Could the Cavs trade back with the Magic in 2021 NBA Draft? - King James Gospel

G League Ignite wing/forward Jonathan Kuminga looks to finish on the interior. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

It’s safe to say the Cleveland Cavaliers have been pretty lucky in the NBA Draft Lottery the past decade. The Wine and Gold’s string of luck in the lottery started famously back in 2003, when they drafted LeBron James. But since, their luck only got better.

In 2011, the Cavs got the fourth pick in the lottery, and drafted Tristan Thompson. Also in that same draft, the Cavaliers were able to select Kyrie Irving first overall with an LA Clippers pick that was acquired at the prior trade deadline. In 2013 and 2014, they also landed the number one pick, landing Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins. It’s fair to say Cleveland has been lucky over the past decade.

After all the luck in previous lotteries, once the Cavaliers jumped inside the top-four picks, it seemed as though they would land another number one overall pick. Although that was not the case, as they will pick third in the 2021 NBA Draft, albeit even with the newer league lottery odds, one couldn’t complain.

With that third pick, most pundits believe they will select either Evan Mobley out of USC, or Jalen Green from the G-League Ignite. Jalen Suggs, the point guard of the NCAA runner-up Gonzaga Bulldogs, is also supposed to be a top-four pick. However, is there a third option the Cavs could pursue?

With the uncertainty surrounding the Houston Rockets’ eventual second pick, It may be wise for Cavs general manager Koby Altman to look into trading back and taking in more talent.

Let’s be honest, there hasn’t been a lot of star power in Cleveland sports lately. If there is any, it’s with the Cleveland Browns. With that in mind, the worst three words to hear for a fan is, “we might trade back.”

Instead of taking one player at the third pick, they could acquire more overall talent if they traded back with the Orlando Magic for picks number five and eight.

Trading back with Orlando for two lottery picks is the only deal the Cavs should pursue if they indeed are interested in trading back.

Hear me out. Instead of taking Evan Mobley with the third pick, trading back down to the fifth pick could possibly net them the player in the draft that could have the highest ceiling in Jonathan Kuminga.

Kuminga is a very mysterious prospect. He’s an incredible athlete, standing at 6-foot-6 but with a 7-foot wingspan. On top of that, many believe he’s the most versatile defender in the draft, as Kyle Irving of Ca.nba.com pointed out.

By skipping college, and heading straight to the G-League, he was able to showcase a lot of his talents, as KJG’s Elijah Hamilton demonstrated. He shot poorly this season (39 percent/25 percent/63 percent), but there is reason to believe his shot will come around.

Overall, Kuminga could end up being the best player from the 2021 NBA Draft class, if he’s selected by the right team. If the Cavaliers do take Kuminga, or trade back to pick him up, he will immediately improve the defense around him. Just the thought of Isaac Okoro and Kuminga on the court together is exciting, defensively at least.

Both have the potential to be very good two-way players. On top of that Kuminga is a good rebounder; he had 7.2 boards per game in the G-League bubble with the Ignite. The real question, if the Cavs do trade back with Orlando, though, is who they pick with that eighth pick.

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July 07, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Could the Cavs trade back with the Magic in 2021 NBA Draft? - King James Gospel
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