Cavs Do Not Tender Qualifying Offer To Emoni Bates

The Cavaliers did not tender a two-way qualifying offer to forward Emoni Bates, making him an unrestricted free agent, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Cleveland selected Bates with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He has spent the majority of his first two seasons with the G League’s Cleveland Charge, appearing in just 25 games with the Cavs in that span.

In the NBA, Bates carries averages of 3.1 points and 33.3 percent shooting on 3-pointers — a far cry from his dominant numbers in the G League.

Bates, 21, is certain to draw interest as a two-way or veteran minimum free agent, though a return to the Cavaliers now seems unlikely.

He likely became the victim of a numbers crunch in Cleveland, with the Cavs already having the likes of De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and even new acquisition Lonzo Ball all capable of playing the wing spots.

All of the Cavs’ two-way players from last season — Bates, Luke Travers and Nae’Qwan Tomlin — could be elsewhere at the start of next. Second-round pick Tyrese Proctor, also selected at No. 49, is expected to occupy one of Cleveland’s two-way spots entering the season.

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