Larry Nance Jr. falling out of Cavaliers' rotation leaves many questions

An interesting situation on the Cleveland Cavaliers seems to be brewing regarding the reduction of playing time for veteran Larry Nance Jr.

Oct 31, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) looks to shoot beside Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off an impressive 118-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, with the big story being the injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who left early with a groin injury. There was another storyline that wasn't discussed in the game.

Veteran forward Larry Nance Jr. returned to the Cavaliers after a five-year absence to be a role player on the team. That role has slowly diminished to the point of not even stepping on the court for a single minute.

Nance did not participate in the game against the Bucks as he sat on the bench. Instead, his minutes were distributed to second-year forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Thomas Bryant.

Tomlin finished with two points, two rebounds, and one assist in 12 minutes of action. Bryant had only two rebounds and a missed three-point shot in seven minutes.

The trend has been for a while for Nance, as he started the season with 17 minutes per game in 10 appearances. Nance didn't even play in the last game and has only played 12 total minutes in the previous two games he's actually stepped on the court for.

Cleveland's fan base is starting to wonder what is going on with the Cavs, given that they're not even playing Nance. It's understandable to put Tomlin in and give him more minutes, as the team wants to see if the 24-year-old has a chance to play more in the future.

He has steadily improved over the last month with his mid-range and close-range shots improving, and has flexed his defensive muscles with five blocks and six steals in the previous five contests.

The Cavs have been giving Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Thomas Bryant more tick recently. #LetEmKnow@robertwatsonII1 explains what Kenny's rotations mean for Larry Nance Jr.

Presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/mPSzr3rHMX pic.twitter.com/fWFIz5GlOf

— The BIG Factor (@TheBIGFactor) November 18, 2025

Bryant is the more interesting case study for Cleveland, as he's more of a post presence for rebounding and defense than for anything on offense. Bryant is only shooting 46% from the field, with all seven of his misses being from the three-point line.

Despite having seven rebounds in last week's win over the Miami Heat, he's been held to just two in the last two games.

Nance can still do a lot for the Cavaliers team, whether it's shooting the ball or rebounding. Many are now wondering whether Cleveland is beginning to phase him out of the team or if there is something more to the story.

Cavs fans will be watching with much interest to see if Nance gets his minutes back in the next few games or if they have seen the last of him in a Cavaliers uniform.