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Brian Windhorst
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While Cavs like Darius Garland and met with him last week, they remain open to trading down from No. 5 sources say

Garland’s skillset translates very well to the NBA with deep range and ability to create in pick-and-roll sets while also providing value in catch-and-shoot opportunities. He is a little undersized at 6’2", 175 pounds, but he has a 6’5" wingspan and his agility should make him a very tough cover at the highest level. Garland should have plenty of space to operate in the new offense, and he may handle the ball more than Sexton because Garland is the better ball-handler.

Be interesting to see if the Cavs keep him. I really, really like the Cam Johnson draft pick.

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired the No. 4 pick, Virginia guard De'Andre Hunter, in Thursday's NBA draft from the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 (Texas center Jaxson Hayes), 17 and 35 picks, league sources told ESPN.

The Pelicans are also sending Solomon Hill, the No. 57 pick and a future second-round pick to Atlanta as part of the exchange. Atlanta is also sending a heavily protected Cleveland first-round pick in 2020 to the Pelicans, sources said.

No. 5: Darius Garland to Cleveland Cavaliers

One year after they spent the No. 8 pick on Collin Sexton, the Cleveland Cavaliers doubled down on the point guard position with Vanderbilt's Darius Garland. Given where the Cavs are at in their post-LeBron James rebuild, they're fine focusing on talent over fit.

That said, this is still a relative leap of faith here since Garland barely broke a sweat at the college level. He suffered a meniscus tear early in his fifth contest and never returned. Three of the four full games he played were against teams from the Big South, SWAC and Atlantic Sun, so it's hard to make sense of his statistics.

That said, the former 5-star recruit has been on the national radar for a while, so his stock isn't entirely tied to his brief collegiate run. As Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman detailed, Garland shines brightest for his ability to generate and convert perimeter scoring chances:

"Garland's appeal stems from his skill level, particularly as a shot creator and shooter. Before going down, he was 11-of-23 from three (6-of-9 on catch-and-shoot) and 13-of-23 on pull-ups. Garland shows the ability to separate into step-backs and knock down dribble jumpers from deep, and with notable fluidity, rhythm and range, he's a threat to spot up off the ball as well."

Few attributes are more valuable in today's game than pull-up perimeter shooting, and Cleveland should use Garland's scoring acumen to contort opposing defenses. That's a big enough strength to help offset some of his obvious weaknesses, like a lack of explosiveness, spotty decision-making (more turnovers than assists) and defensive limitations.

The Cavs need Garland's shooting, but his fit with Sexton is funky. Both stand just 6'2", and neither is a natural distributor. The scoring potential for this pairing is high, but it's unclear how much they can get their teammates involved.

Grade: B

No. 26: Dylan Windler to Cleveland Cavaliers (via Rockets)

After grabbing Garland early, Cleveland went the three-point route again with Belmont's Dylan Windler.

At worst, he should be a deadly shooter from distance. He fired off 395 three-point looks the past two seasons and connected on 42.8 percent of them.

The hope is that he has much more offense to offer. His first step and dribble moves help him skate around aggressive closeouts, and his rapid reads make him a strong complementary passer. Energy is never an issue, and his awareness is where it should be for a four-year player and three-year starter.

But he must get stronger, and he has certain physical limitations (6'7½" with a 6'10" wingspan) that could plague him on defense. Larger forwards and speedy lead guards could both give him problems if he's switched onto them.

Next season's Cavaliers could be dreadful on defense. But they finished dead last this past season, so it's not like they can get any worse. Besides, they now have more firepower to try and keep up.

Grade: C+

No. 30: Kevin Porter Jr. to Cleveland Cavaliers (via Bucks)

The Cavaliers are all-in on backcourt scoring. Kevin Porter Jr. was the latest ignitable guard to join the fold, and he did so at a price: four second-round selections and cash to Detroit, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Porter is one of the biggest risk/reward prospects in the draft.

His freshman season was filled with red flags: injuries, a team suspension and susceptibility to the siren's song of hero ball. At the same time, his upside is so towering he was one of the most buzz-worthy names the week of the draft.

