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INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — The Cavaliers chose potential over power, and finally a wing player to fill the gigantic hole left by LeBron James.
In selecting Kansas' Andrew Wiggins over Duke's Jabari Parker with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night, the Cavs are getting a talented, perimeter player who could blossom into a superstar.
And, who knows, maybe play alongside James.
The 19-year-old Wiggins, who averaged 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman at Kansas, would have likely been the top pick a year ago, when the Cavs took forward Anthony Bennett.
"All of our scouts felt he had the most upside," Cavs general manager David Griffin said. "Andrew understands there is another level of his game we want him to get to. He knows he's got more in the tank."
The Cavs debated over Wiggins and Parker for days before finalizing their choice in the last hours leading into the draft. There was a reported rift between Griffin, who preferred Parker, and owner Dan Gilbert, who wanted Wiggins. However, two hours before the draft started, Gilbert posted a photo of the team's decision room on his Twitter account with the words: "United and busy."
Cleveland's busy all right — and they're a long way from being done.
The selection of Wiggins came one day after the Cavs introduced new coach David Blatt, and it's just the next step in a two-week stretch that could re-shape Cleveland's franchise for the next decade. On Tuesday, the team can begin contract negotiations with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving on a five-year contract extension. That's also the first day free agents can negotiate with teams.
With at least $25 million in salary-cap space, and the potential to create more, the Cavs are expected to make a strong run at James. He informed the Miami Heat earlier this week that he's opting out of the final two years of his contract.
It's also possible the Cavs could make a major trade to acquire another All-Star. Minnesota's Kevin Love has been mentioned in deals involving the Cavs for years, and with just one year left on his contract, he could be traded by the Timberwolves.
In the second round, the Cavs picked Virginia guard Joe Harris, considered one of the draft's best pure shooters.
Later, the Cavs traded swingman Alonzo Gee to Charlotte for Stanford forward Dwight Powell, selected with the No. 45 pick by the Hornets, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press. The Cavs will get the 6-foot-11 Powell and center Brendan Haywood, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade still needs to be approved by the league.
Wiggins has all the skills: a good jump shot, quick feet and a 44-inch vertical jump. One of the knocks on him has been the lack of a killer instinct, but the 6-foot-8, 200-pounder said that won't be a problem going forward.
"I think I can be a great player," he said. "I think I can be one of the best."
Wiggins will feel at home with the Cavaliers. He played AAU ball in Canada with Bennett and Cavs forward Tristan Thompson, and Powell is also from Canada, giving the team a distinctive maple-leafed flavor.
Landing James might be a longshot, but so was winning the NBA lottery for the second straight year. The Cavs feel that with Wiggins, whose father, Mitchell, played in the NBA, they have at least filled the small forward position that has been so problematic since James left in 2010.
Wiggins said he can play either shooting guard or small forward.
"I can play both. I think I'm tall enough and skilled enough to play the two or three," said Wiggins, who has spoken with Blatt. "Whatever the coach wants me to play, I'll play."
Griffin said the Cavs, who also have the No. 33 pick, had "spirited" discussions about trade options that were available to them but they've been fixated on Wiggins.
"We knew for quite some time in our minds who we wanted to take if we kept the pick," Griffin said.
Even to this day, James casts a giant shadow over the Cavaliers. And it will likely stay that way.
There's a chance he could return to Cleveland, but the Cavs will need make more improvements to a team that went 33-49 last season and missed the playoffs in the much weaker Eastern Conference.
Wiggins might make the Cavs more appealing to James, but they'll probably need to do a lot more to convince him they're ready to contend for a title.
Wiggins didn't want to make a recruiting pitch to James.
"I wouldn't want to sell him on nothing. He's a grown man," Wiggins said. "He's going to follow wherever his heart is. I'd tell him to follow his heart and whatever he wants to do, go through with it."
That's what the Cavs did to get Wiggins.
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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
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