Winning Travers ready to rise

Luke Travers may have returned to Melbourne a champion, but the 2023 NBA Summer League winner believes his recent triumph with the Cleveland Cavaliers is just the beginning of a crucial season in the scheme of his career. 

Travers made his second Summer League appearance with the Cavaliers this year, following his debut in the competition last season.

The 56^th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft played a crucial role in Cleveland’s triumph the in tournament, and says his experience was far different this time than last season.

“I feel like last year was a little bit more development because we had a high draft pick,” Travers told RSN. “But this year not so much.

"Obviously not many people get to experience that sort of thing. To be able to go over there and win it all is something I feel like the Cavs wanted to do.

“I feel like everyone wanted to win rather than play for contracts, which you find pretty often over there.

“I feel like what I showed was the ability to play a role, it wasn’t to score 20 points – it never really is – but to be able to defend the best guy or space the floor, but also playmake as well.

“It was good to show that, but coming back (to the NBL) it’s given me a lot of confidence as well to do that at that level and come back and hopefully take it up a notch.

“To be able to have that under my belt is a good start to this campaign ... hopefully an NBL championship next.”

Travers’ return to Melbourne has been something of a case of out of the fireplace, and into the fire.

Following his Summer League stint with the Cavaliers, he has returned to Melbourne to face off against some of the top NBA talent Australia has to offer. Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, and former United pair Jock Landale and Jack White are all in town ahead of the Boomers’ pre-World Cup training camp, and they’re all training with Melbourne in the interim.

The quartet has taken part in a number of high profile sessions among the United roster, and Travers says Melbourne is the best place for him to continue developing.

“It’s a lot of playing at the moment, as I’m sure a lot of people have seen,” Travers said of Melbourne’s pre-season so far.

“We’ve had Josh over, Dyson, Jock, Jack White. We’ve had some high profile runs and it’s really good for everyone, not only for us to be able to prepare against that type of level, but to be able to be in the last couple of days and get used to it and get into a bit of a routine.

“Even just the last couple of days at training [Matthew Dellavedova has] just been helping me in any way he can – and CG (Chris Goulding) as well.

“Those two have been awesome for me and I’m looking forward to a whole season with them as well. He’s done it at the top level so to be able to pick his brain in that part, at the top level of doing that, is something I want to make the most of, and I’m going to try to as well.”

Melbourne’s NBL24 season gets underway on Thursday, September 28 against South East Melbourne.