NBA Draft

NBA Draft: How Rakeem Christmas fits into Cleveland Cavaliers rotation

Daily Orange file photo

Rakeem Christmas says he's thrilled for the opportunity he may have to be teammates with LeBron James.

Former Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas was selected 36th overall in Thursday’s NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but was shipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade involving former Duke point guard and Final Four MVP Tyus Jones.

Here’s a look at the Cavs’ current payroll situation from Basketball-Reference.com and how Christmas may fit in.

cavs

Christmas will join the defending runner-ups and fight to make an already crowded frontcourt. Cleveland has Kevin Love – if he returns to the Cavs in free agency – and Anderson Varejao returning from injury down low and Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov already established as a one-two post presence that anchored the Cavs’ defense in the NBA Finals.

Veteran big man Kendrick Perkins will be a free agent this offseason, and Brendan Haywood likely won’t be a threat to knock Christmas off the 12-man roster despite having another year on his contract.



 





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