Three potential third scoring options for the Cavs next season

Cleveland Cavaliers potential third scoring option #3: Deni Avdija

The Cavaliers landed the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery. That means that prospects such as LaMelo Ball of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks and Georgia University guard Anthony Edwards may very well be off the board for Cavs general manager Koby Altman, as KJG’s Billy Beebe alluded to. But someone who may still be available at the number five spot is Israeli forward Deni Avdija, who CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish recently mocked going to Cleveland.

What made Avdija such an enticing prospect during his time with Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv was his combination of size and skill. Standing at 6-foot-9, Avdija has a high level basketball IQ that is notable for a player his age. Being only 19 years of age, one would expect the young prospect to continue to grow his basketball knowledge as his matures and as he garners NBA minutes.

One of the most noticeable factors of Avdija’s game is his off-ball awareness. He knows how to move without the ball and he has been a good cutter at times. Being a smart off-ball player would help Avdija fit on the court next to ball-dominant players like Sexton and Love.

But Avdija isn’t simply an off-ball forward. He also has a decent handle and has shown the ability to create shots for himself.

The one question mark that does come with Avdija is his jump shot. In his 26 games this past season in the Euroleague, Avdija shot only 27.7 percent from behind the three-point arc. His jump shot form is not terrible, but that is really the only positive thing one can point to when discussing Avdija’s jumper, albeit he does have some pick-and-roll shot creation potential.

If Avdija can continue to improve his offensive skills while also continuing to work on his jumper, not only should he be a player considered by the Cavaliers for drafting, he could see a fair offensive load for the 2020-21 season.

If he is able to reach his offensive ceiling quickly, Avdija could be a good fit for this Cavaliers roster while also being the third go-to scorer behind Collin Sexton and Kevin Love, and that’d be feasibly if he were to take over at the starting 3 spot for Cedi Osman.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of players who could become great scoring threats for their team. Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr., and even a potential 2020 NBA Draft selection such as Deni Avdija could have big roles on offense as soon as this next season. All three of them have the potential to be the third scoring threat for the Cavaliers, one of them just simply has to step up and seize that role.

And I’m sure Bickerstaff and the Cavaliers organization are hoping for that exact scenario to play out once the NBA begins play next season.