From Melbourne to Cleveland: Luke Travers is putting up numbers

Luke Travers has elevated his game to a new level in the NBA G League, posting a career-first triple double in December.

When Luke Travers was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022, it was anyone’s guess as to when, or if, he would make the proverbial leap and become an NBA player. The Perth product spent two years honing his craft in the NBL, with a handful of summer league appearances to boot, and earned a two-way deal with Cleveland going in to the 2024-25 season. This was perhaps sooner than many had expected, and a testament to Travers’ growth in the NBL.

But while Travers appeared to be on the cusp of achieving his NBA dream, he was facing a season of learning and development in the NBA’s second tier competition - the G League. Nonetheless, Travers has gone on to make six regular season appearances for Cleveland, in addition to five for their G League affiliate. While he has been used sparingly in his NBA games, that’s hardly surprising since the Cavaliers currently hold the best record in the league. For Travers to crack the roster of a team with a 26-4 record (at the time of writing), he has to be nothing short of extraordinary.