Cavaliers: NBA Draft not looking too promising with no first-round pick

The NBA Draft at 8 tonight might be met with a collective yawn by Cavaliers fans. That's because they don't have a first-round pick, which was sent to the Indiana Pacers in the Caris LeVert trade. Things could turn from bad to worse if LeVert signs elsewhere in free agency this summer. The Cavs have a strong interest in signing the unrestricted free agent, but he won't come cheap. The lack of enthusiasm for the draft is because the Cavs won't pick until 49th overall, late in the second round. While they might find a gem at that spot, the chances are they'll be picking a player that will spend a lot of time with their G League affiliate. There will be much anticipation around the league for tonight's draft, especially in San Antonio, which holds the No. 1 overall pick. The Spurs are locked in on 7-foot-4 Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who is being billed as a once-in-a-generation talent. While things are a bit tempered in Cleveland, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman could turn up the temperature by moving into the first round. There are several teams that might be willing to make a trade, including the Pacers, who owned three first-round picks (Nos. 7, 26 and 29) before trading No. 29 to the NBA champion Nuggets on Wednesday. The 26th pick is the one acquired from the Cavs, which would make things interesting. Teams don't generally trade their first-round pick and then re-acquire it. Charlotte (Nos. 2 and 27), Houston (Nos. 4 and 20) and Brooklyn (Nos. 21 and 22) also have multiple first-round picks. The Cavs don't have a plethora of assets to trade, other than their four core pieces in Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. They would likely have to include a future first-rounder in any trade in an attempt to move up, along with another player such as Cedi Osman, and they can't trade a future first-rounder until 2031. They sent three first-rounders to Utah in the Mitchell trade last September. If Altman is unable to swing a trade and they stand pat at No. 49, the Cavs could strike it rich with two possible prospects from the Sunflower State: 6-foot-6 forward Keyontae Johnson of Kansas State or 6-5 swingman Jalen Wilson of Kansas. Other possibilities are Eastern Michigan's 6-9 forward Emoni Bates, an intriguing talent with great length and scoring ability, or Miami's 6-3 shooting guard Isaiah Wong. The Cavs will most likely make some noise in free agency that starts on July 1. They are armed with their mid-level exception worth around $12 million and have their eyes on some wing players that can shoot. One player that fits that bill is 6-9 Kyle Kuzma, who is said to be declining his option with the Washington Wizards and will become a free agent. However, he might price himself out of contention with Cleveland and demand more money than the Cavs can offer. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on Twitter.