CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavs fans won’t have to wait long tonight to find out who will be the latest addition to the struggling franchise. The Cavs are slated to make the third selection at tonight’s NBA Draft, barring any last-minute trades.
The Cavs got the third pick in the NBA Draft lottery after having the fourth-worst record in the NBA. The lottery was weighted to favor teams with worse records.
The Detroit Pistons will pick first, followed by the Houston Rockets.
Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham is the consensus No. 1 prospect in this year’s draft, according to NBC Sports and ESPN, and is expected to be picked by Detroit.
Beyond Cunningham, things become a bit more unclear. In the latest mock draft by ESPN, Jalen Green, who skipped college to play in the G-League, is considered the likely No. 2 pick with USC center Evan Mosley going to the Cavs at No. 3. Another highly-touted prospect in this year’s draft is Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs. Sports Illustrated’s mock draft matches ESPN’s top 4.
Meanwhile, several players with Ohio ties are hoping to have their name called this evening.
Miles McBride, a point guard who played at West Virginia, is expected to go late in the first round, according to several projections. McBride attended Cincinnati’s Moeller High School. McBride led Moeller to a state title after an unbeaten 2018-19 season.
Ohio University guard Jason Preston is expected to go in the second round. He was the Mid-American Conference Tournament’s MVP and helped lead the Bobcats to the round of 32 in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Ohio State guard Duane Washington Jr., who spent three years with the Buckeyes, is projected to be a late second-round pick, according to Sports Illustrated.
