Should the Cleveland Cavaliers extend Darius Garland to a new contract this summer?

Should the Cleveland Cavaliers extend Darius Garland to a new contract this summer?

Good morning and welcome into another edition of Cavs and Coffee, otherwise known as the ultimate Cavalier Show. And I upgraded from Jason Lloyd to Spencer Davies of just about anywhere you can find Cavs coverage. Cavs on SI. He does stuff for the NBA at multiple different outlets. He also works behind the scenes for UCSS some days. So Spence, how you doing, man? I’m doing great, man. And I don’t know if I’m exactly an upgrade. Don’t say anything to Jason when you talk about that real quick. But I’m very happy to be on the show. Uh Jason is in Las Vegas and he was like, “Maybe I’ll still be coming down for my Bender Wednesday morning.” I was like, “Eh, let’s go with the safe route. You get some sleep. You got to get some uh connections and stories out there.” But we got a big show for you guys today. We’re going to talk a little Darius Garland contract extension talks. We’re going to talk about Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr.’s first impression in front of the Cavs media beat, which Spencer was there for. I can’t stand the fact the Cavs talk during UCSS hours. It’s always either during or right after. So, I’m unfortunately unable to be there, but that’s why we have Spence on the show. Then, we’re going to talk a little summer league expectations. But, let’s start with the Darius Garland contract extension news. As of today, Spencer, July 8th, the Cavs, excuse me, as of yesterday. My dates are all screwed up. I’m going to Italy on Thursday, Spence. I’m allowed to have my dates mixed up. But as of Tuesday, Garland became eligible to sign a 2-year extension with Cleveland worth up to 125 million. That would extend his tenure in Cleveland until the 2030 season when he’d be 30 years old. If he waits and the Cavs don’t decide to extend him now, he could make even more money by waiting a year because he would be eligible for certain max extension and incentives if he were to make an AllNBA team, win MVP, etc., etc. That could then see his salary jump even higher from its $45 million current slot. So, Spence, if you were in Kobe Alman’s shoes, if you were running the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then we’ll look at it from Darius’s perspective. But first, from the Cavs side of things, would you extend Darius or would you let this play out a little bit, see how the season goes before making any kind of long-term decision? So, I think it’s more of a situation where you wait and see for this time just because of from the Cavs side, a little bit of the injury history that happens usually towards the playoffs is is going to keep you a little bit at bay. And for Darius, I think too, you just said it, you can make more money if you wait as well. And if this works, if this iteration of the group works, if this core four breaks through the way that we think that they can break through, then you’re really betting on yourself. So, I don’t think there’s any rush for either side to do something. And you just said it, it’s his first possible opportunity to get an extension. And this happens all the time around the NBA. Sometimes teams jump right at it, right? Usually, it’s after the rookie scale contract that they do the rookie max extension and then then you get your next contract after that. This is a situation where Darius has already been extended. So, he’s be on his second extension. Um this would be um one of those situations. So, I don’t think there’s any rush for this move, but hopefully all the pieces add up and it works out in both parties favor. I’ve been called a Darius apologist on UCSS on the Ultimate Cav Show. I’ve been called out of my mind for sticking up for Darius, for probably being not harsh enough on some of his shortcomings at times, even though I believe I’ve been completely fair. Sometimes fair is not seen as fair enough in certain eyes. But you’re 100% right, Spence. It makes no sense for Cleveland to try and push the envelope now and lock him into an even longer term deal when frankly you don’t know if this two small guard back court can truly work at the highest of levels, right? And it’s the first year he’s eligible. And sure, if the Cavs and Garland were to agree upon an extension now, he’d be locked into a smaller number than he could potentially get in a year or two. But is there any guarantee that Darius Garland’s going to make an AllNBA team next year? No. He’s never made one in his career to this point. He’s not LeBron James who wakes up and even at the ridiculous age of 40 is penciled in on that 15man AllNBA slot in some capacity. And whether it’s fair or not, Darius has to prove his body can withstand the toll of an 82 game season and more importantly a 20 plus playoff game extra season. Right? You can’t control when you get hurt. But two years ago, Darius had the facial fracture. He suffered the broken jaw, lost all that weight. He had the season from hell. Comes back and has a terrific regular season. Spence, and then it’s all derailed and basically forgotten because of a toe sprain that required surgery