NBA News Wire
Calls coming in for Cavaliers’ top pick
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said Wednesday teams throughout the league have been contacting him about potential trades for the No. 1 draft pick.
Griffin said the phone started ringing immediately after the Cavaliers won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night. He said will be keep an open mind leading into the June 26 draft.
“I actually got calls right afterward, while I was standing there doing media,” Griffin said during an interview on ESPN Cleveland’s “The Really Big Show.” “Teams were already reaching out and texting, so I think it will be an active period of time.”
The Cavs have won the No. 1 pick in the draft for the second straight year and third time in the past four overall. On Tuesday night, they moved up from the ninth spot despite just a 1.7 percent chance of winning the top selection.
The top picks in this year’s draft are expected to include two Kansas teammates: center Joel Embiid and forward Andrew Wiggins. Other highly touted prospects include Kentucky forward Julius Randle and Duke forward Jabari Parker.
Sources told ESPN.com that the 7-foot Embiid is the early front-runner for the top pick as long as his back is OK — unless Griffin decides a trade would serve the team best.
“I’ve said many times that I’d trade me if it made us better,” he said. “We’re going to be open-minded to whatever it is that advances our cause the furthest.”
