NBA Draft rumors: Shocking Warriors trade, Hornets’ Zion or Ingram preference, Cavs moving up

NBA Draft rumors: Cavaliers looking to move up

The Cavaliers made it to the playoff for the first time in five years the past season but they were promptly knocked out in the first round. The goal this NBA Draft is to land pieces who can help fuel a longer playoff run.

That may involve moving up into the late first round, according to Cleveland.com.

Cleveland has the 49th pick in the draft but they fear that the “older, NBA-ready rotational prospects” they covet will be off the board by then.

Chris Fedor reported that “calls have been made to multiple teams in the 20-30 range, gauging the cost of a potential deal” ahead of the draft.

It makes sense for Cleveland to look at NBA-ready players, but they’d also be flying blind after a trade up since they haven’t held workouts for any players expected to be drafted in that range. So this is something to keep an eye on, but it’s also a risk.

In terms of draft capital, the Cavaliers have some future second-round picks available to deal but it’s not clear what teams will be looking for to move back. However, we know of at least one team who might be willing to listen…