2021 NBA Draft Mock 2.0: Cleveland Cavaliers add a nice fit in Franz Wagner
After selecting Isaac Okoro in last year’s draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select another forward but one with a very different skillset in Franz Wagner.
The 6’9 German may be most decorated for his knockdown shooting but has shown that he be an impact player in a few areas of the game.
Perhaps there is some redundancy with Kevin Love playing heavy minutes, although Love only played 25 games last season. It’s also very likely Love finds himself on another team within the next year.
Now, the Cavs add a player whose primary purpose is to boost the games of the pieces they already have in place.
NBA Draft: Franz Wagner player comparisons:
- Danillo Gallinari-level shooting
- Nicholas Batum – Guard skills as a wing
- Channing Frye
Franz Wagner is just 19-years-old and already a fluid scorer. He’s a knockdown shooter who will hit 3-pointers through awkward angles and heavy contests. Wagner shot over 83% from the line in college.
While Wagner projects as a forward in the NBA, he played guard in college. A 6’9 shooter with some guard skills? That’s a good thing.
Wagner displayed some of those guard skills at Michigan, and while he’s not going to be a primary creator, he has some really nice passing chops that can go unnoticed.
Even as a defender, Wagner doesn’t always get enough love. He posted the second-highest defensive real plus/minus of any player in college basketball last season.
Wagner utilizes his size and lateral quickness to be an effective on-ball defender, and really, it’ll be fascinating to see if he can take even more strides as he bulks up with age.
The Cavs are in this interesting spot of having some talented young players, but there’s no clear path to enlightenment. It can be easy to think the ship is being steered in the right direction, but simply being young isn’t always enough. Think of the Kings, Timberwolves, or Magic teams of years past.
I wouldn’t say they’re at a critical point, but it’s getting close to a point where the post-LeBron James era needs to show some strides. Collin Sexton’s contract will be up soon.
You could say this a reach, but after the “top 5” of this draft, just about anything can happen. Wagner was taken 7th overall in a mock draft by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman a few weeks ago.
By adding Wagner, the Cavaliers are giving their duo of Sexton and Garland a nice complementary piece. Someone who is not just a great prospect in his own right, but a player who really fits the team long-term.