The Cavs also have a grand total of one player that has shown he can be a legitimate NBA starter for the next few years.
This team has a ton of holes. Adding more young players is the smart move right now. If the team had one or two clear holes, then sure, use it to trade up. But we should plan to use that Rockets pick.
It's far more important that we get the player we want with our pick, vs. trying to fill multiple roster holes in year one of a 4-5 year re-build.
I'll use a hypothetical to frame it. Let's assume Zion and Ja go 1/2.....and the Cavs have the #4 pick. The team with #3 is open to trading it for #4 and #21. I'd rather start with Barrett in a trade up than Reddish and PJ Washington in a stay put scenario.
People can talk all they want about impact players being drafted in the 20's or later.....it literally happens 1 out of 50 times (probably even generous). Most are middling role players or out of the NBA in a few years. Holding on to a pick for a 2% chance at a meaningful player is not a good use of draft capital, IF that 2% chance can be traded in for a player you think is more likely to become an All-Star or franchise talent.
Once you get 1A and 1B in a rebuild, that is when you become far, far more strict with the use of your draft capital...because you want to retain your flexibility if a super star hits the trade block....or to add cheap role players around them. Until then, you need to make decisions based on acquiring a best and second best player on a title team. Having a bunch of extra role players, at the expense of a prospect you think is more talented, is just not a winning strategy in basketball.
I'm not saying trade it just to trade it....but if we are in a tier cut-off scenario (the drop from Barrett to Reddish for example) and we opt to take Reddish, in order to aquire a PJ Washington of the world, that is just not a sound strategy IMO. If we are at #3 and the worst you can do is what is left of Ja, Zion, Barrett......then sure, maybe you hang on to the pick because you are comfortable with all the 1 and 2 tier options.