that’s going to force him to miss most likely the beginning of the 25 26 season. And with all those concerns, I’m not locking an undersized point guard with a bit of an injury history into an even longer term deal when I still have him under team control for the next couple of years. I I don’t see any incentive to make that move now, especially with the uncertainty of where this whole NBA is headed with the second apron cap and all those extra uh hoops you have to jump through in order to maneuver a roster today. Most definitely. And it’s not like he’s an expiring deal. still here and you still have room to develop whether people don’t like to hear it or they do like to hear it. Him and Evan Mobley are the ones that they are banking to get this team to the next level. Donovan’s already pretty much there. He’s not at that finals level yet, but it’s who’s around him that’s got to really take that next step. And I think that Evan Mobley did it in spurts last year. I think that Darius Garland did it in Spurs last year, but it’s got to be more consistent, especially as you were saying with this kind of NBA where you can’t just have one or two good players on a team. You need to have a full unit on all cylinders clicking and having to figure out what it takes to go from good to great and then great to elite. There are no skipping steps in this league. And I I think that that’s the hardest part for a lot of people when they’re trying to evaluate this team is that it does take a boatload of patience when you look at and I don’t want to go this route because it sound a little bit excusive for me from Kobe in his press conference after the season, but when you look at the Denvers of the world and how they had to wait like seven, eight years, I know that they ended up bailing on Will Barton and and Gary Harris and ended up bringing in Aaron Gordon um getting some of those pieces. Uh you know, they got a Bruce Brown. Those are very important moves, but they’re also marginal moves. And you look at what the Cavs have done this off season. They’ve traded in two guys that were one offensively inclined and then two defensively inclined. And they got two guys who pretty much can play on either end of the floor with Larry Nance Jr. and Lonzo Ball. And that I think is the first indication that they don’t want anyone to be able to be played off of the floor in the postseason. So that I think is the first step towards that. I’m not saying you have to keep this core four together forever and ever, but I think you do have to at least try to see what you’ve got and how they respond to two straight years where they’ve been bounced in the second round in five games. And I mean to one more point, the fact that they lost to the Pacers who nearly won an NBA championship and then they lost to the Boston Celtics who won an NBA championship, they just kind of ran into some really, really bad misfortune between those two teams and also the injuries that came into play. And DG, they reported that as a sprained toe. It was more like a broken foot. Guys, I saw the spacer. It’s it is really remarkable that the fact that he went out there to play. He was basically out on 65 70% if that. Um and then you obviously had DeAndre Hunter who was playing with four fingers on his right hand and then uh Evan Mobley suffering that ankle sprain. And I know these all sounds excuses and you can see them as that, but it’s also this reality of the situation and the fact that they have to get better mentally tough. It’s just one big storm, I think. But if you talk to people around the league and externally, capologists, agents, executives, they see a lot of greatness in this Cavs team. So, I know the local flavor isn’t too hot on them right now, but on the outside looking in, they’ve got a good thing going. Yeah, he made some good points. I wanted to hit on two other things real quick in terms of Darius and the extension. First and foremost, the way the Cavs books are currently set up, it is essentially two this this upcoming season and then one more season, right? That that is their window with this core before some salaries have to be readjusted, moved, maneuvered to avoid the repeater second apron tax, all the penalties down the line. So, if you were to extend Darius Garland past the point of that two-year window, you are signaling to the NBA and to your fan base that we are building around not just Evan Mobley and Donovan, but Evan Mobley, Donovan, and Darius. And after that two-year window when Donovan has a player option, and that could negate his presence on the team, you’re building around Evan in the future and that is it. If you don’t fit Evan Mobley’s timeline, if you don’t fit Evan Mobley’s skill set, if you don’t play well alongside Evan Mobley, you don’t fit alongside the Cavs future. And Spence, I’m going to repeat the point I just said because I want you to respond to it real quick before we move on. But on top of that two-year window for the Cavs being where Darius’s contract currently sits and I’m not wanting to extend it past that, if they were to sign that extension, it would signal that they’re going to build the future of this team around Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. And