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This Cavaliers' crucial draft decision could pay off in a huge way

Cleveland decided to not make a first round pick, but this could actually help them.
ByIsmail Sy|
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Sep 14, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Sep 14, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into night one of the NBA Draft with the 29th overall pick, with the chance to add to their roster.

Instead, they decided to trade out of the first round altogether, trading away pick 29 to the Sacramento Kings for pick 34 and a future second round selection. Sacramento ended up selecting UConn forward Alex Karaban at 29.

This outcome may annoy some Cavs fans, but when looking deeper into the move, the answer about whether or not this made sense for Cleveland becomes very clear.

The Cavaliers made the right decision trading out of the first round

From a players perspective, there was not expected to be much talent variance from pick 20 and onwards in this class. A couple players like Labaron Philon Jr. and Chris Cenac Jr., two guys who were projected to go earlier, ended up falling, but for the most part the 20s was expected to be littered with players that were all in the same tier.

Additionally, a couple of potential Cavs targets like Isaiah Evans, and Henri Veesaar both fell out of the first round. Picking up extra assets if you are confident you can land one of your targets later is never a bad thing.

Another reason why Cleveland made the trade out was because of their finances. For a team that is in the dreaded second apron, saving every dollar matters. The value for a first round pick this year was set at $3 million. For a second round pick, it is $1.35 million. That is almost two million dollars the Cavs are saving. 

Getting someone like Veesaar or Evans for nearly half the price makes a lot of sense, should Cleveland end up with one of them. They do that while picking up an extra second round pick in the process, which they could use in a potential salary dump move this summer.

President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has been known for being creative with the second apron and a move like this shows that once again. Now, the Cavs can have a little more breathing room when it comes to their roster. 

However, it is imperative that they end up with at least one young player they can rely on from day one. This is a team that is set to contend once again next season and adding more depth ix extremely important for that.

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