Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s Rise: From Two-Way Flyer to Rotation Regular in Cleveland
The Cavaliers may have stumbled onto something special with Nae’Qwan Tomlin - and it’s not going unnoticed.
Cleveland’s front office is seriously considering converting Tomlin’s two-way contract into a standard NBA deal, and it’s not hard to see why. Internally, there’s a growing belief that the 25-year-old forward has earned a permanent spot on the roster.
Coaches are behind him. Teammates are rallying around him.
And with a roster already heavy on big contracts, finding a low-cost, high-energy contributor like Tomlin could be a crucial piece in the team’s bigger puzzle.
But here’s the thing: there’s no rush - not yet.
Wednesday night marked Tomlin’s 34th game of the season. Two-way players are capped at 50 games, so the Cavs still have some runway before they’re forced to make a decision.
The trade deadline looms on Feb. 5, and the Cavs only play seven more games before then. That timing matters - a lot.
Why? Because Cleveland is operating under the constraints of the second tax apron, the most restrictive tier in the NBA’s salary cap system.
If they make a 2-for-1 trade - sending out one player and bringing back two - that would max out the 15-man roster. In that scenario, there’d be no room to convert Tomlin’s deal, and he’d be ineligible for the playoffs unless a follow-up move cleared a spot.
It’s a tricky balance between maintaining roster flexibility and rewarding a player who’s clearly making an impact.
And impact he has.
In Cleveland’s recent wire-to-wire win over Charlotte, Tomlin played more minutes than any other bench player and logged the sixth-most minutes overall. That’s not a fluke - that’s trust.
In 21 minutes, he posted six points and pulled down nine rebounds, including a jaw-dropping seven on the offensive glass. Those second-chance efforts helped the Cavs rack up 17 offensive boards and 25 second-chance points - a lifeline for an offense missing Darius Garland and Sam Merrill.
With De’Andre Hunter struggling again - just 1-of-6 from the field with four turnovers in 13 minutes - Tomlin’s energy wasn’t just welcome. It was necessary.
This has been the story all season. Tomlin is still raw, still learning, still prone to mistakes - but his motor doesn’t stop.
His size, athleticism, and defensive versatility give the Cavs a different dimension, especially on a team that sometimes lacks consistent energy from its second unit. He’s not just surviving on the floor.
He’s thriving - and he’s doing it on a team-friendly, low-cost deal that’s looking more and more like a steal.
“He creates energy for us,” said Evan Mobley. “Every time he’s on the floor, something good happens.
The ball ends up in his hands. When guys have a knack for that, they get more and more minutes - and it’s paying off.”
At the start of the season, Tomlin was buried on the depth chart behind Mobley, Hunter, Larry Nance Jr., and Dean Wade. Now, he’s a nightly fixture in the rotation.
“His motor is elite,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He’s so long that he gets these loose balls that other guys can’t.
I’m just so excited about him. He fits the prototype of the modern NBA wing.
I love that he’s firing up those open threes when his feet are set. We found ourselves a real player.
He’s been huge for us.”
Tomlin’s numbers don’t jump off the page - 6.2 points per game on 47.5% shooting, 21.9% from three, and 3.3 rebounds - but his impact goes deeper. With him on the court, Cleveland has a net rating of +5.1.
When he’s off, that number drops to +1.2. That’s a real swing, especially for a player who wasn’t even expected to be in the mix this early.
And let’s not forget - Tomlin’s only been playing basketball for five years.
“There are certain things that are going to come natural to some other guys that aren’t going to come natural to him,” said Donovan Mitchell. “For him to be able to do this in the best league in the world and still figure it out, that just shows how much work he puts in.
“For me, it’s about continuing to be his biggest supporter. He got down on himself a couple times and I said, ‘I don’t care.
Keep being aggressive on both ends of the floor.’ He has done that.”
That kind of support from a star like Mitchell speaks volumes. And it’s not just lip service - Tomlin is earning every minute he gets. He’s played at least 16 minutes in every game this month, and the Cavs are better when he’s on the floor.
The decision to convert his contract may not come tomorrow, but if Tomlin keeps producing like this, it’s only a matter of time. In a season where Cleveland has dealt with injuries, inconsistency, and cap constraints, Tomlin has been a bright spot - a high-energy, low-cost, high-upside player who’s making the most of his opportunity.
And if the Cavs choose to stand pat at the deadline? That conversion becomes a no-brainer.