The 56th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Travers played for Melbourne United of the NBL in 2023-24.
Cavs sign Luke Travers to contract after career season
For those who followed Travers’ journey leading up to the draft, Wednesday’s deal was It’s been a long time since this happened. Like most players, Travers hoped to join the NBA immediately after being drafted. However, the Cavs took a longer-term view of his development, opting to bring him back to the NBL. There, he could hone his skills without having to go through the NBA’s learning curve.
It’s a bit like a college player choosing to go back to school for a season or more. The difference is that the NBL is a professional league. From acting like an employee rather than a student to training and competing against adults, there are many benefits.
So, after the draft, Travers proved himself against NBA competition at the Las Vegas Summer League. While not particularly explosive, his athleticism, energy and instincts at 6’4″ helped him fill out the stats. In five games, he averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game on 48.0% shooting and 25.0% from three-point range.
Travers then returned to the Perth Wildcats, the team he played for before entering the draft. In what should have been his rookie season in the NBA, he averaged 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. He also shot 50.4 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three-point range.
That performance appears to make him a legitimate option for a roster spot next offseason. However, he’s looking to capitalize on Donovan MitchellAfter Travers’ arrival, Cavs management prioritized veteran signings. Travers then repeated the process from the previous season, playing for Cleveland’s Summer League team before returning to the NBL.
In 2023, Travers averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 0.8 steals per game on 48.7% shooting and 25.0% from three-point range. He then averaged career-highs of 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 2023-24.
