The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to look like absolute geniuses as the Las Vegas Summer League rolls along, as the franchise's second-round pick from the 2025 NBA Draft, Tyrese Proctor, is continuing to look like an absolute steal after originally being selected with the 49th overall pick.
Proctor put together a stellar outing on July 16th against the Sacramento Kings, going for a game-high 35 points to go along with four assists and two steals on 11-of-24 (45.8%) shooting from the field.
The Australian has shown poise and confidence throughout his first Summer League action, but this was certainly his most efficient game in a Cavaliers uniform.
Before his breakout 35-point performance in his first three SL games, Proctor averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals a night on subpar efficiency.
It seemed ridiculous on draft night that NBA franchises let the veteran guard from Durham fall all the way to the 49th pick, and now the Cavaliers are starting to look like they got the steal of the 2025 draft.
With the most daunting words in the NBA now being "second apron," cheap labor is at a premium, especially for a team like Cleveland, which sits above the second apron heading into the 2025-26 season. A late second-rounder like Proctor typically earns a non-guaranteed or two-way contract, but the Cavaliers signed the guard to a four-year, $8.9 million deal. It looks like the Cavs are planning to save a roster spot for Proctor right away, and landing an NBA-ready guard off the bench for as cheap as Cleveland did it, this pick was knocked out of the park.
Proctor brings a scoring ability from all three levels on the floor right away, along with great perimeter defense. The 21-year-old put together his best offensive season in a Blue Devil uniform as a junior in 2024-25, and although his passing numbers went down a fair amount, Proctor brings an immediate jolt off the bench to a team looking to compete for a championship.
It seemed insane at the time that 48 players went ahead of Proctor, and it still seems pretty crazy. But now, Cleveland can kick their feet back and watch their steal blossom into a solid NBA rotation piece.