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

Christian Braun can shoot, too

If you are starting to notice a theme about the prospects the Cavs should be interested in, you are correct. The two things that the Cavs need the most is shot-creation, and shot-making, both off the dribble and off the catch. Christian Braun had an impressive season at Kansas, and raised his stock quite a bit with a good NCAA Tournament run. The former Jayhawk averaged over 14 points per game this season, while hitting his deep balls at a 38% clip.

On the defensive end, Braun puts the effort out there. However, he doesn’t have a ton of athleticism, so teams will likely target him on defense. With that being said, if he can improve his defensive game, especially on the perimeter, he’s going to have a great chance to be a good two-way player. When he gets out on the fastbreak, he flashes some athleticism, and can finish well through contact.

Braun was once viewed as a top-25 pick, but a bad combine, and uncertainty surrounding his athleticism have helped his stock to plummet. In this recent mock, Boone has Braun being drafted by the LA Clippers with the 43rd overall pick. In this scenario he would definitely be there at 39, and depending on who the Cavaliers take with their first-round pick, he may be too good to pass up.

And finally, just like Johnny Davis from Wisconsin, Braun is a pretty good rebounder. When the Cavs lost Jarrett Allen to injury at the closing stretch of the season last year, they struggled a bit rebounding. Adding Braun in the second round would be huge for the Cavaliers.

Braun has a game that’s tailormade for the NBA, and acquiring him at basically no cost would be one of the Cavaliers’ best front office moves in the last decade or so.