With the 2023 NBA Draft a bit less than a week away, the Cleveland Cavaliers are slated to have the 49th pick in the draft. Sure, the pick isn’t as high of a selection as some people may like, but the second round still holds plenty of talent. With the Cavs’ first-round pick going to the Indiana Pacers, the Cavs probably will not have the ability to select a high-end talent next week.
Despite that expectation, the Cavs still could make a trade to get another draft pick. After all, the Cavs traded cash for the 49th pick last year from the Sacramento Kings, which they used to select Isaiah Mobley. The Cavs still could make a trade and get another selection somewhere in the draft, or move up by packaging that selection, perhaps.
According to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cavaliers, among a few other squads, could get back into the draft, most likely eyeing a late first-rounder. The Cavs probably wouldn’t be trading for a lottery pick, unless they offered Jarrett Allen in a deal. However, Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens, and Cedi Osman could all be offered alongside the 49th pick to jump back into the first round near the end.
Now that raises the question, if the Cavs did have a late first-rounder, who would they target? Well, this draft is a deep one, so the 25-30 range should still have some quality rotation-level players.
Let’s just assume for this article’s sake that the Cavaliers miraculously got a pick near the end of the first round for the 49th pick and the rights to the 39th pick last year, Khalifa Diop, or one of those rotation pieces we touched on.
With all of that said, here are a few prospects the Cavs could eye near the end of the first round.
We’ll begin with a small forward who could be a sharpshooter for Cleveland for years to come.
Prospect No. 1: Dariq Whitehead
If Cleveland wanted to swing for the fences with a pick like this, they should look no further than Duke’s Dariq Whitehead. Injuries and inconsistencies really held Whitehead back from what could’ve been a successful season, and he could’ve been a lock to be a lottery pick if he played better and was healthier. However, as of now, he is slotted to go between the second half of the first round to early second round.
Whitehead is a very polarizing player. The potential is there. He only averaged 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. The 42.1% from the field isn’t pretty, but the 42.9% from deep is really impressive, one of the few bright spots in his lone collegiate season. According to Recruiting Services Consensus Index, Whitehead was the top high school recruit last year.
Why would the Cavaliers select Whitehead? If he’s unpolished right now, why would a contending Cavs team select him? Well, as of now, the small forward position is wide open, Cleveland needs a good small forward. If head coach J.B. Bickerstaff could help Whitehead become a solid perimeter defender, then Whitehead could be one of the biggest steals of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Isaac Okoro is a question mark at the small forward position, and Caris LeVert is more suited as a sixth man (in the event he is back). Sure, Whitehead would definitely not start a lot, if at all next season. Even with that being the case, three-point shooting is what the Cavaliers need, and Whitehead should be a prime candidate if Cleveland lands back in the first round.
Prospect No. 2: Colby Jones
What’s not to like about Colby Jones? He’s a fierce competitor, and a great defender as well. Sure, he is already 21 years old, so he isn’t the youngest prospect ever, but that should not turn away teams. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists last year for a great Xavier team. Xavier isn’t necessarily known to recruit top-end talents, but Colby Jones has really thrived in Xavier’s system.
He’s a great combo guard. His natural position is at shooting guard, but he is a solid enough playmaker to play point guard. What’s also impressive about Jones is his three-point shooting growth. He shot 29.2% from deep in the 2021-22 season, and then improved dramatically to 37.8% in the 2022-23 season. Also, he got 1.3 steals per game, and is one of the best perimeter defenders in this whole draft class.
With that said, Jones would fit right into the Cavs’ system. A hard-nosed and gritty defender is exactly the kind of player Bickerstaff loves, so one shouldn’t be surprised to see Jones getting a lot of minutes with the Cavaliers.
LeVert still should be re-signed even if Jones is drafted. However, Ricky Rubio could be on the chopping block after a poor season and one has to have reservations about his health long term.
Jones could become the backup point guard if he is drafted to Cleveland. All in all, whoever Colby Jones gets drafted to, it will be exciting to see him play.
Prospect No. 3: Kris Murray
Looking at another NBA-ready talent, here is Kris Murray. He’s the brother of Keegan Murray, who was the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. With that in mind, there’s no reason that Kris Murray cannot be as successful as his brother.
Murray averaged 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last year for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Unlike his brother, Keegan Murray, he wasn’t as good of a three-point shooter. He shot 33.5% from deep in his junior season. However, Kris Murray’s game is NBA-ready, and he could make a serious impact from day one for whatever team he plays for.
The Cavs do already have two solid backup power forwards in Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade, but that shouldn’t be a reason to not select Murray. One of those could feasibly be potential trade candidates, anyhow.
Murray is a well-versed offensive power forward, and he can also play small forward from time to time.
Murray is currently slated to be picked around picks 20-35. He could end up being a first-round pick, but it’s unclear as to what team will select him. The Cavaliers definitely could benefit from having a guy like Murray on their team, though.
He is a perfect backup for Evan Mobley, as they both bring different skills to the table. Mobley is a great defensive big man, whereas Murray is a better floor spacer.
Taking all of that into account, the Cavaliers may not trade up into the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, which is fine. The 49th pick is still an area where they can find value, and it can definitely be useful to select a quality rotation player.
If the Cavaliers do make a trade, I’ll be 100% on board, however, and will support whatever President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman decides to do.