I just think from a theoretic standpoint, that’s the wrong move. You build this team around Evan Mobley and nobody else. It is Evan Mobley and then everyone else fits into the Evan Mobley space. And if it is Darius Garland, fine, so be it. But I’m not committing to that two years or one year before I have to. It is Evan Mobley as the building block, as the pillar, as the centerpiece, and then you fill out the other 14 spots on the roster however you have to to maximize what Evan does and putting a championship caliber roster around him. So, I’m not in the business of giving anybody a long-term extension until that second apron comes beckoning and you have to make some of those tough decisions unless it involves Evan Mobley. He could be expended past that two-year window. I’m not touching anyone’s contract outside of Evan that goes past this current two-year span they have before the real real penalties of the second April come into play. Yeah, you have to be able to forecast it too. Like that’s there’s a balancing act here when it comes to looking at the future and also not wanting to bail on what you have building. And I think with with Evan, you just said it in the pecking order, he’s here. This is clearly the guy they want to build around. This is clearly who the top dog is going to be. Donovan Mitchell said it at length this year. And even in an interview uh with Taylor, Taylor Brooks uh that went really really indepth to how much they believe in Evan Mobley. And Kobe Alman always talks about him like he’s the number one guy. So that’s because he has to be. That’s what they’re looking at. They’re they’re saying we’re going to put the eggs in your basket here. And yes, Darius is a part of that, but he is not at that tier that they see that him as. I think, at least in my eyes. But I think they also understand that Darius has room to grow still in Yeah. And the proof is in the pudding with Donovan. And it’s not a bad thing. It’s not a good thing either. But it’s not like it’s Oh my god. But he’s had eight years in the league. He’s never made it past the second round. Spence Donovan is your best player. We have an eight-year track record of it’s about your ceiling. Which is why for the Cavs to break through that second round, it is imperative Evan takes those next steps. Speaking of next steps, Spence, we are going to get to our next topic after a quick word from FanDuel America’s number one sports book. If you have a winning FanDuel ticket of any kind, send it into us. Whether you’re betting on baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey, you name it, you can find a way to bet on it via FanDuel. And we want to feature your winning tickets right here on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. If you’re new to FanDuel and haven’t downloaded the app yet, well, first off, what are you waiting for? And secondly, we have a brand new offer. New customers can bet just $5 and get 150 in bonus bets if that first $5 bet wins. Open up the FanDuel app today or visit fanuel.com/uss to get in on the action and start winning some money. Okay, Spence, let’s talk a little bit about the Cavaliers new additions. Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr. in particular. Those two had their first two media sessions earlier this week. Lonzo spoke on Monday, Larry Nance Jr. on Tuesday. I’ve gone back and listened to both interviews, but you were there for both. So, I’ll give you the floor on this one. What are your main takeaways from talking to Lonzo and Larry? So, let’s just start with Lonzo because he was day one. He just wants to hoop. That guy is chill. I know that’s like such a hip term or whatever like that, but he is. He’s just legitimately a chill dude that wants to hoop. Um, in terms of his skill set, I just really think that the defense is going to come into play so much. I think that three guard lineups with him could look really interesting with him, Darius, and Donovan, as they’ve done with Ty Jerome in the past. I also think that you can either spell Darius or Donovan with Lonzo. His health obviously has to be a concern. Just looking at the last four seasons, he’s played 70 games total. He hasn’t played a single playoff game yet, but his skill set seems to fit that playoff mold. And what I mean by that is that he’s a consistent ball mover. He does not let it stick when it touches his hands. It’s either going to be a pass to the next guy or a he’s going to shoot a a catch shoot three or he’s going to have a secondary assist he’ll playmake. Um, but the the number one characteristic I love about Lonzo is when he rebounds the ball or if a teammate rebounds the ball and he gets gets the pass, he launches it up the floor. Like if you watch Tyresese Halbertton in the finals and how he throws those like three/4er court passes down the floor. Uh Lonzo does that same thing and he is so good at threading the needle. He makes some really really tight window passes. I think that that’s going to be a huge part of of the Cavs bench and he’ll be big time with that. Um, and then defensively, I just think I just think his IQ is really high. It’s not about his athletic ability anymore. We know