Of the talent that has matured over time, such as Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Craig Porter Jr., Nae'Qwan Tomlin, and Jaylon Tyson, there's another name in the bucket that Cleveland Cavaliers president Koby Altman sees blossoming this summer.

“Tyrese Proctor's going to have a big offseason for us hopefully," Altman said. "He showed a lot of things. He played over 500 minutes this year, and it kind of shows you how we started the year off with the injuries. He played Game 1 at Madison Square Garden because we were banged up and we needed more guard play and to where he is now. I'm excited about his growth for sure."

It's a small sample size, but Proctor averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in the four games he played between 20 and 29 minutes. In the only game where he played more than 30 minutes, the Duke rookie produced 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. His playmaking, shooting, and commitment defensively are positive signs.

"It's been challenging, but it's been a lot of fun," Proctor said April 12. "Obviously I never played 82 games but I think just staying level headed was a big thing for me.

"Obviously, not knowing when you're going to play, how many minutes you're going to play, so just being ready at all times is really important and a big challenge for me this year. And I think it just goes to show the work that I put in, the trust that my teammates, my coaches, and the organization has in me."

Beyond just Proctor, Altman praised Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson for the job he's done with the young guys. It should serve well going forward as the team aspires to compete for championships with reliable rotational talent. 

"We have a draft pick this year," Altman said. "We'll see what we can do with that. I think the big reason why we did hire Kenny was to make sure that the lifeblood of our program is always going to be player development, always going to be setting up players for success here in Cleveland. We always say, come to Cleveland to find your best self. We give you that opportunity here.

"Players have had their best years of their careers here. They see success here, and they want to be a part of this program. So, you do have agents that reach out and say, ‘Man, I really love the system. I love what Kenny does. This is a great fit.’ That's huge. Tyrese is in that bucket for sure. What we do with our next rookie is in that bucket for sure. We love the fact that we have a really strong player development pipeline here."

Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavaliers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.