Cleveland Cavaliers Mock Draft: Cavs Add Frontcourt Depth

It’s mock draft season in Cleveland.

And, at least for this month, that sentence doesn’t refer to the Cleveland Browns.

Instead, it’s the crosstown Cleveland Cavaliers who have their fans eyeing June’s NBA Draft for even a glimmer of hope after the Wine and Gold were swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals late last month.

Cleveland enters the Draft with the 29th overall selection and no picks in the second round. At 29, there’s almost no chance you’re finding an immediate starter, especially on a team like the Cavs that’s expected to be a contender.

That said, there is potential to land another piece to the 2026-27 season rotation who could eventually contribute even more and potentially start, like we saw with the Cavs’ first round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Jaylon Tyson.

Tyson was drafted 20th overall after three years in college and played 47 games for the Cavs as a rookie. He averaged less than four points in under 10 minutes a game before blossoming in his second season. During the ’25-26 campaign Tyson started 42 games and averaged 13.2 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 minutes a game.

Who could that player be for the Cavaliers at pick 29 in June’s Draft?

Arizona’s Koa Peat.

Arizona Big Man Would Fit As Cavs Draft Pick

During the early portion of the college basketball season Peat was considered by many to be a potential lottery pick in June. He joined the Wildcats as a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American. In his first college game, Peat poured in 30 points and grabbed seven boards against defending champion Florida. But his lack of ideal height for a big man (6’7, 245 pounds) and limited outside shooting now has him penciled in more toward the end of the first round.

He’s more of a banger than the stretch four most NBA teams now desire. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing for a Cavs team who often lacks physicality in the paint. For as good as Evan Mobley is, he can sometimes disappear on the glass versus physical teams such as the Knicks. The same can be said for Jarrett Allen. Mobley, especially, can be pushed around under the boards due in large part to his lean frame.

Peat, not so much.

His rebounding numbers won’t blow anyone away (5.6 per game), but he’s active on the offensive glass (2.1 per game) and a tough cover within the paint. Peat averaged 14.1 points and just under a block per game in his lone season in the desert. He has a thick base and his strength is obvious. He showed up on both ends of the floor, even if he’s not a known shooter. As a freshman at Arizona Peat shot 52.8% from the field, 35% from three and 62.3% from the line.

Keep in mind, it’s easier to refine a player’s shot than it is to teach them to be physical. At pick 29, assuming he’s still there, Peat makes a ton of sense.

Peat, 19, could seemingly find meaningful minutes in the frontcourt behind Mobley and Allen (or Giannis …), especially if Dean Wade and/or Thomas Bryant leave in free agency. There’s an obvious path to the rotation. Keep in mind, Cleveland wouldn’t need Peat to bury threes. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Sam Merrill and Max Strus have that part covered. What they need is someone else to be a lob threat, clean up the glass and give Mobley and Allen a breather.

Koa Peat could be that guy for the Cavaliers.

The NBA Draft is slated for Tuesday, June 23rd and Wednesday, June 24th from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

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