CLEVELAND, Ohio — The promotion of Nae’Qwan Tomlin from a two-way contract to a standard NBA deal might seem like a minor transaction to casual basketball fans, but it represents something much more significant: the Cavs have developed one of the NBA’s most effective talent pipelines.
In the latest episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor explained how this approach has become a competitive advantage for the team.
“This is the way that they have fortified their roster despite having so many high priced guys on the roster. Despite the fact being in the second apron, having these kinds of success stories. Before it was Nae’Qwan, it was Dean Wade. Before it was Dean Wade it was Sam Merrill. Before it was any one of those guys it was Lamar Stevens,” Fedor said.
The strategy has become essential for the Cavaliers as they navigate the NBA’s complex salary cap rules.
With max contracts allocated to stars like Donovan Mitchell, the team has needed to find productive players on budget-friendly deals. This approach isn’t just about saving money – it’s about building a complete roster with the right complementary pieces.
What makes the Cavs’ development system particularly interesting is their approach to talent evaluation. Rather than looking for fully formed players, they target prospects with specific physical attributes and at least one elite skill.
Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins noted on the podcast: “The Cavs kind of have a type with these types of players. They like long, rangy, energy guys with maybe undefined skill sets ... You show us the size and activity. We will try to meet you in the middle with the skill work that we can give you.”
Fedor added another crucial component to their scouting philosophy: “I’ll also say that they look for a translatable skill. It doesn’t have to be a guy who can do everything right and they’re not looking at what a guy can’t do, it’s what can you do. And the translatable skill.”
This laser focus on what a player brings to the table rather than their limitations has paid dividends. For Tomlin specifically, his journey from relative obscurity to becoming a rotation player on a contending team speaks to both his work ethic and the organization’s development structure.
“Nae’Qwan has earned this,” Fedor emphasized. “He has come from relative obscurity, not even playing competitive basketball up until the last six, seven years and doing all the things behind the scenes that he had to do to get himself to this point. And when you become a needed commodity on a championship level team, that is nothing that anybody can take away from you.”
What makes Tomlin’s case particularly compelling is his background. Unlike many NBA players who have been training in elite programs since childhood, Tomlin came to the game later and didn’t develop the bad habits that can plague other prospects.
“I feel like a lot of the reason why guys struggle with their jumpers when they come into the league is because of the bad habits they developed earlier in their careers,” Watkins explained. “Nae’Qwan Tomlin doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. So you’ve already seen him in recent weeks hitting a few more and I’m a little bit more optimistic on that end with guys like him.”
As the Cavaliers push toward championship contention, their ability to develop players like Tomlin, Wade, and Merrill could be the difference-maker that elevates them from good to great. The podcast discussion reveals how Cleveland’s front office has created a sustainable model for roster building that other NBA teams would be wise to emulate.
Want to hear more about how the Cavs are building their roster and the full discussion about Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s development? Listen to the complete episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast for deeper insights into Cleveland’s championship-building strategy.
Here’s the podcast for this week: