Cavaliers forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin moved from out to cleared on Thursday's official injury report, after a back injury. That makes him available for Cleveland's game at Philadelphia, though a role or minutes plan has not been announced.
What happened
Nae'Qwan Tomlin was cleared on the official injury report at 7:26 PM ET on Thursday, Oct. 22. The Cavaliers forward had been listed as out. The report gave no detail and no comment with the change. The issue on his timeline is his back. He first appeared as day-to-day with a back problem on Thursday, Oct. 8. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, he moved from day-to-day to out. Thursday's update reversed that. No other Cavaliers players are on the report.
What it means for the Cavaliers
Cleveland plays at Philadelphia on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 PM ET on ESPN. The Cavaliers are 0-0, and the 2026-27 season has not started. Tomlin, 25, played 64 games last season. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 15.7 minutes. In games without him, Donovan Mitchell averaged 27.9 points in 33.5 minutes, James Harden 20.5 in 33.8 and Evan Mobley 18.2 in 31.9. Jaylon Tyson (26.9 minutes), Sam Merrill (26.5) and De'Andre Hunter (26.2) also played big minutes. There is no record with and without him yet, because no regular-season games have been played.
What to watch
Watch the next injury report for any change to Tomlin's status. He is cleared, but no minutes limit or role has been announced. The next game on the schedule is Thursday at Philadelphia, 7 PM ET on ESPN. The Cavaliers have no other players on the report, so Tomlin's back was the only item on Cleveland's list going into the game.
Is Nae'Qwan Tomlin playing at 76ers on Thursday?
He was cleared on the official injury report at 7:26 PM ET Thursday, after being listed as out. The game at Philadelphia was scheduled for 7 PM ET on ESPN. Whether he plays, and for how long, has not been announced.
When will Nae'Qwan Tomlin be back?
He is cleared, so he is available to return. He was listed as out on Oct. 20 with a back injury. No minutes limit or other timeline has been announced.