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Conflicting Reports Have Cavaliers Trading No. 5 Pick, Drafting Darius Garland
June 20, 2019
There have been several notable trades involving 2019 NBA draft picks, and the No. 5 selection could be the next to move.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman is still "entertaining offers" for the fifth overall pick leading up to Thursday's event.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics all have interest in the pick, but the offers haven't been worth it, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
If they don't make a trade, the Cavaliers are expected to take point guard Darius Garland out of Vanderbilt, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and Marc Stein of the New York Times.
The top three picks look settled, with Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett expected to go in order, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
However, the rest of the lottery has seen a lot of movement.
Per Wojnarowski, the Atlanta Hawks traded up to the No. 4 spot, while the Timberwolves now have the No. 6 pick.
A team that wants one of the top prospects now could pay a premium to get the fifth pick because there are few other selections available.
The Bulls would be moving up two spots, but this could be worth it to get the specific player they want. Conversely, the Celtics don't have any selection higher than No. 14 but also have Nos. 20 and 22 picks to help complete a deal.
If Cleveland does hold on to the pick, the Cavs could get who many believe is the top player remaining outside Williamson-Morant-Barrett in Garland. The question is whether he could play in the same backcourt with Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick, Collin Sexton.
This lack of fit might convince the team to make a trade regardless of talent.