UNC Basketball: Pete Nance signs with Cleveland

The 2023 NBA Draft did not see any Carolina players selected, but graduate transfer Pete Nance became the second Tar Heel to sign with a team. After the Hornets signed Leaky Black on a two-way deal, the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Nance to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Nance will have an opportunity to impress, but he’ll have to do it quickly. He’ll play with Cleveland’s squad in the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, starting July 7th. If he does well, he’ll go to training camp and compete for a roster spot, or at least a two-way or G-League contract.

Like Leaky Black, Nance will have an opportunity to impress his hometown team. Nance’s father, Larry Nance Sr, was a two-time All-Star for the Cavs and has settled in the local area. Pete starred for Revere High School, which is a mere 27-minute drive to the Rocket Mortgage Field House.

Nance’s brief tenure at UNC was disappointing, much like the entire team’s 2022-23 season. On paper, he was a perfect replacement for folk hero Brady Manek, but they were two very different players. His 3P% dropped from 45.2% in his senior season at Northwestern to 32% at Carolina. He did suffer a lower back injury early in the season that hampered him, forcing him to wear a heat belt deep into game warm-ups.

When the season closed and he got healthier, he showed a level of athleticism that Manek never did, becoming an effective shot blocker at the rim. And he’ll always have a mention in Tar Heel history thanks to this crazy buzzer beater to take Ohio State to overtime (and eventually win!) in Madison Square Garden:

Look out for Nance and Black this summer during Summer League action.