On Saturday evening, nearly two full days after the completion of the 2018 draft, Shams Charania, of Yahoo Sports, reported that Preston had signed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The landing spot is notable because, after committing to KU out of high school, Preston compared himself and his game to Cavs star LeBron James. Now, depending on what happens this summer with James’ free agency, Preston will get the opportunity to play with or possibly replace James in Cleveland.
[Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday after Preston went undrafted that several NBA teams told him throughout the spring that Preston was a first-round talent,][1] but his inability to showcase himself during his freshman season at KU — stemming from a car accident that called into question his eligibility — ultimately led to various NBA teams passing on him 60 times during the draft.
Preston, at 6-foot-10, 240 pounds, with guard skills and a good shooting touch, has the skill set to both impress and stick in the NBA. And now he knows where he’ll get his opportunity to do it, most likely starting in early July during the Las Vegas summer league.
Sources: Billy Preston, a former five-star recruit of Kansas, has agreed to join the Cleveland Cavaliers after going undrafted on Thursday night.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2018
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/tale-tait/2018/jun/22/bill-self-intangibles-the-key-now-for-un/
