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Cleveland Cavaliers: 2021 NBA Draft Preview

By Josh Cornelissen

Evan Mobley, USC Trojans. Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images
Evan Mobley, USC Trojans. Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images /
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Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers
Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

2021 NBA Draft Preview: Team Needs

The biggest need for this team is a need many teams around the league have, and that is for an option at small forward. Ever since the greatest small forward in NBA history left in 2018 the Cavaliers haven’t found a long-term player to fit in here.

Isaac Okoro started at the 3 last season, but at 6’5″ with a 6’8″ wingspan he is undersized for the position, and the trend in the league is towards larger and larger wings. His abilities as a defensive stopper project him into a role at the 2, taking on an opponent’s best backcourt player, not defending forwards as often.

Shooting guard is not currently a need, with Collin Sexton as the starter and Okoro filling in the backup minutes. That being said, if Sexton is moved in a trade, that opens up a spot in the backcourt alongside Darius Garland at point guard. Given the lack of size in their current starting backcourt, getting a 2-gaurd with size — or sliding Okoro there full-time — needs to be the replacement plan.

Finally, the team has some question marks in regards to their long-term options at the big positions. Jarrett Allen is a young, starting-level center that the Cavs gave up a first round pick to bring in. If they re-sign him in restricted free agency their need at center is met; if they let him walk or execute a sign-and-trade then center becomes a need again.

At power forward the Cavaliers are currently stocked, with Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Taurean Prince and Dean Wade. That’s the group of the present, however, and not the future. If Wade continues to develop or the Cavs decided to keep Nance as the veteran defender of the rotation then this team has this partially filled in. More likely they move Nance to a contender and Wade slots in as a backup, and their long-term starter at the 4 is yet to be found.

Darius Garland is the best long-term starter this team currently has, and is the likeliest to stick around as a building block for the Cavs. Point guard is their least important place to upgrade heading into the draft.