NBA Mock Draft: Cleveland Cavaliers May Sign on Trae Young

By Roy Sotelo, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, February 24, 2018

Trae Young has shot up the draft boards after his historic start to the season with the Oklahoma Sooners. LeBron James and the Cavaliers organization have dropped hints that they may acquire the 19-year-old sensation with their Brooklyn Nets pick this June.

Young, who has drawn comparisons to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry and retired Phoenix Suns superstar Steve Nash, has averaged an unprecedented 28.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 9.2 assists as a freshman point guard for the Sooners.

The Sooners now figure to be an integral part of "March Madness," something that the university is not known to excel at in years prior. Many scouts and basketball analysts have clearly seen Young's skills and leadership to be the central role of the Sooners' success, as the guard has repeatedly drawn double and triple teams from opposing defenses.

Young's comparison to Nash and Curry are mostly due to his shooting, passing, and most importantly, his handicap in terms of size and strength. Similar to the two Hall of Fame-bound point guards, the Sooners guard uses quickness, three-point shooting, and passing to make up for a lack of size and strength. Young only measures 6'2" feet with shoes on, below the average of the NBA's ideal 6'4" height for a point guard.

Rumors have pointed the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns to be the candidates to select Young. Both the Cavs and the Magic make them the ideal fit for Young, given that both teams are in need of a star point guard.

The Cavaliers recently traded away superstar Isaiah Thomas after a reported rocky relationship with several Cavs players. In return, they received solid role players in ex-Lakers Jordan Clarkson and ex-Kings George Hill.

As for the Magic, the new front office led by Jeff Weltman and John Hammond recently traded the incumbent starting point guard, Elfrid Payton. The Magic now have a measly point guard depth featuring DJ Augustin, Shelvin Mack, and Rashad Vaughn.

However, the new front office of the Magic are known to prioritize length and athleticism above all things, which puts the Cavs, who are enamored with playmaking and shooting, to grab Young in the third to seventh pick range where the freshman is projected to land.