NBA Draft: Grades for all 15 teams in the Eastern Conference

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Ochai Agbaji, Kansas Jayhawks. Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images /

Eastern Conference NBA Draft Grades: Cleveland Cavaliers

Picks: Ochai Agbaji, Wing, Kansas (14); Khalifa Diop, Center, Gran Canaria (39); Isaiah Mobley, Big, USC (49); Luke Travers, Forward, Perth Wildcats (56)

The Cleveland Cavaliers watched it happen. AJ Griffin slid down the draft board, with teams afraid of his medicals in the same way teams were scared off of drafting Michael Porter Jr. a few years ago. Porter went 14th; the symmetry seemed obvious…

But the Cavs let him continue to slide, instead taking Ochai Agbaji out of Kansas. This was a solid pick, but one lacking upside; Agbaji is a strong defender and a good shooter, with perhaps a sprinkling of creation. He’s going to be a role player, and the Cavs could use one of them. His 6’10” wingspan helps give him utility to play the 3 at times too.

Again the Cavs had the chance to stop the slide of a player, this time in the second round. They didn’t trade up, as many thought they would after acquiring the 49th pick earlier in the day, but stayed put and watched Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell fall right to them…and they ignored him, instead drafting a center from Senegal.

Khalifa Diop is massive, 6’11” with a 7’3″ wingspan and enormous shoulders. He is active around the rim for rebounds and tip-ins and sets hard screens. He also is jumpy on defense which gets him out of position frequently and will rack up the fouls in the NBA. He needs to prove development while being stashed overseas before an NBA team brings him over, and he shouldn’t have gone until the 50s. Hard to see the thought process here.

Isaiah Mobley may have been simply a “hey Evan, we appreciate you” pick, but the older brother can play too. He is a good passer and has decent touch on his shot, and defensively he is solid if lacking his younger brother’s gifts.

Finally, at 56 the Cavs took Luke Travers, a decently athletic forward from Australia that is a late-comer to the NBA draft scene. He’ll be a long-term project tucked away overseas for a while, but if he can develop his skills he has the physical tools to be a player.

Given the players available, the Cavs could have had an awesome draft. Instead, they had a mediocre one. That’s not likely to doom them, as their current young core will dictate the success of this team moving forward, but it’s disappointing.

Grade: C