The Cleveland Cavaliers knew they needed to find a backup point guard.
They don’t seem to be that high on Craig Porter Jr., with recent reports hinting that they believe he hasn’t put in enough work to get more playing time.
With that in mind, they took Duke star Tyrese Proctor late in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Proctor hasn’t been there for long, but according to Camryn Justice, he has already set his sights on his role model:
“I think [Donovan Mitchell],” Proctor said of who he was looking to learn from. “I was on the phone with him after I got drafted. So we spoke for a little bit. He’s a great player and, just seeing his daily work and habits, I think he’s going to be really cool to just be a sponge from.”
Asked #Cavs Tyrese Proctor if there was someone on the team in particular he was looking to learn from. He said Donovan Mitchell.
"I was on the phone with him after I got drafted. So we spoke for a little bit…I think he's going to be really cool to just be a sponge from." pic.twitter.com/vFGSOlqAPi
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) July 7, 2025
Emulating Mitchell will certainly help bring the best out of his offense.
Proctor has always been an efficient shooter, and while he might find it tough to get on the floor as a rookie, he could provide this team with an instant offensive spark off the bench from all three levels.
He’s a seasoned player who thrived at Duke despite sharing the court with other stars, and he’s an unselfish, team-first kind of guy who won’t hesitate to do the dirty work or put his body on the line if needed.
He does the type of dirty work that doesn’t always reflect on the stat sheet.
The Cavs lost Ty Jerome in free agency, but they brought in Lonzo Ball.
That type of competition should bring the best out of Ball, Proctor, and the above-mentioned Porter, and it’ll be interesting to see how Kenny Atkinson deals with this logjam in his backcourt.
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