Cavs sign Sindarius Thornwell to one-year deal

According The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Cavs have signed Sindarius Thornwell to a one-year contract.

Thornwell, 25, is a 6’5” who was originally picked by the Bucks in the second-round out of South Carolina in 2017 before having his draft rights traded to the Clippers. In two NBA seasons, he’s averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He’s also spent some time in the G-League. In six appearances last season with the Aqua Caliente Clippers, he averaged 14.7 points per game.

Thornwell’s value in the NBA is as a defender who can defend a few different spots. He doesn’t have a three-point shot, as he shot 20% on 0.2 attempts per game in the NBA last season, so there’s a David Nwaba-y vibe to him. Per ESPN, he was the 16th best defensive shooting guard in the NBA last season. His low minutes per game total (4.9) makes that a slightly mislead stat to based on. In 2017-18, when he played 15.8 minutes per game, he was fourth in DRPM.

From a fit perspective, Thornwell fills a need as a defense-first wing. Is he going to make the Cavs’ defensive significantly better? Probably not. But he at least gives the team another body on the wing and one with a different skill set than anyone else on Cleveland’s roster. Despite his lack of a shot, Thornwell feels like someone the Cavs can use and someone worth taking a risk on a one-year deal.