After being projected to pick somewhere in the top three, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended up with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
That likely means they will be missing out on Duke University phenom Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Murray State’s Ja Morant.
Many consider this upcoming draft to be top-heavy, and as a result, the Cavs are expected to cast a “wide net” when it comes to the fifth overall pick, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
That wide net will likely include players like Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland, Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter, Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver and Duke’s Cameron Reddish. While those are the most popular names being projected to be drafted around the No. 5 slot, the Cavs are also looking to target two wild cards in Kevin Porter Jr. and Bol Bol.
Porter showed flashes of his potential in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal matchup against Washington, when he scored 17 points in his final college game. While Bol averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in nine games at Oregon.
Both players come with red flags, however, as Bol suffered a season-ending foot injury and Porter was suspended indefinitely this past season due to a “personal conduct issue” at USC.
