Israeli point guard Noam Yaacov moved a step closer to fulfilling his NBA dream Friday, signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers that could open the door to a place on the team's roster.
The 21-year-old, who recently agreed to join Cleveland's G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers. The deal will allow him to participate in the team's training camp and compete for an opportunity in the NBA, although it does not guarantee him a place on the regular-season roster.
Yaacov's move comes after his plans to play college basketball in the United States fell through. In June, he signed with the University of Utah, but the NCAA subsequently ruled him ineligible. After his appeal was rejected, the Israeli national team guard decided to pursue a professional route through Cleveland's developmental organization.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed training camp agreement based on the NBA minimum salary, approximately $1.35 million, with additional financial incentives. It allows teams to evaluate players during the preseason while retaining a pathway for them to join their G League affiliate.
The Cavaliers can release Yaacov during the preseason without his salary counting against their salary cap. They can also convert his agreement into a two-way contract before the regular season, which would allow him to split time between the Cavaliers and the Charge while earning guaranteed compensation.
Yaacov arrives in Cleveland after an impressive breakout season with Belgian club Oostende, where he averaged 17.2 points, six assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. It was the first season in which he was given a leading role as a point guard, and he delivered consistently before Oostende suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Antwerp in the decisive fifth game of the Belgian playoff finals.
Before his spell in Belgium, Yaacov played for French club ASVEL Villeurbanne, Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He now joins one of the Eastern Conference's leading franchises. Cleveland finished last season fourth in the conference with a 52-30 record and reached the Eastern Conference finals, where it was swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The previous season, the Cavaliers finished first in the East before falling to Indiana in the conference semifinals.
The Cavaliers are led by All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, while their roster also includes 36-year-old James Harden, who signed a three-year, $97 million contract extension last month.
For Yaacov, the Exhibit 10 agreement represents an opportunity rather than a guaranteed breakthrough. His immediate challenge will be to impress Cleveland's coaching staff and turn his G League opportunity into a place in the NBA.