Who Is Newest Cleveland Cavaliers Forward JT Thor?

The Cleveland Cavaliers add JT Thor on a two-way contract.

Apr 14, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends a shot by Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (21) in the second quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers filled one of their vacant roster spots on Saturday morning with reports that they’re signing JT Thor to a two-way contract for the upcoming season. 

This may be a familiar name to some fans, but let's learn more about Cleveland’s newest forward.

Thor was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and moved to Alaska at a young age. He then moved to West Virginia during high school and played at Huntington Prep School, which has produced multiple NBA players, such as Andrew Wiggings and Miles Bridges. 

From there, Thor committed to Auburn University, where he played one college season from 2020-21 before entering the NBA Draft. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 27 games.

The Charlotte Hornets took a chance on Thor and selected him in the second round (37th overall pick) of the 2021 NBA Draft. He played the first three seasons of his career there, averaging 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.5 assists while shooting 41 percent from the floor in 164 games. 

Oct 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor shoots a jump shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports / Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

Thor was most recently on the basketball radar for participating in the 2024 Olympics. He competed for South Sudan and averaged nearly seven points and five rebounds in the Olympic tournament.

Thor has certainly played a lot of basketball and is still searching for a steady role on a team. Being on a two-way contract with the Cavs, he’ll get plenty of opportunities to play at the NBA level and with the team’s G-League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.

It’s important to note that Thor is still just 21 years old. He still has plenty of time to develop and become a solid team role player. Perhaps the Cavs are the organization that helped him get there.