Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA draft Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally on the right side of the cut line in the 2021 NBA Draft. Two seasons ago they picked fifth in the 2019 Draft when the four best players went with the top four picks. Last year the draft was said to have a “Top 3” and they again were picking fifth.
This year, whether this draft has a top four, five or six, the Cavaliers are in the inner circle. Armed with the third pick in a draft strong at the top, Cleveland will have a chance to add that blue-chip prospect they haven’t yet been able to bring in.
With a premium pick and a lot of options to use it on, the Cavaliers have some decisions to make heading into Thursday night’s draft. What are five options, both prospects and trades, for the Cavaliers to use the No. 3 pick on come draft night?
Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 1. Trade up
Trading up to the first overall pick is easier said than done, although it has happened before. Most recently was the 2017 NBA Draft, when the Boston Celtics held the first overall pick and dropped back two slots to third, taking the top player on their board while getting a future lottery pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, who disastrously chose Markelle Fultz.
While expecting a different career for their selection, the Cavaliers could make a play to trade up with the Detroit Pistons to the first overall pick to take Oklahoma State point forward Cade Cunningham. The 6’8″ wing has an extremely high floor due to his size and shooting, and projects as a high-level passer, great scorer and even as a good defender at the next level. While there are room for differing opinions on every player, Cunningham is very close to a consensus pick as the best player in this class and a future All-Star at least.
He would be a great fit on this roster, as they have been without a star wing since LeBron James left town. He and Darius Garland could share ball-handling duties, each spotting up around the other when off-ball. He is a multi-positional defender who can take on opposing wings and even hold up on switches.
The first question is whether the Pistons would consider trading down, and the second is what the cost would be to do so. The Pistons have brought in multiple players for workouts since receiving the No. 1 pick and could fall in love with Jalen Green or Evan Mobley. Would they trade down for the No.3 pick and Collin Sexton? Or if the Cavaliers can flip Sexton or Larry Nance Jr. for a 2021 lottery pick, would that be enough to jump two slots? Would it need to be No. 3 plus two other firsts?
It’s not clear who blinks first, and it’s likely both teams value that first overall pick and the chance to draft Cunningham too highly. Trades for the top pick have happened, but rarely. Assuming that the Pistons stand pat and take Cunningham, who should the Cavaliers consider taking with the No. 3 pick?
Cavaliers are in the inner circle. Armed with the third pick in a draft strong at the top, Cleveland will have a chance to add that blue-chip prospect they haven’t yet been able to bring in.</p>
<p>With a premium pick and a lot of options to use it on, the Cavaliers have some decisions to make heading into Thursday night’s draft. What are five options, both prospects and trades, for the Cavaliers to use the No. 3 pick on come draft night?</p>
<h2>Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 1. Trade up</h2>
<p>Trading up to the first overall pick is easier said than done, although it has happened before. Most recently was the 2017 NBA Draft, when the Boston Celtics held the first overall pick and dropped back two slots to third, taking the top player on their board while getting a future lottery pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, who disastrously chose Markelle Fultz.</p>
<p>While expecting a different career for their selection, the Cavaliers could make a play to <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/28/cleveland-cavaliers-nba-draft-2/"http://hoopshabit.com/2021/07/08/pistons-godfather-trade-offer/">trade up with the Detroit Pistons</a> to the first overall pick to take Oklahoma State point forward Cade Cunningham. The 6’8″ wing has an extremely high floor due to his size and shooting, and projects as a high-level passer, great scorer and even as a good defender at the next level. While there are room for differing opinions on every player, Cunningham is very close to a consensus pick as the best player in this class and a future All-Star at least.</p>
<p>He would be a great fit on this roster, as they have been without a star wing since LeBron James left town. He and Darius Garland could share ball-handling duties, each spotting up around the other when off-ball. He is a multi-positional defender who can take on opposing wings and even hold up on switches.</p>
<p>The first question is whether the Pistons would consider trading down, and the second is what the cost would be to do so. The Pistons have brought in multiple players for workouts since receiving the No. 1 pick and could fall in love with Jalen Green or Evan Mobley. Would they trade down for the No.3 pick and Collin Sexton? Or if the Cavaliers can flip Sexton or Larry Nance Jr. for a 2021 lottery pick, would that be enough to jump two slots? Would it need to be No. 3 plus two other firsts?</p>
<p>It’s not clear who blinks first, and it’s likely both teams value that first overall pick and the chance to draft Cunningham too highly. Trades for the top pick have happened, but rarely. Assuming that the Pistons stand pat and take Cunningham, who should the Cavaliers consider taking with the No. 3 pick?</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 2. Jalen Green</h2>
<p>For the first time in a long time, the NBA got directly involved with recruiting high school prospects. They created a team in the G League specifically designed for top-level recruits to come and play instead of spending a year in college. The “Ignite” had four such prospects, two of which are locks to go in the lottery Thursday night.</p>
<p>The better of the two is Jalen Green, a 6’6″ shooting guard who is an effortless scorer. He is an elite athlete, with both the power and explosion you want in attacking the rim while also having quick-twitch reflexes. He can go up off of one foot or two, with the force to finish even in and around contact.</p>
<p>Green was not a perfect shooter with the G League, but it looks good enough to think it will one day be a major strength. It’s unusual for a player his age to have such a developed pull-up game, but Green is growing up in a new era of players watching Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard through the heart of their development. To varying degrees, Green has all the tricks — the stepback, the pull-up 3-pointer in transition, the pump and drive.</p>
