About 11 months ago, the irate owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert promised fans his team would win an NBA championship before LeBron James.  That famous rant cost Gilbert a $100,000 fine from the league, but for now at least, he hasn’t been proven completely wrong.

James made the Cavaliers a contending team, and with the roster Gilbert funded only another player of James caliber would return that team to the finals immediately.  As obtaining another James was not on the horizon, Cleveland reluctantly started the rebuilding process.

The Cavaliers do have an advantage over many other teams as they rebuild.  Gilbert is not afraid to spend money, and at the trade deadline, Cleveland traded Mo Williams to the Clippers for Baron Davis and the Clippers’ unprotected first-round draft pick.  By taking on about $12 million in additional salary commitments, the Cavaliers acquired the pick that would become first overall at the NBA draft lottery.  

Lottery luck has ensured Cleveland has their choice of Duke’s point guard Kyrie Irving or Arizona’s forward Derrick Williams.  The first overall pick of the 2011 draft will not be traded.

With the second-worst record in the NBA last season, the Cavaliers had their own lottery pick, but that pick dropped to fourth giving the team two picks in the top four of this year’s draft, hadn’t happened since the Houston Rockets did it in 1983.

Cleveland received a $14.5 million traded player exception when James joined Miami in a sign-and-trade deal and Gilbert has proven his willingness to spend big on his team.  Therefore the obvious question becomes, should the Cavaliers use the fourth pick in the draft plus the trade exception to go after an impact player who could accelerate the team’s return to contention, or should the team keep the pick and rebuild slowly through the draft?

As of now the Cavaliers roster has no depth.  The over 30-year-olds Baron Davis, Antawn Jamison, and Anthony Parker (free agent) could significantly boost the team’s win totals if healthy, but this is fool’s gold as none of these players will be around when this team is ready to compete.  The 25-year-olds Daniel Gibson and Ramon Sessions would be decent back up guards for Kyrie Irving next season, and the 28-year-old Anderson Varejao is a good energy guy, but after that, the Cavaliers are a team of recent late-first and second-round draft picks plus a collection of undrafted players.  This is not a team where one could add a quality starter and leap into contention.

While some of the team’s young players may develop into decent backups or even starters, the Cavaliers do not have enough high potential youth to rebuild and need to hang onto their draft picks.  If possible, the team should even acquire additional lottery picks for this year and next.  The only trade involving the fourth pick should be as part of a deal to acquire the second pick from Minnesota.

Everyone anticipates that the Cavaliers will select Irving first overall.  This should leave them with several interesting center and small forward prospects to choose from with the fourth pick.

Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania, Center

The 6’11″, 19-year-old center played at the highest level in Europe last season and is considered to be a good pick-and-roll player, however the rest of Valanciunas’ game is still raw at both ends of the floor.

Enes Kanter, (Kentucky) Turkey, Center

The 19-year-old Kanter has center-worthy measurements at 6′ 11.25″ tall, 259 lbs, and a 7′ 1.5″ wingspan, however he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last year and didn’t play in any games for Kentucky.  Kanter worked out for the Cavaliers this past week.  

A very intriguing prospect, Kanter is not a sure thing.

Bismack Biyombo, Congo, Power Forward/Center

Biyombo came out of nowhere when he joined the senior roster of Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in January, averaging  6.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 17 minutes, and has shot up draft boards everywhere.  

Still only 18 years old, Biyombo is 6′ 9″ tall and 243 lbs with an incredible 7′ 7″ wingspan.  This is a guy to watch.

Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State Sophomore, Small Forward

The top-ranked wing player in his draft class not named Derrick Williams, Leonard averaged 15.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals for the Aztecs last season and projects to be a very good defender at the next level.

Jan Vesely, Czech Republic, Small Forward

NBA teams have been following the 21-year-old Vesely for some time and his play around the rim has drawn (generous?) comparisons to the Clippers Blake Griffin.  The athletic 6′ 11″ small forward’s game may be even better suited to the NBA.

It would be understandable if the Cavaliers were underwhelmed by their choices with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft.  Usually a pick this high would involve a player who would be more of a sure thing and less of a prospect.  In this situation, Cleveland should be acquiring the most proven center available with a high upside and that choice will lead them to taking Valanciunas, if he’s still on the board.

Since the Cavaliers own the first overall pick, they control the board, and if they are willing to make a bold move in an attempt to maximize the talent from their first and fourth draft picks, the Cavaliers could get all they want from this draft.

There is just enough doubt and discussion for the Cavaliers to select Williams ahead of Irving and put even more pressure Timberwolves to do something with the number two pick.  Minnesota has just signed the fifth pick of the 2009 draft Ricky Rubio and still has the sixth pick from that draft Jonny Flynn on their roster.  Both of these players are point guards.

If Minnesota selects Irving, the pressure to do a draft day deal will be intense, and Cleveland would be happy to trade them the number four pick.  If Minnesota picks a center based on need, then one of Irving or Brandon Knight will fall to the Cavaliers at four.

Bold moves can produce bold results, and when a team is trying to rebuild an entire roster, no move is too bold.  

