Live Thread: 2025 NBA draft
2025-06-25Good eening, Cavalier fans! The NBA draft is likely to be a quiet affair for the wine and gold faithful, especially tonight, as Cleveland holds just the 49th and 58th picks, and the second round isn’t even till tomorrow. But if the off-season so far has proven anything, it’s that anything can happen, so we’ll see what the next few days hold for Spider Mitchell and Co.
Fromy vantage point, the rash of Achilles injuries hobbling Indiana, Milwaukee, and Boston presents a suddenly wide open Easterm conference for our favorite team to make a finals run, so I don’t expect major shake-ups to this roster unless Kobe Altman has something golden thrown into his lap. If that happens, we’ll be here to discuss, and as always, go Cavs.
Wrong thread, sorry.
we have all been gripping for years about the Cavs needing some tougher guys. Well, how about “Former Baylor Defensive Enforcer” Norchad Omier? this guy looks like he could scare Miles Garrett:
https://www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/news/cavaliers-bolster-summer-league-roster-former-baylor-defensive-enforcer
who knows what the Cavs were hoping for in the draft, but it appears that it was a surprise that Proctor was still on the board. I am all in on drafting the best available talent — there is plenty of time to figure out how to fit them in. and he fits in pretty well anyway
Flickinger at FTS reports that “Ersin’s Draft Newsletter” has the only scouting report on Niang out there. Looks pretty good:
https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/saliou-niang-scouting-report
PROCTOR s SLIDE POSSIBLE DUE TO “ MEDIA “ HIGHER EXPECTATIONS/ AND THEN SHARING WITH 4 OTHER NBA DRAFTED PLAYERS——- HAS SAME NAME AND GAME ( SIZE ) OF HALIBURTON ————— EXPECT CAVS TO SIGN A UDFA POST —- POSSIBLY TTUN POST PLAYER / RUSSIA
No complaints for 2 picks in the bottom of the 2nd. Maybe Niang can turn into a Dort type. Or a cheaper/bigger Okoro doen the road.
And a potential shooter/scorer in Proctor.
PROCTOR ONCE WAS A TOP 20 PICK
why did he slide?
ANOTHER NIANG —- CAVS GOT HIGH MARKS ON BOTH PICKS FOR THAT LATE IN DRAFT —- SOME HAD PROCTOR GONE IN MID 30s
Niang. A D & D prospect.
MY BAD WILLIAMS ALREADY TAKEN
I think they took Proctor because Boston stole Williams
PROCTOR A SOLID PICK —- HAD TO “ SURRENDER “ SOME OF HIS SCORING TO “ STAR STUDDED “ TEAMMATES—— PROBABLY COULD HAVE AVG 17– 20 ppl ON ANOTHER TEAM —- IS THIS A PICK IN CASE TY DOESNT SIGN ———- GO FOR WILLIAMS AT 58!
good point
Proctor a high 2nd round grade and a sleeper on a lot of draft boards. They apparently are giving him a roster spot.
Proctor ,SG, Duke. 6’4″.
was not expecting a SG
Damn, Grizz took Small right before us.
IIRC,
Under contract:
Starters: DG, Spida, Strus, Mobes, JA
Bench: CPJ, Ice, Hunter, Wade, Tyson
TO: Okeke
2 way: Tomlin
FA: Jerome, Merrill, Green, TT, Travers, Bates
2 to go.
Small, Tonje, Sallis? I got nuthin’ on big wings & C’s.
Brea off the board as well.
Martin gone to Raptors.
If we go small, Brea/Small/Martin. Though that could be an ill-omen for Merrill/Jerome/DG.
I think cheap vet bigs (Capella) or Fs (LNJ) might be easier to come by. Plus I think Tomlin may might be worth more looks.
Starters: DG, Spida, Strus, Mobes, JA.
Best Bench: Hunter, Okoro, Wase
FA: Jerome, Merrill
Roster lock: Tyson
RAOUL — I THINK I HAVE POSTED BEFORE— I BOUGHT 1 SHARE OF GB PACKERS WHEN THEY WENT PUBLIC I BELIEVE 6–7 YRS AGO —-EVERY YR THEY SEND AN ITEM WITH GB LOGO —- THIS YEAR GOT A GREAT ALL WEATHER JACKET WITH THE LOGO——YES I SUPPORT ( DONT KNOW WHY —THE “ FROWN / CLOWNS) BUT ALSO ROOT FOR THE PACK ——— IF CAVS WOULD GO PUBLIC I AM “ ALL IN “. — WOULD HIRE ALL MY CTB BROS AS “ ASS “ ISTANT COACHES 👍🫏🤪
JABARI WAS / 2nd BEHIND WIGGINS
read somewhere that the Flagger is the fourth #1 pick from Duke. I rate Danny Ferry and Christian Laettner as modest to major disappointments — agree?
who was the fourth Dukie to go #1?
