Former Duke basketball veteran guard Tyrese Proctor had to wait longer than anticipated to hear his name called at the 2025 NBA Draft, as he was selected with the 49th overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Proctor became the fifth Blue Devil to be taken in this draft, following Cooper Flagg (first overall pick to Dallas Mavericks), Kon Knueppel (fourth overall pick to Charlotte Hornets), Khaman Maluach (10th overall pick to Phoenix Suns), and Sion James (33rd overall pick to Charlotte Hornets).

Despite the agonizing wait that Proctor had to go through before hearing his name called, Proctor can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Proctor is coming off his best season as a Blue Devil, tallying career-highs in points per game (12.4), field goal percentage (45.2), and three-point percentage (40.5) as a junior in Durham.

Per ESPN's Malika Andrews, the Cavaliers "really wanted" Proctor on their team, and it's expected that the veteran guard will be on Cleveland's roster next season.

The Cavaliers will be fighting the second apron this summer, the scariest term in the NBA these days. So, Proctor has a great chance to replace a rotation piece currently on Cleveland's roster to free up some money for the franchise.

Proctor is bringing leadership, shooting, and a high basketball IQ over to Cleveland and will have a chance to develop under star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

The 6'6 scoring guard put on flashes of elite shooting ability during his third season with the Blue Devils, highlighted by a ridiculous run through part of the NCAA Tournament. Through Duke's first two tournament games en route to a Final Four appearance, Proctor averaged 22 points per game on an unbelievable 15-of-19 (78.9%) shooting from the floor and 13-of-16 (81%) shooting from behind the arc.

Despite some inconsistency throughout his career as a Blue Devil, Proctor has a chance, similar to fellow Blue Devil second round pick Sion James, to be one of the biggest steals in this class with his maturity, perimeter defensive skills, and shooting ability. It looks like he was drafted into a great situation, as Cleveland will give him an opportunity to contribute right away.