CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from the June 23 episode of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
While the 2022 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't wait until 8 p.m. ET to make their first move. Hours ahead of the start of Thursday's draft, the Cavs announced that they have acquired a second-round pick -- No. 49 overall -- from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the rights to Aleksandar Vezenkov and cash considerations.
With the trade, Cleveland now enters the draft with four selections, including the No. 14 overall pick in the first. Three of the Cavs' current picks are slated to come in the second round, with Cleveland laying claim to picks No. 39, 49 and 56. While it seems unlikely the Cavs would want to add four rookies to their roster as they look to make a leap in the Eastern Conference next season, the No. 49 pick gives them additional flexibility for potential trades, be it for a player or to maneuver their positioning elsewhere in the draft.
Originally acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in the four-way trade in which Cleveland also acquired center Jarrett Allen, Vezenkov has remained in the EuroLeague since being selected by Brooklyn in the second round (No. 57 overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft. Last season, the 6-foot-9 forward earned first-team All-EuroLeague honors, leading Olympiacos to a EuroLeague Final Four and Greek League championship.