Jaylon Tyson Looking Like Steal Of The Draft For Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers 2024 first round pick Jaylon Tyson shines in NBA Summer League.

Feb 24, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears guard Jaylon Tyson (20) dribbles against the Oregon Ducks during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers wrapped up their summer league play last Saturday, and while the Wine and Gold won’t be repeating as Las Vegas champions, they do have something very positive to take away from it all.

That’s Jaylon Tyson, who is looking like a steal as the 20th overall pick in the 2024 Draft.

Tyson looked like the best player on the floor every time he touched the court in Las Vegas. In the five games he played in, Tyson averaged 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists a game while shooting 58 percent from the floor and 40 percent from behind the arc. 

His best game of the showcase was easily against the Los Angeles Lakers, where Tyson had a near triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. 

Two parts of Tyson’s game really stood out during Summer League.

The first one has to be Tyson's scoring ability. Tyson found ways to get points whenever the Cavs were on offense. Whether that was in ISO, moving without the ball, or in transition, he continued to find a way to score.

The second positive takeaway was his playmaking ability. 

Tyson was known as a scorer coming out of college, and that reputation was reigned true in Summer League. However, there were some questions about how he would get his teammates involved after being the primary scored in college. Tyson put all of those worries to rest in Las Vegas, demonstrating an elite playmaking ability that can carry over nicely to the NBA.

Cavaliers first-round pick Jaylon Tyson posses with team president Koby Altman at his introductory press conference / Spencer German

His no-look bounce pass to a cutting Luke Travers in the first quarter against the Lakers was a perfect example of this.

Cleveland’s bench already includes guards such as Caris Levert, Isaac Okoro (restricted free agent), and Sam Merrill, so how the rotation will play out remains a mystery. Still, Tyson is certainly making it difficult for new coach Kenny Atkinson in the best way possible, and he’s already looking like the right pick for the Cavaliers.