Cavs sign JT Thor to two-way contract

The Cavaliers make their first off-season free agency signing.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have added some much-needed frontcourt depth. According to Shams Charnia of The Athletic, they’ve agreed to a two-way deal with power forward JT Thor. Thor played the previous three seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. The 6’10” big averaged 3.2 points on .437/.346/.550 shooting splits with 2.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.4 blocks per game.

Thor was a part of South Sudan’s Olympic run. He averaged 6.7 points and 4.7 rebounds on 36.4% shooting in the team’s three games before being eliminated.

Thor will likely be injury insurance for the Cavs next season as he won’t be jumping Georges Niang or Dean Wade on the depth chart. Thor could inhabit a role similar to Mamadi Diakite’s two seasons ago. While that isn’t too exciting, it is an important function that needs to be filled and wasn’t one they trusted Isaiah Mobley or Pete Nance to fulfill last season.

The Cavs still have three regular roster spots open and two two-way slots currently available after the signing. This doesn’t include either Isaac Okoro and Emoni Bates who are both restricted free agents and expected to return to the team.

This move could signal that the two-way spots are filled for the start of next season. Bates will likely take one of those roles and Luke Travers could grab the other. Travers was recently granted release from his NBL team to pursue “NBA opportunities.”