Cleveland Cavaliers Rookie Named Sleeper Candidate for Huge Honor

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Jaylon Tyson has been named a dark-horse candidate for a huge honor.

Feb 28, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) lines up a three point attempt in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up selecting Jaylon Tyson with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. It was a move that could pay off right off the bat, with the young forward potentially being ready to play immediately.

In fact, Tyson is receiving a lot of hype as a high impact player as a rookie.

Jam Hines of Sports Illustrated has named Tyson as one of his top three dark-horse Rookie of the Year candidates.

"Tyson picked up significant momentum during the pre-draft process to the point where a lottery selection wasn't out of the question. The Cavs had to be thrilled to pick him at 20th overall and his Vegas Summer League performance will only fuel the excitement (15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 40% from three). Not only did Tyson showcase the shotmaking and floor spacing, but he also reminded and probably shocked some people with his passing vision and pick-and-roll playmaking upside. He's a well-rounded wing who is potentially in line to be an instant contributor on one of the leading teams in the Eastern Conference, only furthering his strong darkhorse Rookie of the Year contender case."

During the 2023-24 college basketball season at California, Tyson put together big numbers.

He ended up averaging 19.6 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals. In addition to his averages, he shot 46.5 percent from the floor oveall and knocked down 36.0 percent of his three-point attempts.

Tyson proved himself to be a capable scorer. He also was a solid defender.

To this point in the offseason, the Cavaliers have not re-signed Isaac Okoro. That could still happen, but if they don't, it's possible that Tyson will simply replace him coming off of the bench.

It will be interesting to see what he's capable of producing as a rookie. Should he be able to live up to the hype of being a potential Rookie of the Year candidate, he will be a big help for Cleveland in the team's quest to make an NBA Finals appearance.

Expect to see him carve out a role for himself early on. He's an NBA-ready rookie and has a skill-set that should help the Cavaliers on both sides of the court.