We’re now on the eve of the 2022 NBA Draft, and it seems as if the Cleveland Cavaliers could go a number of different directions with their first-round pick, which is at #14. That end-of-lottery selection was retained with the team having a lottery protection on the first-round pick they included as part of the Caris LeVert trade back near the past deadline, and the same will apply in 2023, involving Cleveland’s first.
Rumored potential targets seem to be Malaki Branham, Ochai Agbaji, Tari Eason, Dyson Daniels, Jeremy Sochan, Ousmane Dieng and Jalen Williams, among others. A recent report from Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype suggested that the Cavaliers could be open to trading back, if an additional future first-rounder were to be included in a hypothetical deal.
Also, on ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show (subscription required), ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst reported that a rumor within the league is that Cleveland may have made a promise to Dieng that they’d take him if he’s on the board.
We’ll have to see what plays out in the first round on Thursday night on that, among other things. From there, the Cavaliers are slated to have two second-round picks, too, which are slated for #39 and #56, respectively.
I’d think some potential targets for the second round could be Alondes Williams, Jake LaRavia and David Roddy, along with some possible rumored prospects such as Andrew Nembhard, for one. It was reported by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that with the second second-rounder, the Cavaliers could very well go with a “draft-and-stash” international prospect. A guy such as Hugo Besson of the NBL’s New Zealand Breakers could seemingly be a target in that scenario.
The Cavaliers should be able to feasibly get at least one rotational contributor in the upcoming draft, if not two. Time will tell if those guys will be factors early on next season, but in general, I could foresee the 2022 NBA Draft leading to possibly a few current Cavs players being replaced.
Whether that’s maybe later in the offseason or say, by mid-season, is not a certainty at the moment.
Either way, with that in mind, we’ll take a closer look here at two Cavs, in particular, who could be replaced as a result, ultimately, of the upcoming NBA Draft.
We’ll begin with a guy who has had his ups and downs in his time mostly at the 3, in Cedi Osman.
2 Cavs players that could be replaced directly as a result of the 2022 NBA Draft: – #1: Cedi Osman
One of first Cavaliers players that came to mind regarding this subject was Cedi Osman. Osman is a player that I have been pleased with, and also displeased with in his tenure with the team.
After not receiving much meaningful time in his first season in LeBron James’ final year of his return to Cleveland, Osman has gotten his share of minutes since. In the two years following that, he was Cleveland’s regular starter at the 3, and in the last two seasons since, has usually been a bench contributor.
In the 2021-22 campaign, I thought Osman for much of that year played well, and on the year, finished out with averages of 10.7 points and 2.0 assists in 22.2 minutes per contest. In what was his fifth season, all of which have been with Cleveland, Osman connected on 35.7 percent of his three-point attempts.
Osman didn’t necessarily close out the season how the team would’ve wanted, and it led to him for the second year in a row having DNPs at times down the stretch. But as opposed to the year prior, when he connected on 30.6 percent from three, albeit with inconsistencies with his role, I thought Osman’s minutes situation down the stretch of this now-past season was odd.
Osman is a guy that is going to have his ups and downs, and I’ll never dispute that. Then, though, and with the team at times even having Dylan Windler in essentially over him, was strange, given Windler not appearing to be confident as a shooter when the chances did come in 2021-22.
Osman is still a bench contributor that has the propensity to get hot for the Cavaliers, and gave the lift numerous times last season.
Nonetheless, the streakiness is there with him, and I know that, and defensively, he’s limited. So, with the streaky play in mind, and with Osman seeming to be a potential and/or suggested trade candidate this offseason, I could foresee Cleveland replacing him with a prospect such as LaRavia in the second round. Or maybe other possible candidates such as Christian Braun of Kansas in round two.
2 Cavs players that could be replaced directly as a result of the 2022 NBA Draft: – #2: Caris LeVert
The second current Cavs player that the team could be replacing as a result of the upcoming draft could seemingly be Caris LeVert. I didn’t go with Collin Sexton in this aspect because I personally do believe he could definitely be a key player for the team moving forward, and there still seems to be a high likelihood he’s extended for the long haul this offseason.
Conversely, while LeVert is a player that’s also extension-eligible, but with him expiring after next season, as opposed to a restricted free agent, I’m skeptical LeVert gets said extension from Cleveland.
He wasn’t nearly the impactful perimeter presence for the Cavaliers post-deadline in the scoring sense at least that plenty may have expected, and LeVert has an extensive injury history. It didn’t help that LeVert was dealing with a foot sprain post-All-Star break, either. And though Sexton is coming off an injury, he didn’t have many injury issues to speak of prior to last season.
Also in LeVert’s case, despite me believing he’s a solid playmaker when he’s in, more so in a bench sense, I have my doubts about him being viable as an off-ball guy for stretches. Sexton for the most part in his career has been a capable catch-and-shoot player. Sure, LeVert could feasibly start, but I think he could be better as a bench guy, personally.
Anyhow, though I could foresee the Cavs just having LeVert back next season, and I do think they could just give him his share of time after getting further acclimated after a full offseason, if Cleveland were to draft Jalen Williams, Malaki Branham, or Johnny Davis, that could lead to a LeVert trade. To some extent, Dieng could play some role in that as well.
In terms of other Cavs current players that could be replaced, in theory, as a result of the 2022 NBA Draft, I could see Isaac Okoro maybe down the road, or maybe long term, Sexton, but for now, Osman and LeVert were the clearer players. Okoro I could foresee maybe phased out from others internally, alternatively, too.
I still could foresee Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens being back as very team-friendly contract defensive rotational guys, for what it’s worth.