Cavs sign Lamar Stevens to multi-year contract

Per a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Lamar Stevens to a multi-year contract.

Stevens, 23, is a rookie out of Penn State who went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft. He originally signed with Cleveland on a two-way deal, but hasn’t played with the Canton Charge this year due to the Cavs, like other NBA teams, keeping two-way players around instead sending them to the G League bubble.

Stevens has appeared in 37 games with the Cavs, averaging 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. He’s been out of the rotation of late, but earlier this season had a game-winning dunk against the Hawks.

Sources tell Fear the Sword that Stevens’ contract is structured similarly to Dean Wade’s. The exact numbers are not known, but Wade’s deal is a team friendly multi-year deal containing multiple non-guarantees. It pays him $1.5 million this year, $1.8 million next year and $1.9 million in 2022-23 if he’s on the roster before he hits restricted free agency. If the Cavs cut him before a certain point, then his salary is off the books.

Stevens is an interesting prospect in that he’s 6’6” and 230 pounds on the wing. That’s really good size and it’s worth keeping around for the next few years at a low cost. And by getting him on an actual deal vs. a two-way deal, Cleveland can keep him in house vs. letting another team try and pick him up. He’ll need to improve his shot — his three-point shot is non-existent right now — but maybe it develops in time. He’s certainly worth a longer look.