Cavs’ NBA Draft Preview: Picks, options and prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2022 NBA Draft in a very familiar and yet very new position. They will pick in the lottery for the fifth consecutive year, but at just 14; this is the last lottery pick for an ascending team, rather than one of a sequence of moves by a rebuilding squad. The Cavs’ arrow is pointing up.

In addition to the 14th pick, the Cavs also have the 39th pick and the 58th pick, and in a draft where the talent pool is so flat, they could still uncover helpful players at both slots. Armed with those three selections, the Cavs have to both evaluate a wide range of prospects, they have to navigate a simply insane trade market to explore options to trade up, down and out.

The 2022 NBA Draft is tonight. What do you need to know about how to watch, what picks the Cavs have and which players they might take?

There has already been a flurry of activity since the season ended a week ago – yes, it was only one week ago that the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics for their fourth title in eight years. The Cavs and the other 28 teams will seek to emulate the Warriors’ run of success by any means necessary, including trades and draft-day reaches.

Let’s get you prepared for what is to come tonight. We’ll start with “Draft 101” containing all of the important details, and then break down the Cavs’ options at each pick. We’ll end with a prediction on which players the Cavs take with each selection.