Bates underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Bates will be re-evaluated in approximately one month, by which point a timeline for his return to basketball activities should be more clear. The 2023 second-round pick spent most of his rookie season with the G League Cleveland Charge, and across 18 games he averaged 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists across 34.6 minutes per game. He did appear in 15 games for the Cavaliers during the 2023-24 regular season and averaged 2.7 points across 8.9 minutes per game.
Bates signed a two-way deal with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
Bates was the 49th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft but spent most of his rookie season in the G League after inking a two-way deal. He made 15 NBA appearances last year and averaged 2.7 points in 8.9 minutes per game. Bates possesses enough talent to be an NBA contributor but has to improve his consistency if he's going to carve out a role for the Cavaliers, who've established themselves as potential contenders with Donovan Mitchell at the helm.
Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: Plays nine minutes in loss
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Bates contributed three points (1-5 FG, 1-3 3Pt) and one assist over nine minutes during Thursday's 123-104 loss to the Pelicans.
Bates has seen most of his playing time in the G League recently, but he made an appearance for the parent club during Thursday's blowout loss. While he's a limited contributor for the Cavaliers, he should see an increased role if he returns to the Charge at some point.
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Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: Sees extra run in loss
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Bates produced nine points (3-8 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one block in 23 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 109-91 loss to the Knicks.
With the Cavaliers missing a number of key players, including Darius Garland (hamstring), Jarrett Allen (ankle) and Caris LeVert (hamstring), Bates saw the most court time of his young career and delivered solid numbers. The 19-year-old rookie, who was a second-round pick, won't have a consistent rotational role when everyone is healthy, but he may have put himself on the short-term DFS radar with this performance.
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Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: Leading scorer off bench in victory
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Bates tallied 16 points (6-12 FG, 4-9 3Pt), three rebounds and one assist over 23 minutes in Monday's 120-89 preseason win over Ra'anana.
Bates led all Cavaliers players in scoring, threes made and minutes played in Monday's exhibition contest, his third straight double-digit outing of the preseason. Bates has been a nice contributor for Cleveland so far in the preseason, averaging 12.7 points and 3.0 rebounds over 16.3 minutes in three contests.
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Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: Looks good against Hawks
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Bates produced 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3PT), two rebounds, one steal and one block in 14 minutes during Tuesday's 108-107 preseason loss to Atlanta.
The 49th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bates signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers and is expected to spend plenty of time in the G League. He's definitely a project for the franchise, but it's clear that he offers plenty of long-term intrigue.
Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: All-around performance in win
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Bates recorded 21 points (7-11 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two steals, two blocks and one assist in 27 minutes during Monday's 100-77 Summer League win over the Grizzlies
Bates is one of the Cavaliers' two-way players for the 2023-24 season and should continue to feature heavily for their Summer League squad. He flashed impressive efficiency and defensive versatility in Monday's win.
Bates signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers on Friday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.
Bates was the No. 49 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and will likely spend most of his rookie season in the G League after signing a two-way deal. Maturity issues, legal matters and injury during his college career caused the 2020 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year to drop down draft lists, but he is still highly skilled and has a game that translates well to the NBA. At Eastern Michigan last year, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 19.2 points (42/33/78 shooting splits), 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33.5 minutes.
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Cavaliers' Emoni Bates: Selected by Cavs
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Bates was selected by the Cavaliers with the No. 49 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Maturity issues, legal matters and injury have led to Bates slipping to this point after being an extremely hyped high school prospect. He was the first-ever sophomore in high school to win National Player of the Year. At Eastern Michigan last year, he was named to the All-MAC Third Team while averaging 19.2 points on 41/33/78 shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 33.5 minutes. At this point in the draft, it makes sense for the Cavaliers to shoot for top outcomes.
