2022 Cavs lottery results leave trade possibilities wide open
Not the Cavs lottery results Cleveland fans were looking for as former big man Anderson Varejao couldn’t deliver Lady Luck Tuesday night. Cleveland found out it will pick 14th in the upcoming NBA Draft.
The Cavs may very well end up selecting a player at this spot come June, as a contributing player could still be found.
However, as Brian Windhorst points out, the 14th pick, in addition to a certain current contract carried by the organization, leaves the Cavs ripe for a trade.
Windhorst made the comment on ESPN Cleveland just hours before the lottery results were revealed.
“When you have Kevin Love’s contract and the draft pick, that opens the door for you to trade for just about anybody because of how it balances out with the salary.”
Windhorst prefaced his statement by saying the Cavs aren’t necessarily looking to move Love, who proved to be a valuable sixth man during Cleveland’s resurgent season. Rather, the combination of the pick and the contract made a trade possible.
If GM Koby Altman is able to find a trade partner, don’t look for a headline grabbing All-Star to be the center piece of the deal. More likely than not, the Cavs would find a solid-to-good player capable of playing big minutes.
Cavs lottery….what happens if they stay at 14?
If the Cavs stay at 14, 6-foot-5 Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji could be in play. He’s regarded as one of the top shooters in the draft at a major position of need.
Some post-lottery mocks have the Cavs taking Ohio State showing guard Malaki Branham as Cleveland’s pick. I’d rather go with Agbaji, because the Buckeye is better suited to be a No. 2 in the NBA.
Next. Pick is set, all options in play for Cavs. dark
Plus, after reading his scouting report, Branham looks like another incarnation of a player the Cavs already have in Caris LeVert. Basically, Branham’s biggest strength right now is his mid-range game. Plus, he wasn’t a defensive force in Columbus.