Larry Nance Jr. reportedly signs four-year, $45 million extension with Cavs

Larry Nance Jr. has signed an extension with the Cavaliers just before the deadline for rookie extension hit.

According to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, Nance has signed an extension with the Cavs for four years and $45 million. No further details of the deal are available at this time.

Nance Jr., 25, has been with the Cavs since being acquired from the Lakers at last year’s trade deadline. He is also the son of the Larry Nance Sr., who has his No. 22 jersey retired by Cleveland. Nance Jr. wore No. 24 in his first few games with the Cavs before switching to No. 22.

At first glance, this seems like a fair deal for Nance Jr. He is considered a key part of the team going forward post-LeBron James and has a local appeal due to his father being an iconic Cavalier. Nance also genuinely seems to love playing in Cleveland, and that’s a plus too.

Per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Nance’s contract deescalates over the course of its four years. The first year is worth $12.7 million and goes down from there. He will make $2.27 million this year.

How this deal ultimately turns out likely depends on how Nance Jr. evolves going forward. Right now, his best attributes are his ability to run the floor, his energy level and his athleticism. He’s a solid defender and rebounder too. This summer, Nance Jr. talked about wanting to expand his game and he’s shown flashes of being able to shoot from 18-feet and out. If he can develop those parts of his games, this deal looks like a steal for the Cavs. If he doesn’t, or only kind of improves, then this deal is still fine.