Cavs’ NBA Draft Preview: Picks, options and prediction

Cavs’ NBA Draft Preview: Cavs at No. 39

The Cavs’ second pick of the night will come near the top of the second round of the NBA Draft, as Cleveland makes a selection using a pick that originally belonged to the San Antonio Spurs. Given how uncertain the middle of the draft will be, players who many expect to be first-rounders will be on the board at 39. There is a great chance of the Cavs getting a player high on their board.

This pick is one that the Cavs have had quite a few times throughout team history. The first time around in 1974 they got a solid role player in Kevin Restani, a big out of San Francisco. Since then they picked at 39 three times in the 1990s, drafting three players who all totaled just 205 career games between them: Jimmy Oliver, Donny Marshall and A.J. Bramlett.

Other teams have managed to find some success at this slot. Al Attles was the 39th pick in the 1960 draft and had a Hall of Fame career playing for the Warriors as a multipurpose point guard. Much more recently, 2021 NBA champion Khris Middleton went 39th to the Detroit Pistons in 2012. Two years later Jerami Grant, just traded last night to the Portland Trail Blazers, went 39th to Philadelphia.

The uncertainty of even who will be selecting where from 20 to 40 makes predicting the Cavs’ pick nearly impossible. Players such as Christian Braun, Kennedy Chandler, John Butler, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins have all been mocked to the Cavs at No. 39. If the Cavs do anything other than select a wing at No. 14 that has to be the choice at 39, but a wing at 14 gives them some leeway to address the backup point guard position or swing for the fences with a high-upside player like Baldwin.