IN HIS first outing in an NBA jersey, Aussie point guard Tyrese Proctor caught the eye as his Cleveland Cavaliers fell to a fast-finishing Indiana Pacers in their Summer League clash earlier today.

Proctor was drafted by the Cavaliers with the 49th overall selection at the 2025 NBA Draft last month, following an impressive few years with the Duke Blue Devils. Initially considered a top-10 draft prospect, the Australian may be a steal if he can reach the potential initially shown in his first two campaigns with the Blue Devils.

The Cavaliers looked in the box seat for most of the contest, and led by 10 points with just over two and a half minutes to play after a strong performance throughout the match. However, as they did throughout the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Pacers stormed home in the closing stages, sneaking home to a one-point triumph.

Despite the result being less than ideal, the performance of Proctor was a massive positive for the Cavaliers, who may have found a key part of their backcourt for the future.

Cleveland Cavaliers (115) def. by Indiana Pacers (116)

Tyrese Proctor – 14 points, one rebound, two assists, two steals

It was an encouraging outing for Proctor, who played the shooting guard position for Cleveland and hit the scoreboard for his new side, and if he keeps up this level of production, could see some early playing time in the NBA.

The Aussie opened his account with a nice drive into the paint, scoring at the cup in the opening minutes of the contest. It was his only score of the period, but he did show his defensive prowess with a steal in the first quarter too, which is one of the biggest strengths in his game.

One of the biggest areas he improved his game of late is his long-range shooting, and it was on display in the opening minutes of the second frame, showing plenty of confidence by pulling up for a three-pointer and nailing the shot. After a quick stint on the bench, Proctor returned and nailed a second long-range bomb for the quarter, showing just how prominent he can be when playing at the two.

Proctor played more of a passing role to start the second half, racking up a pair of assists in the first couple of minutes of the third quarter and showing his ability to play the point guard position. It was not his most productive scoring term, but he did show how strong his feel for the game is with a nice tip-in from an offensive board, making a play above his size.

It was the perfect start to the final frame for the Aussie, who nailed a third triple of the match to put the Cavs up by five points. However, the Pacers ended up storming home in the final minutes of the fourth frame, and although Proctor missed the go-ahead basket late, it was still encouraging Cleveland entrusted the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

He finished the contest with 14 points on 5/13 shooting from the field, and most importantly looking confident in his own scoring ability and finding the bottom of the net across all four quarters in a solid first showing.