Cavs: Team lands third overall pick in 2021 draft but may trade it

The Cavs landed a franchise-changing pick in the NBA Lottery but may trade it.

The Cleveland Cavs just did well at the NBA Lottery and will pick third in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft. This is an announcement that would normally make people happy. Not Cavs fans, not tonight. The Cavs came in with the fifth-best odds to take the top pick home and walked away at number three. Still an improvement. They fell third, while the Pistons landed at No. 1 overall and the Rockets at No. 2 overall. The Raptors were able to snag the No. 4 overall pick.

All of those teams are expected to keep their pick and draft an impact player. Not the Cavs, not according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski is reporting that the higher the pick is, the more likely the Cavaliers try to trade it to expedite a rebuild. With guys like Jalen Suggs potentially there for the Cavaliers, this is a move that will surely upset fans.

Koby Altman is desperate.

Here’s a fun fact about how news and rumors work. Usually, when guys like Wojnarowski report this stuff, it’s not like he’s getting it from the janitor. He’s getting it from someone in the know and it’s being given to him for a reason. It’s like a clandestine press release for fans and teams alike. The odds that Koby Altman is going to try and trade this pick are now very high.

Sure, there are all sorts of reasons why he may not be able to, or maybe Dan Gilbert will finally fire him before he’s able to do so, but the Cavs will likely try to move the pick. For who, however, is anyone’s guess.

This is a sign of desperation from Altman. Choosing to trade the pick when you could upgrade the team with a prized prospect is the right call. The Cavs haven’t exactly nailed the last two picks, and Collin Sexton may very well get traded.

The Cavs don’t have a franchise guy yet, and can’t afford to give up getting one just because there’s an older player who may compliment Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.