Cavaliers Summer League Star Could Be in Rotation for 2025-26 NBA Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been relatively quiet in an offseason that saw Kevin Durant get traded by the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets, Damian Lillard return to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Chris Paul join a group of former All-NBA talent in a reunion with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Meanwhile, the Cavs were happy to play in the margins, trading for Lonzo Ball and bringing back Larry Nance Jr. to bolster their depth. With their status as a second-apron team and their lack of capital in this past draft, that was about all they could do. Unless the Los Angeles Lakers end up buying out LeBron James, don't expect Cleveland to make any major moves this season.

Still, in a severely hampered Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers might already have more than enough to contend for the 2025-26 NBA championship. With some internal development and better postseason health, upgrading their bench might be all they need to do. Not only should the acquisitions of Ball and Nance Jr. provide them a significant boon, but they may have found an unexpected rotation piece in Summer League, too.

Nae'Qwan Tomlin could have a role for the Cavaliers in the 2025-26 season

As currently constructed, the Cleveland Cavaliers have eight players who will certainly get minutes on a night-to-night basis: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, De'Andre Hunter, Max Strus, Lonzo Ball, and Larry Nance Jr. That leaves two spots open in a 10-man rotation, not to mention the opportunities that could come about due to injuries or load management.

The Cavs have a few viable options competing for those two remaining slots. Per Spotrac's Keith Smith, one of Cleveland's coaches believes that Nae'Qwan Tomlin could be a legitimate candidate for a rotation role in this upcoming season:

"Really exciting, right? We saw some of this in the G League last year. [Tomlin] might be a rotation guy for us this year."

Tomlin was an absolute revelation in the NBA 2K26 Summer League, averaging 19.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 50 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent marks from deep, drawing comparisons to young star Evan Mobley. At 6'8" with a versatile defensive profile and the ability to score on and off the ball, there's certainly a role for him, especially if he can replicate his 34 percent hit rate from beyond the arc for the Cleveland Charge last season.