Cooper signed a contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.
Cooper spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign with the G League's Cleveland Charge, and he'll now join the Cavaliers ahead of the 2023-24 season. He'll presumably have the chance to compete for a roster spot during camp, but it's certainly possible he winds up back in the G League once the season gets underway.
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Cavaliers' Sharife Cooper: Goes off for 27 points
Rotowire
Cooper logged 27 points (8-11 FG, 2-3 3PT, 9-11 FT), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks in 27 minutes of Friday's 101-97 Summer League win over Brooklyn.
Cooper made 13 brief appearances for the Hawks back in the 2021-22 season before joining the Charge in the G League last season, averaging 22.5 points and 9.0 assists. Cooper's chances of making the Cavaliers are slim after they added Ty Jerome to an already stacked backcourt that includes Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio and Caris LeVert, but Cooper certainly gave them something to think about Friday.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 22 with 23 shots
Rotowire
Cooper notched 22 points (7-23 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, seven assists and a steal across 40 minutes in Friday's loss to Long Island.
The Charge fell short from mounting a fourth-quarter comeback against Long Island, and while Cooper ended with a strong stat line, he struggled with efficiency in a game where Cleveland needed him at his best. He still ended the season as one of the team's best players by a wide margin, though. He averaged 21.3 points and 6.4 assists per game across 25 appearances.
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Sharife Cooper: Double-double against Maine
Rotowire
Cooper had 23 points (9-21 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, 11 assists and three steals across 36 minutes in Wednesday's win over Maine.
Cooper wasn't the leading scorer for the Charge and was one of three starters that surpassed the 20-point mark, but he led the team in assists and was the engine that kept the team going on offense in this upset win, particularly in the second half after struggling with foul trouble in the opening two quarters. Cooper and the Charge will now play against Long Island on Friday.
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Sharife Cooper: Struggles from field Saturday
Rotowire
Cooper had 15 points (3-16 FG, 0-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), three rebounds, eight assists and a steal across 38 minutes in Saturday's overtime loss to Ontario.
Cooper posted a decent stat line overall, but his shooting woes were noticeable. He ended with more field-goal attempts than points scored, which has often been the case in recent weeks. However, he should still be considered the Charge's main scoring threat in the season's final weeks.
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Sharife Cooper: Posts another double-double
Rotowire
Cooper had 26 points (8-17 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, 10 assists and a steal across 32 minutes in Saturday's win over Santa Cruz.
Cooper was one of six Charge players that scored in double digits in this game, but not happy with that, he led the team in both points and assists en route to another double-double, his fourth of the season and third over his last six contests. Cooper has scored at least 20 points in four games in a row.
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Sharife Cooper: Double-doubles, fouls out
Rotowire
Cooper had 20 points (7-21 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-3 FT), three rebounds and 10 assists across 33 minutes before fouling out in Thursday's loss to Santa Cruz.
Cooper was one of three starters that reached the 20-point mark and was efficient as a playmaker, but he was unable to finish the game due to foul trouble. Cooper has been very good for the Charge this season and is averaging 22.2 points per game this season.
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Sharife Cooper: Puts up team-high 24 points
Rotowire
Cooper recorded 24 points (8-15 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), a rebound, five assists and a steal across 33 minutes in Tuesday's loss to Stockton.
Cooper wasn't at his best during February and had some underwhelming performances, but he's ending the month on a strong note and is looking to finish the regular season on a high. Cooper has been one of the best offensive players in the league and the Charge's main scoring weapon all season long, averaging 22.3 points per game across 16 contests.
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Sharife Cooper: Puts up 22 points Saturday
Rotowire
Cooper had 22 points (8-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and a block across 34 minutes in Saturday's win over Lakeland.
Cooper was coming off a few subpar performances, but he bounced back admirably here and posted a strong stat line. This was the first time he scored at least 20 points since Feb. 4, when he posted 21 points in a loss to Raptors 905.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 17 points Tuesday
Rotowire
Cooper notched 17 points (6-9 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and five assists across 25 minutes in Tuesday's win over the Herd.
Cooper returned to the starting lineup Tuesday but was far from looking like himself, as he failed to attempt double-digit shots for the first time this season and also had limited impact in other categories despite ending with 17 points. Cooper should remain in the starting unit going forward, however, and it should be a matter of time before he starts posting the same elite stat lines he was delivering earlier this season.
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Sharife Cooper: Poor shooting effort Saturday
Rotowire
Cooper had 21 points (6-24 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 3-5 FT), four rebounds, six assists and five steals across 41 minutes in Saturday's loss to Raptors 905.
