Meet Jaylon Tyson, Cavs' young wing who could be X-factor in NBA title chase

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The Cleveland Cavaliers had a last-minute starting lineup change for the season opener.

De'Andre Hunter was ruled out. So into the starting lineup came Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson's name is familiar to Cavs fans, but maybe not to the wide NBA world.

But if Cleveland is to live up to its ceiling and truly chase a championship, it'll need Tyson to deliver.

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Who is Jaylon Tyson?

Jaylon Tyson is a second-year forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and played sparingly as a rookie.

He's originally from Plano, Texas, where he won a state championship as a junior.

Tyson bounced around in college, from Texas to Texas Tech and finally to Cal.

In his final college season, Tyson put up 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

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The Cavs drafted him knowing they had a deep rotation and he'd get a lot of development and not a lot of playing in year one.

In 2024-25, Tyson averaged 9.6 NBA minutes per game, averaging 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

He'll likely see much more time in the new season, and he'll have to prove he can make some plays and hit some shots.

If he can, it deepens Cleveland's rotation with his first-round talent and gives the Cavs one more way to match up with tough opponents.