A Cavs-Specific 2021 Lottery Draft Board
It's never too early to be looking ahead, especially when you're a rebuilding team such as the Cavs. But Cleveland is a team that could be moving on from that phase of the team's development in the near future, as they work forward with their core of Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, Larry Nance Jr, and Dylan Windler.
As Koby Altman and the rest of the Cavs' front office shift their attention to the 2021 draft, there's a golden opportunity to round out the youngsters that they intend on building around in an effort to reach the first non-LeBron success the franchise has seen in ages. With the progress the team is beginning to make, Cleveland should begin to keep a closer eye on team fit as they select their new addition, but at the same time shouldn't ignore the pure talent that this draft offers, depending on who's available when the Cavs pick.
As of now, the Cavaliers are tied for the 4th pick in the draft. But they're only 1.5 games out of 10th, and 3.5 games out of the 6 seed in the East, which would mean no shot at the lottery whatsoever. There's a chance the Cavs outperform expectations and sneak into a playoff spot as their schedule gets easier, but for this piece let's assume that they land somewhere in the lottery.
We're gonna take a look at the top 14 prospects that I think should be on Koby Altman's mind come draft night, not necessarily who I feel are the 14 best players in the draft. Either way, though, the answer at #1 is only 1 guy for me:
SG/SF/PF - 6'8", 220 lbs - 19.4 years old - Oklahoma State
It's pretty simple. Cade is a Point Guard in a Combo Forward's body and a 19-year-old with the poise, confidence, IQ, and feel of an NBA veteran. He very well may be the most well-rounded elite prospect we've seen in quite some time. His lack of top-end burst is the biggest concern, but NBA-level spacing will help with that along with further accentuating his passing-abilities. He would slot in nicely as the future starting Power Forward for Cleveland alongside Garland, Sexton, Okoro, and Allen.
SG - 6"5", 178 lbs - 19.1 years old - G League Ignite
A scoring guard, Green has begun rounding out his game in the G League. He's developing as a passer, defender, and learning how to be a threat without the ball. Both his lightning-quick first step and springy vertical, rank among the very top of the class. He projects to be potentially the best scorer in this class and could be as good of a KPJ replacement as Cleveland could find to help aid their lack of shot-creation. Long term, the fit with Sexland isn't crystal clear, but this is a situation where you zero in on the talent in an area where the Cavs have a need.
PF/C - 7"0", 215 lbs - 19.7 years old - USC
Mobley is the type of guy you create on 2k: A 7-footer who can do just about everything. Evan does a good job of using his size down low to leverage advantages against smaller opponents. He's a stellar passer for a big man, and occasionally takes guys off-the-dribble. The USC-product's range extends to the 3-point line, albeit not on tremendous volume. He is skinny and can get outmuscled. For this reason, he's a pretty poor screener, but he's mobile for his height. Whether that will allow him to consistently guard NBA forwards is up for debate, but he could make sense in a twin-towers frontcourt with Jarrett Allen, compared to the lack of size with Sexland.
SF/PF - 6'6", 210 lbs - 18.4 years old - G League Ignite
Kuminga has struggled with efficiency early on, but it's imperative to note that he's playing against NBA guys each and every night. It's not out of mind to say that he has the most potential of anyone in the class and that he follows one of the most valuable archetypes in the NBA: a do-it-all, 2-way combo forward. If he figures it all out, he makes a ton of sense as the Cavaliers' 4 of the future, but right now he's very raw. The jump shot needs work, but all of the physical tools are there.
PG/SG - 6'4", 205 lbs - 19.7 years old - Gonzaga
Gonzaga is setting the world of college basketball on fire, and Jalen Suggs is at the forefront of it all. A fiery, combo guard, he rounds out the ultra-talented top 5 of this class, but appears to be the most ill-fitting of them all. He could still make sense on the Cavs though, as his size allows him to play the 1 or the 2. Gonzaga's spaced out system, perfectly compliments Suggs' strengths, as a powerful slasher. His jump shot is solid, albeit inconsistent, and a good, not great set-up guy as a PG. He is absolutely a 2-way guy, who plays with intensity on both ends. Jalen would make a 3-guard group in Cleveland that can hang with the very best, but I'm hesitant about how well the clashing skill sets would fit together.
PF/C - 6'11", 218 lbs - 20.1 years old - Texas
The 6'11" sophomore out of Texas is truly an anomaly when it comes to guys his size. Even in the age where unicorns are becoming more and more common, Kai is just... different. First off, 7-footers shouldn't be able to move as well as he does. Evan Mobley is considered to be pretty agile, but Kai Jones is on a different level. And he's had some insane flashes, that overshadow the rebounding concerns, including live-dribble passing, pull-up jumpers, poster jams, and step-backs. Yeah, step-backs. His physical tools make him an imposing defender around the rim and allow him to switch onto smaller defenders with relative ease. He would certainly add a different dimension and a shot of upside to the Cavs.
