CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If Michael Porter Jr. is still on the board when the Cavaliers draft eighth Thursday and they haven't agreed to trade the pick, they will likely select him.

But Porter, the former top high school player in the U.S. whose freshman season at Missouri this year was cut to three games by a back injury, may be off the board well ahead of the Cavs' slot. There is no consensus outside the organization as to whom they would take in that case.

Several sources, ranging from NBA executive to agents to scouts, told cleveland.com that the Cavs would most likely draft Porter if they could. The team, naturally, will not comment on its draft strategy.

This is the first draft for general manager Koby Altman, who took over last summer for David Griffin. One of his early acts as GM was to execute the trade of Kyrie Irving in return for a number of assets, including the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick, which is at No. 8.

Altman traded the Cavs' own pick to the Lakers as part of the deal for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance. Cleveland does not have a second-round pick this year but may buy into the second round.

On Monday, cleveland.com reported that the Cavs won't know LeBron James' intentions for his potential free agency ahead of draft night, and are entertaining offers to trade the pick for an established veteran anyway.

But the Cavs may very well end up making the pick and keeping the player, hoping he's a future franchise cornerstone in the mold of if not James, then maybe Irving. They were two of the best No. 1 overall picks (both by the Cavs) in the last 20 years, and James of course is among the very best of all time. Cleveland also made one of the worst No. 1 picks ever with the 2013 selection of Anthony Bennett, who's now out of the NBA.

While Altman and the Cavs have been mum on their plans, owner Dan Gilbert did refer to Alabama point guard Collin Sexton as a "very intriguing draft prospect" on Twitter. More on Sexton shortly.

Porter, who turns 20 next week, was widely considered to be the top player in the 2018 draft before a back injury suffered in his first collegiate game with Missouri last season cost him all but three games. He is 6-10 but considered a wing with explosive scoring potential, and the medical information on him being shared with lottery teams is positive (he had surgery in November to correct an injury he said was years old). Porter was the consensus top player coming out of high school (Washington state) in 2017.

These are the reasons the Cavs would likely take Porter if he's there, sources said. He has too much upside to overlook.

The chances of Porter making it to No. 8 are dwindling, with reports of multiple teams ahead of the Cavs considering him -- including the Sacramento Kings at No. 2. After Porter, the names most often tied to the Cavs are Sexton, Duke center Wendell Carter Jr., Oklahoma point guard Trae Young and Kentucky forward Kevin Knox.

"You are looking at players that can come in and help you now with a player like Collin Sexton, or maybe a player that can help you two years from now like Michael Porter Jr., who if he's still there may probably take him a little bit of time coming off that injury," said former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks, who's now an analyst for ESPN. "This is not an easy draft for Koby."

Sexton and Carter are two of the players who the Cavs confirmed worked out for them privately at their Independence headquarters.

Sexton is 19 and 6-3. In his freshman season with the Crimson Tide, he averaged 19.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. The Cavs tried any number of players last season to replace Irving and, well, it didn't go great.

George Hill will make $19 million next season and Jordan Clarkson $12.5 million, and both are considered point guards. But Clarkson is widely considered a bench scorer and the Cavs see flexibility with Hill's contract. Sexton is considered a high energy player who will defend; Cleveland had the league's 29th-rated defense last season.

Carter, 19, 6-10, averaged 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds with a .413 shooting percentage from 3-point range in his freshman season with Duke. In the aggregate of mock drafts sampled by NBA.com on Monday, Carter was the player most often predicted to go to the Cavs.

But Cleveland owes Tristan Thompson $36 million guaranteed over the next two seasons in a contract that is largely viewed as untradable. Kevin Love is still under contract; the Cavs view Larry Nance Jr. as a long-term piece; and center Ante Zizic was productive in his first NBA season.

So the Cavs are crowded with bigs.

Young, another option at point guard, led the NCAA in scoring (27.4 points) and assists (8.7) per game last season. If Cleveland took him, it would mean the Cavs and Browns both used their first picks of their respective drafts on Oklahoma stars (Browns took quarterback Baker Mayfield).

Sources told cleveland.com the Cavs like Young when paired with James, but of course don't know if James will return. A conundrum to be sure.

As for Knox, he's 18 and played one season at Kentucky. He's skyrocketed up teams' draft boards as a 6-9 forward with untapped potential. He averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Wildcats.

"For the Cavs it depends on where Porter goes," said Mike Schmitz, an NBA scouting and draft analyst for ESPN. "I think (Knox) is a guy who's really helped (himself) in this pre-draft process. I think Kentucky guys, you kind of want to see them away from that setting at times. I think you've seen it with Devin Booker, who's really popped with freedom in the NBA. He played such a specific role with Kentucky, and I think with Kevin, people are seeing an 18-year-old, 6-foot-9 kid who has length and can score in a variety of ways.

"I do think (Knox) will probably get a long look there" by the Cavs, Schmitz said.

The Cavaliers haven't picked at all in the first round since 2015, when they chose Tyus Jones and traded him to Minnesota for the rights to Cedi Osman. Cleveland hasn't helped itself noticeably in any of the past three drafts.

In 2014, the Cavs traded Andrew Wiggins No. 1 overall and eventually shipped him to the Timberwolves for Kevin Love, who has made two All-Star teams and was a key member of Cleveland's last four Finals teams.