July 6: Nance has officially finalized his new deal with the Cavaliers, per a press release from the team.
July 1: Veteran forward Larry Nance Jr., who finished the season with the Hawks, is signing a free agent contract with the Cavaliers, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets.
It’s a one-year agreement, per ESPN. As a second-apron team, the Cavaliers can only offer Nance a veteran’s minimum deal.
The journeyman, an Ohio native, will enter his second stint with Cleveland. He played for the Cavaliers from 2017-21.
Nance, 32, appeared in just 24 games in his lone season with Atlanta after two-plus years with New Orleans. The big man underwent surgery for a broken bone in his right hand in January and had his season cut short by a knee ailment. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game.
Nance has long been valued for his toughness, rebounding and locker room leadership. He could see action at both power positions behind starters Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Nance is taking a significant pay cut, as he made $11.2MM last season.
He had been the No. 44 free agent on our top-50 list.
Nance played extremely well for the Pelicans last year.
I’m surprised there wasn’t more interest.
A backup big who can’t stay healthy is just a minimum player regardless of how good he is in those minutes.
Your surprise is odd given your stance on Robert Williams last month.
> Your surprise is odd given your stance on Robert
> Williams last month.
Nance isn’t perennially unavailable, Williams is. Nance wasn’t very available this last season, but he was in the previous 2. Williams has undergone surgery in the past 3 seasons.
Nance:
2023: 61 games
2024: 65 games
2025: 24 games
Williams:
2023: 35
2024: 6
2025: 20
If you guys didnt get the memo, aristotle always speaks from his behind. His takes are horrendously bad and should not be taken seriously.
Nance makes Joel Embiid look healthy.
Last 4 yrs average
Nance: 49 GP, 21 MPG (can’t stay healthy despite low minutes)
Embiid: 48 GP, 34 MPG
Porzingis: 54 GP, 30 MPG
Mason Plumlee: 68 GP, 21 MPG (What a healthy VM Center looks like)
Nance is fine on a minimum. Just like Robert Williams will be. Jericho Sims and Xavier Tillman ain’t a high bar to clear.
Not sure how you can’t like this deal on a minimum. He played 130 games in the previous two seasons. If healthy he can be a huge asset coming off the bench. A vet with ties to the team that can rebound and stretch the floor of an excellent compliment to our bigs.
It may not have been about the money – maybe he just wanted an opportunity for a deep playoff run.
He’s from Cleveland. Might be homecoming getting ready to call it a career soon, he has dealt with a lot of injuries
And a return to an organization he’s extremely familiar with. But make no mistake, this is also the only contender that can offer him a clear role.
Atlanta’s interest in re-signing likely ended the minute the Porzingis trade went through.
Any bench help is a good thing. Cavs needed size on their bench. Good move.