The Cleveland Cavaliers are attached to some Draft Day rumors.
Every year for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the other 29 NBA teams, the NBA Draft day is among the most important day of the year. Players don’t only get drafted but drat picks get traded as do players.
This year, that’s no different with names like Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, and Deandre Ayton being named that could be on the move this season. The Cavaliers aren’t expected to trade for any of them but that doesn’t mean they aren’t attached to other potential trades. One trade that we’ll talk about is a bit baffling but the Cavs are apparently interested in one name that is fairly new to the recent round of conversations.
Not only that but the Cavs are still looked at as a team that’s going to be drafting someone tonight as well. The team has the 14th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and other teams are looking to deal picks as well. If the Cavs make some moves, it may not to be to get a veteran but to get more rookies.
It may not make the most sense to some, but consolidating some older players in a trade to get an upgrade over a current guy, say Isaac Okoro or Caris LeVert does make sense. Then using those young pieces to fill out the roster is not only a smart move but one that could set the team up for years.
In a last-minute update, the Cavs have acquired the Kings’ 2nd round draft pick, pick no. 49 in exchangae for Sasha Vezenkov.
So what are some of the big, final rumors the Cavaliers are dealing with heading into the draft? Well, let’s talk about them.
Dejounte Murray to Cleveland?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are being linked to San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray. This isn’t new, as Chris Fedor claimed the Cavaliers came calling around February about the first-time All-Stars availability. Right now Murray is being linked to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a deal that could see the Hawks get Murray in exchange for John Collins and some other bits.
That’s the core of the trade idea, however Murray for Collins.
Honestly, let them get Murray. Murray is a fine guard, and a good enough point guard to lead a team’s offense. He is not, however, a good fit for the Cavaliers. He’s a good defender and is long enough that you could have him be a key defender on a team, yet in the case of the Cavaliers, he’s not joining a team that doesn’t have an established All-Star point guard.
The Cavs would not acquire Murray to have him come off the bench, meaning his skillset better compliment Darius Garland’s which it doesn’t. He’s a terrible pull-up jumper, and an even worse catch-and-shoot style player. He needs the ball in his hands to play well, which means taking the ball out of Garland’s hands.
It’s a trade that would improve the team’s defense but hurt them everywhere else. He’s simply not a good enough shooter.
Detroit Pistons interested in Collin Sexton
The Detroit Pistons are apparently super interested in Collin Sexton and are willing to pay the young shooting guard upwards of $20 million per year. With the team just moving Jerami Grant and focusing on the future more than they did last year, it’s very likely that they either make a sign-and-trade offer to the Cavaliers or continue to clear cap space to try and offer him and maybe another player, some big contracts.
While I want the Cavs to retain Sexton, the NBA fan in me is intrigued over the idea of the Pistons landing Sexton and DeAndre Ayton this offseason. It’d suck as a Cavs fan but would be super interesting.
That said, Sam Amico of Hoops Hypes is here to calm the nerves and tell us that while the team and Sexton aren’t likely to agree on the $20 million, but will come close enough that both sides are satisfied with the deal.
While I don’t think Sexton is the perfect fit with Darius Garland, I do think he’s the best option for this team. He’s good enough to play alongside Garland and that’s if he starts. He’s a dynamo scorer and would be a smart option to come off the bench in 2022-2023, like Jamal Crawford and Manu Ginobili did during their primes.
Cavs looking at project/Drafting Jalen Williams
It sounds like unless there is a player that unexpectedly drops to No. 14 (or the Cavs make a move to trade up), the team will use the No. 14 pick on a project player. That seems to be the idea behind a lot of the moves, and with the Cavs now owning four draft picks in the draft, the team could either be looking for some guys to develop long-term. The idea is to get a guy or two into the G-League and develop them, while also picking up the draft rights or two of some European/International talents who aren’t looking to come right over to the NBA.
This would allow them to claim the rights of some talents, without having to worry about roster spots. So should these international prospects pan out, the team can call them over when they’re ready, instead of having to cut a Moses Brown or Dylan Windler to make room for them.
This then leads us to Jalen Williams, a definite project pick.
He’s shown some flashes at shooting threes and is 6’6, which makes him ideal as either a true point guard or a point-forward. He’s a solid passer and rebounder, but his ability to score is why the Cavaliers are as high on him as they are.