With the date for the 2020 NBA Draft set, we begin our look at each team in the lottery relative to LaMelo Ball. What’s the outlook of the team, how does Ball fit into their roster and plans and what’s the likelihood of him landing with the franchise? We continue our profiles with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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The Team

Oddly, despite their current roster makeup, the Cleveland Cavaliers have shown interest, at least internally, in drafting LaMelo Ball. A franchise that, save for the years LeBron James was on the roster, is a consistent lottery side has drafted point guards in each of its last two seasons.

That fact alone makes their interest in Ball interesting. The fit between their last two draftees, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, was already tenuous. Adding Ball, a third guard that needs the Ball to be at his best, makes the situation all the more confusing.

But there is an argument to be made for drafting Ball. The Cavaliers are a team in desperate need of talent and there is an argument to be made that Ball is the most talented player in the draft. If the Cavaliers feel that way, drafting Ball makes sense.

To draft Ball, like any team outside the top three. Would the team use one of Garland or Sexton as trade chips to move up? It would make the most sense in clearing out the potential logjam. But the team has other assets if they insist on keeping all three guards as joint building blocks of the future.

The Fit

It’s a two-pronged question when looking at Ball’s fit in Cleveland. If both point guards stay in Garland and Sexton, Ball’s fit is a tough one. While he showed an ability to play off the ball alongside Aaron Brooks at Illawarra, he’s at his best with the ball. But so are both Sexton and Garland.

Even if one of the two is shipped out to trade up for Ball, it’s still a problem of having two ball-dominant guards, an easier but still complicated problem. At best, Ball would be coming into a situation where he isn’t the lone creator or likely even the primary creator early on.

It’s far from an ideal situation, and that’s before taking the franchise into account. Again, aside from the years James anchored the teams, the Cavaliers have largely been a bottom-tier franchise. It’s not a situation that spells a lot of optimism for Ball.

The Likelihood

Despite all the reasons why this doesn’t make sense for either party, the Cavaliers appear interested. Not moving up in the draft lottery hurt but doesn’t make it impossible. Still, it seems unlikely.

Chances of Ball landing in Cleveland: 5%