The Cavaliers moved Nae'Qwan Tomlin from day-to-day to out on Tuesday's injury report with a back injury, and Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports a lower back stress reaction that will cost him several weeks. The expected return date is November 16, so Tomlin will miss the season opener at Philadelphia on Thursday and the first few weeks of the schedule.
What happened
Tomlin was downgraded to out on the injury report issued Tuesday, October 20, at 11:24 AM ET. The listing is for his back, under the torso category. He had been day-to-day with the same back issue since October 8. The report's comment says Tomlin is set to miss several weeks with a lower back stress reaction, as reported by Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The expected return is November 16. The 25-year-old forward joins Sam Merrill, day-to-day with a right elbow, and Khalifa Diop, day-to-day with a left knee, on the Cavaliers' report.
What it means for the Cavaliers
Cleveland opens the 2026-27 season at the 76ers on Thursday, October 22, at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN, and Tomlin will not be in uniform. Last season he played 64 games at 15.7 minutes a night, averaging 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists, which made him a regular piece of the forward rotation. With no regular-season games played yet, there is no record with or without him. The minutes behind the starters fall to Jaylon Tyson, De'Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill, who sat in the 26-to-27 minute range in games Tomlin missed, with Merrill's own elbow status something to track before Thursday.
What to watch
The next injury report ahead of Thursday's opener in Philadelphia will confirm whether Merrill and Diop are available alongside the Tomlin absence. The expected return date of November 16 covers roughly the first four weeks of the season, so Tomlin's status should stay at out through the early schedule. Any change to that date, or any update on the stress reaction, would come through the injury report or further reporting from Fedor.
Is Nae'Qwan Tomlin playing at the 76ers on Thursday?
No. Tomlin is listed as out with a lower back stress reaction and is expected to miss several weeks, so he will not play in the season opener at Philadelphia on Thursday, October 22.
When will Nae'Qwan Tomlin be back?
The expected return date is November 16. Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports he will miss several weeks with a lower back stress reaction. No firmer date has been announced.