2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Class

The Cleveland Cavaliers had one draft pick in this past draft and selected Jaylon Tyson out of California. How will he fit the organization?

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be running it back with their core group of players as Donovan Mitchell signed an extension and no other big trades have gone down. They wanted to add wing depth in this year’s draft and they did that with their single draft pick.

Let’s dive into the selection the Cavs made and the summary of their draft.

No. 20: Jaylon Tyson

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

With the No. 20 pick in this year’s draft, the Cavaliers selected Jaylon Tyson out of California. The 6-foot-7 wing in his final season in college averaged 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Tyson could be the starting small forward in the future for the Cavaliers. He’s a very good finisher around the rim that has nice physical tools and uses those tools to finish through contact.

Tyson is an all-around good athlete. He’s a good pull-up shooter from all around the perimeter. The tough shot-making wing is a natural scorer that excels at putting the ball through the hoop. Despite being a wing and standing at 6-foot-7 he actually has a great handle and is very creative off the dribble. He has the ability to create space from defenders and dribble through tight spaces when needed.

His change of pace is very impressive and it often gets the defenders off balance. Tyson is more than just a scorer as he’s a solid playmaker that has vision and can create open looks for others. The next step for Tyson is improving on the defensive end and being more engaged in the NBA. There are some valid questions on how he looked in a more scaled role, but there’s a lot to really like about the wing.

Draft Summary

The Cavaliers only had one draft pick in this year’s draft and taking Tyson was a very nice selection. Some saw him as a lottery talent in this year’s draft with his ability to score, create space and be a capable playmaker. The 6-foot-7 wing likely won’t be a starter right away, but his fit next to Mitchell and Evan Mobley should be amazing as he will bring much needed consistent scoring and has the tools to be a positive defender as long as he buys in on that end.

There are some valid questions on if he can scale down and still be an effective player on the floor which basically means can he make an impact without the ball in his hands? It may take time but he will find his footing in the NBA and make an impact in the playoffs for a young Cleveland team. Although they only had one draft pick this year, they did an amazing job of fitting a positional and archetype need while drafting one of the best players available. Cleveland fans should be happy for their young rookie!

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