Kyrie, no?
Banchero was a #1. Elton Brand too. Flagg, Ky, and those two.
I think Ferry was #2 and Laettner #3.
Grant Hill?
Grant Hill was #3. Glenn Robinson was #1, J-Kidd 2 (that whole co-ROTY thing was weird)
loved Calvin Hill in his brief tenure with the Browns
Yo NOMAD! break out the piggy bank, Dan is selling some shares:
https://www.sportico.com/leagues/basketball/2025/cleveland-cavaliers-sale-stake-dan-gilbert-1234857324/
My attempt to be KJG!
I’d offer the TWolves a trade of Dean Wade for Jaylen Clark, Leonard Clark & Josh Minott & #31 Pick, while flipping both Clark & Minott + #52 Pick to the Trailblazers for Kris Murray.
This way the Cavs can draft Rasheer Fleming or take a shot at Maxime Raynaud (who worked with Kenny in France).
I’d even look to trade Chuma Okeke (so they can terminate his contract) + future 2nd for Jay Huff.
Can fix a number of things along the edge of the roster.
HAWKS DRAFTED ANOTHER POST —- CAPELlA /LNJ OR BOTH WILL BE AVAILABLE
GREAT STUFF RAOUL —-THANKS FOR SHARING—— TRADE UP FOR FLEMING IF POSSIBLE——- THE OTHER ( 2 WILLIAM —-BRIAN / AMARI ) ARE INTRIGUING 👍🏀
I recently became aware (thnx Mrs Teal) of another member of the Cavs fan ecosystem, “realcavsfans”, and I want to give this crew a shoutout. RCF appears to have a long article maybe once or twice a week, most or all signed by “smooth”. the good news is that there appears to be little or no dimbulb opinion, insane trade proposals, and similar crap like you find in KJG. the better news is that the articles are very data heavy, and excellently formatted data that is easy to understand (surely a LOT of work to get right!) If you want… Read more »
it’s solid. much less screaming about “they are just soft,” although there is some. there’s also a pretty adult realization that we might not get to the mountaintop and if so there likely is no real internal scapegoat to be found — a healthy helping of “sometimes it just be like that” smooth’s thesis — the offense has to work better in the playoffs, the defense is good enough — makes sense to me and is supported by data (also of course confirms my priors b/c it means you keep DG). but you saw, once we actually got some semblance… Read more »
Great read. Thanks Raul.
The shooter from KY (Brea), and the Gs from FL & WVA would be my picks for smalls.
F/Bigs. IDK.
Trading up to get Coward by the Grizz was a home run.
hey, Wells worked out, why not try another WSU wing?
I’m ready to like Wells / Coward more than Bane, who I felt had gotten a bit overrated.
(i really like Desmond Bane, but there’s been a lot of OH SHIT HE’S THE ANSWER — which…I didn’t see THAT guy in Memphis, but he flashes nice stuff and grew every year a bit)
Pelicans and Dumars did the dumbest thing imaginable: traded an unprotected pick two years from now when they’re one of the worst NBA teams. They moved up for a chonky center who makes no sense with Zion.
GREAT STORY RAOUL —- 1 OF CAVS WORSE TRADES —-HARPER FOR FERRY —- BELIEVE IF WE KEEP HIM— CAVS POSSIBLY WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP
Washington Post Headline:
Kevin Durant’s lonely basketball journey trudges on to the next stop
trudges is the right word for KD
ESPN two round mock for the Cavs:
49: Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan, super senior
58: Saliou Niang, SG/SF, Trento (Italy)
At Dylan Harper’s dad Ron’s last game for Miami against OU in the Convo, Ron was signing autographs before the game, right below where I was sitting. I had been razzing him, but tossed a mini OU towel that the field hockey team was selling to him, and he signed it and tossed it back up to me. I was kind of surprised, and blurted out “Ron — I hope you play for the Cavs!”. I still have that towel, although it is a bit faded because a girlfriend once put it thru the laundry.
any surprises? Reaches? Players sliding?
Utah, Brooklyn with reaches, Maluach slid a little, same with Jase Richardson (homerun pick by Orlando if he’s healthy)
A few guys slid out of the first round, I want to say mainly college graduating seniors at the top of the 2nd available.
OKC did good, sadly.
Boston blew it so not all bad.
UTAH HAS SURPLUS OF BIGS —- TRADES —- LAURI ??
Ace Bailey in Utah is gonna be a hoot.