INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – What do you do when you are not making the first pick in the NBA draft? The Cavaliers are out of practice after winning the lottery two years in a row.
The first thing the team did was acquire the rights to Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas following a trade with Minnesota.
With the No. 24 overall pick, the Cavs took Duke point guard Tyus Jones and dealt him to the Timberwolves for the Nos. 31 and 36 picks and a 2019 second-rounder.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Christmas can give the Cavs some frontline depth to go along with Anderson Varejao and in case they don’t re-sign free agents Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson. Christmas averaged 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds last season as a senior for the Orange.
At No. 31, the Cavs selected Turkish forward Cedi Osman.
The 20-year-old Osman averaged 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19 minutes in the Euroleague last season. He’s 6-foot-8 and regarded as a take-it-to-the-basket playmaker, something the Cavs wanted to add this summer.
It’s the first time in three years the Cavs haven’t owned the No. 1 overall pick. They’re only looking for players to help them win a title, and it’s unlikely Osman will have an impact for several years.
With their third pick of the second round, No. 53 overall, the Cavaliers selected St. John’s swingman Sir’Dominic Pointer.
Pointer averaged 13.7 points 7.7 rebounds last season and was named the Big East’s co-defensive player of the year as a senior. The 6-foot-6 Pointer was also the league’s most improved player.
He’ll be a long shot to make Cleveland’s roster, but the 23-year-old does fulfill one of general manager David Griffin’s offseason objectives to add youth to the Cavaliers.
While the Cavs had experience on their bench last season, Griffin feels the team is ready to get younger players who can have more of an impact on the floor.