Cleveland Cavaliers Answer Wing Concerns in Latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft

Heading into this offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in search of support on the perimeter that will thrive in head coach Kenny Atkinson's three-point heavy offense.

Unfortunately, Cleveland's options are limited due to the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, with two late second round selections at 49 and 58 in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers could find two diamonds in the rough that could eventually become rotation staples.

In Sam Vecenie's latest mock draft for The Athletic, Cleveland takes a wing-heavy approach with their two selections. At 49, Vecenie has the Cavaliers taking Florida State wing Jamir Watkins, who has a skillset similar to former Cleveland swingman Caris LeVert. At 58, meanwhie, the Cavaliers take a stab at Senegalese forward Saliou Niang, a raw but physically intriguing combo forward.

At his core, Watkins is a versatile player who can handle the rock, slash to the paint, and switch across positions on defense. He combines his size (6'5 "with a 6'11.5" wingspan) with his playmaking ability, providing him with offensive versatility to initiate sets, run pick-and-rolls, and make plays within the flow of the offense. He's also more than comfortable utilizing his size and length on defense, regardless of whether it's at the point of attack or when switched into a possible mismatch.