CAVALIERS ACQUIRE DRAFT RIGHTS TO CEDI OSMAN AND RAKEEM CHRISTMAS FROM MINNESOTA

CAVS ALSO DRAFT SIR’DOMINIC POINTER WITH THE 53^RD PICK

            CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired the draft rights to Cedi Osman, the 31st pick, Rakeem Christmas, the 36th pick, and a 2019 second round pick in exchange for the draft rights to Tyus Jones, the 24^th overall pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, to Minnesota. Also tonight, the Cavaliers selected Sir’Dominic Pointer with the 53^rd pick of the draft.

Osman (6-8, 210) spent the 2014-15 season playing for Anadolu Efes in the Turkish Basketball League first division. He was selected to the league’s All-Star Game after averaging 8.5 points on .438 shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 20.8 minutes over 25 contests. He also appeared in 27 Euroleague games this past year and averaged 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes. Osman spent his first two professional seasons with Pertevniyal in the Turkish second division (2011-2013) and moved to Anadolu Efes in 2013-14 in the first division. A member of the Turkish National Team at the 2014 World Cup, Osman holds career averages of 9.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in Junior National Team play and was selected FIBA Europe U20 Championship MVP after leading Turkey to a gold medal.

Christmas (6-9, 250) played in 142 games during his four years at Syracuse. During his senior season, he averaged 17.5 points on .552 shooting from the field, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 34.3 minutes per game. He led the Orange in points, rebounds and blocks, while earning Third Team All-American honors. Christmas was also named ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-ACC. He was one of 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as a senior and ranks sixth all-time in school history in games played and eighth in blocks (247). The forward finished his four-year collegiate career averaging 7.4 points on .560 shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 22.0 minutes.

In 33 games as a senior at St. John’s University, Pointer (6-6, 192) averaged 13.7 points on .524 shooting from the field, 7.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.4 blocks in 34.6 minutes. He went on to earn Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player and Second Team All-Big East honors. Pointer spent four years at St. John’s, playing in 130 games and averaging 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks in 28.2 minutes. He ranks third in school history in blocks (172) and fifth in steals (200).