Jaylon Tyson’s Potential Role With the Cleveland Cavaliers

With the twentieth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Jaylon Tyson. Although Cleveland was unable to return to the Summer League Championship, Tyson was still a highlight of the summer. 

With the Summer League now finished, the focus is shifting to how teams will look at the season’s tipoff. Here’s a look at Tyson’s potential role with the Cavaliers. 

Tyson’s Summer League Performances

Tyson, although not immediately starting off hot, came out of the gate with solid performances. In his first game he scored 15 points, but also chipped in a team high in rebounds with eight. His breakout performance, though, came against the Los Angeles Lakers when he was one assist short of a triple-double.

In fact, in each of his five games he led the Cavaliers in either points, rebounds or assists. Once even posting a combination of the three. The statistics in the graph above with an asterisk were a team high for that particular game.

He averaged 15.4 points, seven rebounds and 4.4 assists. He also averaged 26.2 minutes per game, which ties him for 23rd most for the summer. 

His three-point and free-throw shooting were also each solid, coming in at 40.0 and 91.7 percent respectively.

While he was the clear standout among the Cavaliers, his numbers aren’t exactly chart toppers. Although, considering they’ve just locked down two all-star caliber franchise cornerstones, this isn’t a bad thing at all for Cleveland. 

Tyson was taken with the twentieth overall pick and was among the 15 best in each basic statistical category. At least, among players with at least five games played this summer. That’s a solid return and, with the offensive firepower of Donovan Mitchell and (assuming he’s not traded before the season starts) Darius Garland, he won’t need to do much more in order to make an impact. 

Tyson’s Potential Role as a Cavalier

Tyson proved that when given the chance, he can play up to the opportunity. The first game he was given extended opportunities, he put up one of the best performances of the summer. 

Despite the fact that his game appears to be extremely well balanced, his playmaking stands out as his primary skill. 

Tyson has shown that he has real talent when it comes to moving the ball. He’s able to use his court awareness to make excellent reads to find the open man. There were multiple instances this summer when Tyson passed up shots around the rim he’s more than established he can make, but opts to dish to an open teammate who is almost guaranteed to put the ball in the basket. 

When it comes to his potential role in the NBA with the Cavaliers, this should work to his benefit. While guys like Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and even Jarrett Allen will probably put up the bulk of Cleveland’s points, Tyson is able to both give those players opportunities to score, and take advantage of the defensive attention they draw to score himself.

His scoring ability will also be useful when the team’s stars are injured or having off-nights. After all, when given the chance in the Summer League, Tyson showed he’s more than up to the task. 

Cleveland also doesn’t have the best depth at the small forward position. They still currently have both Max Strus and Isaac Okoro. Either could find their way into the starting lineup, but they each have their detractors. 

Okoro is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league, and has come a long way as a scorer, but is still not as talented on offense as Cleveland would have hoped. Strus, while having one of the best seasons of his career with the Cavaliers last season, is still extremely prone to inconsistency. 

Caris LeVert and Marcus Morris Sr are each very talented, but have carved out specific roles with the team and are thus unlikely to make the regular starting lineup. Emoni Bates, the only other rostered player with experience at the position, is still a player who needs a lot of development before seeing real NBA minutes.

If the versatility Tyson flashed over the summer translates to the NBA, he should easily be able to earn consistent minutes and a solid role with the Cavaliers (at the very least). He may even be able to make the starting lineup if his game compliments the teams’ stars as much as it seems like it should. 

Tyson’s Potential Limitations 

Despite his seemingly perfect fit, there are still some concerns with the young prospect 

Tyson was the surprise standout of the summer for Cleveland. But, he still showed some aspects of his game that may hinder his ability to play with the Cavaliers. For starters, although it was only one game, his performance on July 17th against the Golden State Warriors was unimpressive, to say the least. Making only two of six field goals, and missing both his attempts from behind the arc, he finished with four points, four rebounds, four assists and four turnovers. 

Tyson’s also not the best on the defensive end. His athleticism and court awareness still make him a solid defender. But, he’s by no means bringing more of the elite defense this Cavaliers team is known for. However, considering he’s both a rookie and has a dynamic skill set, he still has a long runway for success. Whether it’s as a role player or a starter, the move already seems to be better than expected for Cleveland.