The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2026 NBA Draft armed with the penultimate pick in the first round. Who could reasonably be available with the No. 29 pick on Tuesday night? And of those players, who should the Cavaliers target, and who should they avoid?
Here are the top 33 players on their draft board, ranked from long gone to should avoid, and everyone in between. Those prospects in the first two groups are not ranked inside of their groups.
Lottery Talents that will be long gone
Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown Jr., Aday Mara, Brayden Burries
Unless the Cavaliers pull a blockbuster rabbit out of their hat and flip Evan Mobley to the Chicago Bulls or Donovan Mitchell to the Sacramento Kings, these players will all go in the lottery and the Cavaliers will never sniff them.
Intriguing mid-first players
Yaxel Lendeborg, Labaron Philon, Hannes Steinbach, Karim Lopez, Nate Ament, Dailyn Swain, Cameron Carr, Morez Johnson Jr
This is the group of draft prospects that appear to have enough interest from NBA teams that they will be going somewhere from 8th to 20th in the draft, but certainly well before pick No. 29. Some of these players would be magnificent fits on the Cavaliers, from Yaxel Lendeborg's versatile skill set as a combo forward to Hannes Steinbach's rebounding and magnetic hands at center.
Incredible talents with a slim possibility of falling to 29
Jayden Quaintance, Bennett Stirtz
These two players would likely be Top-20 prospects on Cleveland's board, but there is an ever-so-slight possibility that they could slip down the board on Tuesday night. Both would be fantastic options at backup center and point guard, respectively.
Jayden Quaintance was once presumed to be a Top-10 pick, but an ACL tear ruined his freshman season and he never got healthy in his sophomore year. Can he get and stay healthy? Will his elite defensive impact return once he is healthy, or is it gone forever? Those question marks could push an extremely talented player down the board.
Bennett Stirtz is a gifted passer, shooter and decision-maker, but he doesn't have that one undeniable skill that could make NBA teams fall in love with him. If teams in the 20s with needs in the frontcourt pass on him, perhaps he makes it all the way down to 29.
Top Tier Targets - Game changing role players
Tarris Reed Jr., Allen Graves, Isaiah Evans, Joshua Jefferson
We reach the first tier of prospects that the Cavaliers could reasonably expect to have a crack at. It is possible that each of these four players is off the board when the Cavaliers come on the clock, but each is also reaching the end of the first round in various mock drafts. There is a chance at least one of these players is still there at 29.
If so, the Cavaliers should pounce. Tarris Reed Jr. is a bruising center whose rebounding and toughness would be a much-needed injection into Cleveland's team culture. Allen Graves and Joshua Jefferson are similar players of different ages, analytical darlings who do all the little things even if they are not leaping out of the gym.
Isaiah Evans has the most pure talent of the group, a thin-but-long wing who can shoot both accurately and at a high volume. Few coaches weaponize shooters like Kenny Atkinson, and Evans has the talent to even grow beyond that role. He would be both an upside swing and a player with a high floor due to his shooting ability.
Second Tier Targets - Solve a need
Chris Cenac Jr., Henri Veesaar, Meleek Thomas, Sergio de Larrea, Koa Peat
The only thing that this group of players has in common is that they have nothing in common. Chris Cenac has all the tools of a starting big man, but has yet to put any of it together just yet. On the other hand, Henri Veesaar was wildly productive as a college player but might top out as a backup big.
On the wing, Meleek Thomas is a 3-and-D wing while Koa Peat might not do the 3 or D part, but his feel and motor are incredible and he has been a winner at every stop. Sergio de Larrea is the mystery box, but the combo guard was wildly productive in the Spanish league, and that type of accomplishment usually translates to an NBA career.
Third Tier Targets - Players Cavs should avoid
Ebuka Okorie, Zuby Ejiofor, Richie Saunders, Braden Smith
Ebuka Okorie and Braden Smith are two wildly different point guards, with Okorie lightning fast and putting pressure on the rim, and Smith a measured and clinical passer and shooter. Both are tiny, however, and the Cavaliers cannot add another small guard to their roster.
Zuby Ejiofor is often included in the group of bigs above, but he is short and cannot score. The Cavaliers need bigs with real size and who can finish passes from James Harden, not offensive zeroes who will finish with lines of 2 points and 8 rebounds.
Finally, Richie Saunders could prove to be a sleeper if he fully recovers from his season-ending injury. That being said, he is 24 years old, and the Cavaliers have such a roster crunch that holding one slot for a player who won't be contributing this year probably is not the move.
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