Cavaliers open NBA training camp with 2 Alabama guards

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Levi Randolph poses for a photo during the NBA team's Media Day on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Independence, Ohio.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers hold their first practice of NBA training camp on Tuesday, they'll have two guards from Alabama on the court -- Levi Randolph and Collin Sexton.

While the players share an alma mater, their road to the Cavaliers could hardly be more different.

Sexton joined Cleveland as the eighth player picked in the NBA Draft on June 21 after he'd averaged scoring 19.2 points per game in his only season with the Crimson Tide.

Randolph completed his four seasons at Alabama in 2015. Since then, his basketball journey has carried him to variety of destinations, but he's never been on an NBA regular-season roster. Randolph has played in the NBA's Summer League for four straight years.

After his first Summer League action, Randolph joined the Boston Celtics at training camp before winding up in the NBA Development League with the Maine Red Claws for the 2015-16 season. He spent the 2016-17 season with Sidigas Avellino in Italy and played last season for Strasbourg in France.

Randolph is in the Cavaliers' training camp after playing for the Indiana Pacers in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July.

Randolph was the Class 6A Player of the Year during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons for Bob Jones. He helped the Patriots win the AHSAA 6A title in 2010.

While Sexton and Randolph are seeking their first spots on an NBA regular-season roster, five veteran players with Alabama roots also will be in training camps.

The only one fighting for a roster position is K.J. McDaniels (Central Park Christian). McDaniels has 148 games of NBA experience, but the swingman spent last season with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA Gatorade League.

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (LeFlore) changed teams in free agency during the offseason. The four-time All-Star is working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered on Jan. 26 while playing with the New Orleans Pelicans.

"It's been hard," Cousins said of his recovery. "I would be lying if I told you anything different. It's been an absolute grind. It's taken a lot of dedication, a lot of commitment. ... It's probably one of the hardest things physically and mentally I've been through in my career so far."

Golden State general manager Bob Myers said at the Warriors' Media Day on Monday that Cousins will start with non-contact work at training camp and would be evaluated again in four weeks.

"We won't rush him, but we also won't hold him back," Myers said.

Small forward DeMarre Carroll (John Carroll Catholic) will be preparing for his 10th NBA season in the Brooklyn Nets' training camp. Carroll averaged career highs of 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game last season.

Guard Eric Bledsoe (Parker) will be playing in his ninth NBA season, but he's going to training camp with the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time. Bledsoe joined the Bucks in a trade with the Phoenix Suns early in the 2017-18 season and averaged 17.8 points and 5.1 assists in 71 games with Milwaukee last season.

Power forward JaMychal Green (St. Jude, Alabama) is starting his fifth NBA season and seems headed for the Memphis Grizzlies' starting lineup for the third straight season. He averaged 10.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season.

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins poses for a photo during the NBA team's Media Day on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Oakland, Calif.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.