The Cleveland Cavaliers have rounded out their roster ahead of the playoffs.
They used their last spot to sign former first-round pick Chukwuma Julian ‘Chuma’ Okeke.
According to a report by Evan Dammarell, he will wear No. 18 with the Cavs, which was last worn by Australian PG Matthew Dellavedova.
While he’s not expected to have the same impact the pesky Dellavedova had, perhaps he will give the team some good luck as the former NBA champion did.
The #Cavs have made the signing of Chuma Okeke officially official.
Okeke will wear No. 18, which was last worn by Matthew Dellavedova from 2019 to 2021.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) April 5, 2025
The terms of the contract weren’t disclosed, and he will have his work cut out for him to crack Kenny Atkinson’s rotation at this point in the season.
Most fans and analysts thought the Cavs would use that final roster spot to land a backup big man, and while Okeke has some experience playing center, he’s undersized and primarily a power forward.
Okeke entered the league as the No. 16 pick out of Auburn by the Orlando Magic back in the 2019 NBA Draft.
He spent four years in Orlando before a brief tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers on a couple of 10-day contracts.
He averaged 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in 24.4 minutes a night with the Sixers.
Okeke also excelled for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G-League, averaging 17.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 36.4 minutes and 28 appearances.
Now, he will join one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference to try and salvage his NBA career and prove that he deserves a spot on a roster, and it’ll be interesting to see if Atkinson gives him a long leash.
NEXT: 2 Cavs Players Are Questionable For Game Against Kings