that he’s gone through the ringer with the knee injury, the the wrist, and all those things that that’s happened, but his like mind for the game is really really crisp. And I think that’s going to help a lot. He’s probably going to be a little bit more vocal than what we’ve seen in the past uh defensively. And I think again offensively, he’s kind of he’s kind of an engine in a way. And uh I I like what he brings to the table if he can stay healthy, which the Cavs did everything they could last year to stay healthy. They did it all correct throughout the regular season and then had some really really bad timing. But I think that performance staff that Kenny Atinson has is going to do a really good job with Lonzo and with Larry Nance Jr. who I’m sure you’re going to ask about next. Yeah, let me get my two cents in on Lonzo here. I love the signing or the trade, excuse me. They turned to Cororo, who great locker room guy, just never truly developed into the top five pick the Cavs needed him to be, just didn’t have enough of an offensive game to be playable in the playoffs. So, you turn a zero in the playoffs into a guy you hope, and it’s a giant hope because Spence, between you, me, and Lonzo, we’ve played the exact same amount of playoff games in our NBA careers, which is uh zero. And Lonzo’s only played 70 more games than you and I combined in the NBA over the last four seasons. the injury issues with Lonzo are legitimate and it’s a caveat to everything else I’m going to say. But when the dude has been healthy and last year after missing those two seasons with the knee injury, he missed some games with the wrist injury. But he said his knee felt pretty good and if his knee’s good, I’ll take that. Right? Like that’s the debilitating injury that he missed two years with. The wrist stuff, whatever. That’s a fluky thing. It comes and goes. As long as the knee’s good, he’s got a chance to play. But it just gives a different element to this team. He gives them a guy with some legitimate size in the back court who’s a pass first. Let everybody else eat before I eat connector. And when we were doing the draft last year, Spence, I kept talking about how I love Tristan D so bad at Colorado just because I thought he was a guy who connects everyone else on the court. Lonzo’s like the peak version of that when he’s healthy. Once again, giant caveat, giant win. But he doesn’t play like Tristan Dilva. He plays like an old school point guard who wants to get everyone else involved. If he was the host of UCSS, we’d have everyone talking every day in every topic. And I love Jay Crawford, but sometimes Jay likes to play Allen Iverson style point guard in the host chair. And it’s the opposite with Lonzo Ball Spence. He’d go you first, he’d go bowl first. And I think the biggest beneficiary of that is going to end up being Evan Mobley. Back to our other point. When those second units come in last year, Ty Jerome was a good playmaker for the Cavs. Lonzo Ball has a chance to be a great playmaker. It’s going to force Evan Mobley to be even more assertive when he’s playing alongside Lonzo because it’s taking a shoot first guy out of the lineup in Tai Jerome and putting in a pass first. I’m going to feed the big. I’m going to attack every mismatch that they switch on these pick and rolls. Evan, get your ass to the blocks. I’m giving you the rock and you better put a mouse in the house and score type of situation. I love the move. Will he be a playoff riser like in Nehard or knee smith? Your guess is as good as mine, Spence. He’s got to be healthy enough first to be in a playoff game and then secondly, is he built for that? I kind of have a gut feeling he is just based on his upbringing, his time at UCLA, everything he’s been through, his father, his brothers. Like, I don’t think he’s scared of the moment and if he can be a contributor for the Cavs in a playoff series. It gives him some versatility. And I’m curious, very curious if Kenny’s ever going to show us the DG, Don, and Lonzo lineup all at the same time. I think that has a chance to be a lot of fun. That’s the one that I keep going back to because that’s what we we saw that with Tai last year and it’s it’s a little bit of a different dynamic though, like you said, Lonzo is going to have everybody else do the scoring when he can set them up. And Lonzo’s going to take some threes here and there. Like, let’s not say he’s going to just completely be uh the pass first guy and and get get out of everybody else’s way, but he just has a good nose for the ball. you said it best. I think connector is a really good term and I think the rebounding piece of this too is is really interesting for me and I know his athleticism isn’t what it once was pre-injjury but he crashes the glass pretty decently on the defensive end and I I think that can be really underrated especially if he’s going to get breaks started by himself and he’s gonna have somebody trailing as soon as he gets a ball and then you launch it up the floor almost Kevin Love style. Um, and again, Tyrese Hallebertton, going back to that same that same example, I think that it’s a good change. It’s it’s different because they they are going to have to go by