Cleveland Cavaliers Select Pitt Star in Mock Draft

The Cleveland Cavaliers will select a Pitt Panthers star freshman guard in the NBA Draft, according to the latest Bleacher Report Mock Draft.

Mar 15, 2024; Washington, D.C., USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Carlton Carrington (7) shoots the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers star freshman guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington is less than a week away from the NBA Draft, June 26-27, where he'll discover the franchise he'll play for next season.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report slotted Carrington to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the No. 20 overall pick in his latest mock draft.

"Carlton Carrington has teams' attention in the late lottery," Wasserman wrote. "He shot extremely well during shooting drills after measuring just under 6'4" in socks with a 6'8" wingspan. He's one of the draft's youngest prospects with positional size, serious shotmaking production and enough passing ability for teams to picture a point guard.

"He didn't get to the rim much, and a 1.0 steal rate highlights some real concerns over his quickness for a guard. But teams won't overthink athleticism or numbers as much this late in this particular draft."

Carrington does have some NBA Draft analysts picking him to go in the late lottery, attributing what he's done during pre-draft workouts and individual team meetings. He will also go to the green room a the NBA Draft with his family, as they await his likely First Round selection.

If the Cavaliers did draft Carrington, he would serve as the first Panther they pick in their history.

Two former Pitt players also played for Cleveland, including forward Mel Bennett (1974-75), for three games in the 1981-82 season and forward Jerome Lane for 21 games and two starts in the 1992-93 season.

Pitt fans would also benefit from Carrington going to the Cavaliers, as it is the closest NBA Franchise to Pittsburgh, at around a 2-2.5 hour drive up northwest.

Carrington had an excellent performance at the NBA Draft Combine, which put him on the radar for a number of draft experts and scouts.

He ran his 3/4 court sprint in 3.28 seconds, ranking sixth best. He also finished ranked tied 12th best with a maximum veritcal jump of 36.5 inches.

Carrington showed off his shooting prowess throughout those drills as well. He shot 21-for-30, 70%, off the dribble, 19-for-25, 76.0%, side-by-side and 20-for-25, 80%, on spot up shooting, all best marks at the combine. He also shot 13-for-25, 52.0%, in the 3-point star drill, tied for eighth best. 

He starred for the Panthers last season, earning All-ACC Rookie Team honors, the first Panther to do so. 

Carrington started all 33 games for Pitt, averaging 33.2 minutes, 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, respectively, while shooting 41.2% from the field, 32.2% from 3-point range and 78.5% from the foul line.

One of his best games came in the season opener, as he scored 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in the win over North Carolina A&T, becoming to first Panther to have a triple-double in their debut in program history.

If he does go in the First Round, Carrington would serve as the first Pitt player to go that early since Steven Adams did so when the Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 12th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

Carrington would also become the first Panther to earn an NBA Draft selection since the Atlanta Hawks took Lamar Patterson in the Second Round in 2014.

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