The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed a new player to their organization, but not in a simple maneuver.
The Cavs only have their new guy thanks to an odd contract pivot that involved the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The news of the Cavaliers’ signing broke overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, so fans might be waking up and seeing this news from the perspective of both organizations.
It’s a bit confusing, but we’ll break it down here.
Cavs Sign Norchad Omier
The Cavaliers are signing Norchad Omier to a two-way deal, according to NBA reporter Michael Scotto.
Update: After agreeing to a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Norchad Omier has changed his mind and plans to sign a two-way deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources told @hoopshype.
The Timberwolves now have an open two-way spot after waiving Enrique Freeman.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) November 4, 2026
Omier has previously spent time in the Cavs’ organization and is a history-making player — he’s the first player born in Nicaragua to play in the NBA.
He has played six games for the Los Angeles Clippers, all in the 2025-26 season.
Omier first signed with the Cavs after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft but was waived in October 2025, which is what led him to the Clippers.
The Timberwolves signed Omier in September to an Exhibit 10 contract for training camp, but they waived him in mid-October before conceptually bringing him back now — only for the situation to flip.
What Happened With Norchad Omier?
This is a good explanation of the situation provided on social media from a tuned-in G League follower:
Omier elected to not join Iowa Wolves as they didn’t trade for his returning rights and instead returned to the Charge before the G League draft. He didn’t get the Exhibit 10 bonus as a result and was on a G League contract.
A similar thing happened with Jahmi’us Ramsey in 2024 with the Raptors and OKC Blue when Ramsey returned to the OKC Blue rather than play for the 905
When I saw Omier returned to the Charge and was not getting the E10 bonus, it made me more interested to see if the Cavs were interested in signing him on a two-way and was even thinking about this earlier today. This now means that Tristan Enaruna, Riley Minix or Ernest Udeh Jr. will be waived. Minix and Enaruna’s rights belong to the Charge and a different G League team could trade for them if they want to look at them for a two-way. Udeh Jr. could be brought back as in-season affiliate for the Charge
For Iowa, with Freeman’s injury, let’s see if they add front court depth on their open two-way. Iowa could bring Freeman back as an in season affiliate player since he doesn’t have returning rights
#cavs #charge #wolves
— TheNBA2KGLeagueShow (@GleagueFan) November 4, 2026
Essentially, it seemed that Omier had his reasons to not sign this latest deal with the Timberwolves and instead choose the Cavs.
It’s likely that the initial reporting came out before any contracts were signed, and so while Omier may seem like he did a last-minute switch here — and he likely did — it also likely wasn’t as dramatic as the pivot in reports made it seem.
He simply made a choice at the last second to pursue a different opportunity.
Cavaliers Sign Forward Who Pivoted From Timberwolves Contract