2019 NBA Mock Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers land three 1st-round picks
By Mike Graham
The Cleveland Cavaliers wheel and deal in our latest 2019 NBA mock draft, with the Wine & Gold selecting three players in the 1st-round.
With the NBA Draft quickly approaching as the NBA Finals head down the home stretch, pressure is mounting for the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a giant leap forward in their rebuilding efforts.
Timing is everything and that’s especially true following Atlanta’s trade with the Nets, which saw Brooklyn move Allen Crabbe, pick No. 17 and a lottery protected 2020 first-round pick for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-rounder.
The move clears up much needed space for the Nets who can now afford two max contracts. For the Hawks, Atlanta now has ammo to move up in the draft.
Both Adrian Wojnaroski of ESPN and Jeremy Woo of SI.com think the Cavs would be natural trade partners, citing the Cavs’ need for assets and Atlanta’s Travis Schlenk stating openly that his organization doesn’t want five rookies on the 2019-2020 roster.
With this trade, Atlanta owns six picks, so let’s go ahead and get this trade done now before we bust into the latest mock. The Cavs send the fifth overall pick to the Hawks for picks Nos. 8, 17, and 41.
Let’s not forget general manager Koby Altman has been shopping an additional assre in J.R. Smith‘s contract, and there are a few teams, Miami and Oklahoma City, seeking cap relief. It’s possible the Cavs have another first-rounder coming as well.
The NBA Draft commences June 20, so without further ado…