The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a prime position to select a potential franchise cornerstone in a few days. In a ridiculously stacked pool, especially at the top, it’s hard to imagine the Cavs fumbling this one.
At this point, the expectation from most pundits is Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green getting called up as the top two picks by Adam Silver on draft night. This leaves the Cavs with Evan Mobley, whom many pegged as a talent who isn’t far behind Cunningham and Green.
A versatile big man with a “unicorn” label to his resume, Mobley presents himself as a tantalizing potential frontcourt partner for Jarrett Allen.
Via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com:
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff, sources say, is intrigued by the possibilities with him and Allen together and what it could mean for the 25th-ranked defense. Members of Cleveland’s front office believe the two bigs will work well together.
Allen is a restricted free agent but the Cavs are highly likely to match any offer, even with the Toronto Raptors rumored to be positioning themselves for an aggressive bid.
The Cavs own one of the most, if not the most, putrid defenses in the NBA. Mobley would help alleviate their pain on the defensive end with his ability to harass both guards and bigs while being a very capable rim protector.
The former USC Trojan has a lot of work ahead of him in terms of strength. Still, his ceiling as a Chris Bosh-type of a scorer with shades of Anthony Davis on the other end is too hard to pass up.