While the NBA Finals rage on, the draft is quietly sneaking up, taking place on June 23 and 24. The Cleveland Cavaliers only have any business in the first night currently, holding pick 29 from the San Antonio Spurs.
Cleveland's offseason is already filled with rumors of blockbuster trades or marginal moves. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018, the Cavs failed to win a single game and entered the summer with as many questions as they had a year prior.
The New York Knicks exposed every flaw lurking throughout the Cavailers' roster, taking advantage of any opportunity that appeared. For a team hellbent on being considered a Finals contender, the Cavaliers have allowed the roster to be far too lopsided every season and continue to ignore glaring issues. If Cleveland has any intent on improving, the draft is the best way to do it.
Looking at the landscape around pick 29, the Cavs have a suprising amount of talent which will likely be available. Guards, bigs and wings are all still likely to be on the board for Cleveland, but the team's best choice comes down to other moves the Cavaliers can make this offseason. One area of need has been consistently ignored over the years, making it an obvious spot to target.
Zuby Ejiofor fixes the Cavaliers' frontcourt
The Cavaliers have not drafted a frontcourt talent since Evan Mobley in 2021. Since then, Cleveland has repeatedly targeted guards and wings such as Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor. With the Cavaliers' only bench player with size, Dean Wade, entering unrestricted free agency, the team needs to find a reliable big man in the draft.
One serious deficit the Cavaliers face across the roster is positional versatility. While players like Max Strus and Sam Merrill can shift between the two and three, young forward Tyson is the only player other than Wade capable of easily moving between the three and four. None of the Cavs' role players can consistently provide minutes in the frontcourt, especially at the five spot.
St. John's senior Zuby Ejiofor fixes that. The 22 year old stands at 6-foot-9 and weights 245 pounds. He primarily plays the power forward position, but his size and 7-foot-2 wingspan allows him to shift up without a problem. During his senior season at St. John's, Ejiofor averaged 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over 37 games.
Ejiofor's playstyle does not match the stereotypical profile of draftees many look for when searching for an ideal Cavalier selection. He is not a three-point shooter, shooting 27.7 percent over four collegiate years on low volume. Regardless, Ejiofor provides everything the Cavaliers actually need out of a backup big man. He possesses a high motor with endless stamina, and his bulky frame allows him to embrace contact on his way to the paint.
Where the Texas native excels is his strong rebounding and defensive prowess. Ejiofor showed fantastic vertical pop around the hoop, denying and contesting seemingly every shot that came within his reach. Adding another strong defensive forward next to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen makes for a perfect frontcourt rotation. And while Ejiofor's lateral quickness and perimeter defense can suffer against quick small guards, he is noticeably more talented at wing defense than an average big man.
Offensively, Ejiofor does not add more floor spacing, but he does bring a solution to the Cavs' worst offensive flaw. Ejiofor gives the Cavaliers an explosive fastbreak finisher, meanwhile the Cavaliers finished the Playoffs with a league-worst 7.2 fastbreak points per game. In a frontcourt lineup with Ejiofor at the four spot, he can leak out and instantly be ready to catch an outlet pass on the break for an easy dunk. That kind of athleticism and quick scoring has evaded the Cavaliers endlessly.
He also provides another perennial lob threat for Harden and Mitchell. His constant movement and cutting gives Cleveland easy points on a dump off pass on the baseline and a bruisiner interior finisher.
Finding a perfect, well-rounded prospect in the late first round is going to be next to impossible, but the Cavaliers still have a plethora of polished talent with upperclassmen prospects like Ejiofor. Cleveland is already committed to a star core but lack players who add another layer of depth to the offense beyond more floor spacing. Ejiofor is a game-changing forward if he joins the Cavaliers.
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