Dylan Windler to Cavaliers: Cleveland's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft
June 21, 2019
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Belmont Bruins wing Dylan Windler with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round Thursday.
Here is a look at how the Cavs' roster shakes out after the move:
Ante Zizic, C: $2M (2021)
Brandon Knight, PG: $14M (2020)
Cedi Osman, SF: $2.8M (2020)
Collin Sexton, PG: $4.4M (2022)
JR Smith, SG: $14.3M (2020)
John Henson, PF: $12M (2020)
Jordan Clarkson, PG: $12.5M (2020)
Kevin Love, C: $30.1M (2023)
Larry Nance Jr., PF: $11.2M (2023)
Matthew Dellavedova, PG: $9.6M (2020)
Tristan Thompson, C: $16.4M (2020)
Darius Garland: $5.6M (2023)
Dylan Windler: $1.8M (2023)
David Nwaba, SG: RFA
Deng Adel, SF: RFA
Jalen Jones, SF: RFA
Jaron Blossomgame, SF: RFA
Marquese Chriss, PF: UFA
Nik Stauskas, SG: UFA
The 6'7½" Windler led the Bruins in points (21.3 PPG) and rebounds (10.8 RPG) as a senior in the 2018-19 campaign, shooting 54 percent from the field and an impressive 42.9 percent from three.
His value was on full display in the team's loss to Maryland at this year's NCAA tournament, as he put 35 points on the Terrapins with an impressive shooting performance:
While his three-point shooting will be his meal ticket in the NBA, Belmont head coach Rick Byrd also praised his athletic versatility and competitive nature in April.
"He's a great athlete, but also, he just understands how to win," he told Chris Dortch of NBA.com.
But Windler also knows he has to improve other facets of his game to succeed at the next level.
"I want to be more of a playmaker," he told Dortch. "I want to be able to finish over length. Adding to my vertical leap can always help. I'll be working on gaining more weight and muscle. There's always room for growth in that regard."
He also believes he can fill a coveted role at the NBA level.
"I think I can really be a good three-and-D guy" he said. "A guy that can knock down shots and defend multiple positions."
If his outside shot falls, he'll have a place in the NBA. He broke down that aspect of his game for Bryan Kalbrosky of Rookie Wire:
"I'm able to come off different types of pin downs, curls and being ready to catch and get it off quick. Being able to get your feet set is a big part of that when you are off balance. Those are things I work on a lot … Lots of coming off pin downs and curls and fading different screens was a big part of our offense. So I got really comfortable and good with that over the last couple of years. Going through our system, we ran a lot of motion offense so being able to shoot off the move is something I've gotten a lot better at over the last few years."
Cleveland clearly agrees. Windler likely won't ever be a starter for the team, but if he can provide a three-and-D impact off the bench, he'll carve a nice role for himself at the NBA level and become a valuable contributor. And given his four years of college experience, he should be able to hit the ground running in the NBA.
That makes him a potential steal for the Cavs later in this draft and an intriguing player to track this season.
Salary info via Spotrac.