Former 76ers Player Lands Camp Invite From Cleveland Cavaliers

Former 76er Zhaire Smith recently joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Oct 15, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith (8) and forward Norvel Pelle (14) and Detroit Pistons forward Christian Wood (35) and forward Thon Maker (7) compete for a loose ball during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers remained intrigued with a former first-round pick who once played for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zhaire Smith, a former 16th overall pick, landed a training camp invite from the Cavaliers earlier this week. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Smith has signed with the Cavs on an Exhibit 10 contract.

Typically, a player in Smith’s position will be a body for camp and get an opportunity to showcase his skillset throughout the preseason. If he doesn’t make the final roster, he’ll have the opportunity to sign with the team’s G League affiliate, the Charge.

For Smith, that would land him in familiar territory.

Last summer, Smith signed with the Cavaliers ahead of training camp. He landed an invite after competing for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Summer League team. At the start of the 2023-2024 regular season, Smith was waived by the Cavaliers and eventually joined the Charge.

Later on in the year, Smith inked a 10-day deal with the Cavs. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to collect any minutes with the Cavs’ primary roster.

The last time Smith had an NBA appearance was during the 2019-2020 season when he was on the 76ers.

Smith’s NBA journey has been a tough one. Coming out of Texas Tech in 2018, he was selected 16th overall by the Phoenix Suns. The young wing landed in a draft night trade to Philadelphia, who moved on from former Villanova standout Mikal Bridges after initially taking him six picks prior.

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Health concerns kept Smith off the court for the majority of his rookie season. That year, Smith appeared in just six games. With nearly 19 minutes of playing time, Smith produced seven points and two rebounds per game on 41 percent shooting from the field.

Although Smith’s second season was highly anciticpated, he had minimal appearances with the Sixers. Appearing in seven games, Smith saw the court for fewer than five minutes per game. During the following offseason, the Sixers traded Smith away to the Detroit Pistons, who waived him a week later.

Last season, Smith appeared in 32 G League games with the Charge. He shot 55 percent from the field and 41 percent from three on nearly four attempts per game. The young veteran produced 13 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block per game at the G League level.

The Cavaliers hope to see the 25-year-old take another positive step in his development this offseason.