NBA Draft: What if the Cavs get the No. 1 pick this summer?

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NBA Draft: What if the Cavs get the No. 1 pick this summer? Cavs’ Team Needs

The Cleveland Cavaliers are set at three positions. Darius Garland made his first All-Star Game this season and is excitedly entrenched as the point guard of the future. Jarrett Allen likewise made his first All-Star Game and has grown into one of the league’s best finishers and rim protectors. Evan Mobley is the league’s best rookie and looks like a future two-way star at the 4.

That leaves shooting guard and small forward. The 2-guard spot may be addressed already between the newly-acquired Caris LeVert and Collin Sexton. Both offer on-ball creation, questionable defense and inconsistent playmaking. LeVert is under contract for just one more season, while Sexton is a restricted free agent this summer. Neither is a perfect fit alongside Garland, nor are either so undeniable that the team shouldn’t look to replace them with a top-tier draft pick. Isaac Okoro is theoretically an option too if he takes a major leap forward offensively the rest of the year, but that’s not the most likely outcome for the 1-way player.

Small forward has been this team’s Achilles heel since LeBron James left. Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro are both better as 2-guards, giving the team a logjam and denying them viable options at the 3. J.B. Bickerstaff has elected to go “big” this season, starting Lauri Markkanen and backing him up with Lamar Stevens or Dean Wade, all three more natural 4s. In fact, Bickerstaff has even played Stevens and Wade at the 2.

Markkanen has been fine, but he isn’t the long-term answer at the 3 and, if he sticks around, will likely move down once/if Kevin Love is gone. Wade and Stevens are excellent bench pieces but not long-term starters. Dylan Windler was a chance at such a player, but injuries have derailed his career.

Alright, so the Cavs know what they need: a wing. Someone to be a long-term, tentpole piece at the 2 or 3. A player who can exist and complement Darius Garland without overlapping too much with either Garland or the two bigs. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?