The Cleveland Cavaliers have invited forward Pete Nance and three other players to their training camp roster, according to a Tuesday tweet from Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor. Let’s dive into each player’s game and possible fit with the Cavs.
#Cavs training camp roster is set. They will have 21 players. Sources tell @clevelanddotcom the four camp invites will be Pete Nance, Zhaire Smith, Jules Bernard and Jacob Gilyard — all four have signed Exhibit 10 deals. https://t.co/myVBWJpG04
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) September 24, 2024
Cavaliers Invite 4 Players to Training Camp Roster
Pete Nance
Nance played sparingly during the eight games he suited up for the Cavs last season. He averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Cleveland Charge in 16 games played during the G League regular season and its Winter Showcase. The former North Carolina forward joined a Charge squad that included guard Sharife Cooper, who averaged 17.6 points per contest in 15 regular season games played. Nance saw time in six games during this year’s NBA Summer League. He averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest.
Zhaire Smith
Guard Zhaire Smith, a former first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, spent time with the Charge during last year’s G League regular season. He scored a regular season-high 33 points during a March win over Raptors 905. The former Texas Tech guard played two seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. He played in 13 games and started in two.
Jules Bernard
Guard Jules Bernard played in 130 total games for UCLA from 2018-22. The former Bruin has spent time with the G League’s Capital City Go-Go over the previous two seasons. He signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards last December. He played in 19 games for Washington, earning averages of 3.9 points per game on a 45.3% clip from the field.
Jacob Gilyard
Guard Jacob Gilyard has previously signed two-way contracts with the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets. The 5-foot-9 guard showed proficiency from the three-point line during the 42 games he played for both squads. He sports a career average of 40.3% from the three-point line on 3.1 attempts per game. Gilyard played in 22 minutes during a February matchup with the Cavs at FedExForum. He hit two of his four three-point attempts off the bench, sinking two jumpers from the left corner and at the top of the arc.
The Last Word on the Cavs Additions
Cleveland has managed to keep its core players on the roster through a number of offseason extensions. Guard Donovan Mitchell, forward Evan Mobley, and center Jarrett Allen all returned to a Cleveland roster that made the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Cavs will face off against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. EDT in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their first game of the NBA preseason.
