NBA Notes: Cavs, Tre Mann, Kings, Darius Acuff Jr, Pelicans

Cavaliers

Tre Mann may have been acquired primarily for financial reasons, but the newest Cavaliers guard could have something to offer if he remains on the roster.

Zach Weiss of Cavs on SI notes that Mann has shown an ability to provide instant offense when given regular minutes. After struggling to find a consistent role in Oklahoma City, Mann averaged roughly 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in 28 games with Charlotte in 2023-24, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.

His role diminished last season, when he averaged about six points and two assists in 12 minutes over 53 games. Still, Weiss views Mann as a potentially useful reserve who can give Cleveland some scoring when injuries or rest create opportunities.

Of course, whether Mann ever fills that role remains to be seen.

The Cavs acquired him from the Hornets in the Dennis Schroder trade, saving roughly $6.8 million in salary. Mann has two years and $16 million remaining on his contract and could conceivably be rerouted if the Cavs make another move. They continue to be linked to forwards Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga.

If he stays, though, Mann gives Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson another experienced guard behind Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, along with youngsters Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor.

Kings

The Kings aren’t exactly hiding their plans for rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr.

As Logan Struck of NBA on SI writes, Sacramento has yet to add a traditional backup point guard after selecting Acuff with the No. 7 overall pick, a strong indication that the Kings intend to give the 19-year-old every opportunity to play immediately.

Malik Monk can handle the ball with the second unit, but Sacramento’s only notable pursuit of another point guard involved Russell Westbrook, who ultimately retired. Reports indicated the Kings envisioned Westbrook primarily as a veteran mentor for Acuff rather than a major rotation piece.

A Kings executive also offered a glowing assessment of Acuff to Spotrac’s Keith Smith during Summer League.

“Beyond excited doesn’t even begin to convey how we feel about Darius,” the executive said. “He’s already taking on a leadership role. He’s a true franchise guy that we can build around.”

Acuff averaged 19.0 points and 5.3 assists in Summer League.

Pelicans

The Pelicans have agreed to a two-way contract with undrafted rookie forward Malik Dia, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

Dia, who played collegiately at Ole Miss, averaged 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds for New Orleans during Summer League.

The 6-foot-9 forward went undrafted in June before joining the Pelicans in Las Vegas and doing enough to earn a longer look.

New Orleans now has Dia under team control on a two-way deal, giving the Pelicans another developmental frontcourt option heading into training camp.