NBA Mock Draft 7.0: Is LaMelo Ball destined to join the New York Knicks?

The Cavaliers have invested a lot of draft capital in building our their backcourt — adding Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. the past two years. It’s not clear whether there’s an actual star in the group or how cleanly they fit together but it’s probably too soon for them to really think about pulling the plug and going in a different direction. That pushes Cleveland’s focus up the positional scale in this draft and Avdija makes a lot of sense as a versatile combo forward who can scaffold for what’s already in place and keep developing upside for the future.

Avdija is a strong defensive prospect with the size and quickness to defend both forward positions. His potential as a shooter and scorer is still up in the air but he’s a polished passer and very smart cutter who can play a role on offense that helps make everyone else better. He might not be the most exciting pick but with so much offensive primacy tied up in Kevin Love and the backcourt, getting a player who can help everyone play better without eating up a lot of shot attempts is a no-brainer.

Learn more about Deni Avdija with our full scouting report.