NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Cleveland Cavaliers

1. Jarrett Culver, Wing, Texas Tech

The Step Back Big Board Ranking: 3

If you want the best shot in the draft class at getting a productive role player who could follow the Khris Middleton path into long-term All-Star projection, it’s Culver. The Cavs look like they’re going to luck into a great fit for their rebuild and their roster if Culver is available at the fifth pick.

Culver does have his negatives — a limited handle and shaky jumper, primarily — but he’s a very strong finisher in the lane, and more importantly, has shown a diverse profile in terms of drives into the lane even without a good handle because of his ability to control his body and absorb contact. He figures to at the very least be a competent pick-and-roll and straight-line driver, and if his shot gets ironed out into a top-quartile shooting stroke, that is going to unlock primary initiation upside. Like Ja Morant, Culver’s ability to grow into being a gravity-pulling shooter off the dribble is going to swing whether he hits his ceiling or not.

The difference between Morant and Culver, of course, is that Culver’s defensive upside is probably the best of any wing in the class (unless you think Clarke is a wing). With a 6-foot-9.5 wingspan and 8-foot-4 standing reach (both disappointing, but definitely still acceptable), Culver should have the length to survive minutes defending at the four and containing the pick-and-roll, and he’s probably the smartest wing in terms of rotating to open shooters once a defense has collapsed. These are all things the Cavs don’t really have outside of Nance and Thompson, so the defensive value of Culver is likely to be felt more for them than for many other teams.

Like Hunter and Clarke, Culver isn’t a sexy pick for the Cavs at the fifth pick. He has some chance of becoming an initiator, but most of his projected value in the short term will come on defense, where the Cavs need the most help. This is also a spot where the Cavs can afford to bring Culver along slowly, both because they have initiators in Clarkson and Love already, and they aren’t really in a position to compete any time soon, allowing Culver to contribute and slowly grow into his potential as an on-ball player.

Culver is a top-three talent in this class, and he’s very likely to be available when the Cavs pick at five. This is about the best outcome that could come from the team landing at this spot.