Cleveland Cavaliers: Are The Otto Porter Rumors Legitimate?
By Kyle Casey
When the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night, Kentucky center Nerlens Noel quickly became the consensus selection for the Cavaliers with the top overall pick?
But was the Noel hype an overreaction?
Nerlens Noel might not be a slam dunk to be the first overall pick in next month’s draft. Photo Credit: SportsAngle.com
According to CBS Sports, Noel isn’t the only option for the Cavaliers right now.
Georgetown small forward Otto Porter is quickly becoming a legitimate option for the Cavaliers and whether the rumors are just a smoke screen or not can’t truly be determined until the Cavaliers are on the clock on June 27.
Perhaps the Porter rumors are just to fuel trade talk, as the Cavaliers could find a trade partner such as the Washington Wizards that could move up to avoid missing out on Porter.
Or, the Porter interest could be completely legitimate in Cleveland, as the Cavaliers have a glaring need at small forward. Porter is widely considered to be one of the most pro-ready players in the draft and would step in right away as a starter. While Noel would start right away as well, once he recovers from his ACL injury, the Cavaliers could view Porter as less of a risk, prompting them to take him with the first-overall pick.
With Porter, the Cavaliers would have the 1, 2 and 3 solidified long-term, with Porter at small forward, Dion Waiters at shooting guard and Kyrie Irving running the point. That’s not too bad of a trio to build a team around. With Noel, there’s still the unknown that doesn’t exist with Porter. Will Noel ever fully recover from his injury? Can he develop a skill set offensively? Those are two things that will take a while to be determined.
Another option for the Cavaliers with the first pick is Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore. That selection would only be logical if the Cavaliers believe he is the best player in the draft, because right now they don’t need a shooting guard. They could move either Waiters or McLemore to small forward, but that would be a huge risk that may not be worth taking.
Right now, it appears that the Porter-to-Cleveland rumors are more than just rumors. Porter wouldn’t be as illogical of a selection as perceived and if the Cavaliers can’t find a legitimate trade partner by draft day, Porter’s name may very well be the first one called on draft night.