NBA Draft Watch: 3 talented prospects the Cleveland Cavaliers should consider

Prospect 3 - Ryan Dunn

In the upcoming draft, there is no more polarizing prospect than Virginia's Ryan Dunn. He's already 21 years old, meaning he's one of the more polished players in this draft class.

Standing at 6-foot 8-inches and boasting a 7-foot 1-inch wingspan, Dunn is an outstanding athlete already. With his ginormous wingspan, Dunn has become one of the best defenders in the NCAA and the best defender in his draft class by a mile. He is averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals this season for the Virginia Cavaliers.

There are some points of concern in his game, though. He is not a great passer, and even if he does play small forward, he still needs to be able to average more than 0.8 assists like he has this season. Dunn does not project to be an era-defining star, but he could slot in seamlessly as a reliable roleplayer for the Cavs.

Where things fall apart for Dunn's draft stock is behind the perimeter. Dunn shot 31.3 percent from distance last season as a freshman and 20 percent as a sophomore. NBA teams can sag off of him and reap the benefits, which makes Dunn a bit irrelevant on offense. Cleveland already saw the difficulties poor spacing brings, and Dunn would add to that.

Looking at a familiar player, Cavs' Isaac Okoro shot 28.6 percent from deep during his only season in Auburn. Now, he's shooting 38.8 percent from deep in his fourth season in Cleveland. Progression in Okoro's outside shot is promising if the Cavs draft Dunn, but Okoro was 19 when he was drafted by the Cavs, and Ryan Dunn is already 21.

If Cleveland wants to boost their defense, then Dunn is definitely a guy they'd want to target. However, if the outside shot will never develop, then Cleveland may as well scratch him off of their draft board.

With months left until the 2024 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of time to think over their draft boards. Whoever the Cavs pick in late June, there's a lot of hope that Cleveland will pick a great player.