With the 14th Pick in the 2022 NBA Draft ...

-Akronite- said:

I saw a quote of his that was complimentary of Cleveland but I don’t think it’s indicative of free agent interest. We can only offer a limited role as a bench center, and he’s still a fairly young guy trying to make his mark. That said, I’d love to take him back and wish we never let him go.

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Prof123 said:

It is all coming in to focus for me. I think that three of the four players J.Williams, Branham, Agbaji, and Eason are going to be available, if not all four, and that the Cavaliers are going to pick one of them. My preference is in the order I listed them. I think Branham is the one most likely to be off the board at #14.

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sailfish said:

Chris Fedor is plugged in and he said on his most recent podcast that he's been hearing Agbaji & Branham quite a bit, assuming Davis, Dieng, & Sochan are off the board. There hasn't been much talk about AJ Griffin or or Duren/Williams, so we don't really know how the Cavs feel about them.

It wouldn't surprised me if they took Agbaji, as he's such a good dude and would be a great cultural fit. However, you have to wonder how scarred they are by taking Dylan Windler, the last older, NBA-ready prospect that they took, who has been a flop? It sounds like Eason is behind Agbaji, Branham, & possibly even Jalen Williams.

A trade down is still a possibility, as a number of teams are interested in #14, but it will depend on who's available and what these teams are offering.

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InBoobieWeTrust said:

Fedor reports whatever the Cavs want him to report. Very important distinction there. He’s the unofficial Cavs media mouthpiece.

That being said both of those guys are realistic possibilities. Though I’m not sure that even Fedor has any idea who is “ahead or behind” anyone.

I do find it very peculiar that the Cavs have obviously put a lot of stuff out about Easons workout being disappointing yet it’s clear that he’s very much on the short list/in play for the Cavs at 14. Part of me wonders if the Cavs are trying to manipulate Eason down to their pick at 14, given how many teams he worked out for that are ahead of the Cavs.

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InBoobieWeTrust said:

Part of me wonders if the Cavs are trying to manipulate Eason down to their pick at 14, given how many teams he worked out for that are ahead of the Cavs.

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sailfish said:

It doesn't seem that any team above us is strongly considering Eason, so, if people are thinking the Cavs are putting it out there that Eason disappointed at his workout, in an effort to get him to fall to #14, I don't really get that? m

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sailfish said:

I agree that Fedor is largely a mouthpiece for the organization. That said, he's thrown out enough names (Agbaji, Branham, Dieng, Eason, Sochan, & WIlliams) that he's not really tipping anything and everyone is guessing what the Cavs will do.

It doesn't seem that any team above us is strongly considering Eason, so, if people are thinking the Cavs are putting it out there that Eason disappointed at his workout, in an effort to get him to fall to #14, I don't really get that? I can't imagine Eason or his agent would be happy about such reports, unless they wanted to go to Cleveland. I don't know what the issues are, but there's been several reports about Eason disappointing in workouts.

The great unknown is what the Cavs would do if Davis, Dieng, Griffin, or Sochan were to fall to their pick, which is entirely possible since these things rarely go according to form, once you get outside the top 5.

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TheISHT said:

What do you see in him that makes you a fan?

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InBoobieWeTrust said:

I’m not saying it’s not true about Easons workout. I’m just saying the Cavs having Fedor and other reporters talking about it so much yet him still obviously being in major consideration for the pick is very peculiar to me. In many ways to me it indicates that he’s a clear finalist for the pick despite the workout. I do think that Dieng very well may be the guy the Cavs want more than anything, but if he were to be gone the way I’m reading the tea leaves. And I could be totally wrong…but I’m really thinking that Tari stil maybe the guy.

As for the Branham and Agbaji talk…that to me just screams—-if the Cavs top 2-3 guys are gone …those are the two guys they feel are relatively “safe” picks that could slot in and help the team immediately…especially In the case of Agbaji…

And I really like Agbaji. He initially was my favorite prospect before I really dug deep into film and analytics and started thinking about the Cavs building process a little differently…

While I prefer Eason/Dieng…then Williams…I definitely, without a doubt think Agbaji is a great fit on this team and would be a player we could be happy with as a quality starter for the next 10 years. If he can come into the league and shoot 38%+ from 3 on high volume and use his plus athleticism snd other scoring abilities to attack close outs, finish layups and lobs on back cuts, and be a transition threat. Pull up jumpers. Has a solid 6’10 wing span.

From the standpoint of our core big 3…Agbaji is a guy who can slot into that core, he fits perfectly as a 4th guy…as a shooter who is great off the ball with an elite lead guard who could average 8-10 assists this year…and with two bigs who are both smart passers especially Mobley….Agbaji is strong. Has an NBA ready body. Basically if you’re working with an athletic strong 6’6 knockdown shooter with at least some on ball ability…certainly a much better on all guy than Okoro….

Ochai fits the core like a glove and learns from a good Developmental defensive coaching staff how to use his length athleticism and high BB IQ, to make defensive plays alongside the twin towers…Mobley who is a generational defensive talent and Allen who is a big time difference maker defensively as a 24 year old all star….

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adam81king said:

I had a big long post ready last night to answer this.

Better to make it short, though: I see a puppy with really big feet, already showing traits that this team needs. His big improvement during his first international season helps, too.

I could *very* easily be wrong about Dieng, though. He may fizzle worse than Hezonja; I just don't think he will--especially with this team.

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sailfish said:

Agbaji is an interesting guy. I heard an interview with a draft expert and he said that had Agbaji declared after his freshman year at Kansas, he likely would’ve been a second round pick, as he would’ve last year. To his credit, he stayed all 4 years, started 116/122 games at a premier program and got better every year. He gets knocked for his age, but he acknowledged his deficiencies and chose to develop his game in college, rather than in the G-League or at the NBA level. As a result, he’s alot more ready to play than some other guys. The more I look into Agbaji, the more I find myself liking him.

Peyton Watson & Josh Minott are two guys I really like, who really should’ve gone back to college, as Agbaji did. Both came off the bench and Watson, in particular, really struggled to find his groove. Both are very talented prospects worth developing, but they’re likely gonna have to be on two-way contracts for a year or two.

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