The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be expensive and good next season, which means it's extremely important to find inexpensive bench players who are able to step in and contribute. The best path to such additions is the NBA Draft.
While the Cavaliers don't have their first-round pick, sent to Utah and subsequently on to Phoenix from the Donovan Mitchell trade, they do have a pair of second-round picks. Such picks count minimally on their salary sheet and are an excellent way to manage their team salary -- and all the better if they are ready to play.
Few places afford a better look at draft prospects than a court under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament. At least eight players will take the court in the Final Four, on all four teams, who could realistically be in play for the Cavaliers in the second round.
In no particular order other than when they play on Saturday night, here are eight prospects for the Cavaliers and their fans to keep an eye on in the Final Four.
No. 1: Tahaad Pettiford, PG, Auburn
Mike Conley once played in a Final Four before carving out a career in the NBA as a small guard with plenty of talent and skill. On a lower level, the Auburn Tigers have a player in Tahaad Pettiford who is only 6'1" and slight, but who can absolutely take over a game.
He did just that in the Sweet 16, putting Auburn on his back and driving them from a 9-point deficit to a lead in just a handful of minutes. He is a knockdown shooter, can generate separation and has excellent touch from both floater range and at the rim. The downside is his size and whether he can survive at the NBA level; for every Mike Conley there are dozens of small guards who wash out in the NBA.
No. 2: Johni Broome, C Auburn
The NBA and college basketball continue to have a gap in the style of play that allows a center with limited defensive mobility like Johni Broome to absolutely dominate in college but be a second-round prospect for the NBA. Broome lacks upside to be a star and is likely not even a long-term starter in the league.
As a backup center who can come into the league ready to go, an inexpensive bench player who can contribute to an expensive team like the Cavaliers during his rookie contract, Broome fits the bill. He is strong and an elite rebounder, has excellent touch and has shown flashes of expanding his game out to 3-point range. There is an NBA player here, just probably not one with a 12-year career or a lucrative contract.
No. 3: Walter Clayton Jr., PG, Florida
If teams are looking for a pure point guard diming up teammates as the orchestrator of a pick-and-roll offense, Walter Clayton Jr. may not be their guy. If they want a fearless shotmaker who can thrive alongside another on-ball player, suddenly Clayton has real value. There have been comparisons made to Fed VanVleet and they make a lot of sense -- and VanVleet was a key piece on the 2019 Toronto Raptors title team before growing into an All-Star himself.
Even if Clayton never makes it to All-Star status, he could be a tough-nosed bench guard for the Cavaliers to plug into the rotation behind their All-Star guards. He could thrive particularly playing with Evan Mobley and running dribble handoffs, his favorite method of destroying defenses this season.
No. 4: JoJo Tugler, PF/C, Houston
The Houston Cougars have an elite defender in JoJo Tugler, a 6'8" forward who can defend every position on the court and is rated by many as the most impactful defender in the nation. He also cannot shoot, in any way, and is unlikely to develop much of a scoring game. He does the little things - screens, offensive rebounds, cutting - that help an offense, but the lack of a shot will push him down draft boards.
Can he have a Herbert Jones type of development arc? It's a longshot, but his defense is so good that it's worth some team taking a swing. The Cavaliers could give it a shot and see whether their system can elevate a player with such obvious elite impact on the defensive end.
No. 5: Milos Uzan, PG, Houston
If you want a player currently in the second round mix but with the potential to move up into the end of the first round, Milos Uzan is your guy. The 6'4" guard is an excellent on-ball point guard with the passing skill to direct an offense, but also is a fearless shooter pulling up or off-the-catch. Defensively he has size and good instincts. If Ty Jerome walks in free agency, Uzan could be ready as a rookie or soon thereafter to play a role for a team like the Cavaliers.
No. 6: Isaiah Evans, SF, Duke
The Cleveland Cavaliers struck out making a low-cost bet on Emoni Bates; they could get a better version in Duke wing Isaiah Evans. The 6'6" freshman has been an absolutely sharpshooter for Duke, and while he could return to the Blue Devils he has a shot at playing well in the Final Four and declaring for the NBA Draft. Whether it's as a replacement for Sam Merrill down the road or merely adding even more shooting, Evans has a pure stroke and enough size and skill around it to offer upside to become more.
No. 7: Sion James, SF, Duke
Drafting a player from Duke usually means you are getting an elite natural talent aimed for a high-usage role in the NBA. Their role players have often been five-star prospects who proved to be NBA busts if they made it there at all.
Sion James is very different, playing the end of his college career as a transfer to Duke and bringing real size, defense and savvy to their starting lineup. Those same attributes should translate to the NBA, and a player like James could help a lot of teams. He doesn't have the size to play forward nor the shooting touch to be a long-term starter, but as a lockdown defender and steady hand as a bench player he should step in from the jump ready to contribute.
No. 8: Tyrese Proctor, PG, Duke
Duke guard Tyrese Proctor has been on an NBA Draft journey, a potential first-round prospects as an incoming freshman who played his way down the board, returned to school, and has developed into an excellent shooter and confident offensive player. Now a junior, Proctor may have earned enough trust to leave for the NBA and start the next phase of his career.
While not a high-end defender, Proctor's size at 6'6" will cover a lot of faults. His shooting stroke appears to be for real, and he is cool under pressure in the way a contending team like the Cavaliers need from bench guards. He would be a reasonable option for them with one of their two second-round picks.