Nae'Qwan Tomlin
Nae'Qwan Tomlin is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association, on a two-way contract with the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Monroe CC Tribunes, Chipola Indians, Kansas State Wildcats and the Memphis Tigers.
Early life
Tomlin was born in Brooklyn, New York. He moved to Harlem with his mother, Aisha Ismael, when he was aged 10. Tomlin became a fan of basketball through his mother who watched games on television.Tomlin attended Urban Assembly High School in New York City. He did not take his academics seriously and poor grades prevented him from making the basketball team during his only attempt as a senior.
Tomlin played at Rucker Park where he played in a prep league and was noticed by Torrell Harris, the father of basketball player Tobias Harris. Harris sent Tomlin to San Antonio so he could attend Strength N Motion International, a prep school led by George Gervin. Tomlin learned fundamental basketball skills and guidance from Gervin. Harris then helped Tomlin to enroll at Monroe Community College in New York.
College career
Tomlin played for the Monroe CC Tribunes during the 2019–20 season for what was his first stint of organized basketball. He averaged 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. Tomlin then played for the Chipola Indians from 2020 to 2022 and led the team to a combined 53–11 record.Afterwards, Tomlin transferred to the Kansas State Wildcats, helping the team advance to the Elite Eight in 2023. On December 6, 2023, Tomlin was dismissed from Kansas State after being suspended indefinitely following an arrest for disorderly conduct. In his final season, he transferred mid-season to the Memphis Tigers, playing 21 games and averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds, the latter the second most on the team.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Tomlin joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2024 NBA Summer League. On September 24, 2024, he signed with the Cavaliers but was waived that same day. On October 26, he joined the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League.On February 20, 2025, Tomlin signed with the Cavaliers on a 10-day contract. On March 2, the Cavaliers signed him to a two-way contract.