Pistons, Cavs Sign Players To Final Roster Spots

At 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, the 25-year-old primarily plays power forward. Keeping that in mind, he does have the athleticism to guard out in space with ease. However, his skillset is closer to that of a big man’s than a perimeter piece. He’s an assertive rebounder with pretty solid shot-blocking instincts and far more effective scoring inside than outside.

With Isaiah Stewart possibly in store for a lengthy suspension after Monday night’s melee, Jones could actually get called-up sooner rather than later. Stewart is the more, erm, beefy of the two. Yet, he’s listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, similar to Jones’s measurables.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs, 33-21, are on a four-game win streak. Their momentum has clearly been boosted by the trade deadline addition of future Hall of Fame inductee James Harden. Nonetheless, the foundation for the win streak had already been built, Cleveland’s previously unheralded contributors playing understated roles. One such player was Tomlin, who had originally signed a two-way contract with the Cavs last March.

His averages –6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals per game –are modest. Yet, he’s been a timely shot-maker, converting 48.7% of his field goal attempts. His above-the-rim athleticism brings a different element to their frontcourt rotation, many of whom prefer spot-up 3s over poster dunks. Most importantly, at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds he’s a suffocating and versatile defender.

At this point, it’s unclear whether Cleveland plans to sign a player to the two-way spot that Tomlin occupied. If so, they could opt to bring back 2022 No. 56 pick Luke Travers, whom they waived two weeks ago. A dynamic forward, Travers has averaged 13.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game for the Cleveland Charge this season. G League or not, players who are that dynamic aren’t all that easy to come by.