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HoopsHype NBA mock draft: Who will the Cleveland Cavs pick? Where will Bronny James go?
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- HoopsHype NBA mock draft: Who will the Cleveland Cavs pick? Where will Bronny James go?
Although the 2023-24 NBA season has yet to crown a new champion, the offseason for many teams — including the Cleveland Cavaliers — has already begun.
The NBA rumor mill is back to cranking out both hot takes and legitimate speculation. Ultimately, though, the offseason plan for the Cavs rests with the organization's brass and president of basketball operations Koby Altman after the franchise already opted to part ways with coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
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Bickerstaff led Cleveland through a rebuild before making the postseason in back-to-back years — leading to a first-round exit against the New York Knicks in 2023 and a five-game series loss to the Boston Celtics this year in the conference semifinals.
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And while it's any fan's guess what Altman and the Cavs will do to retool the roster for next season to try to compete with the Eastern Conference elite, it's still fun to speculate.
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Enter: NBA mock drafts.
Specifically, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype , who aggregated and compiled 10 mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, The Ringer, NBA Big Board, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY's For The Win.
Included in the mock was a possible outlook for Donovan Mitchell 's Cleveland future, who the Cavs could select with their first-round pick at No. 20 overall and where LeBron James ' son Bronny could land after raising eyebrows at the NBA combine .
Here's what NBA fans in northeast Ohio should take away from HoopsHype's aggregate mock.
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Who will the Cavs pick in the 2024 NBA draft? HoopsHype aggregate mock has Cleveland taking a perimeter player
Mar 15, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Carlton Carrington (7) controls the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
HoopsHype has the Cavaliers selecting Pittsburgh's Carlton Carrington with the No. 20 overall pick in this year's draft.
Carrington, a 6-foot-5 wing who primarily plays at the guard position, averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a freshman with the Pitt Panthers.
He contributes in a lot of different areas, including defensively, but shot just 32.2% from 3-point range for Pitt.
That outside shooting will need to improve at the next level of competition, but the NBA is generally good about developing players' jump shots.
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Here's what Scotto wrote about the potential Cavs draft pick:
Carrington was compared to Cavaliers swingman Caris LeVert
You certainly can't fault the 18-year-old's confidence.
Donovan Mitchell trade rumors still swirling ahead of the NBA draft
While the Cavs star guard is obviously not a prospect on the big board in this year's draft, Mitchell's name continues to crop up in trade rumors ahead of the draft as rival teams gauge what Cleveland wants to do with its roster.
If the Cavs can't come to terms on a long-term deal to keep "Spida" in town, the logical next step would be to trade Mitchell so he doesn't bolt in free agency for no return.
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Scotto included in his breakdown of the Houston Rockets (who select third overall in this year's draft) that they've been seen as a possible trade suitor for Mitchell — perhaps including the aforementioned top-three selection in a possible deal.
Houston could stand pat at No. 3 in an attempt to select a future star to keep building, but adding an established All-Star caliber talent via trade makes sense, too.
Who is going to select Bronny James in the 2024 NBA draft?
LeBron's son remains a bit of an enigma coming out of USC, where he didn't put up big numbers after first having to be cleared by doctors after suffering a cardiac health event last year . Bronny James is nothing if not polarizing in terms of a draft prospect.
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As a freshman at USC, Bronny averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. While those numbers leave a lot to be desired for an NBA hopeful, ESPN's Brian Windhorst relayed on ESPN's "Get Up" that league scouts hold Bronny in higher esteem than his stats would otherwise indicate.
So, where is the son of arguably the sport's greatest player ever going to get selected?
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As the rumor mill continues to hint, HoopsHype's aggregate mock has Bronny getting taken at No. 55 overall in the second round by who else but the Los Angeles Lakers .
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Whether the Lakers brass is serious about pairing LeBron with his son in southern California remains to be seen, but The Athletic's Shams Charania has reported that of the 10 workout invites Bronny received, he's only considering the Lakers and Phoenix Suns .
Here's what Scotto wrote for HoopsHype:
"I feel like this is a serious business, and I don't feel like there would be a thought of, 'I'm just drafting this kid just because I'm going to get his dad,'" Bronny said at the NBA Draft Combine. "I don't think a GM would really allow that. I think I've put in the work, and I'd get drafted because of not only the player but the person that I am."
Only time will tell if Bronny and his pops will suit up for the same NBA team next season but, again, it's always fun for fans to speculate.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: HoopsHype NBA mock draft gives outlook for Cavs, Bronny James
