What Do Cavs Do With #4 Pick In The Draft?

The resurrection of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise continues as they look to improve a team that has seen its two worst seasons since the 2002-2003 season. Tomorrow night the Cavaliers enter the 2012 NBA Draft with four picks inside the top thirty four picks and look to add pieces around this season's Rookie of the Year in Kyrie Irving. The options are plentiful and the direction that the Cavaliers may go in is more than a secret right now. The franchise has been extremely quiet about what they are looking to do in the draft, capped off by the team's general manager, Curtis Grant, cancelling his pre-draft press conference. So the big question that looms is; what should the Cavaliers do with the fourth pick in the draft?

There is no doubt that power forward Anthony Davis (Kentucky) will be a New Orleans Hornet come 7:15 tomorrow night. That leaves the Charlotte Bobcats and Michael Jordan on the clock with the number two pick, something that has been rumored to be of great interest to the Cavaliers. It would make a lot of sense for both teams to swap picks and get players that both teams see making an immediate impact on their franchises. The Cavaliers would have the opportunity to get Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal, an athletic sharp shooter that would no doubt be taken by the Washington Wizards with the third pick. The Cavaliers are said to be enamored with Beal and see him as a player that would create a dynamic backcourt with Kyrie Irving for years to come. The Bobcats could then draft the same player they would have drafted at number two in Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson, as well as getting another first round pick with the Cavaliers' number twenty four pick. 

All sounds great right? Wrong. The Bobcats are now saying that they are willing to get out of the number two pick, but the team that wants it would have to take 2006 Draft bust in power forward Tyrus Thomas and his twenty six million dollar contract. Thomas has been horrible after being drafted number four overall in the 2006 draft and looks to be headed in a downward spiral. So not only would the Cavaliers be giving up their first round pick, but taking on a twenty six million dollar bench player. Obviously this is something that has made the entire basketball community second think the Cavaliers trading up.

So what do the Cavaliers do if they cannot work something out with the Bobcats? At that point they have three options; take North Carolina's Harrison Barnes, Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, or trade out. Barnes is a small forward that would definitely provide the outside shooting presence that the Cavaliers lacked the entire 2011-2012 season and would make Kyrie Irving's job much easier. The issue with Barnes is that many people have said that his athleticism is much lower than originally thought and that his talents have peaked at the college level. This is scary, especially to a franchise that cannot afford to miss on this pick. Kidd-Gilchrist is a dynamic small forward who specializes in defense and driving to the basket, and plays with arguably the highest motor in the college game. The Cavaliers need defensive help as they ranked twenty sixth in the league last season, but Kidd-Gilchrist is not nearly the shooter that Barnes is and plays a similar style to Irving, something that seems like a weak fit to me. The final option involves getting out of the pick and acquiring players or more picks. I think the best option may be to work a trade with the Chicago Bulls, who want Harrison Barnes badly and are willing to part ways with Luol Deng for the pick. Although this is not ideal for the Cavaliers, if you could Deng, this year's first rounder (29th), and next year's first rounder, it may be worth it. Deng provides a great defensive small forward and a solid shooter as well, but he is probably not what the Cavaliers are looking for right now.

With all the scenarios in play and the craziness that is sure to ensue tomorrow evening in Newark, New Jersey, what should the Cavaliers actually do? I think if the Cavaliers truly are that confident in the player that Bradley Beal will become then go get him. I'm still not sold on the idea that the Bobcats really will force Tyrus Thomas into a trade, especially only moving two spots down. For Cleveland fans this should be oddly similar to what happened in the NFL Draft this season with the team moving up just one spot from four to three and drafting Alabama tailback Trent Richardson. If you know what player you want and feel that he will rebuild your franchise, you go get him, and that's what the Cavaliers should do. I cannot wait to see what happens tomorrow night, whether the Cavaliers move up, stay put, or move down, the draft will definitely be something to watch and I look forward to the return of the Cavaliers to the NBA playoffs.

Follow me on Twitter: Jhelmer518