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Potential trades for Cavs’ 2022 NBA Draft lottery pick

By Quinn Minnich

Evan Mobley (#4, right on-ball) and Jarrett Allen (#31, left) defend. (Photo by Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)
Evan Mobley (#4, right on-ball) and Jarrett Allen (#31, left) defend. (Photo by Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports) /
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T.J. McConnell, Cleveland Cavaliers
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell handles the ball. (Photo by Russell Isabella-USA TODAY Sports) /

In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers are slotted around the 14th overall pick, and the Cavs have multiple routes they can take. Personally, I think Cleveland has an amazing young core, with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen all under 25 years old.

There are many players in this draft that Cleveland can take and can fill holes in their roster, but I think a trade is the best option that the Cavs have at this point. The Cavs already have enough young talent for the future, and they want to contend now, so trading the pick for an established player is a safe move. Here are a few trades that I drew up myself that make sense for Cleveland to make.

In this trade, the Cavs get a great backup point guard and perimeter defender in T.J. McConnell. Last season, according to nba.com, he had the 3rd-most deflections per game, at 3.5, only behind Fred VanVleet and Robert Covington. Last season, he also had a defensive rating of 110.0 and had the 7th-best steal percentage for a guard in the league. This season he had a bit of a step back in terms of stats. McConnell was injured for most of the season with a hand injury, as he only played in 27 games this season and had a defensive rating of 112.3, but considering the small sample size, it’s not a big deal. He’s still a great backup point guard and a good defender for a guard.

For Indiana, you get a lottery pick, projected around 14, and you only give up Cleveland’s pick next year, which should be a solid pick, and a Phoenix pick that checks in as the last pick in the NBA draft. Also, you get Cedi Osman, who is on a team-friendly contract and can be either bought out or traded for more assets. Indiana would be able to draft a really good player in the lottery and can accelerate their rebuild towards the future.