The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t have a first-round pick in this week’s NBA Draft.
Of course, that’s not where you want to be in such a talented class, but unless they make a last-minute deal, that’s just how it is.
At least they will have a couple of second-round selections.
And while second-rounders don’t usually have the same upside, they’re often older and, at times, more NBA-ready.
With that in mind, Law Murray of The Athletic claimed that the Cavs should use at least one of their second-round selections to get a big man:
“Cleveland doesn’t have a first-round pick, but it has Donovan Mitchell. A developmental center makes sense with at least one of the second-rounders,” Murray wrote.
The Cavs’ need for a backup center was painfully evident in the playoffs.
Jarrett Allen wasn’t a good matchup with Myles Turner or Pascal Siakam, and they didn’t have anybody they could trust to give them 15 solid minutes off the bench.
Tristan Thompson is there more as a mentor and a locker room leader than an actual contributor on the floor at this point in his career, and the Cavs need to add more depth behind Allen.
Even in today’s positionless basketball, centers aren’t a dying breed like some might claim.
You need someone to anchor the paint and hold down the fort in the low-post, as well as to make sure to give the team some additional shots with offensive rebounds.
Allen is a very good player, but he’s proven to be a liability way too many times in the playoffs, so adding an insurance policy behind him and a potential replacement certainly won’t hurt.
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