Cavs select Emoni Bates with No. 49 pick of 2023 NBA Draft

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The defense-first Cavs went into draft night looking for an offensive-minded wing.

They found one, selecting Eastern Michigan swingman Emoni Bates with the No. 49 overall pick.

The 6-foot-9 Bates, who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager with the headline “Born For This,” was touted as the next big thing — a prodigious talent who packed gyms and drew comparisons to a young Kevin Durant. He was the top player in his age group by the time he reached the sixth grade. But the one-time surefire lottery pick had a turbulent college career that led to him leaving Memphis and trying to rebuild his reputation at Eastern Michigan.

Sources say the Cavs originally had a 3-on-3 pre-draft workout scheduled with Bates for Monday. But he canceled that one after feeling sick. Bates came in the next day for a 1-on-0 session and chat with team decision-makers. It was his final pre-draft workout.

In his lone season with the Eagles, Bates averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 40.5% from the field and 33.0% from 3-point range. He poured in 43 points during a matchup against Toledo, including 29 in a row, showing his prolific scoring potential.

The Cavs entered the night without a first-round pick, sending it to the Indiana Pacers as part of last year’s Caris LeVert trade. Despite efforts to move up, the Cavs stayed in their No. 49 slot, waited more than four hours to pick and chose Bates.

Will it end up being worth the wait?

If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.

©2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.