Cavs 2025 mock draft roundup: Cleveland could be adding a defensive-first wing
Cameron Matthews or Alijah Martin would could add some much-needed wing defense.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have two second-round picks to either use or package in a trade. You aren’t likely to get an immediate impact player with selections 49 and 58, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a prospect who could eventually grow into becoming a useful rotation piece.
This week, we only have two mock drafts that I haven’t covered in the previous mock draft roundups. It’s difficult to find updated mock drafts for the second round. Fortunately, there were two good ones that I found with Yahoo Sports and No Ceilings NBA.
Let’s take a look at who they have the Cavaliers taking with their late selections.
Yahoo Sports - Alijah Martin and Izan Almansa
49th pick - Martin has the skillset of a wing, but the height of a guard. He’s a 6’2” athletic, high-energy defender who was an integral part of Florida’s national championship run this past season. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists with .452/.350/.761 shooting splits. It’s also worth pointing out that Martin is an older prospect at 23 years old.
This is what Kevin O’Connor had to say about Cleveland possibly selecting Martin:
Martin is a hyper-athletic, high-energy guard who plays bigger than his size and impacts the game with his toughness, rebounding, and defensive grit. His positional tweener status, streaky shooting, and limited creation ability complicate his ability to carve out a specialized role. But his positive traits are exactly what the Cavaliers were missing in their series loss against the Pacers.
58th pick - Izan Almansa is a 19-year-old, 6’10” forward who spent time with the G League Ignite and most recently the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL. This past season, he averaged 7.2 points and four rebounds on 52% shooting in 16 minutes per game with Perth.
If the Cavaliers make a big change this offseason by trading Jarrett Allen, they could use another big on the roster to continue allowing for two-big lineups. Almansa is an accomplished international big who projects as a versatile offensive hub and prolific rebounder, though sooner than later his production will need to start matching his flashes of upside.
No Ceilings NBA - Viktor Lakhin and Cameron Matthews
49th pick - Each mock draft seems to have the Cavs linked to a center with one of their picks. This time, it’s 23-year-old center Viktor Lakhin.
Lakhin played all four years in college at Clemson. Last season, he averaged 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds on .507/.375/.696 shooting splits.
This is what Stephen Gillaspie had to say about Lakhin:
There just comes the question: “Should he be drafted?” That really depends on who stays in the draft and who withdraws, but I believe Viktor should be drafted.
He listed at 6’11.5” in shoes in Portsmouth, with a 7’1.5” wingspan. He’s plenty big enough to play in the league, and he weighed in at 252 pounds. Being that big and moving that well, paired with increased shooting and feel, puts him ahead of some current NBA bigs, to be quite honest. He doesn’t have the “sexy” prospect profile of some of the more “theoretical” prospects, but there is a reason NBA teams aren’t filling up with sweets like that. They are winning with players who can contribute on the margins. They’re eating their vegetables.
58th pick - Matthew’s stats don’t blow you away. The 6’7” wing averaged 7.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on .514/.240/.500 shooting splits during his fifth season at Mississippi. However, those numbers don’t capture Matthew’s defensive impact. That’s why he’s a possible draft pick.
Here’s what Maxwell Baumbach wrote about Matthews:
I’d love to get Matthews in my G League program and see if there’s either a way he can improve as a shooter, or make an impact without his shot. In the meantime, he’d make life easier for his teammates thanks to his defensive output and selflessness. I’d take him on an E-10 every day of the week, and he could climb from there based on his pre-draft process output.