Report: Cavs linked to Steve Settle III ahead of 2025 NBA Draft

Barring an unforeseen trade, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be on the outside looking in during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, as they own zero of the opening 30 picks. The Cavaliers don’t have their first-round pick this year because of the trade they made for guard Donovan Mitchell years back.

Still, the Cavaliers have a pair of second-round picks at No. 49 and No. 58 and could use those picks to find a diamond in the rough late in the draft.

One prospect linked to the Cavaliers with the start of the draft slated for later this month is Temple University forward Steve Settle III. According to recent reports, Settle is participating in a workout with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, and he’s already worked out for the likes of the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.

Settle isn’t exactly a top prospect, as a recent mock draft from Bleacher Report has him going undrafted. However, he could still be an appealing swing for the Cavaliers to take near the end of the draft or as an undrafted free agent.

Across 31 games with Temple in the 2024-25 collegiate campaign, Settle, who has impressive physical gifts, averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest and held his own on both ends of the court.

Settle also displayed noticeable growth as a 3-point shooter over the course of his college basketball career. He never shot better than 35.3 percent from deep in any of his first four seasons, but in his fifth and final campaign, he shot 41.6 percent from long range on 3.6 attempts per game.

Although the Cavaliers will look to compete for a championship again next season and therefore have more in mind than just the development of young players, Settle’s 3-and-D skill set might help him quickly challenge for minutes with Cleveland in addition to being a long-term growth piece.

It remains to be seen how the Cavs will approach the draft this year and how many picks they’ll ultimately make, but Settle appears to be someone to monitor.