Larry Nance Jr., Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Larry Nance Jr. joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018, traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Cavs in LeBron James‘ final season in Ohio. The move gave Cleveland a versatile forward in Nance, but also cleared the cap space the Lakers needed to sign James the following summer.
Whatever the motives that landed him there, Nance embraced being a Cavalier, becoming a voice of leadership as the team changed from contending to rebuilding around him. He honed his defensive game, improved his passing and may have been the team’s best player in 2020-21.