Cavs to sign Pete Nance to 10-day contract

The Cavaliers intend to sign rookie forward Pete Nance to a 10-day contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Nance, 23, is 6-foot-10 and signed with the Cavs after going undrafted out of North Carolina, then was waived before the start of the regular season.

He has been playing for the nearby Cleveland Charge of the G League since, averaging 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds.

His college career began at Northwestern after playing his high school ball at Revere, outside of Akron. This will be his first NBA in-season contract. 

As you likely know, Nance is the son of Larry Nance, a Cavs legend, and the younger brother of Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr.

“With Pete, you see a lot of versatility,” Charge coach Mike Gerrity said before the season, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “He can step out and he can shoot the 3-point shot. He’s tall enough and athletic enough to where he can mix in his rolls and his pops.”

Gerrity also likes what he sees on defense from Nance.

“On the defensive end, I think the evolution of him is that he becomes a guy that can switch onto multiple positions and guard, and I think we saw that in Summer League with him,” Gerrity said. “That will be something we see more of this year, but also with his athleticism, he protects the paint really well.

“He has the right approach and the mentality of wanting to just keep getting better and growing, and he understands that this isn’t just something that’s just going to happen right away. He knows that this is a process, and I think if he keeps approaching it the way he does, he’ll ultimately get where he needs to go.”

The Cavs needed to fill a roster spot and wanted to reward Nance for his fine play with the Charge, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are signing F/C Pete Nance on a 10-day contract, sources tell ESPN. Nance has averaged 13.5 points and 7.9 rebounds for Cavs’ G League affiliate. He went undrafted in 2023 after spending his final college season at UNC. pic.twitter.com/kkb4I1vuD0

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2024