Former Memphis forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin signs with Cleveland Cavaliers

Former Memphis basketball standout Nae’Qwan Tomlin has signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the program announced Saturday afternoon.

The 6-foot-10 forward is the third former Tiger to land an NBA contract this summer. David Jones—one of Tomlin’s teammates last season—signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and Boogie Ellis (who transferred from Memphis to USC in 2021) inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Sacramento Kings. It’s currently unclear what type of contract Tomlin signed with Cleveland.

The 23-year-old joined Memphis last December after his controversial dismissal from Kansas State, which he helped reach the Elite Eight in 2023. Tomlin averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in his short time as a Tiger, but his college career ultimately closed on a sad note.

He and the rest of Penny Hardaway’s club missed the NCAA Tournament despite a 15-2 start and a No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 in mid-January. Memphis lost eight of its last 15 games, and finished the year with a humiliating meltdown against Wichita State in its American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament opener. The Tigers went 13-8 with Tomlin in the rotation.

Tomlin later earned an invite to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, where he averaged 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds on 50% shooting in two scrimmages.

He’ll presumably join former Texas Tech guard Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland’s only 2024 draft pick), former NC State center DJ Burns, former Tiger Emoni Bates and others on the Cavaliers’ NBA Summer League roster.