Cleveland

Cavaliers

Signed to a two-way contract after going undrafted, Udeh provided solid rebounding and rim protection in Monday’s victory. Given the Cavaliers’ frontcourt depth, carving out a consistent role for himself as a rookie may prove challenging. However, even if Udeh spends most of his rookie season in the G League, he is worth keeping an eye on in deeper dynasty leagues.

One day removed from going for 30 points against the Pistons, Thomas was even better on Monday. The 34th overall pick scored 21 points in the first half, shooting 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and finished with 35. While the summer league competition is not on par with what Thomas will see in the fall/winter, he’s clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder after falling out of the first round of the draft. Regardless of what happens with Cleveland’s pursuit of LeBron James, Thomas scores too well to be out of Kenny Atkinson’s rotation.

Thomas dropped 20 points against the Pacers in his first Summer League action on Friday and followed it up with a 30-point performance against the Pistons. The 34th overall pick in the draft, Thomas continues to display excellent scoring ability. The rookie is ticketed for a bench role with the Cavaliers, the question is how many minutes he’s able to earn.

Making his first appearance of the summer, Thomas shot the ball well, showing off the scoring ability that made some consider him a candidate to be selected in the first round. Of course, the former Arkansas guard slipped to the 34th overall pick, but the Cavaliers did not hesitate to sign him to a standard contract. With the Cavaliers losing Dean Wade and Keon Ellis in free agency and limited money to replenish their bench, Thomas may be able to earn rotation minutes as a rookie.

After starting slowly, Tomlin looked like a player with two seasons of NBA experience under his belt. The Cavaliers’ forward was one of two players with 20 points on the day, the other being rookie Meleek Thomas. Cleveland is in a bit of a holding pattern due to LeBron James’ free agency, which affects Tomlin’s fantasy outlook. Regardless of what happens in the fall, Tomlin looks like a player who should not see much action in Las Vegas.

This is a monster extension for Mitchell, and he’ll have a player option for the 2030-31 season. That would have him making north of $75 million when he’s 34 years old. It may not age well, but Cleveland is going to be competitive for at least the next few years, and the commitment to winning could help them lure LeBron James back home.

Wade was a solid contributor for the Cavaliers last season, a perimeter threat who could also defend at the forward spot. He spent all seven of his NBA seasons with Cleveland but will now depart to Philadelphia and likely play a similar role. Wade averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds on 43.9/36.2/71.1 shooting splits last season.

While the contract amount was not reported, Bryant is likely to be on the veteran’s minimum. In his first season with the Cavaliers, he averaged 12.1 minutes per game in 60 appearances. Unless something unexpected were to happen with Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley, Bryant is unlikely to get the playing time needed to affect fantasy basketball. He’ll give the Cavaliers additional post depth off the bench.

Harden, who helped the Cavaliers reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season, would have earned a base salary of $42.3 million had he opted into the final season of his contract. However, the decision to opt out and negotiate a new deal with the Cavaliers is likely to benefit both parties. While Harden would get additional security in the form of more years, Cleveland may be able to give him a lower annual salary. With the team hopeful to retain pending free agent Dean Wade while also lowering its payroll, every little bit helps.

Simply put, Thomas is one of the best shooters in the class, and many believe that his name should be at the top of the list. In his lone season at Arkansas, the 6-foot-3 guard accounted for 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.2 three-pointers. Thomas shot 41.6 percent from three and 84.3 percent from the foul line, and he’s considered to have the quickest release in this class. A solid defender, Thomas can also provide value as a supplementary playmaker. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will continue to fill out most of the backcourt minutes in Cleveland, and they aren’t short on depth at guard. Thomas is talented, but it may take some time for him to establish a consistent role.