Cleveland Charge Acquire Right To Training Camp Standout

Sep 28, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Zack Austin (55) poses for a photo during media day at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cleveland Charge Acquire Right To Training Camp Standout

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Zach Weiss | Last updated Oct 15, 2026 8:56 AM ET

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With training camp and preseason in the rearview, all focus turns to the NBA season. Set to start in five days' time, the Knicks and new-look Sixers will play the first evening game of 2026-27. The Pistons and Celtics will meet in a 3:00 PM ET battle to actually get it rolling.

Two short days later, the Cavs will debut against the same Sixers in Philadelphia. And another three weeks after that, the Cleveland Charge will get out there. They actually just made a trade in preparation for the campaign ahead, so let’s discuss that.

Acquiring Familiar Face’s Rights

OKC Thunder fans were buzzing last night after their reporter Clemente Almanza broke the news of a G-League trade. The OKC Blue acquired Killian Hayes, Justyn Hamilton, and Babatunde Akingbola from the Charge. In exchange, Cleveland is bringing back returning player rights for Zack Austin, along with a second-round pick in the upcoming draft.

The Oklahoma City Blue has acquired the returning player rights to guard Killian Hayes, forward Justyn Hamilton, and center Babatunde Akingbola from the Cleveland Charge in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Zack Austin and a 2026 second-round draft pick, the team…
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 15, 2026

The main acquisition to focus on from a CLE perspective here is Austin. The last two second-rounds in the G-League draft has not seen any big names selected, no sure things being available after the first 30 picks. They clearly liked what the forward brought, and will now be keeping him around.

Killian Hayes starred for the team in 2025-26 to such a level that the Sacramento Kings decided to sign him to his first NBA deal in a couple of years. This is a player that very much still has aspirations to go pro, and this will enable him to shine in a new system. It also opens up the guard spot for players like Kadary Richmond and Curtis Jones to log more time and see more opportunities.

Getting back to Austin, he averaged 10-3-2 for the OKC Blue last season in the Tip-Off Tournament. In six regular season games, he played 35 minutes a night, averaging 20-5-5 with five steals, and had shooting splits of 51/42/83. They are seeing the vision.

Cleveland Charge Poised To Compete Again

The Charge finished as the third best team in the East in the 2025-26 regular season. They didn’t find playoff success, but they did go 23-13. Darius Brown II was dropping crazy dimes after Hayes left, and is now in the EuroLeague, so again, Kadary Richmond, Curtis Jones, and co. can log more time.

They have high hopes for Zack Austin, it seems. The forward spent the summer and fall with the organization, finally getting his rights over to the team. The 25-year-old possesses incredible bounce and will be a big part of the success the Charge hope to have. Ernest Udeh Jr. and Tristan Enaruna, both on two-way deals, should take on some starring roles.

Look for Austin though, ready to bring it. The 6’7 wing will be must-see.

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

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