Cavs intend to use No. 1, No. 4 picks

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said Wednesday his team intends to use the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in Thursday night's NBA draft.



Grant told ESPN's Jeannine Edwards that he knows who he wants to select with the top pick but still has to discuss the selection with the rest of the team.


Either Kyrie Irving of Duke or forward Derrick Williams of Arizona are expected to be the top overall selection.


If the Cavs do take him first, Irving will be the third point guard in four years to go No. 1, joining John Wall, who went to Washington last year, and Derrick Rose, picked by Chicago in 2008.


Grant described Williams as "less polished" than Irving. He said he feels Williams has been "shot out of a cannon these last two seasons."


Of Irving, Grant said the concern was his lack of playing time in college (he played just 11 games for the Blue Devils because of a toe injury), but he said the Duke guard comes across as someone who's been on the national stage and knows how to handle it. The Cavaliers heavily vetted Irving's injury and feel "comfortable" with the status of it.




The Cavs have toyed with moving up to No. 2, so they could land both Irving and Williams -- a two-handed slam dunk in this class. But that seems unlikely unless they can strike a deal with Minnesota, which has entertained offers but seems reluctant to give up the highest pick in franchise history.


When asked about trying to trade for the No. 2 pick and how the Timberwolves basically want the moon in return, Grant said: "Yeah, we don't have a moon!"




Owner Dan Gilbert's 14-year-old son, Nick, the team's good luck charm in the draft lottery, will be calling in the team's two first-round selections.


On Monday, the team held its last round of workouts by hosting Williams, Turkish center Enes Kanter and Kentucky guard Brandon Knight at their suburban training facility. Williams and Kanter were in for their second visits, and the pair also met with Gilbert and some of his kids, adding another layer of mystery to the team's true intentions.


Grant said it was an opportunity for Williams and Kanter to relax a little and put aside their first-visit jitters. Overall, the GM said, the Cavs have been putting more emphasis on their interviews than on their workouts.



Information from ESPN's Jeannine Edwards and The Associated Press was used in this report.