The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially inked former NBA first-round pick Chuma Okeke to a contract, placing the final piece in their roster puzzle as the Eastern Conference leaders push towards solidifying their playoff position. While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, ESPN's basketball insider Shams Charania broke the news Thursday, as the Cavs have now filled what was previously their last open roster slot.
Okeke, a 26-year-old power forward, stands at an athletic 6 feet, 7 inches, and tips the scales at 229 pounds, he was originally selected 16th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2019 draft out of Auburn University, his path to the NBA has been an uphill battle that included an entire missed rookie season due to a torn ACL. Okeke has played parts of five seasons with the Magic and more recently appeared in seven games with the Philadelphia 76ers on a couple of 10-day contracts this season before making his way to the Cavs.
During his stint with the Sixers, Okeke put up decent numbers averaging 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 24.4 minutes on the floor, his shooting from the field was a solid 54.5% and an impressive 45.5% from beyond the arc, according to Sports Illustrated. Additionally, his performance in the NBA G League with the Westchester Knicks radiated potential, where he tallied 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists over 45 games this 2024-25 season.
In a dazzling display that spoke to his versatility and skill, Chuma notched his first career triple-double in a Westchester Knicks victory over the Raptors 905, raking in 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in that particular game, this eye-catching moment was highlighted on NBA G League's social media back on December 6, 2024, which demonstrates the kind of well-rounded play the Cavs might be expecting from their new signing. The Cavaliers are banking on both his athleticism and his developmental G League success to translate to the NBA hardwood as they bolster their lineup, all the while Okeke's career NBA averages teeter at modest numbers with 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 38.8% from the field and 32.2% from three as outlined by the Beacon Journal and Cleveland19.com.
