Daily News - June 19, 2019

**NOTE: The news clips and articles listed don't necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of the Cleveland Cavaliers or their Basketball Operations staff, partners, or sponsors.**

Darius Garland to the Cavaliers? That possibility shows why Osman, Sexton add intrigue to draft puzzle
Author: Joe Vardon
Publication: The Athletic

CLEVELAND — On Friday night, Cavaliers coach John Beilein and his chief assistant, J.B. Bickerstaff, team general manager Koby Altman and three members of his staff all boarded a United flight for Los Angeles.

Walking onto the same plane was sports agent Andy Bountoguanis, and all of them were going to see the same people. Bountoguanis works for Klutch Sports Agency and Rich Paul, who represents Darius Garland. The Cavs’ contingent was invited to a private workout for Garland on Saturday at an L.A.-area gym.

Garland, a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Vanderbilt, is widely considered the fourth-best player in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Cavs have the fifth pick, and until the Lakers agreed to trade the No. 4 pick to the Pelicans on Saturday, Garland was figured to be gone by the time Cleveland makes its selection Thursday. A slew of wing players — Jarrett Culver, De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish — have been routinely tied to the Cavs since draft season started in earnest at the lottery last month.
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Cleveland Cavaliers hire Antonio Lang from Utah Jazz as assistant coach
Author: Chris Fedor
Publication: Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Antonio Lang as an assistant coach, the team announced Wednesday morning.

Lang, who played three seasons in Cleveland during his six-year NBA career, spent the last five years as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz, most recently being promoted to the front of the bench prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. During his time with Utah, the Jazz reached the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, with player development at the center of their rise.

“We are very happy to welcome Antonio back to Cleveland," Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman wrote in a statement. "He has had a diverse, successful career and brings a deep knowledge of so many different aspects of the game, both as a player and as a coach, in the NBA and internationally. Antonio has been a winner at every level of basketball and brings a broad perspective of the game along with a firm understanding of what a winning culture requires. We know his basketball mind and experience will translate well to having a very positive and impactful role as a member of our coaching staff.”

Prior to joining Utah in 2014, Lang served as head coach of the Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins in Japan’s National Basketball League (NBL) for four seasons, leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in 2014. He additionally served as an assistant coach for Mitsubishi from 2006-10.
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Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Draft, Darius Garland and a cautionary tale about overvaluing positional need
Author: Chris Fedor
Publication: Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was 2012, one year after the Cleveland Cavaliers struck gold by drafting Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick.

The Cavs entered the offseason with a specific goal: Find a complementary piece to go with budding star Irving. Only this time, the ping-pong balls didn’t bounce in Cleveland’s favor on lottery night.

Ironically, a tiebreaker the Cavs won with the New Orleans Pelicans backfired, sending the Cavs to the fourth spot. Then-GM Chris Grant loved Damian Lillard. But as much as Grant believed in Lillard, seeing him as one of the top players in the class, the Cavs couldn’t justify taking another 6-foot-3 point guard one year after selecting Irving.

How would the two fit together? Would the tandem be too small to flourish? How was one of them supposed to defend the bigger, bulkier, traditional two-guards?
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