For the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s not likely they’re going to be getting an every-night type of contributor by way of the 2023 NBA Draft, for next season at least.
In the upcoming draft set to commence next Thursday, June 22, Cleveland is currently set to select at No. 49 exclusively. Cleveland does not have a first-round pick, as the Indiana Pacers have Cleveland’s first-rounder as part of the Caris LeVert trade, and the Cavs’ only pick for now is in the mid-second round, via the Golden State Warriors. Further, Cleveland is going to have to find value in second-round picks in years to come following the Donovan Mitchell trade last offseason with the Utah Jazz.
Cleveland’s offseason ahead will mostly be predicated on adding proven shooters via trade and/or free agency on the wing/to factor into the 3-man rotation, and the Cavaliers would be wise to address their need at backup big. One could argue Cleveland could have use for bringing in a third lead guard, too.
All those caveats aside, the Cavaliers can still find value in this draft, and could possibly land a player that can be solid for their rotation.
Given Cleveland’s shooting needs, bringing in another deep threat by way of the draft would be a sensible call, and perhaps the Wine and Gold could look to Lamar Stevens’ former teammate at Penn State in Seth Lundy.
Taking a bomber in Lundy in the 2023 NBA Draft could pay off for the Cavs, and could have the makings of a big steal.
Lundy is a player who had 14.2 points per contest last season as a senior at Penn State, and had 11.9 and 10.1 points per outing in his junior and sophomore years prior to that. What’s particularly appealing with Lundy for the Cavaliers is how he had his moments as a deep threat, as we hinted at.
Over his four-year collegiate career, he connected on 36.8 percent of his three-point attempts, of which amounted to 5.1 per contest. In the last two seasons, in which he fully settled into a starting role for Nittany Lions, he cashed in on 40.0 and 34.8 percent from deep.
While some of the general splits didn’t necessarily demonstrate it in an overall sense, Lundy is a heat-check type of shooter.
He had his share of big shooting games for Penn State, and could be a player that gives Cleveland a spark in stretches of games if he were to have opportunities to. In the 2022-23 season, he had 18 games of canning at least three three-point shots, and for Cleveland, he could potentially be a wing shooter that could splash deep balls in meaningful stretches for the bench.
Lundy was utilized off movement with the Nittany Lions, and could hone on in that part of his skill set in years ahead at the NBA level upon further development. If the Cavaliers were to select Lundy, he could at minimum be a viable two-way contract candidate, where his deep shooting and movement shooting could be more fine-tuned.
Lundy has proven that can make plays to counter hard closeouts as well, though, with some shot creation flashes with step backs and in the mid-range to play off of his deep shooting threat. Plus, Lundy’s finishing touch inside and his skill level there paired with his 219-pound frame do enable him to be a capable scorer at the rim.
As for other strengths of his game, Lundy’s strength and positioning to aid him on the glass, where he tallied 6.3 and 4.9 rebounds per game in the past two seasons. He could be an impactful rebounder in minutes at the 2 and 3 for Cleveland, which always makes a difference for team defense.
Now, Lundy’s relatively limited athleticism and quickness limitations are areas of concern for shot creation and defense at the next level, in fairness. And he’s already a 23-year-old player, which will draw its share of critics.
All of that being said, Lundy is the kind of deep shooting bomber who could prove to be a heck of a steal down the road for Cleveland, who needs more deep threats. In stretches, he could be a quality contributor fairly early on if he can have time to establish some rhythm.
While he’s not the biggest wing at 6-foot-5, his stroke should translate at the NBA level, and his 6-foot-10.25 wingspan shouldn’t hurt.
If Lundy is on the board for Cleveland in the second round, he’s assuredly a sharpshooter they should consider there.