"He has the gifts to be a top-five pick—easily," one executive told Charania days before the big event.

Porter has arguably as much boom-or-bust potential as any of his draft classmates.

Watch him ditch defenders with a quick crossover, behind-the-back dribble or step-back before finishing the play with a soft jumper (41.2 percent from range), and you'll swear you're seeing a star in the making.

His lack of awareness and fundamentals push down his floor. But at some point, the upside is worth the risk. That point probably passed well before the 30th pick.

Grade: B+

Next season's Cavaliers could be dreadful on defense. But they finished dead last this past season, so it's not like they can get any worse

Some predraft report, in the PD I think, suggested that the Cavs' goal was tightening the defense. I guess that was wrong.

Darius Garland | G | Vanderbilt | Age: 19.2

Although Garland was robbed of his freshman season due to injury, NBA scouts are still quite familiar with him after his prodigious pre-college play. He entered the season as our clear-cut No. 1 PG prospect, and at least was able to show his talent against USC in mid-November. Even so, there remains a bit of uncertainty around Garland.

Based on talent alone, he's a top-five prospect and potential franchise point guard who is built for the modern NBA thanks to his ability to shoot off the dribble from distance. Garland is highly regarded for his approach to the game and intangibles. He'll be far more than consolation prize for whichever team misses out on Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett in the lottery. -- Schmitz

Strengths

High-level pull-up shooter with deep range who can get to his shot at will out of pick-and-roll or isolations thanks to his ball-on-a-string handle and polished footwork. Creates space with step-back jumpers in either direction. Live feet with quick-twitch athleticism. Comfortable shooting off the catch as well, sprinting off screens or hopping into 3s out of handoffs. Allows for more lineup versatility with his ability to play off the ball offensively. Clean, simple mechanics with a quick release.

Plays off the threat of his jumper to get into the lane. Shifty ball handler. Good feel for when and how to change speeds and directions. Tough to keep in front in the half court. Not a great finisher yet but shows potential with floaters and creative scoops. Has passing instincts when he breaks down the defense. Has shown he can hit the roll man or find shooters after the defense collapses.

Competitive with strong intangibles. Has the quickness and instincts to develop into a solid one-position defender as his frame fills out.

Improvement areas

Still evolving as a facilitator. A little too trigger-happy from 3 at times. Although he had little help, finished his freshman season with 13 assists and 15 turnovers in 139 minutes. Scoring is ahead of his passing right now.

Struggles to finish in traffic against length and contact. Not a physically imposing prospect or a threat to go up and finish above the rim. Has to rely on finesse and creativity, of which he's shown glimpses.

Lacks a degree of defensive upside. Quick hands and feet but might struggle early in his career against more powerful guards. How will he hold up against switches? Coming off an MCL injury that sidelined him for most of his freshman campaign.

Projected role: Franchise point guard

Physical comps
PLAYER AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT WINGSPAN
Darius Garland 18.2 6-3 173 6-5
Steph Curry 21.3 6-3¼ 181 6-3½
Kyrie Irving 19.2 6-3½ 191 6-4
Bryn Forbes 22.7 6-3 187 6-5

Range: Nos. 4-7

SF
Dylan Windler
6'8"196 lbs Belmont
10 POS RK
38 OVR RK

NBA draft profile: Dylan Windler

Dylan Windler averaged 21.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game as a senior at Belmont.

Pre-Draft Analysis

Extra attention on the OVC because of Ja Morant might have helped scouts notice how productive Windler had already become. One of the nation's more efficient high scorers, he was a career 67 percent shooter on 2s and 41 percent shooter on 3s, though those numbers declined substantially against top competition.

Post-Draft Analysis

After adding another ball handler in Darius Garland at No. 5, the Cavs drafted a player who doesn't need the ball to be successful in Dylan Windler -- considered one of the best perimeter shooters in this draft. Windler is the second player drafted in the first round from the Ohio Valley Conference, after Ja Morant. -- Jonathan Givony

Kevin Porter Jr. | G | USC | Age: 19.0

One of the more naturally gifted players in the draft, Porter had a roller-coaster ride of a season. Long known in the Pacific Northwest for his bucket-getting prowess, the RSCI No. 32 recruit entered the season with a fair amount of buzz and backed it up early on, scoring 70 points in his first five games with some jaw-dropping highlights against Vanderbilt and Texas Tech. Porter eventually suffered a deep thigh contusion that kept him out for the better part of six weeks, causing scouts to speculate about whether he was opting to shut it down for the season.