Cooper posted a strong fantasy line in this game, but he was extremely inefficient and made only 25 percent of his shots despite the fact that he ended with another 20-plus scoring output. Cooper has been Cleveland's best player on offense and should remain an elite offensive contributor every time he steps on the hardwood.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 26 with 23 shots
Rotowire
Cooper delivered 26 points (8-23 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and a steal across 40 minutes in Tuesday's loss to the Skyhawks.
Cooper struggled to shoot the ball efficiently, but that's not going to matter if he keeps scoring as he has done it all year long. He's been one of the best scorers in the G League and is averaging 26.8 points per game.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 22 with nine dimes
Rotowire
Cooper racked up 22 points (9-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds and nine assists across 32 minutes in Sunday's 111-107 win over Capital City.
Cooper is firmly entrenched as one of the best offensive players in the G League, and perhaps the only reason he hasn't gotten a shot at the NBA level is that he struggles to take care of the ball. Despite averaging 26.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game, he's also committing 4.6 turnovers per contest, which is a lot even for the G League standards.
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Sharife Cooper: Dazzles against Swarm
Rotowire
Cooper delivered 33 points (15-26 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), a rebound and seven assists across 35 minutes in Wednesday's win over Greensboro.
Cooper was active once again and delivered his usual scoring numbers as the Charge's main offensive threat, though it was a complete offensive showing for the Cavaliers' G League affiliate since three different players scored at least 20 points. Cooper remains one of the most complete offensive forces in the G League and is currently averaging 27.6 points per game through seven regular-season contests.
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Sharife Cooper: Erupts for 43 points, 10 assists
Rotowire
Cooper chipped in with 43 points (12-30 FG, 3-11 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 10 assists, nine rebounds and four steals across 44 minutes Sunday in the Charge's 122-119 overtime win over the Mad Ants.
Cooper has been one of the most productive players in the G League this season, but he certainly turned heads with his play Sunday, as he carried the team to a tight victory while posting a season-high mark in scoring and ending just one rebound away from recording a triple-double. Cooper has been an offensive juggernaut for the Charge and is averaging 31.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game so far.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores team-high 34 points
Rotowire
Cooper had 34 points (12-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT), four rebounds, six assists and two steals across 25 minutes in Monday's win over Westchester.
Cooper had one of the best individual performances in the current G League season when it comes to minutes played and points scored, missing just four shots from the field and sniffing the 35-point mark in a bit more than one half of play. Cooper has been one of the best offensive threats in the G League this season and should remain a key cog for the Charge as long as he remains with the team.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 22 with nine assists
Rotowire
Cooper recorded 22 points (4-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), nine assists and five rebounds across 37 minutes in Wednesday's 108-104 loss to Grand Rapids.
Cooper was the Charge's best player during the Showcase, and that trend should continue in the regular season. Even though he's prone to committing turnovers and sometimes has issues with efficiency, he's still a top producer who averaged 24.9 points and 7.7 assists during the Showcase.
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Sharife Cooper: Struggles from field Tuesday
Rotowire
Cooper posted 10 points (3-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and two assists across 38 minutes in Tuesday's loss to Windy City.
Cooper had a rough game both as a scorer and as a playmaker, two areas in which he regularly thrives for the Charge. Aside from ending with more field-goal attempts than points scored, he also lost the ball a whopping eight times, which is particularly worrisome considering he only dished out two assists. Anyone can have a bad game, however, and Cooper should remain one of the team's go-to players on a regular basis going forward.
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Sharife Cooper: Shines as scorer and playmaker
Rotowire
Cooper had 31 points (11-20 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 11 assists and two rebounds across 40 minutes in Thursday's loss to Iowa.
Cooper has looked impressive for the Charge this season, and there's an argument to say he's one of the best offensive players during the Showcase Cup. He's averaging a robust 25.8 points and 7.9 assists per game, but he's also coughing up 4.9 turnovers per contest. In fact, he committed 10 turnovers in this game, and he's lost the ball at least five times in three games in a row. That's to be expected, given his usage rate.
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Sharife Cooper: Scores 28 with nine assists
Rotowire
Cooper recorded 28 points (9-22 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-8 FT), nine assists, four rebounds and two steals across 43 minutes in Monday's win over Windy City.
Another game, another instance for Cooper to dominate the contest. He ended one assist shy from delivering a double-double, and to make things even better, he has scored at least 20 points in his last three appearances. He averages 26.2 points per game.
