Xaivian Lee’s first run with the Cleveland Cavaliers has been uneven, and the numbers tell the story pretty clearly.
The former Florida guard signed an Exhibit 10 deal after the 2026 NBA Draft and landed with Cleveland for Summer League in Las Vegas, where he’s been trying to carve out a path toward the next level. That’s the whole point of this stage for undrafted players: show enough to earn a roster spot, or at least a two-way deal and a chance to keep going with a G League affiliate.
Lee is part of a Cavaliers group that also includes former Texas A&M standout Rashaun Agee and former Arkansas wing Meleek Thomas, the team’s second-round pick after Thomas had been projected to go in the first round. Thomas has been the standout of that group so far. Lee, by comparison, has had a tougher time making his mark, though he’s also been working with fewer minutes.
Through four games, Lee has averaged 16.1 minutes per contest, with Cleveland set to finish Summer League on Friday at 7 p.m. ET against the Chicago Bulls.
His debut came in a 99-93 loss to the Indiana Pacers, and it was a rough opening night. Lee finished with two points, one rebound and one assist in 13:18, going 1-for-6 from the field and picking up four fouls. It wasn’t the kind of start he wanted, even if the jump in competition made it understandable.
Two days later, in a nine-point loss to the Detroit Pistons, he was a little sharper. Lee scored five points, added two assists and a steal in 8:33, making two of his three shots. The miss came from beyond the arc, and that’s been the bigger issue overall: his lone made three against Detroit is still his only one from deep, and he’s just 1-for-10 from three-point range across four games.
He bounced back some in Cleveland’s 90-73 win over the Miami Heat, knocking down all three of his two-point tries while missing two threes. That gave him eight points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in 13:49 off the bench.
Then came Wednesday’s 82-77 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, when Lee got his longest look yet. With Cleveland resting multiple players, including Thomas and standout Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Lee logged 28:33 - the second-most minutes on the team - but couldn’t turn the extra run into a big scoring night. He made just two of 10 shots and finished with seven points, though he did chip in three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
With one game left against Chicago, Lee should get another chance to show more. For now, his Summer League line has been a mixed bag: flashes of activity, some useful all-around production, but not enough consistency from the field to fully seize the moment.
In Other News...
Floridas Most Painful Recruiting Near-Misses Still Sting For Gators Fans
Official visits can sell a program, but they can also become a painful reminder of what got away, and Florida has had a few of those moments in recent recruiting cycles. The Gators have brought in high-end targets from the classes of 2023 through 2026, only to watch several of them leave Gainesville for other blue-blood and regional rivals, the kind of misses that linger because the staff did enough to get them on campus and still could not close.
That backdrop makes the current cycle feel familiar for Florida fans, who have seen recent prospects Jalen Brewster and Easton Royal come through on official visits while the odds of landing either one appear to be fading. It is the same frustrating pattern that has followed other major targets after their trips to campus, and it leaves the Gators once again waiting to see whether a visit can turn into a commitment or just another near-miss to file away. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Offseason Suddenly Looks Nothing Like The November Disaster
Floridas offseason has taken on a much different feel than the one that followed the failed Lane Kiffin pursuit in November. What looked like a messy reset has instead turned into a stretch of momentum for Jon Sumrall, whose early run as head coach has been defined by keeping the roster together, building traction on the recruiting trail and staying visible in a way that has helped settle the program after a turbulent start.
On3s read on the situation was notably upbeat, placing Florida among the offseasons biggest winners as Sumralls approach started to reshape the conversation. The Gators still had some recruiting misses along the way, and there is still a longer evaluation ahead of how Sumrall handles big-game situations, but the broader picture has shifted from damage control to cautious optimism in Gainesville. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Enters SEC Media Days With One Question Fans Can't Ignore
Florida will head into the 2026 Southeastern Conference Media Days in Tampa with Jon Sumrall front and center, joined by Jadan Baugh, Myles Graham and Vernell Brown III. It will be Sumralls first SEC Media Days appearance as Floridas head coach, giving the Gators a chance to introduce a new voice and a new direction while also putting three players in position to speak for a roster trying to turn the page.
The bigger question hanging over the week is whether the lowered outside expectations around Sumralls first season could actually work in Floridas favor after the Billy Napier era. Sumrall has already shown he is paying close attention to the tone and edge of his team, and the Gators will arrive in Tampa with a chance to frame the season on their own terms before the real pressure starts in the fall. [Read more 🡒]