It’s the most wonderful time of the year especially if you’re a fan of a team selecting in the NBA Draft lottery. The NBA draft signifies hope for fanbases desperate for relevance. Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are this year’s purveyors of it.
The Cavaliers ended the season tied with the second-worst record in the league. They had an equal chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick or ending up in the top four. However, after ping pong ball night, they ended up with the No. 5 overall pick.
Let's examine three options sans Zion that Cavs fans will be looking at come draft night:
Ja Morant, PG, Murray State: If the Cavs had landed the second pick, their choice at No. 2 would be between Morant vs. Duke's R.J. Barrett. Another option would be to trade the pick to the Phoenix Suns, who are desperate for a point Guard like Morant.
To be clear, landing Morant at this point can only come if a trade is made. He's not falling to five.
For the Cavs, their biggest internal debate will come down to, can Morant co-exist with their pick from last season, Collin Sexton?
Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto says he is “romanced” by the idea of pairing Morant with Sexton. “His eye-popping speed could combine with Sexton to give the Cavs the high-tempo game they want to play.”
One of the biggest areas of concern, if that pairing did happen — now only theoretically through a trade — would be on the defensive side of the basketball.
Ja’s athleticism makes him one of the most electrifying players in this entire NBA Draft. When he isn’t dunking on opponents, he is setting up his teammates to score, as he lead the NCAA in assists last season. Fun parting fact, Morant was also Zion’s AAU teammate.
R.J. Barrett, SG/SF, Duke: Barrett was as good as advertised last season for the Blue Devils, especially on the offensive side of the basketball, scoring 22.6 points per game. R.J. can score in a variety of ways and was one of the best finishers in all of college basketball. The one knock on his game is his jump shot, especially from 3-point land, where he only shot 30.8%. While Barrett's fit with Collin Sexton is not perfect, as both are ball-dominant guards, many consider Barrett the second best player in this draft.
Give where the Cavaliers are slotted to pick, this would also have to be done via a trade.
Jarrett Culver, SG, Texas Tech: Culver is a guy whose stock skyrocketed up draft boards after his great NCAA Tourney run. Sexton needs a backcourt mate, and Jarrett is the scorer he needs, as the shooting guard averaged 18.5 points per game last season. Pairing Culver with Sexton can give the Cavaliers a backcourt that could grow together for years to come. Culver's size and defensive ability would also protect Sexton on that side of the basketball. My best player comparison for Culver is Jimmy Butler.
Depending what happens after the second pick, Culver is the only guy of these three who can realistically be gotten without a trade.
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