2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 1.0 – Pelicans take 3-and-D wing

#2. Cleveland Cavaliers: RJ Barrett, F

School: Duke | Class: Freshman | Height: 6’7″ | Weight: 202 | Age: 18

The second pick in this draft is where some uncertainty begins to already creep in. While Zion Williamson is clearly going to go #1, there’s some debate about whether the next player off the board should be RJ Barrett from Duke or Murray State’s Ja Morant. Both are great options near the top of this NBA Draft, but the consensus typically slots Morant here.

However, if this pick does, in fact, end up going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, small forward RJ Barrett could make more sense for them. The Cavs drafted their point guard of the future 8th overall last year in Collin Sexton, so picking Ja Morant here could be a little redundant.

For that reason, look for Cleveland to go with Barrett in this scenario. He’s still a fantastic prospect (who some people think is actually more NBA-ready than Zion Williamson right out of the gate), and he fills a bigger need for the Cavs who are thin on the wings. His jumpshot isn’t great, but he can improve that. Everywhere else, RJ is ready to rock. Could Ja Morant someday make the Cavaliers regret this choice? Sure. But right now, RJ Barrett makes more sense to join the ranks in Cleveland.