(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers did not have a first-round selection in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday, but they did have the No. 49 pick, and they used it on Emoni Bates, a 6-foot-9 forward.
The Michigan native tweeted about how grateful he was to be selected by Cleveland and get an opportunity to play in the NBA.
Thank you @cavs for giving a young man like me a opportunity promise y’all won’t regret it….real work start now
— Emoni Bates (@BatesEmoni) June 23, 2023
Bates started his college career with the University of Memphis, and he was a very highly touted prospect out of high school who was expected to do very well at the next level.
But he struggled as a freshman, partly due to injuries, and he averaged 9.7 points a game while shooting just 38.6 percent from the field while seeing his stock drop considerably.
This past season, he transferred to Eastern Michigan University, which is located in his hometown of Ypsilanti, and he did a lot better, putting up 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds a contest.
Moving forward, the Cavs need greater depth at the wings and in the frontcourt, and they’re hoping Bates will be a diamond in the rough who will help them get to the next level.
During this season, they cut loose Kevin Love, who had been with the team since 2014 and was a last link to their 2016 championship team.
At the wing spot, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff tried Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, and Caris LeVert at various times with mixed results.
Bates is thought to have the potential to become a good outside shooter, which is another area in which Cleveland could use some improvement.
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