The Cleveland Cavaliers have been busy reshaping their roster, and while the headline-grabbing move was the acquisition of Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis in exchange for De'Andre Hunter, the front office made another under-the-radar addition this week that deserves a closer look.
The Cavs signed forward Tristan Enaruna to a two-way contract, bringing him up from their G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. That puts Enaruna alongside Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Emanuel Miller as the team’s current two-way players. It’s a smaller move in the grand scheme, but it speaks to Cleveland’s ongoing effort to bolster wing depth-a position group that’s been hit hard by injuries this season.
And while Enaruna may not be logging major minutes anytime soon, the Tomlin blueprint-where a two-way player has carved out meaningful rotational impact-shows that these signings can matter more than they initially seem.
A Well-Traveled Prospect with Plenty of Upside
Enaruna’s path to this point has been anything but linear. A 6-foot-8 wing with a sturdy 200-pound frame, he came out of high school as a four-star recruit and committed to Kansas.
On paper, he looked like a future NBA-caliber wing-long, athletic, and versatile. But his two seasons with the Jayhawks were largely spent buried on the depth chart behind a loaded group that included Devon Dotson, Ochai Agbaji, Marcus Garrett, and Christian Braun.
With limited minutes and opportunity, Enaruna never found his rhythm in Lawrence.
After averaging just 2.4 points in 10.9 minutes as a freshman and seeing even fewer minutes as a sophomore, Enaruna transferred to Iowa State. There, he started in most of the games he played during the 2021-22 season but again found himself on the outside looking in as the Cyclones made their postseason push.
It wasn’t until he landed at Cleveland State that Enaruna really started to showcase the full range of his game. In 2022-23, he started all 35 games and averaged 15.9 points per contest.
He was aggressive getting downhill, finding his spots in the midrange, and finishing at the rim. Defensively, he showed promise with a 4.1% block rate, using his length to disrupt shots.
The big knock? His three-point shot-he hit just 18.9% from deep that year on limited volume.
But Enaruna didn’t stop there. His final collegiate season in 2023-24 saw a significant leap.
He upped his scoring to nearly 20 points per game, improved his assist numbers to 2.7 per game, and trimmed his turnover rate to just 11.7%. Most importantly, the three-point shot started to come around-he hit 32.2% on 2.5 attempts per game.
It wasn't elite, but it was progress. The trade-off came on the defensive end, where his impact metrics dipped, likely due to a heavier offensive workload.
From Undrafted to G League Standout
After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft-likely due to concerns about his inconsistent jumper and defensive reliability-Enaruna signed with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate. He posted solid if unspectacular numbers: 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 46.8% shooting, including 28.7% from three. It was enough to keep him on the radar but didn’t exactly scream “NBA-ready.”
This season, though? Different story.
Enaruna has been lighting it up for the Cleveland Charge. He’s averaging 20.9 points per game while shooting an eye-popping 59.1% from the field and a scorching 48.1% from beyond the arc on nearly five attempts per game.
That’s not just a hot streak-that’s a player who’s found a groove and is making a strong case for NBA minutes.
He’s still not showing much as a playmaker or lockdown defender, but when you’re scoring that efficiently at volume, teams take notice. And Cleveland has.
Where He Fits in Cleveland
Let’s be clear-Enaruna isn’t walking into a major role on this Cavs team. When healthy, the wing rotation is pretty full.
Donovan Mitchell’s minutes are locked in, and guys like Jaylon Tyson, Max Strus, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Keon Ellis, and Tyrese Proctor are all in the mix. That said, Strus is currently sidelined, and Ellis hasn’t suited up yet, opening the door just a crack.
The departure of De’Andre Hunter could help Enaruna’s chances, as Hunter filled a similar physical and positional profile. And while players like Merrill, Proctor, and Ellis bring different skill sets to the table, Enaruna’s size and scoring touch could give Cleveland a different look if needed.
Realistically, he’s a depth option-someone who can step in during the grind of the regular season when injuries pile up or when head coach Kenny Atkinson wants to experiment with bigger lineups. He’s not likely to be a rotation mainstay, but for a team looking to stay competitive while navigating injuries, having a hot-shooting, 6’8” wing waiting in the wings isn’t a bad card to have in your back pocket.
Final Word
Tristan Enaruna’s journey to the NBA hasn’t been conventional, but it’s been filled with steady growth. From buried bench player at Kansas to G League standout in Cleveland, he’s shown the kind of resilience and development that teams value in a two-way player.
He may not be a household name just yet, and his role with the Cavs might be limited for now, but if his shooting holds and the opportunity arises, don’t be surprised if Enaruna makes the most of it. In a league that’s always on the hunt for size, shooting, and versatility, he’s got just enough of each to make things interesting.