shown that he can be a productive NBA player. He played 37 minutes against the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this season and scored 16 points, 11 rebounds, and recorded seven assists.

Given Tyson's potential and his lack of opportunities with this Cavaliers team, it will be interesting to see if he emerges as a trade candidate as the deadline nears.

Cleveland could use another NBA-proven wing, and a rebuilding team could find value in a rookie combo guard who appears ready to contribute to a rotation right now.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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