ESPN Gives Interesting Take on Cleveland Cavaliers' Draft Class

The Cleveland Cavaliers brought two brand new additions into the fold during Thursday's second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, selecting Duke's Tyrese Proctor and Sailou Niang from France at picks 49 and 58, respectively.

On paper, it looks to be a relatively productive outcome for the Cavaliers–– getting a starting Duke guard to fall with their first pick and signing him to a multi-year contract, along with a draft-and-stash option who may present a bit of value in a couple years' time.

But how does the national media view the Cavaliers' pair of second round picks?

It turns out, pretty favorably.

ESPN's Kevin Pelton recently graded each NBA team's 2025 draft class, where the Cavaliers' two second-rounders wound up with a B grade.

"The Cavaliers didn't get on the clock until well into Night 2 of the draft and landed an interesting prospect in Proctor, who continued to develop after the one-and-done hype," Pelton wrote. "Proctor shot 40.5% on 3s last season and shows promise as an on-ball defender, though he could improve his steal rate. Niang, a stash pick, faces longer odds because of his shooting: 26% career on 3s and 71% from the foul line."

Despite not having a first round pick at their disposal, the Cavaliers made do. Proctor surprisingly made his way to the 40s where Cleveland scooped him up after a productve third season at Duke, and has the 6-foot-6 size combined with strong shooting ability (40.5% from three on 5.8 attempts/game), he has obvious appeal at the NBA level.

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Tyrese Proctor (5) and guard Cooper Flagg (2) during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It might not jump off the page without a lottery pick, but the Cavs got strong value with where they were selecting, especially with Proctor, who has the opportunity to become a rotational piece in Cleveland's backcourt with the right development.

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