Cavaliers select Tyus Jones, trade him to T-Wolves for Cedi Osman, Rakeem Christmas, 2019 2nd-round pick
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The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Duke point guard Tyus Jones with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Cavaliers will, in turn, flip Jones to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the No. 31 (Cedi Osman) and 36 (Rakeem Christmas) picks in Thursday's draft and an addition 2019 second rounder.
It's tough to argue with landing the point guard of the national champions - and the country's No. 3 adjusted offense - at the No. 24 spot. Jones slipped relative to his resume largely because of optics: he's very slight, isn't particularly long, and doesn't flash above-average athleticism, limiting his defensive potential and scaring away those looking for a more traditional prototype.
But Jones is a winner, as far as that can be attributed to an individual rather than circumstance. He's won gold medals at three international age levels, helped lead the Blue Devils with a Most Outstanding Player performance in the Final Four, and produced good numbers in a terrific offense despite his perceived limitations.
A high-IQ "pure" point guard, Jones sees the floor very well, can get to the line despite his frame, and can knock down the 3-point shot. Those are major boxes to check off for the Timberwolves, who could really used a backup point guard behind Ricky Rubio.
As for Cleveland, flipping a late first-round pick for two second round selections helps Cleveland avoid the guaranteed salary commitments that comes with a first-round pick.