LeBron James, Brad Daugherty and more: Ranking the top 5 draft picks in the history of the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been an NBA team for more than five decades, yet they've won only one championship. However, this championship was won thanks to the players they drafted, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
They led the Cavaliers to their best years and multiple appearances in the NBA Finals. It was a testament to how good the Cavaliers' scouting team was.
In this article, we will list the five best draft picks in Cleveland Cavaliers history.
(Note: The list will not include players who were drafted by the Cavaliers but did not play for them.)
1) LeBron James - 2003 NBA Draft (1st overall pick)
LeBron James is arguably the second-best player in NBA history and the Cavaliers were lucky to draft him back in 2003. He became a star immediately after entering the league and was a perfect all-around player.
James won the Cavaliers their first NBA championship in 2016. The four-time NBA champion led his team after they were down 1-3 in the series, winning the biggest title of his career.
2) Kyrie Irving - 2011 NBA Draft (1st overall pick)
Kyrie Irving spent six seasons in Cleveland and became one of the best players in franchise history. He helped LeBron win it all in 2016 and had one of the biggest shots of his career in the series.
Unfortunately, Irving is a very controversial player these days. However, his tenure with the Cavaliers was incredible and if it wasn't for him, they wouldn't have won a championship.
3) Brad Daugherty - 1986 NBA Draft (1st overall pick)
Brad Daugherty was arguably the greatest big man to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 7-footer was a double-double machine who was an offensive threat and a tenacious rebounder.
Unfortunately, the center retired at the early age of 28 due to recurring back issues. Daugherty was very close to advancing to the NBA Finals in 1992, but he was stopped by Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls.
4) Zydrunas Ilgauskas - 1996 NBA Draft (20th overall pick)
Zydrunas Ilgauskas was far from a superstar, but he was one of the most reliable players the Cavaliers have ever had. Standing at 7-foot-3, the big man offered the Cavaliers a strong interior presence and was also capable of knocking down a jump shot.
Ilgauskas spent 12 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and helped the team advance to the NBA Finals in 2007.
5) Colin Sexton - 2018 NBA Draft (8th overall pick)
Colin Sexton is only 23 and he's played four seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers so far. However, he's been incredible and will most likely stay on the team for a long time.
If the 6-foot-1 combo guard manages to stay healthy, we could see him lead the Cavaliers to a deep playoff run in the future. His health has been the only issue so far, so if he can avoid injuries, he will become one of the best players in the league very soon.