Cavs: Lamar Stevens has earned his spot on the Cleveland roster

The Browns weren’t the only one to sign talent today, as the Cavs followed suit with a player of their own. Only instead of it being a free agent, he’s a two-way rookie forward who finally got a full-time contract. That’s right, Lamar Stevens is no longer a two-way player and will be a permanent fixture going forward.

The contract is for four years, with the fourth year being a team option. After the first year, the contract is not fully guaranteed. Stevens is currently averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 13.1 minutes over the course of the season. Stevens is seen as a hustle player who can play good defense and can score in transition.

For the Cavs, Stevens is one of two unexpected bright spots this season, with the other being Dean Wade, another forward who has since earned his spot on the team in the starting rotation while Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen continue to convalesce.

Stevens, a rookie from Penn State University, was signed by the Cavs after earning First Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. During his time with Penn State, he’s averaged 16.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, and just shy of 1.0 BPG during his career, with him peaking as a junior and senior.

With Wade, Kevin Love’s healthy return, Isiah Hartenstein’s emergence, and of course the eventual return of Allen and Nance, the Cavs are pretty secured for big men. The hope for many should be that Stevens is going to be able to play small forward and help the Cavs out as a defensive wing. If he can, then he’ll get reps, especially if Cedi Osman returns to his struggling ways.

Even if Stevens just remains a bench player for the Cavs, at least he’ll be someone they can rely on to play some hustle minutes, and help provide a defensive impact when needed. Even if that’s all he does, that’s still pretty good considering he never was drafted in the first place.