NEW YORK, N.Y. (AP) – Andrew Wiggins of Kansas was been taken by the Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft Thursday night.
The team selected Virginia shooting guard Joe Harris with the No. 33 overall pick.
The Cavs went for a freshman from Canada to open the draft for the second straight year and will hope Wiggins works out better than Anthony Bennett.
Bennett was injured last summer, came into the season out of shape and made no impact, one of the reasons the Cavs were back in this spot again.
But Wiggins seems a much more ready product after averaging a Kansas freshman-record 17.1 points. He may have ended up as the top pick anyway, but became the best option for the Cavs once Jayhawks teammate Joel Embiid suffered a stress fracture in his right foot shortly before the draft.
Considered one of the best available shooters, the 6’6” Harris averaged double figures in all four college seasons. He shot 40 percent on 3-pointers in his career and played in more games than any player in school history.
Cavs general manager David Griffin felt the team needed to improve its shooting, and Harris should help raise Cleveland’s percentage from the field.
Harris was unable to work out for teams leading up to the draft because of a broken nose. He averaged 12.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior for the Cavaliers.