Just like any other NBA player, Larry Nance Jr.’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers largely depends on him being ‘valued’ by the Cavs organization.
As reported by Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Nance Jr. shared that he feels valued by the Cavaliers organization, and commends general manager Koby Altman for doing a stellar job at making him feel that way:
“The biggest thing is just reiteration that no matter whether a deal is found now or a deal is found later, whenever it is,” Nance told The Athletic. “I’m valued here. And that’s the biggest thing about this business is it’s a business of people. Anywhere you don’t feel welcome or don’t feel like you’re valued is a tough situation. So, Koby is awesome at that.”
Nance Jr. will be playing his first full season with the Cavs. To recall, he was sent from the Los Angeles Lakers to the wine and gold back in February via trade. This season, he has a bigger opportunity in front of him as the Cavs look to establish a new identity following the departure of LeBron James.
Last season, in 24 games with the Cavs, Nance Jr. logged in 8.9 points, seven rebounds, one assist, and 1.2 steals in 20.8 minutes per game.
Given that the Cavs have a pretty stacked frontcourt in Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, Nance Jr. will likely take a reserve role — a role that he has embraced wholeheartedly in his young career so far. Although head coach Tyronn Lue has already stated that Nance could still start depending on the matchup.