**NOTE: The articles listed don't necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of the Cleveland Cavaliers or their Basketball Operations staff, partners, or sponsors.**
Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer
Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite
Date Published: May 17
No. 12, Oklahoma City Thunder - Osumane Dieng, New Zealand
No.13, Charlotte Hornets - Mark Williams, Duke
No. 14, Cleveland Cavaliers - Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite
The play of Ricky Rubio last season prior to his injury highlighted the importance of having an additional facilitator behind Darius Garland. Much like Rubio, Daniels has slick playmaking skills but he brings it in a 6-foot-6 package, which could make it easier to play at the same time as Garland. Though Daniels needs to work on his jumper, he is like Derrick White in the sense he can still make a positive impact because of his unselfishness and high IQ.
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
Ousmane Dieng, New Zealand Breakers
Date Published: June 6
No. 12, Oklahoma City Thunder - AJ Griffin, Duke
No.13, Charlotte Hornets - Jalen Duran, Memphis
No. 14, Cleveland Cavaliers - Ousmane Dieng, New Zealand Breakers
After finishing his season in good form, Dieng has built some positive momentum behind the scenes and has a good shot to sneak into the lottery. Although he’s not ready to contribute at a high level yet, his combination of youth, size and skill level help set him apart and portend untapped upside. Some teams still have questions about his athleticism, but he’s a terrific passer and promising shooter who projects as a viable rotation player and potentially more. The Cavs are loaded up front and are in a good spot to add a perimeter player with this pick. If Dieng is on the board, he makes a lot of sense.
Raphielle Johnson, Yahoo! Sports
Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Date Published: June 2
No. 12, Oklahoma City Thunder - Ousmane Dieng, New Zeland Breakers
No.13, Charlotte Hornets - Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
No. 14, Cleveland Cavaliers - Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Branham was able to score at an efficient clip on all three levels during his lone season in Columbus, shooting 49.8% from the field, 41.6% from three (on 2.8 attempts per game), and 83.3% from the foul line. The 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard can play both on and off the ball, but he will need to be more efficient when it comes to playmaking (Branham had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.19). Cleveland has no issues to deal with at the point, as Darius Garland is coming off of an All-Star campaign. However, the same cannot be said for the off-guard spot, even with Caris LeVert (who's struggled with injuries) under contract. Collin Sexton will be a free agent, and the Cavs' other young wings haven't been all that consistent offensively.
Sam Vecenie, The Athletic
Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Date Published: May 17
No. 12, Oklahoma City Thunder - Ousmane Dieng, New Zeland Breakers
No.13, Charlotte Hornets - Mark Williams, Duke
No. 14, Cleveland Cavaliers - Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
The Big Ten Player of the Year, Davis is an extremely competitive guard who plays tough on both ends. Offensively, he’s a shot creator and maker who was responsible for just about everything in Wisconsin’s offense this year. He was faultless throughout the first part of the season, hitting shots at a reasonable level, rebounding at an elite level for a guard and showing up in the biggest moments. But he suffered an ankle injury late in the season, and as he played through it, his numbers fell off a bit. He averaged 17 points per game over his final 12 games, but he shot just 42 percent from the field and 22 percent from 3 in that time. His elevation, in general, looked sapped, as did his ability to stop and start. But when he was at his best, Davis was a good three-level scorer who also played hard on defense. That translates at least on some level to the NBA. The ceiling on his draft status has dropped a bit in recent months, but I’d still anticipate him going in the No. 7 to No. 17 range.