Cleveland lands 1st and 4th pick in draft lottery

[KCattheStripe]

Kyrie Irving with Blake and Eric. Ah Sterling, you fool. Oh wait they got Mo, yeah that still sucks. Will Mo even get drafted in the CBDraft this year?

IP and I will have to Roshambo for him.

[ManUp]

I called this at the dinner table to my kids a while back. I said Stern will take care of the Cavaliers owner after he was shafted by Lebron. Sure enough they get the 1st and 4th picks. I would take Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker

Kemba with the 4th aye? This draft class must be paper thin.

[nickagneta]

I called this at the dinner table to my kids a while back. I said Stern will take care of the Cavaliers owner after he was shafted by Lebron. Sure enough they get the 1st and 4th picks. I would take Derrick Williams and Kemba Walker

Kemba with the 4th aye? This draft class must be paper thin.

Its awful.

[pearljammer10]

I think with #1 overall, you almost always take the best talent on the board and I think that's Kyrie Irving by a hair.  Derrick Williams is close.  Can he play the 3?  They already have Hickson and Varejao at the 4/5. 

That team needs players at every position...  What a mess that franchise is.

I actually think Kemba has the potential to be a very good NBA player.  I can definitely see some value in those 2 picks you suggested.

Yeah they Cavs just need to take the best available players because they are a complete mess.

[Roy H.]

Assuming Irving goes #1, what do the Twolves do at #2?  Williams is the next best option, but the Twolves are pretty set at forward, between Love, Beasley, and Randolph.

Do they gamble on Kanter?  Can they get value by trading back?

[Lucky17]

Assuming Irving goes #1, what do the Twolves do at #2?  Williams is the next best option, but the Twolves are pretty set at forward, between Love, Beasley, and Randolph.

Do they gamble on Kanter?  Can they get value by trading back?

A good question. I wonder if Cleveland could somehow move up from #4 to #2, to get both Williams and Irving.

A better question: what the hell happened to your TPs, Roy?

[Lucky17]

Cleveland is poised for a radical makeover in the near future.

Two top 4 picks in the 2011 draft.
Antawn Jamison's $13.3 million dollar contract, expiring next season.
A trade exception of $14.5 million from the LeBron James trade to Miami, plus Miami's 2013 and 2015 1st rounders.
Outside of Varejao's 5-year deal, and Eyenga's reasonable contract, no contracts longer than 3 years.

Lots of chips to play with.

[nickagneta]

Assuming Irving goes #1, what do the Twolves do at #2?  Williams is the next best option, but the Twolves are pretty set at forward, between Love, Beasley, and Randolph.

Do they gamble on Kanter?  Can they get value by trading back?

Thing is I don't see Irving as a guarantee at #1. Take him at 1 and there is really no decent player after 2 that isn't a PG prospect.

That said, except for Hickson and Varejao there isn't a decent player on that Cleveland team to build the future with. Irving and Kanter or Vessely or Leonard makes sense but I think if they want to get maximum quality in those two picks a Williams and Walker or Knight is the better way to go.

Wiiliams starting alongside Varejao is a really nice inside outside offensive front court combo with Hickson coming off the bench. Get a legit center to back up AV and your frontcourt is set for a long long time.

[Moranis]

Sucks for the Cavs all those guys went back to school.  How much better would those picks look with Barnes, Sullinger, P. Jones, Henson, T. Jones, etc.?

[Roy H.]

Assuming Irving goes #1, what do the Twolves do at #2?  Williams is the next best option, but the Twolves are pretty set at forward, between Love, Beasley, and Randolph.

Do they gamble on Kanter?  Can they get value by trading back?

Thing is I don't see Irving as a guarantee at #1. Take him at 1 and there is really no decent player after 2 that isn't a PG prospect.

That said, except for Hickson and Varejao there isn't a decent player on that Cleveland team to build the future with. Irving and Kanter or Vessely or Leonard makes sense but I think if they want to get maximum quality in those two picks a Williams and Walker or Knight is the better way to go.

Wiiliams starting alongside Varejao is a really nice inside outside offensive front court combo with Hickson coming off the bench. Get a legit center to back up AV and your frontcourt is set for a long long time.

Here's what Chad Ford says, for whatever it's worth:

I think there's zero suspense at the top. I'm told Cavs love Irving. Suspense begins at 2: Williams, Kanter, Biyombo, trade all possible

[Lucky17]

Wanted to revisit the trade that ultimately gave the Cavs the #1 pick:

"The drill is, as always, is 'Is the player you're getting back more valuable than the potential you could get in the draft?'" said Clippers general manager Neil Olshey. "Our analysis at this point in February is that it was more valuable to get a 28-year-old All-Star point guard that we have for the next few years, cap flexibility to make sure we take care of business and re-sign DeAndre Jordan and have flexibility to take care of Eric Gordon as well, as opposed to speculating on another kid that's 19 years old with one year of college experience.

"And I'm not that high on the draft to begin with this year."

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6153550

Olshey's words were prophetic: Irving is 19 years old, with one year of college experience.

[nickagneta]

Assuming Irving goes #1, what do the Twolves do at #2?  Williams is the next best option, but the Twolves are pretty set at forward, between Love, Beasley, and Randolph.

Do they gamble on Kanter?  Can they get value by trading back?

Thing is I don't see Irving as a guarantee at #1. Take him at 1 and there is really no decent player after 2 that isn't a PG prospect.

That said, except for Hickson and Varejao there isn't a decent player on that Cleveland team to build the future with. Irving and Kanter or Vessely or Leonard makes sense but I think if they want to get maximum quality in those two picks a Williams and Walker or Knight is the better way to go.

Wiiliams starting alongside Varejao is a really nice inside outside offensive front court combo with Hickson coming off the bench. Get a legit center to back up AV and your frontcourt is set for a long long time.

Here's what Chad Ford says, for whatever it's worth:

I think there's zero suspense at the top. I'm told Cavs love Irving. Suspense begins at 2: Williams, Kanter, Biyombo, trade all possible

Ford probably has good contacts in Cleveland so Irving it will be but I'm not sold he will be the best pro in this class. I like Williams game. After those two....yuck though Knight is intriguing and very young and Walker will probably be a decent pro. Not sure I can say anything as flattering for anyone else in this draft.

Wonder if the Cavs would consider taking Knight and trying him at SG? Irving and Knight???

[MMacOH]

Can the league actually get locked out before the draft?  Here's to hoping the NBA is locked out for a year and the Cavs have the 1 and 4 in 2012.  

Honestly, Cavs played much better once Baron came on board.  He really helped Hickson (it's amazing how much of a difference a point guard can make).  Adding two top 4 picks and taking on some salary (trade exception, expiring contracts) will help them reestablish themselves.

[MMacOH]

Also, just to reiterate what has already been said here several times...the Cavs love Irving.  Byron loves PGs.  He is coming to Cleveland

[action781]

Wiiliams starting alongside Varejao is a really nice inside outside offensive front court combo with Hickson coming off the bench. Get a legit center to back up AV and your frontcourt is set for a long long time.

Bring your best player off the bench?     Ugh.... Sad thing is that it kind of sounds sensible.  I really feel bad for this team.

A good question. I wonder if Cleveland could somehow move up from #4 to #2, to get both Williams and Irving.

Very possibly.  Williams is the clear best player available and Minnesota has no need for a player like him.  Trade #2 for #4 and the right to trade first round draft picks any time in the next 5 seasons (#1 protected).  I think that trade makes sense to both franchises and could be very fruitful for Minny in the future.