committee to replace Ty Jerome scoring. They’re going to have to get a lot out of Lonzo. They’re going to have to get significant growth from Craig Porter Jr. and Jaylen Tyson. I think you have to do that. Kind of mix everybody together and have them make up for it. Sam Merrill is going to have to score off the bench, too. So, it’s it’s a collective effort to replace everything Taiwan brings to the table, but I think you got a little bit more balance now, for sure. What did you take of uh Larry Nance Jr.’s reunion with the Cavs media beat? I don’t know many guys who were here when he was here last time that are still in the beat now, but he seemed pretty darn happy to be back in Cleveland. I’m one of the contingent. I can say that. Uh he walked in the door and I was like, “Look what the cat drug in.” But it was good to see Junior, man. He’s just always so genuine and he’s real. I think authentic doesn’t come around very much in this business. You can hear a lot of canned answers from athletes. You can hear all of the cliches in the world, but he’s just he’s just real. Um I’ll I’ll say this from a onc court perspective. Kenny’s not not going to need more than 15 to 20 minutes out of all year. It’s going to be perfect. He’s gonna have to give Evan Mobley or Jared Allen a blow. Um, and that’s it. Like, it’s not anything like he’s going to be this high usage amazing player. Like, Larry’s going to come in, he’s going to get his tip backs, he’s going to get his tipins, he’s going to get the rebounds, and he’s also going to find cutters from that middle area. He’s really good at that dribble handoff stuff. And uh I think with Kenny’s cutting principles that could be really really advantageous um when he’s playing either with Evan or Ja too because I’m sure that he’ll play the four and the five. J at Baker Staff played him at the three even. Um so maybe we’ll see even some weird lineup with him, Wade, and Hunter or something. I don’t know. But but Kenny will definitely use him in the right way. The other thing too about Larry Nance Jr. is since he’s departed Cleveland, he has become a pretty reliable three-point shooter. Very good. just to stretch the floor now. Yes, exactly. So, that that part’s been a bit new. Um, for him, it’s all about staying healthy. Again, going back to the Lonzo Ball stuff, got to make sure that that performance staff has it conditioning right, has his nutrition right, and I think that’s um from an onc court perspective, what you can expect from Larry Nance Jr. from an offc court perspective, I I think being a leader is going to be one of his best traits. But he even said it himself. He’s not going to come in and demand like, “Oh, follow the leader. I’m telling you how to do everything the right way.” Because he’s got to figure out his own stuff. He hasn’t been to that finals since 2018 when he got traded here. And I think the fact that he’s finally played in a couple playoff series um between New Orleans, between um I think it was Atlanta, like that has helped him in experience as far as knowing what the physicality is going to bring, know what the moment’s going to bring. He even admitted that he wasn’t he wasn’t ready for that stage in 2018. He flat out came came out and said that that I don’t think that that I understood the the actual stage. And um now he’s he’s proclaiming that he’s ready. And there’s there’s no other way to to do it but to show it. Um and he’s going to try and lead by example. And it’s somebody that he’s he’s extremely happy to be here, first of all. Um, but but second of all, to be able to do it and see this new iteration and see the growth of Darius Garland and all that stuff, uh, it’s almost like the perfect the perfect combination. I’ll keep my Larance Jr. thoughts short because he covered most of it. But I’m excited to see what he brings from a locker room standpoint, replacing Tristan Thompson in that role. And I need Kenny to just keep in bubble wrap till the playoffs because the Cavs did not have a playable third big last year. And then the injuries happened and it became even more evident they needed somebody who could give them a few quality minutes in relief of Evan and Jared and Larry Nance should be able to provide that in ways that Dean Wade just hasn’t been able to do in the Dean. It’s going to help Dean too because now Dean can can slide down maybe to that four um you know where he’s more natural. He’s not really a he’s a three four not a five. So Exactly. Exactly. And I mentioned this stat before I just want to mention it again. According to Cleaning the Glass, Larry Nance was the single most efficient three-point shooter for any big man in the NBA last year. Small minutes, small sample size, but he finished in the 100th percentile in overall threes, the 98th percentile, and above the breakthrees, and the 89th percentile in corner threes. If he can shoot like that again for Cleveland next year, even a slight dip in efficiency for an increase in volume, the Cavs have found a pretty good vet minimum for that 14th roster spot. All right, Spence, we got one more break before we get to our last topic. Today’s episode of the Ultimate Cavaliere Show is brought to you by Epicor. Every