Emoni Bates' basketball journey hasn't been a storybook one.
The once-upon-a-time No. 1 recruit in the entire country never panned out in college, in part due to off-court issues, and he's never made it work in the NBA, either.
He has stuck around with the Cavs for a couple seasons, but Cleveland won't be keeping him any longer, either.
According to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, the Cavaliers "did not tender a two-way qualifying offer" to Bates.
That will make Bates an unrestricted free agent.
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The 6-foot-10 Michigan native was Cleveland's second-round pick in 2023 at 49th overall.
He has played in a total of 25 NBA games across two seasons.
In those limited minutes, Bates has averaged 3.1 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game while making one-third of his 3-point attempts.
Bates is still just 21 years old, despite the fact that it seems like eons ago that he was the next big thing.
Another team will surely take a chance on him. Players with Bates' pedigree and talent don't just fade into the night that quickly.
But it won't be the Cavaliers trying to unlock Bates' potential any longer.
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