When the Cleveland Cavaliers elected to bring back veteran Center Thomas Bryant , it was likely in an effort to make the most of a complicated situation. After all, with Bryant only inking a 1-year deal the prior offseason, it was a large possibility that he would depart following the conclusion of the 2025-26 postseason.
That would have left a sizable hole at backup Center. And with limited assets to spare as well as an extremely difficult cap situation to navigate, they faced a reality in which they could possibly have to rely on unproven talent to make up for his departure.
So they did the next best thing. They brought back the experienced vet on another 1-year deal.
And while the preseason environment can only provide us with so much to evaluate, it does give players an opportunity to sharpen their skills, get into game shape and maybe even impress a coaching staff enough to warrant rotation opportunities.
In the case of the 9-year veteran, Bryant is likely fighting for more than just spot duty here and there. He's engaged in a war for rotational minutes on a nightly basis. His preseason stat line displayed just how productive he can be, albeit in a limited capacity.
Across Cleveland's 3 preseason outings, he posted averages of 9.3 Points, 3.3 Rebounds and 0.7 Blocks, despite seeing the floor for just 8.4 minutes per game. But the most impressive part of his production was the efficiency he tended to operate with.
Bryant managed to convert on 10/13 attempts from the field, including 4 of his 6 attempts from long range. He found several ways to contribute as he cut to the basket, ran the floor in transition, and provided Cleveland with a few additional possessions via his work on the offensive glass. In fact, his 4 offensive boards were tied with Peyton Watson, another active presence , for 2nd on the team this preseason.
He had several putbacks and tip-ins. That type of activity can only serve to benefit a team that loves to hoist the 3PT looks. And speaking of the perimeter shot, Bryant provided Cleveland with a spacing outlet in his short stints on the court.
As mentioned before, he drilled 4 of his 6 attempts from beyond the arc. But the more important factor to consider was how those looks were generated.
The Indiana product functioned as a pick-and-popper or got back into the corners after well-timed screens only to be set up with Cleveland looks from various ballhandlers. The defense was not respecting his ability to shoot and he made them pay for leaving him enough space to pull the trigger.
It shouldn't come as a surprise as we got to experience this area of his game first-hand last year, but it wasn't frequent or consistent enough.
On the opposite end of the floor, I don't think anyone would mistake him for a one of the league's premier interior defenders, but he can act as a deterrent with his size. He can reject shots but is a much better help defender than paint protector. If paired in lineups with Evan Mobley , this becomes less pronounced.
Overall, it was a solid showing from a player the Cavaliers know they can turn too if needed. The question for Bryant, is how much exactly he will be turned too. Stay tuned.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/onsi as Thomas Bryant's Preseason Numbers Are Quietly Better Than Expected .
