SANTA CRUZ — A year ago this week, Antonius Cleveland fractured his left ankle while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. A day later, he was waived. Jobless.

The 6-foot-6 guard for the Santa Cruz Warriors, in Las Vegas with the rest of his teammates for the G League Winter Showcase, is hoping to hit the jackpot and pique the interest of NBA brass and international scouts wanting to fill out their Christmas lists and improve the depth of their teams.

Cleveland opened eyes long before he stepped on the court in Santa Cruz’s 105-92 loss to the Lakeland Magic at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Thursday night. In a self-assessed “rough game,” he had seven points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in 20 minutes off the bench.

He’ll look for a bounce-back performance Saturday, when the Warriors face Canton at 12:30 p.m. The game will be televised on NBA TV.

“Obviously, you could say there’s more at stake,” Cleveland said of the showcase. “But at the end of the day, it’s another game. And that’s how you have to approach the situation.”

Earlier Thursday, Cleveland, who turns 25 on Feb. 2, participated in an interview with team personnel from the Oklahoma City Thunder. And, by the end of the weekend, more teams seeking a talented player who can do a little bit of everything off the bench may follow suit.

“On the court, I know I have to be aggressive, because I know I have to stand out,” Cleveland said. “I can’t have any friends on the court because we all have the same goal, so I gotta outwork them. You just want to be aggressive and let people know you’re hungry.”

At the outset of the season, Cleveland wasn’t expected to remain a Santa Cruz Warrior for long — he has NBA talent. He has done nothing to diminish his stock. Across 12 games, he has averaged 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Cleveland began the season as a starter, but he stepped on an opponents foot in a game Nov. 16 and aggravated his left calf muscle, which caused him to miss five games. He has served as a bench player since returning, getting used to a role he’ll likely see if he gets promoted to the next level.

“He probably has the highest potential on the roster, based on his athleticism,” second-year Warriors coach Aaron Miles said earlier this season. “I’m looking for big things from him. … We already know he’s a freak athlete.”

Cleveland, assigned to Santa Cruz last October, signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks on Nov. 17, 2017, splitting time between Dallas and their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

While with the Mavericks, he fractured his left ankle against the Suns on Dec. 18 and was waived by the team a day later. He waited a week before having surgery Dec. 27 and had three screws put in his foot. He started jogging in February. By the end of March, he felt like he was getting back to his old self. And by the end of April, his ankle stopped being sore.

“Now I feel like I never had the surgery,” he said.

But there was mental scar tissue. His injury made him appreciate the game more than ever.

“I remember thinking, ‘Why now?'” he said. “I was doing so good. It showed me it can be taken away from you, so just value it. When I was injured and away from the game, I couldn’t wait to get back. It can be taken away from you, so just cherish it while you can.”

Cleveland bounced back. He signed 10-day contracts with Atlanta in February and March before inking a multi-year deal with the Hawks, but he was waived in July. Two days later, on July 23, he was claimed off waivers by Chicago, but he was waived Oct. 12 and rejoined the Warriors for the 2018-19 season.

Despite his NBA experience, Cleveland is striving for consistency, trying to return to the level he feels he belongs.

“It shows I belong, people think highly of me,” he said of his call-up, which is documented on a wall at Santa Cruz’s Kaiser Permanente Arena. “But one thing I don’t want to do is get complacent just because my name’s up there. I don’t want to come in here like I’m entitled to something because I’m back here. I’m not different from any other guy on this team. I want to make sure I remain humble. My name being up there, that’s a good feeling, but at the end of the day, if I go around like my work has been done, I won’t be successful.”

With his offensive skill set and ability to produce highlight-reel finishes being a strength, Cleveland has turned his focus to working on his energy and fundamentals on defense. Miles hopes to see Cleveland improve in that department, too, and noted that Cleveland can be a great defender.

Anthony Vereen, the Warriors’ player development coach, challenged Cleveland to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year honors.

“I want to catch eyes on the defensive end with my athletic ability,” Cleveland said. “Everything is going to happen for me on defense.”

Miles has reminded Cleveland to stay alert when the man he’s covering doesn’t have the ball, staying ready so he can react to something.

Cleveland has been showing up to practice two hours early to work on his shooting form and routine.

“You just got to keep your confidence, mentally,” he said. “This is a business. You’re going to read some things you don’t agree on, or hear some things, but as long as your confident within yourself, I think mentally you’ll be alright.”

Cleveland had a history of showing up to practice early, but not maximizing his time. Last year, he started paying closer attention to Santa Cruz’s Georges Niang, who signed a two-way deal with Utah, and being in camp with Golden State this year helped him see that early preparation went a long way.

Cleveland, who models his game after 14-year NBA veteran Andre Iguodala, paid special attention to what two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry were doing. He was impressed by their work ethic and it fueled him to continue to improve his game.

“I know I’ve been working harder than the guy across from me on the other team,” Cleveland said. “Mentally, that’s going to help me in my mind. I know that guy’s not getting to the gym as early as me. That’ll definitely help with my confidence. I won’t tell him that, I’ll be thinking that in my head.”

This weekend, he needs to work his way into the scouts’ heads, and show them he’s a can’t-miss player, on both ends of the floor.

Tune In

G League Winter Showcase

Up next: Warriors vs. Canton

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas

TV: NBATV