What the Cavaliers do at No. 8 will be one of the more intriguing plotlines at the NBA Draft. Cleveland likely won’t yet have a solid grasp on what LeBron James is thinking in regard to his future with the club. He has until June 29, eight days after the draft, to make a decision on opting out, though if the Cavs feel they have a good chance at retaining LBJ, perhaps they trade the selection for a veteran playmaker.
Turning the draft pick into a player who can help James sooner may appease the four-time MVP, but if the Cavs keep the selection, James appears to have a preference on which prospect to select.
According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com (via ESPN’s Jordan Zirm), James and his camp are high on Alabama’s Collin Sexton. It’s worth noting that owner Dan Gilbert was present during the team’s workout with the point guard.
Ashish Mathur of Amico Hoops hears that Sexton is a “strong possibility” for the Cavs’ top selection. The point guard averaged 19.2 points per game during his lone season in the SEC.
that certainly worked out well for the heat…
Will this be another Shabazz Napier moment??
Keeping #8, drafting Sexton. Won’t be enough. Love is their only trade asset, won’t bring in a Superstar. Only going to be able to bring in some Old parts.
Dwight Howard + Marvin Williams + Lamb for George Hill & JR Smith -two expiring contracts with 4.4M 19-20 – & Cedi.
Saves +7M this season, 7.7M in 2019-20. They can apply the savings to a FA and offering an extension to Kemba taking them just below the luxury tax. If they found a taker for MKG I’d be shocked if they didn’t give up a pick.
Hornets – Cavs just seem like an easy pairing.
I think the Hornets could get even more creative and send MKG, Monk, and Kaminsky to SA for Kawhi. Before anyone call me a name or belittles my intelligence, let me explain.
I view Kawhi as similar to Paul George. Last offseason George garnered the #2 pick in 2013 and the #11 pick in 2016. This is the #2 pick in 2012 and the #11 in 2017. Kaminsky is added due to the relative lack of ceiling for MKG compared to Oladipo. You could even swap 1st rounders as well with 11 to SA and 18 to Charlotte. I think MKG could really blossom under Pop. Kaminsky could learn under Aldridge and Gasol. Monk would be a bit of a flyer, but then again no one expected much out of Sabonis either.
For Charlotte, it would give them their biggest star since Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson left town. Yes, Kawhi might end up bolting, but you have Michael freaking Jordan to convince him to stay. Adding Kawhi to the Hornets makes them at least a playoff team in the East and would at least get them out of the constant mid first round picks that are getting them nowhere.
Kaminsky has to get reupped, which devalues this trade. #11 is more intriguing than those spare parts. Unfortunately where a guy was drafted doesnt have any factor unless its day of the draft. Jah and Noel went 3 and 6 and were traded for a bag of balls.
That’s because Philly backed itself into a corner with both by drafting the “best player available” each year without consideration for how well those best players would work together. Just because Philly messed up with two guys does not devalue the entire principle of the draft process.
Kaminsky doesn’t have to get reupped immediately. He would be an RFA next year and if SA wants to keep him they could. If they want to move on, they also could. It’s a lot better than taking on someone like Cody Zeller and being stuck regardless of whether he works or not.
Philly was backed into a corner, but not because they were drafting the best player available. If jah or nerlens were good players they would have fetched what they were worth. Young talented big men don’t grow on trees. However, both players never developed the weaknesses in their game and continue to not do so. Jah and Nerlens have done absolutely nothing since leaving town and most likely won’t have very good careers. Your draft pick means nothing after the games count
It’s very possible your point is going right over my head. But I’m not sure where Mkg and Monk’s draft position comes into play here. In my opinion neither have lived up to their draft position. Of course that could change. I understand why Charlotte would like to make that trade. Considering KL could split next year but in my opinion and I have think the Spurs opinion as well that offer even with Frank is way light. But hey who knows? I thought the Pacers got fleeced. But they apparently saw Oladipo 2.0 before the rest of us.
Well, the point is that last year at this time neither Oladipo nor Sabonis lived up to their draft positions either. Oladipo was floundering on his second franchise and Sabonis barely played. MKG and Monk are in almost the exact same position as they were last year. I think if you put MKG on a team where he is the #1 option, he could thrive much like Oladipo did. At the very least, it’s a decent gamble on the upside of a relatively young former #2 pick along with two other young lottery picks as well.
BTW, I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. The further you went into your comment the more you picked up on the original point.
I agree with Kawhi to Charlotte.
