Given the obstacles Koby Altman was up against - a brand-new general manager who doesn't know whether LeBron will stay past this season, and who trade options have been limited as he's shopped a disgruntled Kyrie Irving - he hit a home run in Tuesday's monumental trade with the Boston Celtics.

The Cleveland Cavaliers get All-NBA point guard Isaiah Thomas, the criminally underrated Jae Crowder and 20-year-old Croatian big man Ante Zizic -- on whom the Celtics spent a first-round pick a year ago. This sends an important signal to LeBron: This team is going to try its best to compete for a title in what might be LeBron's final season in Cleveland.

But what makes this deal a home run is that the Celtics included the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round pick.

The 2018 NBA Draft might not have the depth as this year's, but it's absolutely loaded at the top.

And we're currently projecting the pick Cleveland just acquired to become the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Meaning that, if LeBron takes his talents elsewhere again, Cleveland will already have a leg up in the post-LeBron rebuilding process.

So who should they take?

There's a top tier of four players who should be considered possibilities for that top slot. There are three college freshman -- skilled big man DeAndre Ayton of Arizona, do-it-all point forward Michael Porter of Missouri, and the electric NBA-ready power forward Marvin Bagley - as well as Luka Doncic, a smart, skilled Slovenian combo guard who plays in the Spanish professional league. Maybe another player or two inserts his name into the conversation - Texas' Mo Bamba, Michigan State's Miles Bridges - but these four feel pretty settled as the top tier.

If the Cavs get that No. 1 pick they'll most likely be deciding between Porter and Bagley.

And here's where things get tricky.

How do they move forward in the June draft without knowing how things will shake out with LeBron in the July free agency? Do you pick the guy who think is the most talented player with the highest upside - which is what most struggling teams with the No. 1 pick will do - or do you pick the guy who best fits your title chances with LeBron in the immediate future, which is what contenders like Cleveland should do? (Or you trade it for an established veteran. But let's not open that can of worms.)

Here's the thing: I don't think there's a right answer between Porter and Bagley. Both have a shot at becoming superstars. While Bagley's ceiling may be higher than Porter's, I'm in love with Porter's versatility and IQ, and how that will play in today's NBA. So my guess? Koby Altman snaps up Michael Porter with the 2018 No. 1 pick. It's a pick that is both win and prepare for later.

(One note: I'm not paying much attention to "player fit" since these draft positions are SportsLine projections based on a season that hasn't started training camp yet. In other words: Yes, I understand some of these players don't seem to fit position-wise on the NBA teams. Whatever.)