3 Cavs players that’d benefit most from Killian Hayes 2020 NBA Draft pick

The Cleveland Cavaliers should strongly consider selecting Killian Hayes in the 2020 NBA Draft, as he could help them in a number of ways in the near future.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were not one of the 22 teams invited to Orlando for the NBA’s resumption set to take place at Disney World beginning on July 31, thus ending their 2019-20 season. With their season now over, the Cavaliers can put all of their attention towards the offseason and specifically the 2020 NBA Draft.

Despite what others may say, the upcoming draft is filled with immense talent all throughout and we will soon find out what the Cavaliers’ plans could look like during that time.

The Cavaliers go into the offseason tied with the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves with the best odds at the number one overall pick at 14.0 percent. Even with their draft lottery positioning as them being solidified as having ended out with the league’s second-worst record, the Cavs still have a great chance of falling in this draft.

With the new lottery odds that were introduced last season, the Cavaliers have a 14.0 percent chance of ending up with the first overall pick once again. They have a 27.8 percent and a 20.0 percent chance of ending up with the fifth and sixth picks, respectively, though, per Tankathon.

Falling in this draft would more than likely take the Cavs out of contention for prospects such as LaMelo Ball, previously of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks, along with the Georgia Bulldogs’ Anthony Edwards, and perhaps James Wiseman. Wiseman briefly played at Memphis before eventually withdrawing from school after an ineligibility ruling by the NCAA that would’ve led to a sizable suspension.

Even if those players are unavailable, there will still be quality players for the Cavaliers to use their pick on as they look to further improve their roster.

One player that the Cavaliers could look to select with a potential pick in the four-to-six range is Killian Hayes, who played professional basketball for Ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga during the 2019-20 season.

In 10 games for Ratiopharm Ulm in Eurocup play, Hayes averaged 12.8 points on 45.5 percent shooting, including 39.0 percent from three-point range and 90.9 percent on free throws, per Real GM. He also had 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Now, Hayes in the G-BBL still had 11.6 points per outing on 49.7 percent shooting, to go with 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals, but he did only shoot 21.8 percent from three-point range, and that area is a relative question mark for him.

The 6-foot-5 combo guard has displayed nice playmaking feel with the ability to find a way to get to the paint and convert as a scorer, though. Still, over time, Hayes could be a good/great three level scorer in the league with improvements to his game and despite his passiveness around the rim, he still has a nice touch in the paint.

Defensively, Hayes’ length would benefit the Cavs tremendously as he was measured with a 6-foot-8-6-foot-8.5 wingspan. All in all, a Hayes pick would be a good one but, every decision comes with its consequences.

Last season, the Cavaliers spent their fifth overall pick on Darius Garland and, despite an inconsistent rookie season, he showed flashes and potential as a scorer and playmaker in this league. A Hayes selection in the upcoming draft could not only diminish Garland’s confidence but, it may signal the end for him in a Cavaliers jersey in the not-too-distant future.

If the Cavs were to plan on keeping Garland even with this selection, his role would be a much less significant one, as KJG’s Zane Harris alluded to, who suggested Garland could be moved to a backup role, somewhat coincided with that. It would also certainly negate the bold predictions that I gave for Garland for 2020-21, that’s for sure.

With all of that being said, if the Cavaliers feel a Hayes pick is the correct one, then it is one they must look to make.

Here, I will be highlighting three players who would benefit most from a Killian Hayes selection in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The first is a dynamic scorer.