CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sophomore forward Emoni Bates has re-signed with the Cavs on a two-way contract, according to the NBA transaction log.
After receiving a two-way qualifying offer in late June, indicating that the Cavs felt Bates needed to develop further before earning a standard NBA contract, the 20-year-old took the summer to evaluate his options. But the best option for Bates was to return to Cleveland to continue to mature and grow.
Bates wasn’t always considered a prospect who would end up being selected with the 49th pick in the 2023 NBA draft. He was a high school phenom.
But in his first season in the league, he saw how difficult it would be at a young age to make his presence felt.
Bates spent most of his rookie year with the Cavs’ G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. In his 17 regular-season games with the Charge, Bates averaged 19.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 38.7 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from deep.
“It’s not going to be perfect, but there’s a lot of learning curves, for sure,” Bates said of the G League. “It’s good for your development. There’s people all trying to compete for a spot.”
In his 15 NBA games, Bates averaged 2.7 points on 30.6 percent shooting and 30.3 percent from three-point range.
Entering his sophomore season, Bates also participated in the NBA Summer League, where he averaged 16.3 points per game on 36.2 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range in 22.3 minutes per game over four games.
The consistency of Bates’ game is what he needs to improve on the most. His percentages are inconsistent.
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This offseason has been valuable for Bates, as He added 26 pounds to his 6-foot-8 framewhich allows him to be more comfortable driving to the basket and defending against taller opponents. With his unlimited range and natural 3-point shooting ability, he is the perfect fit for the Cavs’ undersized wing game.
However, his current reliability and development don’t make him ready for a playoff-contending team like the Cavs, at least not yet – hence the two-way contract.
Bates appears to be putting more pressure on himself to contribute at the NBA level. He’ll get another chance to do so with the Cavs in the 2024-25 season, with his path likely being slightly longer than he hoped.
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