Cavs will reportedly work out draft prospect De’Andre Hunter next week

It’s been reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers will work out Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter next week, a prospect they could feasibly select in the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be a team that could several different directions in the 2019 NBA Draft, as we’ve often discussed here at KJG, based on reports of them potentially holding steady, trading up or trading back.

If Cleveland holds steady with their first selection fifth overall, a player they could maybe select is Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter, a player that could be a steady contributor on both ends, and realistically, one that projects to be of the “three-and-D” variety.

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We’ve touched on Hunter throughout the process leading up until the draft, which is coming up soon here on June 20, and our own Robbie DiPaola did an in-depth breakdown of Hunter’s game and how he could help the Cleveland Cavaliers if they did select him at that fifth spot.

Playing off Cleveland seemingly having interest in a player that projects as a plus defender against a variety of 2-4’s in his career, it’s been reported that the Cavaliers will work out Hunter early next week, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor.

Hunter was the best player on Virginia’s 2019 championship team, and his winning ways could be attractive to a Cavaliers team that is going to be focused on adding hard-working, high-character players in the coming years to go with key young pieces in Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and others.

Hunter had 15.2 points per game on 57.9% effective field goal shooting, to go with 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 2018-19 (per Sports Reference).

He was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, which is no small feat, and won the 2017-18 ACC Sixth Man of the Year (h/t Sports Reference).

I completely understand why there seems to be appeal with the Cleveland Cavaliers potentially taking Hunter, and it makes perfect sense for Cleveland to work out the 21-year-old next week, with the draft shortly following on Thursday.

I personally would still rather see Cleveland go with a wing such as Duke’s Cam Reddish (who has a higher ceiling as a scorer off the bounce/as a pure shooter), or with Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver, who could be a seamless fit as DiPaola detailed, at five, however, as both appear to have more on-ball offensive upside.

Of course, it’s ultimately up to general manager Koby Altman and the front office, along with head coach John Beilein and his coaching staff, though.

The more I hear, it seems the more directions the Cavaliers could go in the 2019 NBA Draft, as they have so many holes (as evidenced by their 19-63 record in 2018-19, per NBA.com) and need more young talent.