SG - 6'5", 190 lbs - 20.4 years old - UConn
Remember Jordan Clarkson? Meet James Bouknight. He's Jordan Clarkson. Certified bucket getter, and whatever else you get from him is bonus. But don't get it twisted. He's certified for a reason. The man can hang with the best of them. Shifty, bouncy, Bouk has a bag of moves he can break out whenever he wants to. He's a tremendous, acrobatic finisher around the rim. He plays defense and moves the ball when he feels like it, but that's because Conneticut places such a large offensive burden on him. Pairing him with Sexland as a super 6th man almost feels unfair, given all the hell they'd have to go through to have to stay in front of all 3.
SG/SF - 6'5", 216 lbs - 19.2 years old - Arizona State
Jaygup has struggled a bit to cohere with a flawed Sun Devils team, not to say the problems aren't all tied to him, because he does like to shoot the ball. A lot. And he's one of many on the team with the same mindset. But it could all be a good learning experience for him. He's beginning to learn how to play and move without the ball. His defense and effort level are beginning to show through. 3-level scorers at his size, with his tools just don't come around every day. He's streaky yes, but when he's on, look out. A scorer with size would be a dream come true for a Cleveland team whose offense solely rests on the shoulders of two 6'1" guards.
PF/C - 6'9", 227 lbs - 19.6 years old - Florida State
Barnes is certainly a unique player for a Florida State team that has begun churning out draft prospects on a consistent basis now. Heralded for defense and playmaking as a big, reminiscent of Draymond Green if you will, he's been nothing short of the 2 for the Seminoles, and would bring similar advantageous traits to Cleveland. However, he's dealt with shooting woes from deep and the line. He's not too quick or shifty, which limits his creation ability, but he'd be in much less of a perimeter/playmaker role in the NBA which may prove to do him good.
SF/PF - 6'9", 220 lbs - 19.5 years old - Michigan
Do-it-all swingmen are fun. Wagner is a do-it-all swingman. He just has the type of game that meshes with any team in the NBA that you put him on. He's helped anchor a great defensive team in Michigan, while displaying marked improvements as a passer and shooter since his freshman year. He's still the same age as many freshmen, and is noticeably more of a fluid athlete than his brother Moritz Wagner who's already in the NBA. Wagner would be a fun swiss-army knife to add to Cleveland's expanding array of plug-and-play options on the wings.
PF - 6'9", 205 lbs - 19.5 years old - Texas
For guys like Brown, it's easy to get caught up in the theory that guys along his archetype follow a set-in-stone boom or bust archetype, but I feel like there's a relatively safe floor with him. He has his mental gaffes and a bad case of tunnel-vision, but you look at Power Forwards that shoot the ball as confidently as he does, and possess the physical tools to attack closeouts as effortlessly as him. It's not hard to imagine him playing an important role for a winning team so long as he can be passable defensively. It all makes a lot of sense in the context of Cleveland's team.
PG/SG - 6'5", 204 lbs - 18.4 years old - Tennessee
Springer has played an important role for a very competitive Tennessee team this year, despite being a freshman amidst veteran-laden team. He's worked his way up the totem pole into a starting position with fellow partner in crime Keon Johnson, thanks to playing a very mature style of basketball that he's molded to best fit what the Volunteers need him to do. He's not a top-of-the-line set-up guy, which leaves him as not being a true-point-guard, but his strength, size, versatility, and off-ball ability make him a sensical fit for the Cavs as a 3rd guard.
PF - 6'9", 220 lbs - 19.2 years old - Duke
Jalen Johnson recently made waves as he announced that he was leaving Duke mid-season in an effort to start preparing for the draft. It rubbed some people the wrong way, but ultimately it was a business decision. It is telling, though, of the strange case with Johnson. Theoretically, he's an intriguing secondary ball-handler/playmaker at the PF spot, but he struggles to turn it into reality. He's not confident in his jump shot, and not great at slashing to the cup. His effort wanes in and out of games, he generally looks lost when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. The theoretical upside proves too much to ignore completely for the Cavs, though... because theoretically he fits like a charm here.
SG/SF - 6'5", 186 lbs - 18.9 years old - Tennessee
Keon's turned it up lately, putting in some nice performances. He's a little bit of a throwback spark plug. He hasn't hit on much triples so far, although he's been steadily improving from beyond as the year's gone on, but he works off a lot of post-ups and elevating (which he does really well) for mid-range pull-ups. Like his teammate, Springer, he's a smart player who will do what's asked of him. Oftentimes, he'll be the hardest-working player out there on the floor. Combine that with his athleticism, and there's upside here. Just maybe not in an area that Cleveland needs.
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