Either Kawhi for Kemba, Williams and 11 or Kawhi, Gasol for MKG, Monk, Williams, Dwight and 11
Too bad for the kid. Until reading this, I really liked Sexton, thought he was the best PG in this draft and that Orlando would do well to pursue him, even at #6, but certainly on smaller trade down. But I’ll defer to LeBron’s history as a GM whisperer. So I now project him as a career backup. Sorry, kid, but LeBron has been too consistent. I’ll feel bad for the Cavs if they take him, and LeBron still leaves. Getting the LeBron the GM, and not LeBron the player, seems unfair.
Why don’t you do things the Jordan way for once Lebron? Mike waited 2-3 years before Pippen got going and dominated. Sexton has the killer instinct Lebron lacks so yes he would be a good pick if Lebron decides to play off the ball and let’s him control the offense which I highly doubt. Forget appeasing Lebron and let him go elsewhere Cleveland.
LeBron doesnt have 2 to 3 years to wait.
Lebron could grab 6-7 titles and still won’t be better than Jordan, he needs to quit chasing rings like Shaq said. His legacy has too many blemishes on it to top Michael’s.
Yeah he should do things the Jordan way and get drafted on a team capable of making the playoffs without him.
You obviously weren’t around to see the Bulls franchise prior to 1984. They only made the playoffs 2 out of 10 years in the decade before drafting Jordan.
You have no idea what you are talking about.
Interesting tidbit is that Gilbert was present at Sexton’s workout. Gilbert is known to favor underdogs, like Isaiah Thomas and Kay Felder, so Cavs taking Sexton at 8 is a likely possibility
Colin Sexton will not be difference between LeBron staying or leaving.
Bright side, Cavs need a 1, and he’s not tinier Trae of stiff Porter.
Bad omen though. James said he liked PG Shabazz Napier, then left South Beach. He was right about Napier eventually. He’s just not as good as Lilliard, who was drafted much higher.
But how mamy players did “his camp” work out?– not Alexander.
Really they should just take the player with the most market value.
Typo… trae Young OR Porter. I think those are the draft’s weak links.
If James stays, the pick should ideally be traded for a sure-thing veteran– i.e. Mccollum or Walker. Thus the most widely appreciated player may be the best.
Well not only LBJ but all this superstars in the league should stop chasing rings, they mean nothing to a career, Malone & Barkley were to everyone the best PF’s ever in the league at the moment they retired, no rings for either of them, Stockton probably the best pure PG in history too, no rings, to me is what the player does on the court how they perform, what they do, how entertaining are they to watch, & then if you are lucky enough to be in a good team, you might compete too. To me is not even arguably that LBJ is way better than MJ, though to me right now the best player in the league for the last 3-4 years is been AD, an absolute beast. Looking at rings makes Horry better than MJ, ridiculous idea, I don’t go to watch a match to see my team play boring ball & win, I go to be entertained, enjoy & have fun, hopefully with the both teams, & if my team wins better, if they loose but I have been entertained I am happy too, life is too short man, have fun.
Lebron better than MJ? No way he’s not even close to Michael.
Dude your embarrassing yourself (again)
You really are the last person I would ask about that discussion. Everything you say regarding LBJ will, fortunately or unfortunately, be viewed as biased.
Michael ISN’T the most accomplished player but that’s really what people lean on when they call him the goat. Russell has more rings. Jabaar, Malone and Kobe have scored more points and he has a miniscule half-point advantage in PPG.
That being said, LBJ is the most talented NBA player ever. He’s part Magic, part Karl Malone and part Jordan-ish.
He’s already 7th on the list of all-time points scored trailing Jordan by only 2,500 points. He can realistically pass the all-time leader Jabaar in the next 5 seasons if he’s healthy. He’s already 11th on the all-time list in assists. He already has 2,500 more than Jordan. He already has more than 1,800 rebounds more than Jordan.
The ONLY thing Jordan can hang over LBJ is his 6-in-6 and perhaps, more defensive awards. But he will have just as many, if not more, all-time total advantages than Jordan in many key categories.
So the one thing lacking for the Cavs that keeps them from overcoming GSW is that… what, they didn’t kowtow to LBJ’s every wish enough?
Not this past year anyway. Gilbert was the first to favor Sexton publicly, so maybe James is aligning with Gilbert.
Does Lebron legitimately think he’ll win more games with a 20 year old Colin Sexton then the sixers/Lakers/Celtics/Rockets etc rosters will win with him? Don’t be dumb Lebron no one will blame you when you leave this time.