Does it make sense to trade up to No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft?

Can the Cleveland Cavaliers really move up to No. 4 in the 2022 NBA Draft?

It sure sounds like the Sacramento Kings are looking to trade down in the 2022 NBA Draft. If that’s the case, would the Cleveland Cavaliers consider moving up? If I were running the Cavs, I would consider it for the right price. There are a few wings like AJ Griffin or Bennedict Mathurin that really look like interesting prospects.

But how realistic is it that the Kings would trade out of the pick? Well, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report claims that Sacramento is willing to explore trades at No. 4 that will land them an impact veteran.

Fischer says;

"Given that, there’s a strong belief among rival teams that Sacramento will explore trading the fourth selection, either out of the draft entirely for an impact veteran or down later in the lottery to net a contributing rotation player in the process. The expectation of Smith, Holmgren and Banchero representing the top three puts the Kings front office in a strong trade position, where the uncertainty of the fourth selection could prompt eager teams to leap up to secure their prized prospect. The draft, in one sense, could begin in earnest after the perceived top three are off the board."

Some believe the Cavs have the pieces to move up, should they want to, and if not to No. 4, then maybe to picks No. 7 and No. 8, held by the Trail Blazers and Pelicans respectively;

"In addition to Sacramento at No. 4, league personnel have pegged the Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans—picking seventh and eighth, respectively—as strong trade candidates."

So, should the Cavaliers move up? If the price is right, then yes. The Cavs have three picks in the draft and have a good eye at finding talent outside the draft (Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens) that can bolster a squad. If that eye extends to the draft process, then they can replace whatever assets they give up with the three picks they’d have. So what would I be willing to part with to make this deal work? Good question.

What the Cleveland Cavaliers should offer the Sacramento Kings in a deal

The Kings can’t make any moves for players without trading guys back. That’s the reality of their situation. The team has expiring deals on Jeremy Lamb, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Jackson, equalling about $20 million coming off the books. Yet, the Kings are going from $-21 million over the cap from 2021-2022 to -$25.8 million over the cap in 2022-2023 without re-signing those three or adding any new players.

They’re literally losing players and losing cap space in the same offseason. The Kings are screwed. The only way they can land a major veteran is if they trade some major contracts. That means that a trade isn’t likely to happen, as they’re trying to gain the talent, not lose it. Yet, let’s play the game, and see what our pitch would be.

The money matches up, according to ESPN’s trade machine.

The Cavs have a lot of seconds that can be used to sweeten the deal as well, 10 over the next six years, not counting the two in 2022. Those would be, for me, only be added if needed. The Cavs have some depth, and if they use the picks on a guy like Griffin, and maybe Drew Timme later on, you’ll be able to replace Levert, Okoro, and Windler with relative ease. After all, getting Barnes is a big get on his own, but as he’s in the last year of his deal, the Kings shouldn’t expect too much for him on his own.

So here’s why I think this trade works for both sides. For the Cavs, you get a short-term answer for the team in Barnes, who can play next to Darius Garland and Lauri Markkanen in their sky-high lineup, at least offensively speaking. Getting the preferred prospect, regardless of who it is, would be able to replace Okoro’s minutes, and hopefully, you get a player who can play defense well enough. Someone like Mathurin or Griffin is good enough but Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis may be the best replacement for him.

Alex Len also comes in as the team’s backup center, something they’re looking for this offseason.

For the Kings, it gives them a versatile scorer in LeVert to replace Barnes. He’s younger and arguably a better defender too. It also gives them Okoro to pair with Davion Mitchell, and those two would give the Kings a great defensive duo to play at the same time, even if neither can really score all that well in the half-court. They then get two bench guys with potential in Dylan Windler and Lamar Stevens. Windler could, in theory, replace DiVincenzo, while Stevens is someone that really could provide some pop off the bench for the Kings.

Plus, they’d be getting two, potentially three first-round picks. It may not be exactly what they wanted, but it’s like Christmas with that lazy relative. What you wanted was a new PlayStation 5, but they gave you one of those $300 one-time use credit cards. So now you can use that to get your PS5, which is what the Cavs offer gives the Kings.

The chance to get what they really wanted. A chance they didn’t have prior.