Source: Cavaliers taking Irving with first pick

For seven years the city of Cleveland worshiped and adored the name "LeBron."

Now the city will have a new hero and "Chosen One," who goes by the name "Kyrie."

League sources told ESPN on Monday that the Cavaliers will select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the first-overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft.

Cleveland's last No. 1 pick was Akron, Ohio, native LeBron James, a two-time league MVP and seven-time All-Star who immediately made the club a title contender, until he left following the 2009-10 season to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh with the Miami Heat.

While James is an athletic freak, being 6-foot-8, 245-pounds and having an ability to play any position on the court, in Irving Cleveland will get a pure point guard. The 6-foot-2, 191-pound Irving played just 11 games for Duke as a freshman due to injury, but averaged 20.5 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds per contest.

Irving won't be the only high-profile rookie to play in Cleveland next year, as the Cavaliers also own the fourth pick in the draft. Cleveland is known to highly covet Arizona forward Derrick Williams, but he is expected to go No. 2 overall to Minnesota, leaving Cleveland likely to take one of the three European big men in Enes Kanter, Jan Vesely and Jonas Valanciunas.