Another Mock Draft Has Cavaliers Selecting A Former Colorado Forward

Tristan da Silva has been a popular choice for the Cleveland Cavaliers at pick 20 in recent mock drafts. Find out who linked him to Cleveland on Friday.

Mar 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) dribbles against Marquette Golden Eagles forward David Joplin (23) during the first half at Gainbridge FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

As we get closer to the NBA Draft, the mock drafts have continued in fast and furious action. One happened to catch my attention on Friday, not only because of the Cleveland Cavaliers' selection at pick 20 overall, but also because of the landing spots of other potential Cavs targets.

James Fletcher III published Mock Draft 5.0 for On3 and with the Cavs first-round pick, he had Cleveland selecting forward Tristan da Silva of Colorado. This is certainly not the first time da Silva has been mocked to the Cavaliers in recent weeks. The 6'8" forward has been a popular match due to the team's need for a bigger small forward on the roster.

Mar 15, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Tristan da Silva (23) celebrates in the second half against the Washington State Cougars at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Last year with the Buffaloes, the senior averaged 16 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game. In the NBA, da Silva will have the opportunity to showcase his "three-and-d" skills which would be an asset for Cleveland.

Tristan da Silva being mocked to Cleveland was not exactly what I found intriguing from a Cavaliers perspective. Several big men have been rumored to interest the Cavaliers, including Purdue's Zach Edey and Indiana's Kel'el Ware. Both of these players were in striking distance for Cleveland in this mock draft.

Feb 25, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) shoots in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Headed into the week of the draft, I have personally held the opinion that Edey is a perfect fit at center for the Oklahoma City Thunder. At pick 12, this mock draft had OKC passing on the 7'5" Canadian for Kyle Filipowski of Duke. Edey then slid down to the Los Angeles Lakers at pick 17. If Edey does remain available this late into the first round, then Cleveland certainly could consider making a slight trade up if they truly have interest in his size and dominance on the low block.

As for Kel'el Ware, he remained on the board when Cleveland came up on the clock. After Cleveland took da Silva, the Pelicans snagged Ware with pick 21.

Mar 14, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers center Kel'el Ware (1) shoots as Penn State Nittany Lions forward Zach Hicks (24) defends during the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

If all three of these players fall in the range of 17-21, then Cleveland should have a great shot at addressing one of their two biggest needs in a bigger small forward and another center on the roster.

The 2024 NBA Draft is set to begin on Wednesday June 26th.