team knows the value of hard work, of taking pride in what you build and practicing every detail to get the best results. But no player, no matter how amazing, can do it all alone. Working together makes getting the win easier. At Epicor, the allstars are the hardworking manufacturers and distributors who create and deliver the things we all need. From aerospace to electrical to medical devices, from small businesses with big dreams to growing enterprises with global visions, we’ll equip you with the right tools to move forward. Think ahead and lead the way. Because as the clock ticks down, you need to make the most out of every hardworking minute. Easier doesn’t cut corners. Easier finds the lane. Discover your success at easyepicort.com. Spence, let’s talk summer league here for a second. I know eventually you’re making your way to Vegas. I am going to Italy with my family on Thursday and will be out the entire week that summer league happens. So, I’m going to keep my summer league thoughts quick and concise because I will not be watching a single second of what happens while I’m overseas. I’m going to tweet out that I’m going on a Salunang scouting trip except he’ll be in America in the States while I’m heading to Italy. My two thoughts on the summer league spence before I let you wrap it up. Craig Porter Jr.’s going. He better dominate. Not play well, not look good, dominate. Jaylen Tyson is heading back out there. Jaylen Tyson should be one of the best players in the entire Vegas summer league. I hope he looks so good in the first game that we don’t have to see him for the rest of the week. I want to see Craig Porter play because I just want to see if he can hit a darn jump shot at this point of his career, which is the last thing missing from his game. But the guy I’m most excited for, Spence, is my guy Jackson Robinson, who I covered as a freshman at Texas A&M before he transferred a couple times, ended up at Kentucky. The kid is a flamethrower from three. I was shocked he did not get drafted. I know he’s got a bit of an injury history, which is a bit of a recurring theme here on this podcast, Spence. But of all the guys, I’m also excited to see Proctor and Nang and and everyone, frankly, even though I just admitted and I’m being honest, I will not watch a single second. I’ll catch the highlights afterwards. Uh, I I want to see Jackson Robinson to see if he can be a guy that works his way into a two-way contract and can eventually develop into a guy that the Cavs see enough potential in or another team around the league sees enough potential in to give him a two-way deal because the Cavs I believe still have one two-way deal available. Correct. They have not filled the Ammani Bait spot yet. So, the one guy I would circle on the roster to potentially take that spot is Jackson Robinson. But what are you looking most forward to, Spence, when you head out to Vegas and before you get there, watching the first couple games on TV? I think that it’s going to be really important for Craig Porter Jr. to show his leadership and he said as much on Tuesday about how he wants to be the Donovan Mitchell and the Darius Garland of the team by vocally leading by showing it by example and to do that stuff you have to do it on and off the floor and I think that comes in practices I think that comes just in this two week three week span whatever it is show the organization that you’re willing to put that type of work in. He’s already a hard worker. There’s nothing wrong with with Craig Porter Jr.’s work ethic, but to get to that next level, to get into that everyday rotation, not only what you do on the court, what you do off the court, and I think it’s a huge opportunity for him to see what his role could be on this Cavs team, the real Cavs team coming up this season. Jaylen Tyson, I think that he’s got to show a little bit more offensive awareness. That’s my thing that I’m watching for him in summer league. I think defensively he’s got it nailed down. I think he’s really better defender than than what people might have anticipated coming into the draft and he’s done a really solid job of blocking down his opponents when he’s had the opportunity to. I think offensively it’s been a mixed bag whether it’s the the corner threes that are swishes or missing it missing everything. Um and then also knowing when to cut, knowing when to get to his spots because he’s usually Johnny on the spot. He’s another guy. We mentioned Larry Naz Jr. earlier. He’s another guy. Tipins, tipbacks, great rebounder, great hustle guy, great in transition just like Josh Hart and his that was his NBA comp uh player type at least. Like that’s the sort of stuff that you want to see from him on the big club. But I think summer league is an opportunity for someone like him to really showcase what they might need for him from him in the next two years or the next three years. and that’s just have a little bit more of an offensive uh mindset and and figuring out that jump shot and again the timing and the awareness. That’s what I’m looking for from Jaylen Tyson. And then, you know, real quick, uh Tyrese Proctor, I want to see everything I can out of him. Just he was a five-star