What if the Cavs had drafted Haliburton instead of Okoro?

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Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers. Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images /

What if the Cavs hadn’t drafted Okoro? How good Haliburton has been

Tyrese Haliburton has been a top-5 player in the 2020 NBA Draft class, and there is an argument for him as high as second overall. The former Iowa State guard was a polarizing prospect coming into the draft, with his excellent passing chops, defensive size and shooting results off-set by questions about his scoring, shooting stroke and overall upside.

Haliburton has not only answered those questions, he did so immediately and emphatically. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards and was a First Team All-Rookie selection. He averaged 13 points, 5.3 assists and shot 40.9 percent from deep in an impressive rookie season for the Sacramento Kings.

Things only got better from there. Haliburton was the centerpiece of a trade that brought an All-Star back to the Kings in Domantas Sabonis at last year’s Trade Deadline, and many evaluators thought the Kings lost out on the deal – that’s how valuable Haliburton is around the league.

Between his two stops last season in Sacramento and Indiana, Haliburton improved across the board. He averaged 15.3 points, 8.2 assists, four rebounds and 2.1 3-pointers per game on sizzling 41.4 percent shooting from deep. He confidently ran the offense, especially with the Pacers, and overall looks like a future All-Star. He is a legitimate two-way guard at 6’5″ with long arms, elite passing and knockdown shooting.