The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the most prominent teams that have been on the lookout for some promising overseas talent to add following the 2024 Paris Olympics. Having an assistant coach for the France national basketball team as the team’s new head coach (Kenny Atkinson) makes this development rather unsurprising for the Cavs. On Wednesday, the Cavs finally made a move on an international Olympic hero who has flown under the radar for South Sudan.
Carlik Jones has emerged as South Sudan’s best player over the course of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, but it’s a teammate of his that actually managed to latch on with the Cavs. President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced on Wednesday that Cleveland had managed to strike an agreement with free agent forward JT Thor on a two-way contract, as per NBA.com.
Thor has been a part of the Charlotte Hornets’ roster over the past three seasons, playing in a total of 165 games and even starting 11 of those during that span. The 22-year-old forward, however, is yet to cement his place in an NBA rotation. Last season, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds on 44/35/55 shooting splits, while playing in just 12.4 minutes a night for a Hornets team that finished with an abysmal 21-61 record.
The main selling point of Thor’s game is his athleticism, although he remains very raw on the offensive side of the ball. Cavs fans shouldn’t expect too much out of the South Sudan international, as he’s more likely than not going to spend the majority of next season with the team’s G-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
This is not to say that Thor doesn’t have potential, however. He has good size and length at the wing, and his outside shot continues to be a work in progress. One should not forget that it was Thor who nailed the go-ahead triple for South Sudan in their exhibition contest against Team USA that forced the latter to go to LeBron James at the death to rescue them from defeat.
Perhaps his Olympic experience for South Sudan did wonders for his development and he emerges as a long-term keeper for the Cavs.
Analyzing the Cavs’ wing picture
At present, the Cavs are slated to start Max Strus alongside their core four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Strus was the Cavs’ primary target last offseason thanks to the movement shooting he’s able to provide, and he will be called upon by the team to, yet again, space the floor at a high level.
Behind Strus, Caris LeVert will be getting the bulk of the minutes on the wing. LeVert began his career under Kenny Atkinson’s tutelage, so the familiarity level between the two should help them rekindle the fruitful relationship they once had during their days with the Brooklyn Nets. Perhaps LeVert could even emerge as a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Behind Strus and LeVert is where it gets dicey. Isaac Okoro remains a restricted free agent with no contract resolution in sight. Dean Wade may have to play some minutes at the three. Is Jaylon Tyson going to be an impactful player in Year 1? Will Sam Merrill earn extended minutes as he works on his defense?
The Okoro situation remains one to watch; with there being a little over a month to go before the season begins, the Cavs will have to resolve this situation quickly, as they might need Okoro’s 3-and-D contributions on the wing moving forward.
