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

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

Remember those four players in the mix at the top? None of them fit the Cavs’ need on the wing. Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero are all power forwards who trend towards the bigger side of that equation in the modern NBA; none profile as a 3.

Jaden Ivey, the lone guard in the mix, is very clearly a lead guard at the next level. That doesn’t mean the Cavs couldn’t try to pair him with Darius Garland, but the same problem would be inherent that are cropping up with the Garland – Sexton pairing, or even the Garland – LeVert pairing. Defensively the two would truly struggle to match up with opponents, and maximizing another lead guard by moving Garland off-ball is only sensical if the player now handling the ball is truly better than Garland as a playmaker. There are only a handful of such players in the league now as Garland ascends.

Could another player get moved up into the mix to better fit the team’s draft needs? That’s always a dangerous proposition, elevating need above player quality, and it’s such a path that could have stopped the Cavs from drafting Evan Mobley last year. There also isn’t a clear-cut wing player who would be the obvious pick to elevate. Johnny Davis, A.J. Griffin and Keegan Murray are all options later in the Top 10, but pushing one up into the Top 4 seems like a mistake unless the Cavs are confident they are also better than the players at the top.

Shaedon Sharpe out of Kentucky is the wild card here. The No. 1 player in the class of 2023, there is buzz that the 6’5″ shooting guard could petition to enter the NBA Draft this year. If he does, he would immediately be an option at the top, and his combination of elite athleticism, perimeter shooting and defensive tools would make him an excellent fit alongside Garland.