The 2018 NBA Draft arrives on Thursday night, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will have the No. 8 pick thanks to a previous trade. There has been a lot of speculation as to which player the team might take if they keep the pick. A few players that have popped up on mock drafts have included Oklahoma Sooners guard Trae Young and Texas big man Mo Bamba. However, Michael Porter Jr. may be the team's pick based on a recent report.

Cavs to draft 'MPJ' if possible

A recent Bleacher Report cites Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com and suggests that the Cleveland Cavaliers "would most likely draft Porter if they could." Vardon says several sources who range from scouts, to agents, to NBA executives have informed Cleveland.com that this is the player the team is interested in.

However, the team obviously won't confirm or deny that as their current plan heading into the NBA Draft.

It's possible that Michael Porter Jr. will go higher on the draft board, though. He's previously been projected as high as the second pick, but the NBA prospect has injury concerns. He sat out for most of the past season at Missouri due to a back injury. However, the former McDonald's All-American is considered a pick that could go anywhere from the Grizzlies' No. 4 pick down to the No. 9 spot. The New York Knicks hold that ninth spot, so if "MPJ" hasn't gone by No. 7, it's likely that he'll go to the Cavs.

Cavaliers' interesting situation

The team made it to the NBA Finals thanks to superstar LeBron James shouldering the load of one of his least talented rosters in years.

While they made it to the championship round, they failed to win any games, including a Game 1 meltdown that seemed to be going their way until the final seconds of regulation.

That disastrous entry into LeBron James' career book of playoff runs has many fans and analysts believing that "The King" is going to opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers.

From there, he'll be a free agent, able to sign with a new team again. Top landing spots in terms of betting odds have included the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers.

That leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers in a predicament.

The situation with James won't really unfold until after this week's draft. If he's leaving, this is a team that is going to need to rebuild. If he's staying, they want to draft someone who can help them continue to build a contender. It's looking like the Cleveland front office believes that one way or another, Michael Porter Jr. makes the most sense.

It's unknown if Porter Jr. will even play in the coming NBA season as he may be the latest draftee to enter the league with injury concerns and sit out a season or two. Still, it wouldn't hurt if he was on the same squad as a guy named LeBron James, where he'd be able to sit back and learn ahead of his own career.
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