Cavs mull over No. 31

Everyone knows who they're going to pick with the No. 1 choice.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The No. 1 pick in the NBA draft is a no-brainer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The No. 31 selection will require a lot more thinking.
The Cavaliers will take 18-year-old LeBron James first overall in today's (7:30 p.m., ESPN) draft. Barring a trade, the team will have to wait until 29 other players are chosen before picking again.
But as the Cavaliers learned last year, that second pick sometimes can be more rewarding than the first.
"We're hoping we can get as lucky as we did last year," team owner Gordon Gund said Wednesday.
The Cavs drafted guard DaJuan Wagner with the sixth pick in the 2002 draft, then watched forward Carlos Boozer slide into the second round before they drafted him with the 35th pick.
Boozer rare find
While Wagner had an injury-plagued rookie season -- he played in just 47 games -- Boozer was arguably the team's most valuable player, averaging 10 points and 7.5 rebounds.
The Cavs realize they probably won't get that type of production from this year's second pick.
"We're hoping to find a player with the 31st pick that will make our roster," Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson said. "Obviously, Carlos raised the bar.
"I don't know if he'll contribute like Boozer did, but we can get a player there that will be on our roster and have a chance to be a pretty good player, whether it's a shooter or versatile big guy or point guard."
This week, the Cavaliers have been trying to figure which players will still be around when commissioner David Stern puts the team back on the clock in the second round.
One of those possibilities is Arizona's Luke Walton, son of Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
Walton and Creighton's Kyle Korver worked out for Paxson, Cavs coach Paul Silas and his staff Wednesday. The two forwards followed a run of point guards and shooters the team brought in this week to show their skills.
Jason Gardner (Arizona), Hollis Price (Oklahoma) and Troy Bell (Boston College) all could help the Cavaliers at point guard -- a spot which gave Cleveland headaches last season.
Silas plans to see if James can play the point during summer league games. If he can't, the Cavs need a backup plan.
Looked at shooting guards
Cleveland also needs an outside shooting threat and the Cavs looked at Matt Carroll (Notre Dame), Marcus Bailey (Wyoming), Travis Hansen (Brigham Young) and Jason Kapono (UCLA) to possibly fill that need.
Ideally, they would prefer to find an immediate impact player at No. 31, but Paxson knows that might not be possible.
There also is a chance the Cavaliers could move up in the draft if they can swing a trade.
"We would like to address a team need," Paxson said.
"But we're going to take the best player available, whatever position. We have enough holes."
Walton might be able to plug one of those gaps.
At 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds -- the same size as James -- Walton has a well-rounded, unselfish game that would suit the Cavs well.
Like Boozer, who played his college ball at Duke, he comes from a solid college program where he spent four years. And like Boozer, his stock seemingly has dropped to where Cleveland might have a shot at him.
"I think coming in, I could help this team," Walton said.
"I think with my type of game, I'd be a good addition."
Walton also would come in with a good handle on James, whom he has heard about from his father.
Bill Walton was a TV analyst for one of James' games this season and was blown away by what he saw.
"He loves LeBron's game," the younger Walton said.
"He thinks he's going to be a good player."
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