Evan Mobley or Jalen Suggs: Cavaliers May Have Difficult Roster Decision to Make

The Toronto Raptors will likely come away from the NBA Draft with Jalen Suggs or Evan Mobley, but which one they select will be up to the Cleveland Cavaliers

Aaron Rose | Jul 4, 2021

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers will hold the key to the Toronto Raptors' draft plans.

That's not necessarily a problem for the Raptors who hold the fourth pick in a draft with a clear-cut top four. It means regardless of who goes first, second, and third, Toronto is going to come away with an all-star caliber draft prospect.

Assuming Cade Cunningham goes first overall to the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets will have the first big decision of the draft. While Evan Mobley was the early favorite to go at No. 2, Jalen Green seems to have closed that gap and is now projected to go second overall in the latest mock drafts from ESPN and The Ringer.

If Green does go to Houston, as expected, the Cavaliers will be faced with a difficult draft decision. On one hand, they're widely expected to bring back Jarrett Allen this summer making Mobley, USC's seven-foot center, a bit redundant. On the other, they already have the strong starting backcourt with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, making Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga's point guard, a little unnecessary. The most natural selection, if the Cavaliers want to draft for fit, would be Scottie Barnes or Jonathan Kuminga. They're both long and versatile wings who, with some development, could play alongside Garland, Sexton, Isaac Okoro, and Allen with ease.

This debate for Cleveland would be made easier if the Cavaliers do decide to move on from Sexton prior to the draft. According to Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo, the organization has begun exploring trade options involving Sexton, their 22-year-old lead guard.

"There’s belief around the league that Cleveland prefers to move on from Sexton, rather than sign him to a deal that would greatly inhibit their flexibility moving forward," Woo wrote from the NBA's draft combine in Chicago. "The Cavs hold the No. 3 pick in the draft, and could end up selecting another guard, which could further expedite the process of a trade."

Moving Sexton would clear the way for Suggs to be the pick at No. 3.

For Toronto, that would be welcomed news. While Suggs certainly fits the Raptors' mold as a defense-first player with fantastic transition skills, Mobley is a better roster fit for Toronto. He's a prototypical modern NBA big and while he might struggle to put on weight as a rookie, he has all the tools to be a difference-maker for many years to come.

At one point, Toronto landing Mobley seemed like a pipedream, but if Houston does go with Green at No. 2, there's a very real chance the Raptors land the draft's top big at No. 4.

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