For some teams, the NBA Draft is going to be the most important moment of 2023. Teams like the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons will likely see the course of their franchise changed by who they select (or don’t select) in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been there, most recently in 2021 when Evan Mobley dropped to No. 3 and changed their franchise forever.
Because of Mobley, and Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs don’t need to rely on this year’s NBA Draft to build the future of their team. They also can’t, to an extent, thanks to the Caris LeVert trade; they owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Indiana Pacers if they make the playoffs this year (spoiler alert: they will).
That doesn’t mean the draft doesn’t matter, however. It’s a path to the Cavs adding bench help at a low price tag. They have an excellent recent track record of developing players, giving them a solid chance at finding a gem in the second-round who develops into a real contributor. While they don’t have a first-round pick, they do have the rights to the Golden State Warriors’ second-round pick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers can keep their eye on certain players in March Madness.
It’s Conference Tournament Week in college basketball, and next week the NCAA Tournament will kick off. Which college stars should the Cavs be watching as potential players to select in June’s draft? There are some the Cavs should avoid at all costs, but here are three who are worth watching for the Cavaliers and their fans.
College stars for Cavaliers No. 1: Keyontae Johnson, Kansas State
Keyontae Johnson was once a star at Florida, placing on the All-SEC First Team in 2020 as a sophomore. Then in December of that year he collapsed on the court during a game and spent time in a medically induced coma. It was commonly thought that due to a heart condition, Johnson would never play another minute of college basketball.
He never gave up his dream of continuing his career, however, and although he wasn’t cleared to play again by the SEC he found his way to Kansas State this year. He had a dominant season for the Wildcats this year, winning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and placing on the First-team All-Big 12.
He averaged 17.8 points, seven rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range. He is 6’6″ but with the length and strength of an even larger player, and he projects as someone who can play small forward in the NBA. The Norfolk, Virginia native could be a solid source of wing depth for the Cavs.
Because of his heart condition and age (22 years old already) he will almost certainly fall out of the first round, and it’s realistic that he could be available when the Cavs pick in the middle of the round. Kansas State is ranked 12th in the country and should be set for a deep tournament run, making Johnson a player to watch this month.
College stars for Cavaliers No. 2: Brandin Podziemski, Santa Clara
Last season the relatively unheralded Santa Clara sent a player to the NBA Draft, and Jalen Williams tore through the pre-draft process and ended up going in the lottery. He is on the path to earning First Team All-Rookie honors this season.
Santa Clara could make it two years in a row with Brandin Podziemski, a 6’5″ wing who earned Player of the Year honors this year in the West Coast Conference. The biggest thing to like about Podziemski’s game is his shooting. The sophomore shot 45 percent on 3-pointers this season, able to shoot off of movement and pulling up on self-created 3-pointers as well.
His underrated skill is his rebounding; one gets shades of the impact Josh Hart has in the league as a nominal shooting guard. Podziemski led the WCC in rebounding this season, inhaling any available basketball and sparking transition opportunities. He has quick hands generating steals, and can make plays with the ball at a decent enough level to attack closeouts in the NBA.
He’s just 6’5″ so he isn’t the answer to the Cavaliers’ need at forward, and he is an average athlete and overall defender. Even so, to get a player with his gifts in the second round seems like a sharp move. If Podziemski can come into the league as a hybrid between Luke Kennard and Josh Hart, he’s a great fit to come off the Cavaliers’ bench.
Santa Clara lost in double-overtime in the quarterfinals of the WCC Tournament, so to watch him play more scouts and fans will hope they get an invitation to the NIT.
College stars for Cavaliers No. 3: Jalen Wilson, Kansas Jayhawks
Last year the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted a Kansas wing, taking Ochai Agbaji with the 14th pick before trading him to the Utah Jazz as part of the package for Donovan Mitchell. This year they could go back to the Rock Chalk well by taking Agbaji’s teammate on last year’s national championship team, Jalen Wilson.
The 6’7″ Wilson has been one of the best players in the country this year. He is averaging 19.7 points a year after averaging 11.1, with 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists sprinkled in for good measure. His 3-point shot is shakier, at just 33.5 percent, but he has good mechanics and shoots 78 percent from the line, a good sign for his development as a shooter.
Wilson was the unanimous selection for the Big 12 Player of the Year this season, the best player in the conference and a candidate for National Player of the Year (although it’s a longshot to beat out Purdue’s Zach Edey). His combination of scoring pop and size could make him an intriguing selection for a Cavaliers bench that has a lot of one-way players.
The Kansas Jayhawks are one of the very best teams in the entire country and are expected to go deep in the NCAA Tournament. Wilson will be able to show off his skills on the biggest stage, just as Agbaji did a season ago. He is one of three college stars who could be an option for the Cavaliers in this year’s NBA Draft.