The Cavaliers have an 11.5% chance at winning the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft lottery and it would be surprising to see them pass on Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham if that comes to fruition.
Should the Cavaliers not move up (they have a 45.1% chance at moving into the top-4), there may not be a better fit for the current roster than Scott Barnes, as our own Cole Sullivan argues in the Team’s Draft Preview.
As a true freshman this past season, Barnes showcased his defensive prowess and pure athletism on a deep Florida State team. Yet, he has the potential to grow into an elite play-making forward, and slotting him next to Isaac Okoro in the long-term starting lineup would be a nice way to set up the position for the future.
More on the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Back in the pandemic-shortened season 2019-20 season, the Cavaliers moved on from coach John Beilein, giving the coaching keys to J.B. Bickerstaff, and after a season-plus to reflect on the change, Collin Sexton said he was happy with the move. “Coach Beilein wanted everything to be the fundamentals of the game, but Bickerstaff has pretty much just allowed us to be who we are,” Sexton recently told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “They’re both pretty good, and J.B. is really good for us right now. Beilein was good for us when he was with us. So can’t complain.”
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is now the second-richest owner in the NBA and the third richest in sports, according to Forbes. Gilbert’s primary source of wealth is his Quicken Loans mortgage company, which is worth $51.9 billion. He trails only Clippers owner Steve Ballmer ($68.7 billion) in the NBA.
- Cleveland is expected to bring back Jarrett Allen, though the franchise will have competition when the center hits restricted free agency. The Mavericks and the Hornets are among the teams expected to make a run at the 23-year-old center.
