5 veteran NBA players Cavs should use 14th pick to trade for

Player No. 4: Buddy Hield, G, Indiana Pacers

Hield has been in the league for six seasons. Most of those were with the Sacramento Kings, although he began his career in New Orleans and he was traded recently to the Indiana Pacers. He’s a 16-points-per-game player for his career. He’s been both a starter and a player who can come off the bench. As we’ve been discussing in this article the Cavs don’t know for sure what their backcourt is going to look like with a Collin Sexton deal still not done.

Hield would be a nice acquisition for Cleveland because he’s a reliable scorer and would be a solid backup if coming off the bench. Indiana currently has the No. 6, 31, and 60 picks in the draft Thursday. If the Cavs would want to move back, then they could trade that No. 14 pick to the Pacers for the Hield and that No. 31 pick in the 2nd round.

Player No. 5: Bojan Bogdanovic, F, Utah Jazz

The 6’7 forward is a savvy and steady 33-year-old scorer. He can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting and could provide Cleveland with a much-needed type of player. The Cavs need more consistent frontcourt scoring; it’s been a weakness of the team. If the Cavs were to trade the 14 pick and, let’s say, Dylan Windler and Isaac Okoro for Bogdanovic and the Jazz’ first-round pick of 2023, that might make for an interesting proposition. The Jazz don’t have a draft pick this year and if the team was looking to get back in, they might consider the No. 14 Cavs pick.

With the Cavs building a young team where players like Darius Garland and big man Evan Mobley on the interior are looking to build on their own games next season, Bogdanovic could be that reliable shooter that could force teams to defend the perimeter and give the younger players the ability to attack the rim and play downhill.

The Jazz forward averaged over 18 points a game in his three seasons with Utah. He’s increased the number of three-pointers he’s been taking to seven a game. He’s making around three a game so he’s just a bit south of 40 percent.

Whatever the Cavs decide to do with that No. 14 pick, I’d expect the unexpected for Thursday’s draft actions by the team. The team is in a good position to do many things because they have the talent and youth and are starting to succeed.