The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the clock briefly on Tuesday night with the 29th pick in the NBA Draft. They quickly abdicated their position, trading down with the Sacramento Kings and falling back to the 34th pick.
The reasoning was simple and the move was expected. The drop-off in talent from 29 to the first ten picks of the second round was seen to be minimal in this era of NIL packages and the middle class of NBA prospects all returning to college for a payday.
The drop-off in money, however, was significant for a Cavaliers team pinching every penny to try and get out of the second apron. They saved money, got to draft a similar player, and picked up a future second-round pick in the process. It was very nearly the dream scenario that Cleveland went into the draft hoping for.
The second round of the NBA Draft picks up on Wednesday night, giving the Cavaliers a chance to catch their breath and reset the draft board. Who is still available for them to pick at 34?
Here are four prospects for them to consider drafting when their name is called on Wednesday night.
No. 1: Isaiah Evans, Wing, Duke
NBA teams can never have enough wings, especially ones with the movement shooting that Duke product Isaiah Evans provides. After years of not having capable players between their guards and bigs, the Cavaliers are finally building out a stable of connective wings.
Evans could slot in and space the court, joining Max Strus and Sam Merrill in building a true weapon for head coach Kenny Atkinson in terms of 3-point shooting. He could field lineups with two knockdown movement shooters and shred opposing defenses.
Evans is slight and needs to add NBA weight, but he has some shot creation ability and the length to be a solid defender in time.
No. 2: Henri Veesaar, Big, North Carolina
The Cavaliers were thought to be targeting a backup center if they stayed at No. 29, and perhaps they were motivated to trade back when the likes of Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. were off the board.
Henri Veesaar remains available and is the best of the remaining options. He is highly skilled on offense with excellent touch both inside and outside. The Cavs have tried to find a stretch big for cheap the last few seasons; this could be the answer for them.
Veesaar has real defensive question marks, but he brings an NBA skill from day one and could be trained up behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
No. 3: Meleek Thomas, Wing, Arkansas
The 6'5" Meleek Thomas is the pure 3-and-D wing that many NBA teams covet. It is somewhat surprising to see him fall out of the first round due to how many playoff teams need players of his skill set, but his ceiling didn't offer the same intrigue and he remains on the board.
A confident shooter, Thomas is a solid defender who probably needs to play most of his minutes at the 2. The Cavs need wings with size, but they also might need to replace Keon Ellis. Thomas is one way to do so.
No. 4: Richie Saunders, Wing, BYU
The Cavaliers are a win-now team, but that doesn't mean that every one of their draft selections must be win-now players. They have enough depth on the team right now that using a draft pick on a long-term play could be a savvy move.
Richie Saunders is unlikely to be a contributor as a rookie given that he is coming off of major knee surgery, but he has an intriguing skill set. He is a confident shooter, a microwave scorer, a willing passer and tries hard on defense. He could grow into the Sam Merrill role in a year or two, either to replace Merrill or to duplicate him.
The Cavaliers have some exciting options ahead of them, and they will get the chance to draft at least one of these players when they come onto the clock at pick No. 34 tonight.
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