3 potential high upside targets for Cavs in 2nd round of 2022 NBA Draft

If Jaden Hardy falls, pounce quick

I’ve been very open when professing my fondness for G-League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy. He was the number two overall recruit in the class of 2021, behind only Chet Holmgren. Even with that being the case, instead of taking the college route, he decided to take his talents to the G-League. That proved to be the wrong choice for him, as a guy who was once viewed as a top-five pick, is on the fringe of being a first-round draft pick.

Hardy shot 35% from the field, and only 27% from deep over the course of his time then. However, a lot of that can be contributed to immaturity, and poor shot selection. One of the most popular sayings in hoops is, “shooters shoot,” and Hardy is a good shooter, he just needs to take better shots. He has a quick, compact release, and has very deep range, often pulling up from only a few steps past halfcourt in high school.

In the aforementioned new mock draft by CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone, he had Hardy going to the Denver Nuggets with the final pick in the first round. If there is any indication that Hardy would slide this far, or further, then the Cavs need to be quick to pounce. With two second-round picks, along with some assets on the roster, Koby Altman and Mike Gansey might have the ammunition to trade back up into the end of the first round.

In all honesty, if Hardy makes it past the first round, the Cavs need to do whatever they can to get Hardy to Cleveland. His shot-making, along with his shot-creating and explosiveness, could really help the Cavaliers get over the hump next year, at a fraction of the cost of a star.