<p>It’s not all great, as Green often makes poor decisions with the ball. He can make a high number of passes, but the execution is inconsistent. Defensively he is thin and can be taken advantage of, although he works hard and should improve as his frame fills out. He is a sponge, seeking out and soaking in advice and training from those around him.</p>
<p>Green would be somewhat redundant on the Cavaliers, as his natural position is at the 2 and right now Cleveland has Collin Sexton entrenched there. With rumors swirling of the team shopping Sexton, taking Green would be a signal that they know they will be moving on from Sexton.</p>
<p>There is a very good chance that Green goes second overall to the Houston Rockets. If he is available at three, he would be an excellent prospect to take and begin to build around.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 3. Evan Mobley</h2>
<p>The most popular pairing for the Cleveland Cavaliers is with USC big man Evan Mobley. One of the most unique players in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley is 7’0″ tall yet has all of the skills of a wing player, which makes for a variety of options as to how to build around him.</p>
<p>Offensively Mobley can handle the ball, making reads and hitting teammates for open shots. He is ambidextrous, able to put the ball on the deck with either hand and create a play. His handle is high, which is largely inescapable due to his height but makes him more vulnerable than other big wings to having the ball stolen. Mobley has good shooting touch; he’s not a sniper from outside, but he should be a plus 3-point shooter in a year or two.</p>
<p>Defensively Mobley is a monster, with high-level defensive instincts that put him in the right place nearly every time. He has great lateral agility to stay in front of opponents, even when switched onto guards. At the rim, Mobley has great body control and positioning, which means he can contest shots without fouling.</p>
<p>The Cavaliers currently have a logjam at power forward, but none of those players are building blocks of the future. If Kevin Love isn’t traded he will likely be waived, and Taurean Prince is simply a contract the team took on in the Jarrett Allen trade. Larry Nance Jr. is a valuable trade asset, but could also be the perfect mentor to Mobley.</p>
<p>Bigs aren’t as valuable as wings in the modern NBA, but Mobley could be one of the few exceptions. Whether his comp is Anthony Davis or Chris Bosh, the upside is as a Hall of Fame champion defensive anchor and offensive wingman. That’s well worth taking with the third pick in the draft.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 4. Jalen Suggs</h2>
<p>The Gonzaga Bulldogs dominated college basketball last season, blowing out opponents of every quality all the way to the Final Four. They finally faced their first steep test against the UCLA Bruins, and it was their freshman guard Jalen Suggs who hit the game-winning buzzer-beater to advance to the national title game.</p>
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<p>The Bulldogs would go on to lose to the Baylor Bears in the national championship game, but Suggs had cemented himself as not only an elite NBA Draft prospect but a player who showed up on the biggest stages. His confidence, drive and will to win are the sorts of intangibles that work as tie-breakers among the very best prospects.</p>
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers could use a player with those intangibles. They are trying to turn around a team culture that is used to losing, with three straight seasons near the bottom of the standings. Drafting Suggs is a way to do that, adding a floor general and natural leader to be the focal point moving forward.</p>
<p>Suggs has great size for a lead guard at 6’5″, with incredible athleticism and exceptional strength. He can create his own shot off-the-dribble or driving to the rim, and he is a singularly explosive dunker. He can not only throw all of the passes but is comfortable doing so, even if his ability to read the defense perfectly still needs some development. Defensively his athleticism and drive are impactful, and he has all of the tools to be a great defender at the point of attack.</p>
<p>The question for the Cavaliers in drafting Suggs is simply team fit. They have effectively taken guards with their last three lottery picks; Isaac Okoro played a lot at the 3 but he is the size of a 2. Darius Garland and Collin Sexton are both offensively successful players already trying to coexist in a backcourt of two point guards. Can they really add a third?</p>
<p>The fit question is a reasonable one if the Cavaliers believe that Suggs is in the same tier as a player such as Evan Mobley. If they think Suggs is the best player available, they should take him without hesitation. They can decide which guard to move on from, but Suggs’ size and production as a long-term star point guard is more valuable than either Garland or Sexton and is worth building around.</p>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Cleveland Cavaliers 5 options for the No. 3 pick: 5. Trade back</h2>
<p>The Cleveland Cavaliers might have a different evaluation of the top prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft. They might think that the tier of top prospects is larger than most, extending to include players such as Jonathan Kuminga or Scottie Barnes. If so, they could trade down, pick up another premium asset, and still take a player high on their board.</p>
<p>Jonathan Kuminga was once in the mix for the top pick, but an inconsistent season with the G league Ignite has him sliding down draft boards. The 6’7″ forward is one of the draft’s youngest players and still boasts phenomenal upside. If the Cavaliers were confident in him realizing that upside, he could very well be available at No. 6 if they traded down with Oklahoma City.</p>
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<p>Another option is Florida State freshman Scottie Barnes. He has incredible size and strength at 6’9″ with an insane 7’3″ wingspan, and he can and did defend everything from speedy point guards to centers. Offensively Barnes’ shot looks broken, but it’s possible he makes a high enough impact without it. He can pass, he can score inside and he is one of this draft’s best defenders. Taking No. 5 and No. 8 from the Orlando Magic in exchange for No. 3 is a really good value if they rank the players available similarly.</p>
<p>Trading down isn’t a no-brainer, and in the NBA it’s more important to get a star than two lesser players. Trading down can absolutely work out, but it could also leave you with egg on your face as a front office if the player you could have chosen turns into a star.</p>
<p>It’s not the first option the Cavaliers need to consider, but it’s an option and a conversation to be had. Whether the team looks to make a trade or take an incredible young player, the Cavaliers are in a position of strength heading into the draft on Thursday.</p>
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