Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 ways to trade up for the No. 3 pick in 2019 NBA Draft
By Ryan Piers
2. Trade draft picks
Cleveland could pull a Dallas Mavericks-like trade, dealing New York its No. 5 pick this year and a protected pick in 2020.
Apart from trading for the rights to Doncic, Dallas sent the Atlanta Hawks their top-five protected 2019 pick, top-three protected in 2020 and unprotected in 2021. The Cavs and Knicks could craft a comparable trade, and maybe the Knicks will be desperate to make an aggressive move after a disappointing offseason that hasn’t even begun yet.
New York thought it was poised to have a franchise-altering offseason, but their third-place draw in the lottery, Kevin Durant’s injury, and Anthony Davis’s move to Los Angeles have left the team with a freshly generated puzzle to solve.@YourManDevine: https://t.co/lRnYYgk5NJ
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 17, 2019
There are pros and cons to weigh here. Unfortunately, Cleveland isn’t exactly a “destination” city in the eyes of the NBA players. So the Cavs must team build through the draft, while Dallas has managed to attract skilled veterans over the past several decades. More picks — as opposed to more quality picks — may be a better route for the Cavs.
On the flip side, if the top three prospects in this draft turn out to be much better than the others as pundits predict, this No. 3 selection holds more water than most. Barrett averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebound and 4.3 assists per game last year. If the Cavs can get New York to sign off on a two-for-one pick swap, they should go for it.