2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 1.0, Atlanta Hawks Take Two Stars
By Chris Guest
#26. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Houston Rockets) – Bruno Fernando
A hulking center, Bruno Fernando out of Maryland was a teammate of Kevin Huerter’s of the Atlanta Hawks when the two played as Terrapins. Sadly, Fernando’s stock is not quite high enough for the team to take a swing on Bruno in the lottery, so the Cavs will be able to take a chance on the titanic big man.
Fernando made a clear leap in his second season, and he upped his points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and shooting percentage in his second year. His true shooting percentage of 65.3 percent was tops in the Big 10 Conference and his 27.2 player efficiency rating was 3rd in the conference.
Fernando is a bruising presence at the center spot, and his NBA-ready 6-foot-10, 240-pound will already make him a burly option for the Cavs at the five. Though Ante Zizic is the entrenched option, Fernando provides a bit more youth and passing at the five.
The Cavs received this pick as compensation to take on the remaining salary of Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss, so the Cavs can take a risk here on a player that might’ve fallen down draft boards for various reasons. In this mock, that player is Fernando.