Podcast 318: California Schemin’
2025-07-15At the almost midpoint of summer, Nate, Chris, and Eli hopped in the CtB podcast booth to dig deep into the Cavs Summer League so far, opine over the news from around the association, and divine whether Rich Paul and LeBron are scheming to get the King out of L.A. and back to the land of his birth. It’s a tight 60 that also features Eli’s tour of the Cavs’ premises, Chris and Nate fighting over the portent of Jalen Tyson’s turnovers, and all of us gushing over Nae’Qwin Tomlin’s very high ceiling.
As always, catch us below, download the full audio file, or listen on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn, or Spotify.
Powered by RedCircle
Cavs vs Dubs: Sat at 7:30, NBA TV
ESPN with some love for Tomlin.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45763820/2025-nba-summer-league-superlatives-cooper-flagg-dylan-harper
A SPECIAL DAY FOR “ THE “ MRS NOMAD —— TURNS 70!———- SHE ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT LOOK IT / MORE LIKE 50 ——THE FAMILY IS IN —- FRIEND s WILL BE OVER————- “ MORE BEER 🍺 AND MORE YEARS FOR “ THE “ MRS NOMAD PLEASE “ !!!!!! —— LET THE PARTY COMMENCE 👍🍺🎂👍🍺🎂👍🍺🎂
YEAH SUCKS A LITTLE BUT WE HAVE BALL AND GOT RID OF ICE 👍👍———— LIKE NIANG s GAME ALSO ( THE SCARY TERM POTENTIAL APPLIES). LET TT BE A FA FOR ETERNITY—— DO NOT RESIGN
phooey:
https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/7/17/24469698/cavs-traded-player-exception-isaac-okoro-lonzo-ball-koby-altman-cleveland-cavaliers
Niang signs with a bigger Italian club, Virtus Bologna. Won league 3 of last 4 years.
https://hoopswire.com/cavaliers-cavs-saliou-niang-virtus-bologna-nba-news/
Nice . Like his game.
HAVE THE CAVS OFFICIALLY CUT TT —- IF NOT—- WTF ARE THEY WAITING FOR
He is a FA. They cannot cut him.
Green, TT, and Okeke are all FA’s.
Potential upgrades/FAs still out there. Likely we only have one spot open. Though only 13 are signed. Past practice has to keep one open. We could also create a spot by letting a non-guaranterd guy go, most likely CPJ.
C: Horford, Holmes, Bryant.
F: Tomlin (Cavs 2 way)
PG: Paul, Brogdon
SG: Okogie, Oladipo
East: Top 2:
Cavs:
DG, Spida, Strus, Mobes, Allen
Ball, Merrill, Hunter, Wade, LNJ
CPJ, Proctor, Tyson, ???, ???
———-
Knicks:
Brunson, Hart, Bridges, OG, KAT
McBride, Clarkson, ??, Yabusele, Robinson
IDK their depth beyond that
———
Next Tier: Vet Edition
Bucks:
Porter Jr, Trent, Kuzma, Giannis, Turner
Anthony, Harris, Prince, Portis, Sims
Rollins, Jackson, AJ Green, Livingston, ???
————-
76ers:
Maxey, McCain, George, Oubre, Embiid
Lowry, Gordon, Edgecombe, Watford, Drummond
???: I am shaky here. Oubre at PF?
Tier 2: Up and Comers
Pistons:
Cunningham, Ivey, Thompson, Harris, Duren
Sasser, LeVert, Robinson, Holland, Stewart
???: Reed at 3rd C, Holland more a SF.
———-
Magic:
Suggs, Bane, Wagner, Banchero, Carter
Jones, Black, Da Silva, Isaac, Wagner
????
———-
Hawks:
Young, Daniels, Johnson, Porzingas, Okongwu
Alexander-Walker, Kenard, Risacher, ???, ???
???: 2 bigs or not?
————
if Embiid is ever fully healthy, the 76ers might be scary
SOME MEDIA ARE SAYING PROCTOR —“ MINI – HALi “
IS THE “ STEAL OF THE DRAFT “ —- HOPE THEY ARE CORRECT 👍🏀
here is more:
https://balldurham.com/cavaliers-are-starting-to-look-like-absolute-geniuses-as-las-vegas-summer-league-rolls-along-01k0awxct58t?utm_source=google-newsstand&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=google-newsstand
That is a site called Ball Durham, they might be a touch biased.
haha — good eye!
Flickenger explains Cavs TPE situation:
https://www.fearthesword.com/2025/7/16/24469036/cavs-traded-player-exception-nba-cba-trade-chicago-bulls-lonzo-ball-koby-altman-cleveland-cavaliers
PROCTOR WITH A MONSTER GAME —35PTS —- CAVS “ STOLE “ HIM IN THE 2ND ROUND—— “ MINI – HALI “ 👍🏀
Damn, did not watch. My, “I am mot high on Proctor” take didn’t age well.
Thrilled to be wrong.
Beal to Clips.
👍 “ GDTB” 🏀. NOT WATCHING — CHECKING BOX SCORES—- POSITIVE SIGN —- ONLY AFTER 3 GAMES—— HIGH BB IQ !!!! ——SHOULD BE EXPECTED FROM A BLUE 😈 DEVIL 👍👍
NYQUIL/ PROCTOR HAVING GOOD 1st HALF—- NO TYSON TODAY
Proctor is moving in the right direction, love it #GoDuke #TheBrotherhood
KJG REPORTING — CaVS HAVE WATCHED/ SHOWING INTEREST IN V OLA DIPO COMEBACK—-YES / NO / ??
AGREE — NEED. LEGIT/ “ BIG “ BACK UP POST — LNJ / NYQUIL MORE SUITED FOR 4 SPOTS—-“ SMALL BALL “ POST “
Eli is 100% right on LBJ.
He isn’t going anywhere.
Starts: Lakers. Ends: Lakers.
Next: Unsure. Cavs a possibility.
The canmot trade for LeBron. Cannot take back more than they send out.
The pre-season thing is for buyouts, not trades, IIRC.
word is that the Lakers might actually buy him out
Nate: CPJ’s TO rate was poor last year. SL was where he was gonna improve.
Thought CPJ played well, if a bit chunky.
Niang is way raw but is intruigung as a project.
Chris continues to have ridiculous hot takes about the coach not playing two way guys. Chris, the guy needs playing time with his late start. KA was never gonna play him down the stretch or in the POs. The Charge time helped him.
Point Tomlin and point Tyson had to happen with CPJ out. Mixed results. But both can be secondary ball handlers or attacking a D that is moving. Tyson obviously has much lore O than Okoro at this stage.
But not nearly as good on D.
Agree with Nate we need a real C, but fear they think Nance is it. And we usually only carry 14, but I hope they go 15 this, tax be damned. With DG out early, we’ll be down to 13.
Tomlin should make the roster, but I’d still want him playing a lot in the G. He needs steady PT. If he gets to the point where he displaces Wade, then he can spend more time with the Cavs. But he may be close to that now.
But I still think none of the summer league guys crack our top 10: Spida, Mobley, Allen, DG, Strus, Hunter, Ball, LNJ, Merrill, Wade.
Tomlin is closest, but mainly because Wade is so bad on O. With DG out, CPJ should get more time early.
Tyson is playing more as a combo G than a SF. Given his height, I am OK with that. Unconvinced on the D & decision making. But certainly has some game.
Proctor is a clear #14 for me and has a long way to go. Still way early. But Chris is right (as much as it pains me to say that), no blow by.
Enaruma & Omier next best.
Niang is a project.
Coming home!!!!!!!