2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Who gets the star big men at the top?

The Cavaliers had an unexpectedly successful season, looking like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference at times, before injuries took their toll and they eventually lost both play-in games and missed the playoffs entirely. The structure of a future contender in Cleveland is an elite defense anchored by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, with the creation and scoring of Darius Garland setting the table. However, their dearth of perimeter creators really limited their offensive upside.

A healthy Collin Sexton and full season of Caris LeVert will help, although it’s possible that the Cavs explore trading Sexton this summer. But landing a talented wing scorer like Branham in the draft should give them a lot more flexibility. There are questions about whether his 42.5 3-point percentage is truly reflective of his ceiling as a shooter but Branham can put points on the board. He’s excellent at creating for himself off the dribble, has a smooth pull-up game, can finish around the rim and had no problem getting to the line, where he shot 83.3 percent. Branham is also a good, if not elite, defensive prospect who works hard at that end of the floor.