The Cleveland Cavaliers may be eyeing a trade into the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, according to a late-Wednesday article from Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor.
“While members of the front office and scouting staff like that position and believe there will be a compelling, young draft-and-develop prospect late in the second round, there’s an organizational desire to move up and calls have been made to multiple teams in the 20-30 range, gauging the cost of a potential deal, sources say,” Fedor wrote.
The Athletic Senior NBA Draft Writer Sam Vecenie wrote the Cavaliers were among the teams looking at potential opportunities to move up to the late 20s and 30s in a Thursday mock draft.
“Sources across the league have said Milwaukee, Phoenix and Cleveland have explored potential opportunities to move up into the late 20s and 30s due to the depth of prospects on the wing and potential NBA-ready, older rotation players,” Vecenie wrote.
The Cavs currently hold the No. 49 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Brooklyn Nets (21, 22), Portland Trail Blazers (23), Sacramento Kings (24), Memphis Grizzlies (25), Indiana Pacers (26, 29), Charlotte Hornets (27), Utah Jazz (28), and Los Angeles Clippers (30) all hold spots within the 20-30 range. ESPN selected G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller, Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis in the 26-28 range in its most recent mock draft.
Vecenie took Ohio State forward Brice Sensabaugh at No. 26 in The Athletic’s mock draft. The 6-foot-6-inch forward earned averages of 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game during his lone season with the Buckeyes.
Cleveland traded for the No. 49 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft in exchange for the rights for Sasha Vezenkov, an All-EuroLeague forward who played for Olympiacos B.C. of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague, and cash considerations. The Cavs used the selection to take USC forward Isaiah Mobley, who averaged 21 points, 8.6 rebounds and four assists per game with the Cleveland Charge after being signed to a two-way contract in July.