In the event Minnesota takes Irving and will not do a deal with Cleveland, Williams is still a solid first overall pick in this draft, and the Cavaliers can do no worse than obtaining the NCAA champion UConn Huskies’ point guard Kemba Walker with the fourth pick.

If Gilbert wants the Cavaliers to be built into contenders again, he is not going to give away his top draft picks.  Cleveland needs to acquire as many young players with star potential as possible through the draft this year and next.

The Cavaliers should make a bold move and control this draft by taking Williams first overall and then do whatever it takes to use their fourth pick as bait to acquire Irving.  

Send me your comments or questions about what the Cavaliers should do, the NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors, or anything else in the NBA to

By BOB FINNAN
rfinnan@MorningJournal.com

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant wasn’t just blowing smoke when he said he wanted to acquire a third first-round pick.

The Cavs need to upgrade the talent on their roster, and what better way to do it than through the draft?

By drafting a player in the first round, it allows teams to own the player’s rights for two years, plus two option years under rules of the current collective bargaining agreement.

That might be one reason they are scheduled to work out Providence shooting guard Marshon Brooks on Friday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Brooks, 22, is a player who will likely be drafted in the middle of the first round. The Cavs have the first and fourth picks in the first round.

The 6-foot-5 1/4, 195-pound Brooks wasn’t thought of as a first-round pick at one juncture. Teams are taking a closer look at him and finding that there are not many better scorers in the draft.

He averaged 24.6 points this year for the Friars.

He injured his ankle in a workout last week, but is supposedly back on the court.

“He’s a high-volume scorer,” NBA co-scouting director Ryan Blake said. “He’s athletic, has good size and a go-to mentality. That’s important. He has ability to score.”

Brooks had the green light at Providence to shoot, and he did. Detractors say he wasn’t a real efficient player and wonder why the Friars didn’t win more games while he was there. Continued…

By BOB FINNAN
rfinnan@MorningJournal.com

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant wasn’t just blowing smoke when he said he wanted to acquire a third first-round pick.

The Cavs need to upgrade the talent on their roster, and what better way to do it than through the draft?

By drafting a player in the first round, it allows teams to own the player’s rights for two years, plus two option years under rules of the current collective bargaining agreement.

That might be one reason they are scheduled to work out Providence shooting guard Marshon Brooks on Friday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Brooks, 22, is a player who will likely be drafted in the middle of the first round. The Cavs have the first and fourth picks in the first round.

The 6-foot-5 1/4, 195-pound Brooks wasn’t thought of as a first-round pick at one juncture. Teams are taking a closer look at him and finding that there are not many better scorers in the draft.

He averaged 24.6 points this year for the Friars.

He injured his ankle in a workout last week, but is supposedly back on the court.

“He’s a high-volume scorer,” NBA co-scouting director Ryan Blake said. “He’s athletic, has good size and a go-to mentality. That’s important. He has ability to score.”

Brooks had the green light at Providence to shoot, and he did. Detractors say he wasn’t a real efficient player and wonder why the Friars didn’t win more games while he was there.

Another player the Cavs will work out Friday is Syracuse forward Rick Jackson (6-9, 242).

Former NBA all-star Mike Mitchell, who played 10 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, died Thursday after a struggle against cancer. He was 55.

Mitchell died in San Antonio after the former Auburn star fought the disease for two years, said his son, Mike Mitchell Jr.

Mitchell averaged 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds during his career. He was an all-star in Cleveland in 1981 but had his winningest years in San Antonio, playing alongside George Gervin and Artis Gilmore.

“We have a great deal of respect and admiration for Mike Mitchell,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “He was a good man who cared deeply about his family and the community of San Antonio.”

The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals in 1982 and 1983 but fell to Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers both times. It was the farthest San Antonio would advance in the playoffs until David Robinson put the Spurs back in the conference finals a decade later.

A first-round draft pick in 1978, Mitchell spent 3 1/2 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Spurs. He averaged 24.5 points during his one all-star season, which took place while the Cavaliers were among the league’s worst teams.

Mitchell played more than a decade in Europe after his NBA career ended in 1988.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Former NBA All-Star Mike Mitchell, who played 10 seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, died Thursday after a struggle against cancer. He was 55.

Mitchell died in San Antonio after the former Auburn star fought the disease for two years, said his son, Mike Mitchell Jr.

Mitchell averaged 19.8 points and 5.6 rebounds during his career. He was an All-Star in Cleveland in 1981 but had his winningest years in San Antonio, playing alongside George Gervin and Artis Gilmore.

NEWMAN: Cavs’ hot scorer Mitchell claiming attention at last (1.21.80)

“We have a great deal of respect and admiration for Mike Mitchell,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “He was a good man who cared deeply about his family and the community of San Antonio.”

The Spurs reached the Western Conference Finals in 1982 and 1983 but fell to Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers both times. It was the farthest San Antonio would advance in the playoffs until David Robinson put the Spurs back in the conference finals a decade later.

A first-round draft pick in 1978, Mitchell spent 3 1/2 seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Spurs. He averaged 24.5 points during his one All-Star season, which took place while the Cavaliers were among the league’s worst teams.

Mitchell played more than a decade in Europe after his NBA career ended in 1988.

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