2018 NBA Mock Draft: Who’s moving at the top?

People seem very bent on the idea of Trae Young ending up in Cleveland as an heir apparent to Kyrie Irving, the first Cavalier outside LeBron James since Irving who would be able to create their own shot. I understand the draw there, especially considering Cleveland’s current point guard rotation includes the likes of Jordan Clarkson and Jose Calderon, but I continue to believe Bridges makes more sense.

The junior would become one of the Cavaliers’ best wing options immediately, and their need for a player like that is obvious when watching them in this year’s playoffs, noticing how important Jeff Green and J.R. Smith have become. He may not have the upside of shot creation and playmaking that Young would bring, but his ability to hit shots across the court and defend multiple positions has value.

And as writers have noted throughout Bridges’ fantastic junior season, many of the most dominant wing scorers in the league started out looking a lot like Bridges from a skill set perspective. If he could add a more functional handle and become a more versatile scorer, he starts looking less like Trevor Ariza and more like Paul George.

The Cavaliers are balancing a LeBron James-led future with a rebuild, but that shouldn’t really dictate their decision much. They will gather further assets from an inevitable Kevin Love trade as well. Bridges is a great option, and will help them in either case.