Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 options with No. 5 pick in NBA Draft

5. Trade down

Trading down in the NBA Draft is usually a privilege reserved for teams who truly don’t need the benefit of selecting a franchise cornerstone in the lottery. Look no further than a team like the Warriors who definitely don’t need a top-two pick to compete next season. While the Cavaliers certainly don’t fit this mold, they do have an interesting reason to pursue a trade.

The Cavs need to target the Phoenix Suns and discuss potentially swapping picks and a few players to make a deal that will satisfy both squads. This exchange, proposed by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, actually makes a ton of sense when you dig deep into it:

Fresh off an 8-0 run in the bubble, Phoenix feels they are just a few moves away from being a legitimate team. Convincing them to part ways with Kelly Oubre Jr, who was a key member of their pre-bubble efforts, would prove to be difficult. However, if the Suns feel confident that a high-level creator like Killian Hayes is worth pairing with Devin Booker in the backcourt, they could make a move to shoot up the order and secure their chances.

As for Cleveland, this deal is a no-brainer. Oubre averaged a career-high 18.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season. In addition to being a reliable scorer, he can also defend the perimeter at a decent rate. He is a great fit for the Cavaliers who need versatile players on the wing such as Oubre.

Furthermore, the 10th spot in the draft isn’t a bad place to be in. This allows the Cavaliers to target some of the more defensive-oriented players that more suit the team’s needs. A few players will be mentioned later in this slider as the franchise might consider taking them early regardless, but other names include Aaron Nasmith or Deni Avdija.

This deal relies heavily on the Suns’ willingness to trade one of their core players. But, it’s worth mentioning as it would be a huge positive for the Cavaliers.