The Cleveland Cavaliers must determine whether Nae'Qwan Tomlin's future is with the organization and team.
As a team, the Cleveland Cavaliers clearly haven’t lived up to the hype that they came into the season with. However, there have been some individual players who have exceeded all expectations, one of whom is Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
The forward is currently averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, but what the stat sheets don’t show is just how much impact he has because of the energy and defense he consistently brings.
This impact has even earned Tomlin the nickname “Racehorse” from head coach Kenny Atkinson.
The issue is that the Cavaliers have a crucial decision to make about Tomlin. The 25-year-old is currently on a two-way contract, meaning he’s eligible to play in 50 NBA games. After Wednesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Tomlin has participated in 31.
As the forward gets closer and closer to the 50-game mark, the Cavaliers will be forced to make a decision about Tomlin’s future with them. Considering that Tomlin has worked his way into semi-regular minutes with the Cavaliers, considering matchup and availability, it’s hard to see Cleveland not giving him a standard NBA contract.
Dec 23, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin (35) dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesEarlier in the season, Atkinson highlighted exactly what makes Tomlin such a key piece and an impactful player for this Cavaliers team.
“Energy, doing all of the little things: cutting, offensive rebounding,” explained Cleveland’s head coach.
Tomlin’s performance in Cleveland’s win over the 76ers on Wednesday is a perfect example of what the forward brings every game. He didn’t score any points, but Tomlin still grabbed two rebounds, dished out two assists, grabbed one steal, and blocked one shot; Tomlin just did a little bit of everything.
Assuming that Tomlin is given a standard NBA contract for the rest of the season, his role with the team likely isn’t to change too much. He should still be a player who comes off the bench with the second unit and fills the gaps the team needs in that moment and in the game.
Tomlin has been such a great find for the Cavaliers, and he’s certainly played his way into this position of being a contender for a full NBA deal.