Ex-Cavs’ 1st-round pick taking his talents to Southern Hemisphere

After five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sharpshooting swingman Dylan Windler has decided to take his talents, not to South Beach, but to the Southern Hemisphere. On Thursday, the Cavs’ former first-round pick signed a deal with the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s NBL, or National Basketball League. Prior to joining the Wildcats, Dylan Windler had split time with the Cavs, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks. He also played 29 regular season games in the G League.

The Wildcats announced their Dylan Windler acquisition on X, formerly Twitter, as they celebrated completing their roster for the 2024-25 campaign.

Cavs’ Dylan Windler moves on

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Windler might have attracted the Wildcats’ attention due to his high-level shooting, athleticism, and rebounding. During his stint with the New York Knicks’ G League affiliate, he once grabbed a Kevin Love-esque 33 rebounds, setting a new league record.

“Dylan will bring a high level of shot-making to the group. Rebounding has been something consistently has shown he can do at a high level for his position. Those two traits alone should help the Wildcats,” head coach John Rillie said.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats GM Danny Mills concurred.

“We believe Dylan is an excellent addition to our returning group of players, completing our roster for the NBL25 season. With five years of NBA experience, his strengths with his perimeter shooting, rebounding from the wing, and athleticism perfectly align with what we were seeking for this final roster spot,” Mills said.

For his part, Dylan Windler seems excited to join the Wildcats in a new continent.

“I’ve done a little bit of research in the time leading up to my decision, and I quickly noticed the winning tradition that Perth has carried for a long time in the NBL,” the former Cavs first round pick said. “I plan on bringing a winning mentality and work ethic to the team, doing whatever I need to do to help the team succeed.”

Turnaround

As Windler said, the Cavs have slowly built a tradition of winning that started with their historic selection of LeBron James in 2003. James turned the team from a perennial bottom-feeder in the Eastern Conference to an NBA champion in 2016.

After his departure, the Cavs have continued its winning ways, despite losing in five games to the Boston Celtics last season. Since then, they’ve extended Donovan Mitchell to a new contract . They’ve also locked in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley to new deals . The team’s core of Mitchell, Allen, Mobley, and Darius Garland should see more playoff battles in the foreseeable future, a positive sign for the Land.

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