Cup of Cavs: The intrigue of JT Thor

Cavs news and links for Wednesday, August 21.

Two-way players will become more important than ever as NBA teams scavenge for talent while avoiding the tax ramifications of the new CBA. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, JT Thor could be their saving grace.

The first sip

Let’s start by making something clear. Thor is as unproven as it gets. He spent three years in Charlotte, unable to crack more than 15 minutes per game in any season. If he was a homerun, someone would have signed him before mid-August.

And still, Thor has genuine intrigue as a prospect.

Thor is listed at 6’9” with a little bit of skill in each department. He can dribble the ball — though not at an advanced level. He can shoot three-pointers, albeit inconsistently. And he has high-end athleticism, though he remains a step-slow and out of place more often than not.

Thor has all of the tools. He’s improved as a three-point shooter each season, hitting at a career-best 34.6% clip last year. His size grants him the ability to protect the rim while Thor’s agility gives him credence to defend multiple positions. Small steps in both areas would make Thor a valuable role player.

Learning the game and polishing a specific skill is the next step for Thor. While his youth makes this an enticing possibility — it’s important to remember that development is not a guarantee. Who is to say Thor won’t be as limited at 26 as he currently is at 21?

But that’s the whole point of a two-way deal. The Cavs can work on expanding Thor’s game without taking much of a hit if he doesn’t pan out. Thor will be free to grow at his own rate. Whether that growth is big or small — the Cavaliers won’t suffer any consequences. This is a low-risk, high-reward deal that two-way contracts are all about.

Random Cavalier of the Day - Larry Sanders

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Many people may have forgotten that Larry Sanders briefly suited up for the Cavs during the 2016-17 NBA season. He played just five games in Cleveland in an attempted comeback after abruptly retiring from basketball a few years prior. Sanders has cited anxiety and depression as reasons for his walking away from the NBA.

Sanders was a dominant rim protector during his early career with Milwaukee. He later became one of the first NBA players to openly speak on the topic of mental health in 2015 and just recently signed a deal to return to basketball in Taiwan earlier this week.

Links of the day

• Emoni Bates signs two-way deal with Cavs
• Examining the Cavaliers’ spacing
• Early predictions for every NBA Award