Article from Akron Beacon Journal... <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> First option: Make a deal Cavaliers would rather trade for a veteran but taking high schooler possible By Brian Windhorst The Cavaliers have their battle plan set for the NBA Draft on Thursday, but they'd sure like to change it. Though there are glowing reports coming out from various recruiting sources, this draft was believed to be very thin two months ago and nothing has happened since to change most NBA minds. With the 10th pick of the first round, the Cavaliers will not be getting an impact player. It doesn't mean that they won't find a contributor or even a steal, but the organization isn't pinning its immediate needs at swingman and point guard on this selection. And that's why the club still would like to deal the pick for an established veteran even up to the last moments on draft night if a player slips and a team behind them is willing to make a deal to move up at the last second. Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson, like all of his brethren, has been on the phone gauging interest and lining things up so he'll understand his options when the Cavaliers are on the clock. Here's the breakdown of their draft board, according to sources, scouts and player agents around the league: ? The Cavaliers want one of the top three point guards in the draft: high schooler Shaun Livingston, Devin Harris of Wisconsin or Ben Gordon of Connecticut. ? The Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors are also in the market for point guards, so there's a real chance all three will be gone by No. 10. ? That means the Cavaliers might turn to a swing player. The top two in the draft, Luol Deng of Duke and Andre Iguodula of Arizona, will be gone. Next on the Cavaliers board are Josh Childress of Stanford and Luke Jackson of Oregon. Most draft prognosticators believe that the Philadelphia 76ers, who pick right before the Cavaliers, will not allow Childress to get by. That should leave Jackson for the Cavaliers. Gordon, Harris, Childress and Jackson played three years or more at their respective schools in highly successful programs. That fits the Cavaliers' bill: They want players who don't need much polishing to reach their NBA potential. Still, there is a reason those players haven't come out until now. Gordon is only 6-foot-2 and isn't a pure point guard. His makeup is much like that of Dajuan Wagner, a strong scorer without an established position. The difference between the two is that Gordon is more mature and knows how to play defense. Harris is slightly taller than Gordon and also is known for his ability to shoot and to get to the basket at the college level. But he has played only one full season in college at point. Though he excelled, he wasn't sensational in all of his team workouts. Livingston is a different story. He is an unfinished product, but the Cavaliers think that he could be the best player from this draft in a few years. At 6-foot-7 and more of a natural ball-handler, the Peoria, Ill., native is intriguing. If he's there at 10, the Cavaliers will have an impromptu champagne toast in the draft room at Gund Arena. Childress reminds many of Tayshaun Prince, of the Detroit Pistons, in body build. He's a good shooter and a very good rebounder for a swingman because he's not afraid to attack the glass. That is an attribute Cavaliers coach Paul Silas likes, since his team led the NBA in rebounding last season. The knock on him is that he's 6-foot-7 and weighs less than 200 pounds, leading some to wonder if he can hold his own in the league. Prince, as it has been proven, certainly can. Jackson is the hot name surrounding the Cavaliers right now because the others probably will be gone. Trades could alter that projected order. The Cavaliers were one of the first teams that Jackson worked out for a month ago. He was impressive here and at other private workouts. Once projected to be picked in the late teens or 20s, Jackson probably now will be a lottery pick. A 6-foot-7 shooting guard, Jackson is solid from the outside, hitting 44 percent from 3-point range last season with the Ducks. He and Luke Ridenour, who went in the first round to the Seattle SuperSonics last year, were a marketing dream in the Pac-10. Ridenour had a solid, if a little inconsistent, first season. If the Cavaliers wind up with Jackson, it will be an upgrade from Jason Kapono, the similarly built Pac-10 shooter whom the Cavaliers took in the second round last year and the man whom they expect to lose to the Charlotte Bobcats in the expansion draft Tuesday. Jackson is a little stronger and has a post-up game around the basket, something Kapono simply doesn't possess. The big knock on Jackson is his defense. His lateral speed is a question mark, just like Kapono's, and so is his savvy. Because of this Kapono never found a role in Silas' rotation, even though he was the team's best shooter. It is a little hard to believe Jackson would be Silas' first choice, but it appears to be the way the team is leaning if they can't make a trade. If all five of these players are gone, look for the team to consider Nevada shooting guard Kirk Snyder. If they trade back in the pack, they might consider high school swingmen J.R. Smith and Josh Smith or even 7-foot-5 giant Pavel Podkolozine. But if the team makes a trade, it likely will be out of the draft. Dribbles ? Paxson has met with Rob Pelinka, Carlos Boozer's agent, twice since the end of the season to begin initial talks about signing Boozer to an extension next summer when he's a restricted free agent. The Cavaliers will be picking up Boozer's option for next season at the league minimum in the next week or so. Another subject was Morris Peterson, a free agent small forward of the Toronto Raptors. Pelinka also represents him, and the Cavaliers have some interest. ? Point guard Jeff McInnis will be on the roster July 1, making his $3.6 million salary for next season guaranteed. McInnis had hoped for a contract extension this summer but complex contract rules prohibited the Cavaliers from offering it. This did not make McInnis happy, as he had been openly campaigning for a new deal at the end of the season. ? It doesn't appear that the Cavaliers will be able to peddle Kevin Ollie to the expansion Bobcats at any price. The new franchise simply doesn't want any long-term contracts. Ollie has four years left. ? Of the players left unprotected to the Bobcats, two whom the Cavaliers would have interest in -- in a trade through Charlotte -- would be Eric Piatkowski of the Houston Rockets and Chucky Atkins of the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers offered Piatkowski a contract last summer before signing Ira Newble. Atkins is a reliable veteran point guard. The knocks are that Piatkowski is coming off a poor season with the Rockets and that Atkins has a three years left on his deal worth more than $14 million. ? Cavaliers free agent Lee Nailon has hired a personal trainer and is working on improving his foot speed and extending his shooting range. Nailon is a Silas favorite, and the club will consider bringing him back. Nailon's agent, Larry Fox, said several teams have shown interest in his client.</div> register to view
Jackson would be a good fit with the cavs, and Pavel Podzelonik(sp) would be pretty good because of Ilgauskas both big men and he will teach Pavel to do well iin the NBA
I was thinking the same exact thing. Mabey the solution for the Cavs is to draft Pavel and take him under Zydrunas' wing. Teach him the ropes and take over Z's place when his time is past.
