2022 NBA Draft prospect Caleb Love could help Cavs’ shot creation

We’re in the thick of March Madness, and the NCAA Tournament has not disappointed. Cinderella Saint Peter’s has made an improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen, two top seeds in Baylor and Gonzaga have been bounced, and there’s still plenty to look forward to.

When it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ perspective regarding potential prospects, while they could very well be without a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, if they don’t make the postseason, the lottery would still be in-play. Cleveland’s first-rounder they sent to the Indiana Pacers in the Caris LeVert deal is lottery-protected.

Aside from that scenario, though, barring a trade into the first round by the Cavaliers, Cleveland is still set to have two second-round picks in June’s draft. Those are via the San Antonio Spurs (projected to be in the 37-40 range) and the Miami Heat (via Indiana, projected to be #57 currently).

I’d think that at least with one of their second-rounders, if Cleveland were to use both that is, they could find value there, and perhaps the likes of Christian Braun, Bryce McGowens, Malaki Branham, Julian Strawther or Nikola Jovic could be nice finds for the Cavs, involving wings. I also could foresee the Cavaliers looking to snag a combo guard in the upcoming draft, that can help potentially with bench scoring and playmaking, to some degree.

A few guys that come to mind in that realm are Trevor Keels, if he were to fall, along with Alondes Williams or Keon Ellis, among others. A player that might prove to be a quality second-rounder, though, perhaps even with Miami’s second, could be Caleb Love out of North Carolina.

Love has had some ups and downs, but he’s a player that could potentially become a valuable Cavs bench shot creator.

We’ve seen Darius Garland have a breakout season in Year 3 for the Wine and Gold, and last month’s first All-Star nod for him repping the host Cavs could be the first of many of those to come for Garland. He’s an emerging star for the Cavaliers that is just getting started.

That said, even with both Collin Sexton, who has missed most of this season due to injury, and potentially Caris LeVert being key shot creators/drivers in coming years, if they stick around, the Cavs could use another shot creator. That’s feasibly a player that could be filling in for stretches at either the 1 or 2, and a player that can help at least somewhat with reserve playmaking would make a difference.