Cleveland opts for more backcourt help with their first second-round selection.
The Cleveland Cavaliers used the first of their two second-round picks on combo guard Tyrese Proctor from Duke University.
The 6’5” guard played three seasons at Duke. He averaged 12.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on .452/.405/.680 shooting splits. He was also named Third Team All-ACC this past season.
Proctor is known for his shooting and passing. He went 13-16 from distance in Duke’s first two NCAA tournament games. He cooled off some in the ensuing games, but still finished the tournament shooting 55.2% from three. That’s a pretty good showing in high-stakes games.
Here’s a snippet of what Nick Agar-Johnson from No Ceilings wrote about Proctor’s shooting:
He’s continued his upward trajectory as a jump shooter, ranking in the 94th percentile on jump shots per Synergy, and he’s mostly maintained the steps forward he took as a finisher (shooting 51% inside the arc this season after finishing last season at 52% on two-pointers). The shot, once a swing skill for Proctor, has become his main selling point.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have selected Duke’s Tyrese Proctor with the No. 49 pick. They will be rostering this pick.
Sweet-shooting Australian who played multiple roles at the college level, showcasing his ability to function on and off the ball, helping Duke to the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/w70aSxBBrg
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025
Proctor has been efficient with multiple types of three-point shots. He connected on 37.2% of his catch-and-shoot threes and 40.5% on his pull-up threes this past season. That is encouraging as he will be someone who will likely be asked to play with and without the ball at the professional level.
Proctor’s assist numbers from this past season are much lower than his previous two where he averaged 3.3 and 3.7 helpers per game. That’s partially due to moving to a more off-ball role last season.
According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, finishing ability and athleticism were among the reasons why Proctor was expected to fall to the second round.
At-rim finishing: Below-the-rim player despite his height. He doesn’t explode at the basket and looks more like a finesse player than a power driver. Synergy data shows he made only 49.3% of his layups as a Duke junior.
Athleticism: Lacks elite athletic traits, both vertically and with his first step. He may be better suited as one of a team’s multiple creators, rather than a lead option.
Ball handling and an inability of role players to hit outside shots led to Cleveland’s downfall in their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers. A second-round pick isn’t going to solve those issues, however, those are both skills an NBA team can’t have enough of. That’s especially on a team that could potentially lose either or both of Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill in free agency.
Cavs general manager Mike Gansey confirmed that Proctor will be on a standard roster spot. The team had “almost” a first-round grade for him. That made it easy for them to give him one instead of a two-way deal, which they’ve done with other recent second-round picks.