Cleveland Cavaliers sign Pete Nance to 10-day contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing Pete Nance to a 10-day contract according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Nance is an undrafted rookie who spent four seasons at Northwestern before transferring to the University of North Carolina for a final season.

Nance was on the team’s training camp roster before being assigned to the Cleveland Charge. In 21 games in the G League, the rookie is averaging 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on .495/.365/.778 shooting splits.

Pete will be the third member of his immediate family to play for the Cavaliers joining his father Larry Nance and his older brother Larry Nance, Jr. As much as Pete has tried to create his own name, following in his father and brother’s footprints has been something he’s accustomed to.

“I’ve been dealing with that my whole life, especially growing up around here,” said Nance at Charge media day earlier this season. “I walk in the gym and people have certain expectations of me already. Even when I was in fifth grade, I better be the best one on the floor because of who my dad is. So I definitely struggled with that a lot when I was younger.

“But as I’ve gotten older, I’m super thankful for my dad and my brother and my sister. To be able to have them in my corner, I feel like I’m definitely at an advantage being a rookie and being able to have them to ask questions to and just give me a lot of guidance. I’m just super grateful to have this last name and I’m just looking to blaze my own trail at the same time.”

The 6’10” center remains an intriguing prospect. He has displayed great touch from beyond the arc as his season with the Charge has progressed. After being hesitant to pull from distance, Nance has shown an increased willingness to let it fly. Last Wednesday was a good example of this as Nance attempted 10 triples and knocked down five of them en route to a 27-point triple-double in a win over the Indiana Mad Ants.

Nance doesn’t have the most well-rounded offensive game and sometimes struggles to convert inside the arc. However, it isn’t difficult to talk yourself into a three-point shooting center who has great size and is a solid rebounder. How his three-point shot continues to develop will likely determine how long he’s able to remain in the league.

The Cavaliers were forced to sign a 14th man to the roster by Thursday with Ricky Rubio’s retirement becoming official. Cleveland still has an additional roster spot open after the signing. I would expect the Cavs to keep that spot available until after the deadline and convert Craig Porter, Jr.’s two-way contract to a standard deal sometime after Nance’s ten-day contract expires. This move seems to indicate that Nance is first in line to receive the team’s final two-way contract once Porter, Jr.’s contract is converted.