Experts Predict Cavaliers to Take Two NBA-ready Wings in 2nd Round of 2025 Draft

While the Eastern Conference Finals rage on between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be trying to take advantage of an unexpectedly early start to their offseason. Things clearly didn't go the way Cleveland wanted after another quick playoff exit for the third year in a row. Now, they'll have to find ways to meaningfully improve a roster that just won 64 games in the regular season.

This won't be an easy task for a few different reasons. Firstly, the Cavaliers already have an incredibly formidable roster. Their top four, consisting of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen, might be the most talented quartet in the entire league. Add on a strong supporting cast featuring enviable role players like Ty Jerome, De'Andre Hunter, and Max Strus, and there's not that much room for improvement remaining.

Secondly, even if Cleveland had glaring holes that they wanted to address in their rotation, they wouldn't have many avenues to do so without splitting up their core. They only have one tradable first-round pick, their 2031 selection, and they're expected to be above the second apron next season. That's before even re-signing Ty Jerome, so don't expect the Cavs to make any significant additions in free agency this summer.

That leaves the 2025 NBA Draft as Cleveland's best chance to add meaningful contributors without having to break up the band. They only have two late picks in the second round, but that doesn't mean they can't find some diamonds in the rough that could significantly swing their chances next season. With the depth of talent across the country now, there are at least a few high-level talents that come out of the second round of the draft every year, such as the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaylen Wells or the Golden State Warriors' Quinten Post.

Adding two solid role players like Wells and Post to supplement their playoff rotation next season would be huge for the Cavaliers. That's why NBA experts across the country expect Cleveland to use their two second-round selections on older prospects who should have a decent chance to positively impact the team right away.

HoopsHype recently released a mock draft based on the aggregate picks from several high-profile sites and analysts, including ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Athletic. The results had Cleveland selecting Miles Byrd out of San Diego State at 48 and Eric Dixon from Villanova with the 58th pick. Both players are older wings who have impressive portfolios showing established production during their respective collegiate careers. If even one of them turns out to be a passable rotation player in the playoffs, then it'd be a huge win for the Cavs.