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Cleveland Cavaliers: Breaking down a 3-year plan for the rebuild

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 5: Head Coach Larry Drew and Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk during the game against the Boston Celtics on February 5, 2019 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 5: Head Coach Larry Drew and Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talk during the game against the Boston Celtics on February 5, 2019 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

The 2019-20 Season

Let’s fast forward to next season, picking up with the Cavaliers right before the 2019 NBA Draft. This draft will likely be a monumental moment for the franchise. Where the Cavaliers end up selecting will have a significant impact on how fast this rebuild is finished.

Best-case scenario:

Of course, the best thing that could happen for the Cavaliers is to land the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. This would ensure that Cleveland is able to select Zion Williamson with the first pick. Williamson is a generational athlete that is destined to make waves in the league.

The Cavaliers will also have another first-round pick from the Houston Rockets that is lottery protected and would currently fall into the 21st overall spot. Hopefully, the Cavs scouts will work hard to find a steal at this position in the draft and add another promising young player.

Preferably, either a catch-and-shoot wing or a center that can hold down the paint.

With their new draft picks, the Cavaliers will play out another season and attempt to mesh Williamson into the lineup with Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman. For the moment, these three players will be the cornerstones of the new era in Cleveland.

Lastly, Kevin Love will make a full return to the team. Love will appear in a majority of the games and play well enough to justify his position on the roster. The Cavaliers will be in the playoff hunt but ultimately fall short and secure another spot in the NBA Draft lottery.

Worst-case scenario:

In contrast, it is possible that their pivotal draft pick could wind up being useless. The farther this pick falls down in the lottery, the more Cleveland’s chances of drafting a bust increase.

If the Cavaliers wind up drafting farther in the order, their best bet would be to go for a guy like Cameron Reddish. The freshman at Duke has shown the ability to be a deadly 3-point shooter and has the tools to be a solid defender.

The 2019-20 season could be more of the same for Cleveland. But, this shouldn’t be too big of a problem. Rebuilding a team takes a lot of time and the Cavaliers are still in the beginning stages.

A miss in the draft this season would obviously result in another year missing the playoffs, but it’s not the end of the world.

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