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Cavs signed Thomas Bryant so quickly to foil an Eastern Conference rival originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't waste any time signing Thomas Bryant to a new contract.
He'll be back with the Cavs for 2026-27, it was reported on Monday, and there's a reason the Cavaliers acted so quickly.
They didn't want to let the Indiana Pacers get involved.
NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Monday that if the Cavs hadn't pounced on Bryant, the Pacers were expected to get involved.
Bryant had come to Cleveland from Indiana, where he had a heroic playoff game against the New York Knicks as part of their run to the 2025 NBA Finals.
The Pacers had a throwaway 2025-26 season with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year, but they're expected to contend again quickly.
Bryant would've helped their cause, but the Cavaliers are keeping him around instead.
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He's a great energy guy off the bench -- both when he's not in the game, and when he gets onto the floor.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley dominate the frontcourt minutes in Cleveland, so it takes a certain type of personality to deal with the limited playing time and still be upbeat for his teammates.
From the outside looking in, it seems like Bryant has figured that out.
The fact that the Cavs moved so quickly to keep him suggests that they feel the same way.
Cleveland has also been speculated in recent years in rumors about trading either Mobley or Allen to downsize a bit. Nothing is swirling specifically here at the end of June, but if those thoughts pop up again at some point, having Bryant around as quality depth is useful, too.
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