Cavs Insider

REPORT: Cleveland Cavaliers Interested In Drafting Zach Edey

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly do have interest in drafting Purdue star Zach Edey.
Evan Massey|
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) and Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) fight for a rebound during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship, Monday, April 8, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) and Connecticut Huskies center Donovan Clingan (32) fight for a rebound during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship, Monday, April 8, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

In this story:

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to be a very interesting team to watch ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.

It has been reported that the Cavaliers are trying to trade up into the draft lottery. Who they are targeting remains to be seen, but there are plenty of worthy candidates in that area of the first round.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Purdue Boilermakers star big man Zach Edey is a player that the franchise is interested in.

Edey is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft class. Some analysts and fans believe he's going to be a quality NBA player, while others don't think he's cut out for the league.

One thing is for sure, which is the fact that Edey is one huge human being.

Standing in at 7-foot-4 and 300 pounds, Edey is a physical force to be reckoned with. He dominated college basketball with his size and touch around the rim.

Arguably the biggest concerns about him when it comes to transitioning to the NBA are his lateral quickness and inability to shoot the ball. Edey feasted around the basket with jump hook after jump hook, but he was never able to show that he could step out and even hit a mid-range jumper.

During the 2023-24 college basketball season at Purdue, Edey averaged 25.2 points per game to go along with 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 2.0 assists. He shot 62.3 percent from the floor and 71.1 percent from the free-throw line.

While there is no denying the size and potential that Edey possesses, there are some issues that he'll need to develop. If he can develop a shot, he has a good chance to have a long NBA career. If he can't, he'll be hard to play outside of being a post-up big and rebounder.

No matter what the Cavaliers choose to do, they need to get it right. Edey is an intriguing potential target.

Only time will tell, but this is something to keep a close eye on as the NBA Draft draws closer.

Published
Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

Home/News