Here's the latest news and headlines out of Cleveland from The News-Herald's Bob Finnan…
- While much of the buzz surrounding Andrew Nicholson has the former St. Bonaventure star heading to the Celtics or the Thunder, the Cavs are giving the 6-foot-9 power forward a hard look as they determine their plans for the No. 24 pick in the draft, reports Finnan. The team visited Nicholson at his college campus and worked him out to see if he would be a good fit for the rebuilding squad. Checking in at 240 pounds, the big bodied Nicholson has been compared to former Xavier star David West.
- Finnan says the Cavs would love to have former Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal if they end up with the No. 3 pick in the draft especially considering their lack of depth at the position. While listed at 6-foot-5 and a lot closer to 6-foot-3, Beal makes up for a lack of ideal height for a shooting guard with his athleticism that translated to 6.7 rebounds per game for the Gators. Ryan Blake, senior director of NBA scouting operations, predicts that if the Cavs draft Beal, he'll fit in perfectly as the starting two guard for the Cavs to form an imposing backcourt with Kyrie Irving.
- The evolution of Irving as an NBA player excites all those involved with the Cavs organization especially considering he's already one of the top point guards in the league, writes Finnan. "I was always such a shy guy," Irving said. "I came to practice three hours early getting my shots up because I was so nervous to come in, and I wanted to make everything perfect. Everybody knows I am the hardest critic on myself." While winning Rookie of the Year honors may lead to a celebratory offseason for some players, Irving plans to come into camp in even better shape than last season with hopes of taking his game to the next level.