CLEVELAND — While the 2021 NBA Draft won't begin until 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, it appears the Cleveland Cavaliers front office has already made up its mind. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavs are "trending" toward selecting USC center Evan Mobley with the third overall pick.
Of course, with Cleveland picking third, that means the Cavs aren't the only team to have settled on a selection. Per Wojnarowski, the Detroit Pistons plan to take Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick while the Houston Rockets are trending toward picking NBA G League Ignite guard Jalen Green at No. 2.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors have "zeroed in" on Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs at No. 4, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Should Cunningham, Green, Mobley and Green be selected in order at the top of the draft, it would largely fall in line with how most prognosticators have projected the top four picks since last month's draft lottery. While Wojnarowski noted that the Pistons could still entertain trade offers for the top pick, all indications appear to be that they will take Cunningham with the rest of the top four picks falling into order.
As for Mobley, the 7-foot, 210-pound center has long been considered one of the top prospects in this year's class. Appearing in 33 games during his lone season at USC, the 20-year-old big man averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks en route to being named the Pac-12's Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, as well as a consensus second-team All-American.