recruit. Yeah. And he was at the NBA Global Academy. I did articles and interviews with Dyson Daniels and Josh Giddy. Uh what is four or five years ago? I’m losing track of time, but he was like 17 years old then and he they were mentioning him at that point. He’s best he’s best friends with Dyson Daniels, which is worth point now. Yeah. And that I think shows the kind of talent the Cavs have on their hands. He came over a year early to Duke. That’s a lot of pressure. That’s a lot of pressure. And even by his own words, a point guard, too. He he wasn’t as good as he thinks he could have been uh in those first couple years. And that’s hard to do because you’re playing with so many top recruits. Last year, I think he really came into his own. The jump shot, the defense, he’s going into his body a little more. He He’s bigger than than I think a lot of people um know like like when we were in the gym uh this past couple days, it he was like almost standing toe-to-toe with Jaylen Tyson. So, that’s He’s like six He’s like six. He’s Yeah, that’s another big guard. It’s another big guard. So, that’s something that the Cavs have used to have very little abundance of. So, uh he’ll be able to switch off between that one and two, I think. Um and hopefully we can see his his three-point skill set come around. Um you mentioned Jackson Robinson. I’m intrigued as hell by Jackson Robinson, the two-way spot. Um another guy I want to see some some big stuff out of is is Nick Nickan Tomlin. Um, he showed a lot of promise towards the end of the season when the Cavs were trying to get healthy. Can I Wait, I’m going to cut you off, but I got to ask you this because you know him better than I do. What What is Tomlin’s actual game? Is he a big Is he a wing? Every time I’ve seen uh every time we saw him last year, he was more in that de facto big role, but I’m not actually sure if that’s his best role in the NBA. So, it’s not. What What actually is he for anyone who’s less familiar with Naquin Tomlin? I Well, one he started playing basketball not even that all that long ago. So that’s a Rucker Park legend. Yep. That’s something that’s really intriguing to me that he’s picked it up this fast. Um I think that ideally he’s like your he’s like in the mold of like what please do not take this out of context like like a Pascal Seakum type of body, right? Mhm. So maybe like that type of I don’t want to say that type of role because he doesn’t have that kind of usage. Stretch fourish is his kind of stretch fourish. You could play him at the three, but you’d have to get really there’s some quicker threes around that you might have to get a little bit better at. But he’s, you know, an improved shooter. I think that he’s really got a nice uh short fade turnaround that he’s been working on. Um he can get to the basket, too. Um but he’s not he’s not he’s not like a center. Um, so I I wouldn’t say that. Um, one last note, too, before we get out of here on summer league. I did hear that Craig Porter Jr. and Jaylen Tyson, it’s probably going to only be one game, maybe two. Um, so, so it’s going to be get them in, get them out, let the rest of the guys, audition for the Charge, audition for other NBA teams and all that stuff. So, uh, that was just something I heard on that note. Worth noting the Charts don’t have a head coach. So the Cavs are still looking to figure out the rest of their bench in Sacramento. And the Charge still need a head coach. Spencer Davies. Spin Davies as you know him on Twitter. You can follow him at Spin Davies. You can see that on your screen. Spence, real quick before we wrap up, tell everyone where they can find your work on a daily basis. Yeah. Uh I’m spin Davies. You can find all of our Cav stuff at Cleveland Cavaliers on SI YouTube channel. We post all the press conferences. We do our weekly podcast Courtzai with Cavs on SI with me and Spencer German Anthony Meglland doing a great job on the production for those. I’m also over at RG Media. I did break some news last week that I’m pretty proud of. It’s my first national scoop that I’ve ever gotten on Miles Turner’s contract. So, that one uh went pretty well. I’m also over at Babcock Hoops doing NBA draft content and all over the place elsewhere. I will be in summer league from July 13th to the 16th. So, I’ll see just a little bit of Cavs basketball. Not even all that much because of the flight situation, but it’s okay. Going to go out there and network and have some fun. Enjoy it. That is Spencer Davies joining us here on a Wednesday morning for the Ultimate Cavaliers Show. Hope you enjoyed this Cavs and Coffee and we’ll see you in about two and a half hours on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. For Spencer Davies, I’m Mikey McNuggets. Have a good one and go Cavs. Peace.

Darius Garland is eligible for a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There are pros and cons to giving him a new deal and waiting.

Mikey McNuggets & Spencer Davies break down both sides of the Cavs’ DG decision.

Plus, how do Lonzo Ball & Larry Nance Jr. fit into the Cavs plans this season & who are you most excited to watch during summer league?

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