The last of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ three first-round picks on Thursday night was used on University of Southern California guard Kevin Porter Jr.
However, in making a deal on draft night for that selection, the Cavaliers paid a league-record price.
As @TimBontemps mentioned, Cleveland paid $5M (a league record) for pick no. 30. They also sent out 4 2's. Will look through the results to confirm the winner. https://t.co/ugXDIWzVvN
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 21, 2019
Porter has the talent to make an impact in the NBA, though he played in only 21 contests in his one season with the Trojans. In those contests, he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc.
There had been some thought which indicated that Porter could be a lottery pick, but off-the-court concerns and injuries at USC might have been an issue. He was suspended two games for undisclosed reasons and also missed nine games because of a quad contusion, missing a total of 12 games.
Those absences led to inconsistent play, but Porter will bring athleticism and a solid shooting touch to the Cavaliers. Having just turned 19 last month, he’ll be able to see more time on the court with the rebuilding Cavs than if a playoff-worthy team had selected him.
Any draft pick is a risk, but the potential reward for the Cavaliers could be huge if Porter is able to stay on the straight and narrow and live up to his potential. Even though the Cavs set a record with their purchase, it could end up being a wise investment.
