Timberwolves select Cedi Osman at No. 31, send him to Cavs
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The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Macedonian point guard Cedi Osman with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The pick is being sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers, along with the No. 36 pick and a 2019 second-round pick, for Tyus Jones, who the Cavs took at No. 24.
It never hurts to stash a player with several NBA skills overseas for a year or two to see how they develop, and that's probably the plan with Osman. He's limited by middling athleticism and a mediocre outside shot, but there's potential for the 6-foot-8 wing to develop into a capable point-forward type, and some experts are high on him long-term.
David Griffin on Osman: "He's a player I believe in immensely as a human being." He compared his demeanor to Goran Dragic.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 26, 2015
Playing in the Turkish league this season, the 20-year-old averaged 7.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, shooting 41.2 percent from the floor. Those numbers may be uninspiring, but even playing appreciable minutes in that league at his age is impressive, and he's said to be an aggressive, high-IQ player.
The assumption even before the draft was that Osman's role on the Turkish national team and with Anadolu Efes would make him tough to bring stateside this year. He reportedly wants to come to the NBA immediately, but that's probably not what the Cavs had in mind, opting instead to maintain his rights and keep their cap sheet clean and their roster flexible for the offseason.