What to expect from Cavs rookie Tyrese Proctor this season

The Cleveland Cavaliers first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft was the 49th overall selection, and the fact that the Cavs won 64 games last season it is not surprising to expect that second round rookie to not get a ton of playing time.

But with the Cavs situation at point guard currently, Tyrese Proctor very well could see some minutes.

This off season has been filled with guard news for the Cavs as they let go of breakout backup guard Ty Jerome in free agency, as Jerome was asking for more money than the Cavs would give. Cleveland also traded away former top five pick Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball.

Early into the offseason, it was revealed that starting point guard Darius Garland would undergo surgery on his toe and be sidelined for 4-5 months, setting his return date between the end of October and early November. 

So why not draft a point guard in the draft? That’s exactly what the Cavs did. Tyrese Proctor a 6’5”, silky-smooth, double-digit scorer out of Duke. The most impressive part of Proctor’s game in college is that it improved throughout his three years there. Becoming a more efficient scorer, taking his FG% from 38% to 45%, and his 3-PT% from 32% to 40%, even up to 55.2% in Duke’s Final Four run.

Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley had to say about Proctor:

“The Cavaliers won 64 games last season and brought back the bulk of their playoff rotation. Any second-round rookie would have a tough time cracking this rotation.”

“That's not to say, however, that doing so is impossible for Proctor. Between Ty Jerome's departure in free agency, and Darius Garland still working his way back from offseason toe surgery, there are available minutes in this backcourt. And that's without knowing how much availability newcomer Lonzo Ball can provide.”

“He'll get chances here and there—perhaps more early in the season than later—but unless his playmaking takes off, the ceiling on his likely role is pretty low.”

We know that Proctor can score, but with Lonzo Ball’s defense ability, Ball could get more opportunities to play. We will see how many games Garland will miss, but that will be the time for Proctor to prove his case for dedicated minutes in this lineup. 

Proctor brings great size at a 6’5” wiry body with an elite shooting ability, it will be hard to keep him off the floor. The time for Proctor to get his minutes will come in the preseason which starts tonight, so be on the lookout for him against the Bulls at 7:00. p.m.