2019 NBA Draft Rumors: Cavs Official Has RJ Barrett on 'Same Level as Ja Morant'

The Cleveland Cavaliers probably won't get a chance to take RJ Barrett in June's draft. But if they do, they seem to believe they'd be getting a potential star.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported a member of the Cavs front office has Barrett on the same level as Ja Morant among prospects.

We've reached the point of the draft process where groupthink has essentially taken over, with Zion Williamson being the clear No. 1 on most boards and followed at No. 2 by Morant. However, it should not be a surprise to see Barrett on the same level or even higher on certain boards than Morant.

Barrett was the consensus No. 1 prospect coming out of high school last year. While he was overshadowed a bit by Williamson at Duke, Barrett put up the highest scoring average (22.6 PPG) for a freshman since Michael Beasley in 2007-08.

Barrett and Morant are of a similar tier in that they could become multi-time All-Stars or simply settle into being NBA starters. Williamson is the only player in this class who is viewed as a surefire star and potential franchise face.

The Cavs' thinking on Barrett also makes sense given they drafted Collin Sexton a year ago. Sexton hasn't impressed as a playmaker but did flash far better shooting prowess than anyone expected. The Cavs view him as their point guard of the future, so odds are they would have gone with Barrett had they wound up with the No. 2 pick.

Barring something unforeseen (e.g. a serious injury or a trade), the Cavs won't get to make that choice. Williamson, Morant and Barrett will almost certainly come off the board 1-2-3 in that exact order. Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the No. 2 pick, have essentially settled on Morant.

That would leave Barrett going to the New York Knicks at No. 3, where he could wind up being flipped this summer as part of a trade package for a star.