At the time of writing this article, the Cleveland Cavaliers are projected to have a second-round pick via the Golden State Warriors. As of now, the pick is slotted to be at 47, but that is likely to change, as the NBA season isn’t even halfway done at this point in time.
Last year, Cleveland selected Khalifa Diop, Isaiah Mobley, and Luke Travers all in the second round. Mobley is currently playing for the Cavs on a two-way contract, while both Diop and Travers are playing overseas. We will have to wait and see if either Travers or Diop will come to the Cavs next season, or anywhere down the future.
In the future, the Cavs could trade the pick at the trade deadline, or add the pick in at the NBA draft to acquire some NBA-ready talent. But for the sake of this article, we will assume this pick will belong to Cleveland at the time of the draft, and Koby Altman will not trade it. Without further ado, here are my players that the Cavs could possibly select in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Prospect No. 1 – Emoni Bates
Emoni Bates probably won’t fall down as far as me and other NBA fans think he will. If he does declare for the 2023 NBA Draft, I do think he will be a first-round talent, just based off of potential alone. Maybe he’ll slide later into the draft, you never know. Personally, I would love having Bates on the squad. Sure, his off-court problems may hinder his draft stock, but if I were drafting just based off of basketball alone, I’d definitely want Bates on my roster.
Looking at his stats, he is averaging 20.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He is also shooting 37.6% from deep, and 74.0% from the line. Those numbers are pretty solid, nothing to really not like. Considering he is 6’9,” maybe scouts would like those rebounds to be higher, but other than that, he has a solid profile.
Now, let’s look at his negatives. Obviously I mentioned his off-court issues. He was reportedly arrested in September for carrying a concealed weapon, and altering ID marks on said gun. Taking a look back on Kevin Porter Jr., for example, he was also arrested for improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle. Also, Porter wasn’t the best teammate in the world, as a few years ago, the Cavs traded for Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen. Once Prince was given Porter’s locker, as KPJ wasn’t playing at the time, Porter threw food at coaches and players, and was immediately traded to Houston afterwards.
Also, looking at Bates’ wingspan, it isn’t a great sight. Cooper Watson of Busting Brackets says in his article that his wingspan was a 6’7.25.” That doesn’t seem so bad, but once you consider the fact that he is 6’9,” that does give him a negative wingspan. That isn’t the worst thing in the world, but to be a good defender in the NBA, wingspan does help. However, Desmond Bane has already made a solid NBA career early on, even with the fact that he too has a negative wingspan.
Wherever Bates does get drafted, I do believe he will spend a solid chunk of his rookie season in the G-League. I don’t think Bates is NBA-ready just yet, but I do think, in time, Bates can become a solid, even All-Star NBA player.
Prospect No. 2 – Oscar Tshiebwe
Oscar Tshiebwe is also similar to Bates, as he is still a bit raw when it comes to basketball talent, but that shouldn’t make Cleveland steer away from him. He is already a tremendous defensive player, which should make the Cavaliers happy. His shooting is really not there yet, as in all four years at West Virginia and Kentucky, he has attempted zero 3-pointers. His free throw percentage is not the best, but it isn’t horrendous. He shot 70.8% from the line in his first college year, but then shot 66.1% this collegiate season so far.
As I mentioned, defense is one of his best attributes. He is averaging 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per night. Also, he is pulling down 13.8 rebounds a night, while 5.8 of them are offensive rebounds. He may be an undersized center at only 6’9,” but he still has great versatility on defense. According to Tankathon, Tshiebwe’s wingspan is 7’4.” That wingspan should help him on the defensive end, as he should be able to get steals and block shots because of his length.
If Tshiebwe wants to make it into the NBA, he should want to be able to hit a mid-range jumper with consistency. Take for example, Jarrett Allen. If NBA defenses sag off of him in the mid-range setting, he will not hesitate to put them up, and has shown tangible growth offensively in recent seasons. I’ve seen Allen make middies before, so I know it is in his arsenal. Tshiebwe needs to be similar, being able to somewhat stretch defenses out so other players can get to the lane easier.
I believe Tshiebwe should be able to be a more reachable player when it comes to draft position, as I don’t think he will go in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. I would like to see what Tshiebwe would have to offer to the Cavaliers, considering the lack of talent at the backup center position. If Khalifa Diop were to come to the Cavs next season, then maybe I could see Cleveland shying away from Tshiebwe.
Prospect No. 3 – Jaime Jaquez Jr.
If the Cavs want to go for an NBA-ready pick, they shouldn’t look much further than Jaime Jaquez Jr. He will be 22 years old once the draft rolls around, and he has played four years at UCLA. His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he is a solid defender. This season, his defensive rating is an 88.3, and he has earned Pac-12 All-Defensive honors twice in his collegiate career, and could win his third this collegiate season.
Looking at his weaknesses, he isn’t much of a shooter. He has shot 29.0% from deep this season, and 32.7% in his collegiate career. His age might scare some teams off, but I think for Cleveland, it would be a good sign to take him. Sure, he’ll have growing pains coming into the NBA, but his game is already mostly developed.
I do think that Jaquez should be on the board still once Cleveland’s pick rolls around, so I don’t think it is too far-fetched that the Cavs would select him. Maybe considering the fact that he isn’t a quality distance shooter could scare the Cavs, but I think his defensive versatility is too good to not think about selecting him at all.
All in all, the Cavaliers still do have a lot of time on their hands when it comes to the 2023 NBA Draft, but it still is important to get their prospects scouted early. Whether Cleveland deals the second-rounder or selects someone with them, I am fully confident that Koby Altman and his staff will make the right moves.