Better late than never.
The Cleveland Cavaliers on Sept. 2 announced the signing of a player they took in the 2022 NBA Draft with the 39th overall pick.
Khalifa Diop, 6-foot-11, 231 pounds, played the last three seasons with Saki Baskonia of Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
In the 2025-26 season, the native of Senegal appeared in 47 games, starting 38, averaging 3.8 points on 67% shooting to go with 4.2 rebounds and .7 blocks, playing 16.4 minutes per game. Before being drafted he was recognized with EuroCup Rising Star honors while playing for Gran Canaria in Spain. He also played on the Cavs’ 2023 Summer League championship team.
The 24-year-old is not related to 2001 first-round Cavs pick DeSegana Diop. He'll wear jersey No. 18.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers sign their second-round pick from 2022 NBA Draft