Tacko Fall agrees to one-year, non-guaranteed deal with Cavaliers, per report

Tacko Fall has agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Fall has spent the past two seasons on two-way deals with the Boston Celtics, but played only 169 minutes in the NBA in that time. Cleveland only has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, so in theory, Fall will have a chance to earn a full-time spot on its roster at training camp. 

Fall has become a fan favorite since reaching the NBA in 2019. The 7-5 big man averaged 10.1 points and 2.4 blocks per game in a strong collegiate career at Central Florida that ended when his upset bid of Zion Williamson’s Duke team fell just short in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. He went undrafted from there before catching on with the Celtics, whose fans loved his size and affable personality. He famously became a prop when Aaron Gordon jumped over him in the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest, but that ultimately wasn’t enough to secure the win for Gordon. 

Fall was productive across 29 games with the G-League’s Maine Red Claws, averaging 12.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, but his immense size also limits his mobility. In an NBA obsessed with mobile big men, that has become a liability. Further complicating matters for Fall is Cleveland’s crowded front court. The Cavs gave Jarrett Allen $100 million and Lauri Markkanen $64 million this offseason. They used the No. 3 overall pick on Evan Mobley, and at the moment, it appears as though Kevin Love is uninterested in a buyout. Minutes are going to be sparse in Cleveland. 

But the Cavs are giving Fall a chance. A strong training camp could earn Fall a roster spot, or failing that, an opportunity to latch on elsewhere. The ball is in his court now.