After his absence and the noise surrounding it caused frustration within the program, Porter eventually returned and had an extremely inconsistent season that featured a suspension and a few dud performances. But he also made some spectacular highlights that only a few players in this draft could provide. Because of his uneven season, spotty intel about his approach to the game and yet his tremendous natural talent, Porter is one of the draft's most polarizing players. Situation figures to play a key role in whether he's able to maximize his sky-high potential. -- Schmitz

Strengths

Impressive combination of sheer strength, shiftiness and leaping ability. Powerful frame at 220 pounds. A load when he gets going downhill in the open floor, where he did most of his damage. Transition made up 23.6% of his offense (89th percentile). Changes speeds and directions with ease and power. Can play above the rim in space off one or two feet. Comfortable playing out of the post as well.

Ultra-talented shot-creator with a dynamic live-dribble game. Can get to his pull-up at will with a variety of different combo moves. Uses violent left-to-right crossovers, step-backs, pull-backs and behind-the-back stomps. Good decelerator who can make 3s off the bounce. Uses the threat of his jumper to set up the dribble-drive. Can finish with either hand around the rim and take contact. Has shown flashes as a passer when fully engaged.

Has the physical tools to be a useful defender given his strong base and quick feet. Can rotate for plays with instincts -- 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per 40 minutes. Improved on that end as the season progressed. Good positional rebounder (7.2 per 40 minutes) who isn't afraid to throw his body around.

Improvement areas

Undisciplined player who adds little value when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Floats when he's off the ball. Not all that comfortable playing out of spot-ups. How good of a shooter is he? Poor shot prep off the catch. Low release point from the right side of his face. Shot 52.2% from the foul line as a freshman. Narrow base on his jumper and almost always lands on one leg. Branded as a scorer but averaged only 17.2 points per 40 minutes at USC.

Erratic decision-maker. Settles for contested pull-ups rather than using his physical gifts to get to the rim. Jump shots made up 73.6% of his field goal attempts. Not always efficient with his dribble. Misses open teammates in transition and in the half-court. Finished the season with 30 assists and 39 turnovers. Needs to develop his feel, as he's most useful with the ball in his hands.

Wildly inconsistent defender who shifts between energetic and lethargic. Engagement on and off the ball needs work. Emotional on the floor. Body language needs to improve. Questions among scouts about his work ethic.

Projected role: Bucket-getter

Physical comps
PLAYER AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT WINGSPAN
Kevin Porter 18.3 6-5 220 6-9
Dion Waiters 20.6 6-4 221 6-7¼
Wesley Matthews 22.5 6-5¼ 220 6-8¼
Sterling Brown 22.2 6-5 225 6-9½

Range: Nos. 15-30

Love Griff:

https://www.nba.com/video/2019/06/21/20 ... =620201602

Griff had an unbelievable day yesterday.... Really intercepted the entire trade that the Cavs had set up with the Hawks. He got draft picks including the Cavs 2020 first round and cap relief for a player he did not want. Great day for Pelicans.

Griff is awesome and I wish we still had him, but he didn’t intercept anything. Cavs were never going to trade down unless blown away. They listened to calls, as they should, but never got what they needed. Hard enough to find a great player at 5, let alone moving down. And no guarantee at 5 to make somebody get crazy for.

The only call the Cavs initiated were to the Knicks, cause they really wanted Barrett. But those were rebuffed. Knicks couldn’t trade out of top 3 this draft unless they made a killing. Fans would have burned the place down.

Put it all together and nothing was going to happen, unless they got enough for JR. But even then, his value might be more once free agency starts, so that was no gimme.

I also wondered if they may try trading up a bit from 26 to get Jerome. But could be they liked Windler and Porter just as well. Figured they could sit at 26 and get one of them. Ended up with 2 out of 3.