NBA Draft: Wings the Cavs should target in 2022 and beyond

4 of 5

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman (center) sits courtside in the fourth quarter of a Cleveland game versus the Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) /

Upcoming NBA Draft targets for the Cavs to target: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Wisconsin-Milwaukee)

Patrick Baldwin Jr. decided that for his one year of college ball, he will play for his father, Patrick Baldwin, at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Baldwin Jr. will have to show out against most of his opponents, as Wisconsin-Milwaukee won’t be playing in the ACC, Big 12, or SEC. With that being said, Baldwin Jr. is still a special talent.

Standing at 6-foot-9 with an exceptional shooting touch, there’s no reason Baldwin Jr. doesn’t light it up this season. His game should translate well to the NBA, as he is a pretty straight-forward player. As I said, he’s a great shooter and uses his length and athleticism to bother the opposition. He should become a good defender over time, and is one of the only players in this class that can shoot with Hardy.

If you look at some of the players across the league who have come from small schools, there are a lot of success stories. Damian Lillard played his college ball at Weber State, and is one of the top eight players in the league. His teammate CJ McCollum, played his college ball at Lehigh University, and has been very good in the NBA as well. Over time, we’ve seen that the level of play for some prospects really doesn’t matter. If you’re a good player, it doesn’t matter where you come from.

I expect Baldwin Jr. to have a great freshman season, and get into the top five conversation of the 2022 NBA Draft.