3 ACC players the Cavs could take in 2022 NBA Draft

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Wendell Moore, Duke Blue Devils. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

3 ACC players the Cavs could take in 2022 NBA Draft: Wendell Moore

The Duke Blue Devils were one of the two ACC teams to make the Final Four, and in contrast to the UNC Tar Heels were stocked with potential NBA talent. Thus far five Duke players have declared for early entry in the 2022 NBA Draft, and likely at least four will stay in the draft. That makes Duke an excellent source of talent for the Cavs to consider.

While Paolo Banchero and A.J. Griffin are likely to be off the board when the Cavs select at No. 14 (there’s a very slight possibility they leap into the Top 4, but for now it’s safe to assume they will be at the very back end of the lottery. That raises quite a few possibilities, especially in a first roud packed with wings.

One such wing is Wendell Moore, who was Duke’s captain this season as a junior. Despite playing three seasons in Durham the 6’5″ guard is just 20 years old and boasts plenty of upside; he increased his shooting this season to 41.3 percent from 3-point range, and across the board his production went up despite the talent he was playing alongside.

Moore is a tough, long defender who can guard anyone 1-3 in the NBA, and offensively he is a do-it-all rotation player. He’s not going to be a star, but he averaged 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists this past season as he contributed across the board. If the shooting is for real (his career 81.4 percent mark from the free-throw line speaks positively to that point) he is a 3-and-D wing who can serve as a secondary ball-handler and slide between the 2 and the 3.