The Associated PressCLEVELAND — Ochai Agbaji developed championship DNA in college. The Cavaliers are counting on it staying with him in the pros. Agbaji and Kansas teammate Christian Braun – both Kansas City area natives – were taken in the first round of the NBA Draft Thursday night. Looking to add a perimeter player who can shoot, defend and maybe accelerate their timeline to NBA title contention, Cleveland selected Agbaji, a former Oak Park High School star, with the No. 14 overall pick in the draft Thursday night. The Denver Nuggets selected Braun, a Blue Valley Northwest High School graduate, with the 21st pick. The Cavs are ready win. Agbaji knows how. “It’s a part of his makeup and he’s coming in to a team that wants to win and he’s going to bring some unique ingredients to that,” said Koby Altman, Cleveland’s president of basketball operations. “You’re seeing national champions kind of sprinkled in these conference finals most recently and they definitely bring a chip with them. We hope he brings that to us.” The 22-year-old Agbaji averaged 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and made 41% of his 3-pointers for the Jayhawks, and his ability as a defender was another factor in the Cavs’ decision to bring him aboard. He’ll join one of the league’s most intriguing young rosters in Cleveland, and a team with playoff aspirations following a turnaround, 44-win season. The Cavs entered the offseason desperate to add another quality shooter and believe they’ve found one. “He can really shoot,” Altman said. “He’s got a really quick trigger. You can run him off screens. The shooting piece was important. “The fact he can play wing, the fact he can guard wing is great. I don’t know if that went into it so much as the need for shooting. I don’t want to put him on a pedestal and say, ‘This is the next great wing that we draft.’ But maybe it is. “I do know that he fits a need right away and he’s going to compete and he has that winning pedigree that we really like.” After picking in the top five in each of the past three drafts, the Cavs weren’t under as much pressure to land a potential All-Star or even an immediate-impact player this year. They could be more selective. Cleveland was diligent during the pre-draft process. There were several players who fit their needs, but Agbaji stood out due to his offensive skill set, a 6-foot-10 wing span and because he’s coming from one of college basketball’s premiere programs. “He just fit the character and the attitude and the work ethic that we’ve been looking for,” Altman said. “This is the first time we’ve drafted a national champion right out of the gate. He brings a lot of accolades, but he brings a humbleness that we appreciate.” Kansas coach Bill Self said the Cavs are getting a player who still has room to grow his game. “His intangibles have improved so much with competitiveness, even though he always was,” Self said on a Zoom call from New York. “He’s learned there’s a gear you got to get to to compete at the highest level. When you work as hard as he does in that fifth gear every single possession, every single drill, every single shot, you’re going to get better.” The 6-foot-6 Braun averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Jayhawks last season. His 12 points and 12 rebounds helped Kansas beat North Carolina in the national championship game on April 4. He played the entire game. This is the first draft with general manager Calvin Booth as the primary decision maker for the Nuggets. Tim Connelly, who joined the organization in 2013 and served as Denver’s president of basketball operations, was wooed by Minnesota with a lucrative deal to run that franchise. “I think sky’s the limit. He’s always won,” Booth said of Braun. “He was an impactful player for Kansas this year. So really excited about his future and I think he has the right approach. He’s going to try to earn time and hopefully he’s able to hit the court sooner rather than later.”
