Jaylon Tyson Has a Legitimate Case for Sixth Man of the Year in 2026-27

The rising third-year forward is full of promise. This is a great year for further improvement.

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The sophomore season for Jaylon Tyson in Cleveland was a pleasant surprise. He showed signs during his first Summer League foray, but his on-court opportunities during his rookie season were pretty limited. Tyson entered the rotation from day one in 2025-26 and pretty quickly made a name for himself.

As the team has improved their depth a bit from a year ago, he’ll find himself in a great position to continue as a key contributor. Despite less playoff minutes and opportunities, the stage is set for Tyson to have another fantastic campaign.

Let’s talk about his (legitimate) case for the 6th Man of the Year. It’s compelling.

An Efficient Bucket Getter

Though injuries knocked him out of the lineup a few times last season, it was still a marvelous season for Jaylon Tyson. He increased his scoring average from four to 13 points per game, while grabbing five rebounds a night and hitting over 45% of his threes. 66 appearances and eight games of at least 20 points showed what he could do.

Four of those 20+ point contests came in December, where Tyson clearly had his best month. He peaked the night against the Sixers on January 16th, where he dropped 39 points and dished the game-winning assist to Evan Mobley. He showed that even on his best scoring days, he could dish the rock when the situation called for it. An extremely mature and veteran-type of play in the clutch.

Playing once again with Sam Merrill on the second-unit, he’ll get plenty of opportunities to shine. Tyson did make a number of starts a year ago, but assuming the squad is able to remain healthy, he’ll just be a spot-starter for those rare days. That would be the most ideal role, as the forward did struggle in limited minutes during the postseason.

Not having as many touches or opportunities may have led to a dwindling confidence level. But that’s in the past. This is a guy that showed for a full season what he can do.

Legitimate Versatility

Able to efficiently play both SG and SF, Jaylon Tyson will be able to fit into a number of lineups. Ideally, he’ll go into the game with Sam Merrill at the first sub opportunities of the first quarter.

If Kenny Atkinson keeps things the same as last year, he’d play the final seven minutes of the first quarter, with a few extra changes to start the second. 

In that role, Tyson will have plenty of chances to get his. He’ll be playing with Peyton Watson now, and with James Harden’s return, there will be dimes galore to set him up. The 45% 3PT may not be the same, but it proved he is a capable shooter. Get JT the ball and watch him outwork the rest of the league’s reserves.

Ty Jerome had a strong case for the award a season ago, and two short years later, Tyson will be a real candidate to get CLE the award. He would become the first player in franchise history to grab it.