5 Trade-In Draft Targets for the Cavs

Don’t look now, but the Cavs seem to be rounding the corner of this rebuild. Adding a premium talent like Evan Mobley (a likely safe assumption at this point), is what this team has needed since the rebuild began. Koby Altman has done a good job of acquiring assets and filling out the team with talented youngsters, but they haven’t come across as impressive a prospect as Mobley yet in this rebuild.

Outside of the soon-to-be 5-man young core, Cleveland has a variety of useful role-players in tow. There is legitimate depth on this team in the frontcourt and at the wing position. The guard slot is where this team finds itself lacking.

Getting that 2nd-unit guard, someone who can make stuff happen, whether it be for themselves or others, is a critical and necessary task for the front office this summer. It may be the last glaring hole in this roster that needs to be filled before they make the leap to playoff contention.

With some recent rumors abounding that Cleveland might explore acquiring extra picks this draft, it’s worth exploring whether there’s a hidden gem out there who could provide that extra burst of creation that the team’s bench has been lacking since moving on from Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Porter Jr. The Cavaliers shouldn’t be hunting for role-players. These should be swings at upside.

(I’m going to assume, fingers crossed, that the Cavs are using future picks and possibly Larry Nance Jr as trade bait, rather than Collin Sexton.)

Koby Altman should be looking at any and all options to raise the ceiling of this group. Adding a dependable 11-12th man doesn’t do that. I’ve earmarked 5 potential value selections that the Cavs should be considering along with a few honorable mentions:

Jalen Johnson (PF - Duke)

Draft Range: 10-20

Johnson’s reputation took a bit of a hit this year. Once considered a unanimous top 10 guy, he’s now generally on the outside-looking-in for that tier. This year’s Duke team had plenty of struggles and unfortunately Jalen Johnson wasn’t able to change that. He opted out of finishing the season, favoring draft preparation. A logical decision on his part, but one that comes in tandem with bad optics.

JJ has unique upside as a secondary ball-handler at the Power Forward position or as a small-ball 5. He’s not an overly-explosive athlete, but he’s definitely a competent one. The biggest question marks with him are his motor and jumper. From deep he was inconsistent and hesitant. Defensively, he’d be disengaged a little too often.

The road to becoming a good player isn’t hard to picture with a few tweaks to his game, though. Jalen doesn’t really fill the Cavs’ void at backup guard, but he can handle many of the responsibilities that a backup guard may fill. Trading for a pick high enough to select him would likely require moving Larry Nance Jr, opening up minutes for him in the frontcourt.

Josh Christopher (SG - Arizona State)

Draft Range: 15-35

I’ve been screaming Christopher’s name from the rooftop for a while now, and I don’t plan on letting up any time soon. It’s rare that you get shots at guys with this much upside outside of the lottery. He’s another player who had a rough college season, but when you’re hunting for diamonds, you have to look past the smoke and dig a little deeper.

Josh’s jumper is a little wonky and he takes some questionable shots. He’s prone to tunnel vision at times. The guy’s a tremendous athlete, though… a human bowling ball when he’s got momentum going towards the rim. Christopher possesses an advanced handle that he often uses to get himself seperation.

The most underrated part of Jaygup’s game is his defense. The ASU-alumnus plays hard and utilizes his physical tools excellently. As with his offensive game, the decision making still needs some fine-tuning. Every player is going to have shortcomings outside of the top of this class. Josh Christopher’s are fixable and his strengths are undeniable.

Ayo Dosunmu (PG - Illinois)

Draft Range: 20-40

Ayo isn’t really elite at any one thing, but I think he’s been unfairly knocked too much by too many for that reason. The 2021 Big Ten Tourney MVP has the size to thrive at either guard position. A good athlete, he uses it to barrell into the paint and create advantages against opponents.

Dosunmu probably doesn’t project as a strong floor general, but he’s a capable passer and certainly an above-average facilitator if you put him in a secondary role. Over the years, he has worked on his jumper. Last season, the full arsenal was displayed from all three levels, whether it be catch-and-shoot or pull-ups.

Ayo Dosunmu had a large workload offensively, so he took the occasional play off on defense, but when locked in, he’s a very sound and toolsy defender. In theory, he seems like a very clean fit with the Sexland tandem that already resides in Cleveland. How he translates from a “star” role at Illinois to much more of a role-player in the NBA will be another thing to keep an eye on, but there’s a lot to like.

BJ Boston (SG - Kentucky)

Draft Range: 30-45

This is a pedigree pick. Similar to Jalen Johnson and Josh Christopher, BJ Boston was widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2021 draft class. His fall from grace last season was bizarre, to say the least. You were looking at a completely different player than he showed in high school.

With BJ, you’re betting on outside circumstances playing a role in what went on last season. There’s been a few rumors that he was playing last season while being injured. That would explain how he looked noticeably less explosive as a Wildcat. There’s also the surprisingly consistent bump that many Kentucky basketball alumni get in their leap from college to the pros. Perhaps Boston is the next in that line?

At his best he’s a long, skilled wing who can hit shots in your face and drive past you. He struggled to do both of those as a Freshman. In the 2nd Round, it’s likely worth a shot to see if you can draw that back out of him.

Aaron Wiggins (SG - Maryland)

Draft Range: 45-Undrafted

A 3-year junior at Maryland, Aaron Wiggins displayed some exciting stuff, but he always left you yearning for more. (No, he’s not related to Andrew Wiggins.) The former Terrapin showed some strong capabilities as a defender, but the intrigue comes with his offensive upside.

His shooting will provide day-one value. He’s got a quick release from deep. What gives Wiggins hard-to-find upside in the late 2nd-round are the off-the-dribble flashes. He’s able to pull-off and hit some advanced jumpers. The passing has come along nicely since his freshman year as well.

He’s always been wildly inconsistent, which is the biggest knock on him. Everything in his game needs more refinement. You draft him with the hope of investing in his development and maybe one day he can turn into the player he’s shown the potential to be.

Honorable Mentions:

• Jaden Springer (PG - Tennessee)
• Jared Butler (PG - Baylor)
• Bones Hyland (SG - VCU)
• Quentin Grimes (SG - Houston)
• Jason Preston (PG - Ohio)