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5 Best Trades in Cleveland Cavaliers History

By Omar Josef Guerrero

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the recipients of some of the best players in the rich history of the NBA. Since their first season in the league in the 1970-71 season, Cleveland has been the home of many of the finest names in basketball.

Today, let’s take a look back at some of the best players traded to the Cavs since their inception. Just to clarify, the trades I’ll be referring to are those that have netted the Cavs some of their best players ever. Please note that though there may be a package of players that have made a trade great, I’m only limiting my list to the best players that have ever worn a Cavs uniform.

With that, I’d like to start off my countdown with the only person to be named to the Hall-of-Fame as a player and coach three times (including being inducted as part of the Dream Team).

5. Lenny Wilkens

Image courtesy of SI.com

Played with the Cavaliers: 1972-74

Traded from: Seattle Supersonics

Lost: Butch Beard

Key Stats as a Cavalier: 18.5 points, 7.7 assists, 1.3 steals (1973-74 season only when steals were introduced)

Lenny Wilkens came to the Cavs after 12 superstar years with the St. Louis Hawks and the Seattle Supersonics. He immediately made an impact by leading a young Cleveland franchise to a nine-game improvement from the previous year.

He was also named an All-Star in 1973, a year in which he averaged 20.5 points and 8.4 assists in his first year with the team.

Wilkens spent only two seasons with the Cavaliers, giving the team a foretaste of what it would be like to have a superstar playing for them.

Coming back to the Cavs in 1986 as a coach, Wilkens and his squad gave Cleveland three of its eight 50-win seasons during a 5-game stretch between 1988 and 1993.

4. Shawn Kemp

Image courtesy of Bleacher Report

Played with the Cavaliers: 1997-2000

Traded from: Seattle Supersonics

Lost: Terrell Brandon, Tyrone Hill

Key Stats as a Cavalier: 18.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks

For all the negative things you can say about Shawn Kemp, the man could play and play well despite struggling with weight problems after he landed on Cleveland soil. Acquired after a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks (who received the Cavs’ Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill), and the Seattle Supersonics (got Vin Baker from the Bucks).

Kemp was the face of the franchise for three seasons and was the lone superstar…during the Cavs’ 1997-2000 seasons.

Kemp had some very good statistical seasons as a member of the Cavs where he participated as a starter for the East in the All-Star Game in 1998. His scoring average topped at 20.5 points during the 1998-99 lockout shortened season even though he ballooned to 315 pounds according to Cavs GM Wayne Embry.

Like him or not, Kemp was the face of the franchise for three seasons and was the lone superstar that the team had at a time when there was very little to cheer for during the Cavs’ 1997-2000 seasons.

If Kemp ever had his head on straight, he would have been the Cavs’ best player ever not named LeBron.

3. Tyrone Hill

Image courtesy of Rant Sports

Played with the Cavaliers: 1993-97 / 2001-03

Traded from: Golden State Warriors

Lost: 1994 1st Round Draft Pick

Key Stats as a Cavalier: 10.8 points, 9.2 rebounds

One of the least known but best-loved Cavs players, Tyrone Hill was a workhorse who secured the power forward slot for Cleveland during the post-Mark Price/Larry Nance/Brad Daugherty era.

Hill became an All-Star in 1995 for his strong and steady play and set the Cavs’ field goal shooting percentage record that season, ranking second in the league overall at .600. In the process, he solidified his status as one of the pillars of the team along with Terrell Brandon, another All-Star player for the Cavs. His rebounding and defense, coupled with double-digit scoring night in and night out are Hill’s benchmarks for a team that lacked the superstar power of its predecessors.

He was later traded with Brandon in exchange for Kemp in 1998 (see number 4 on this list).

Hill had a second stint with the Cavs when he was acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers for Matt Harpring, Cedric Henderson, and Robert Traylor.

2. World B. Free

Image courtesy of Hoops Habit

Played with the Cavaliers: 1982-86

Traded from: Golden State Warriors

Lost: Ron Brewer

Key Stats as a Cavalier: 23.0 points, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals

What a steal of a trade!

At a time when the Cleveland Cavaliers were sarcastically called the “Cleveland Cadavers”, World B. Free came and breathe life into the Cavs’ ailing season. Free was the Cavs best player during his four-year stint with the team from 1982-83 to 1985-86. One of the most flamboyant players to come along in the NBA, Free “helped save basketball in Cleveland.”

The Cavs never lost by more than three points during the series where World averaged a team-best 26.3 points.

During the 1984-85 season, the Cavs made the playoffs and faced the mighty Boston Celtics. The eventual NBA Champs had one of their toughest series that year despite the Cavs losing 3-1 in a hotly contested series. Larry Bird engaged Free in an exciting match-up of superstars. The Cavs never lost by more than three points during the series where World averaged a team-best 26.3 points.

By the time his short career with the Cavs was over, he was a fan favorite, earning him a place in the franchise’s “Cleveland Cavaliers Legend” in 2005.  One of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, World averaged 23.0 points while bringing the Cavs close to respectability just before Price and company took them to the next level.

1. Larry Nance

Image courtesy of NBA.com

Played with the Cavaliers: 1987-94

Traded from: Phoenix Suns

Lost: Kevin Johnson, Mark West, Tyrone Corbin and draft picks

Key Stats as a Cavalier: 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks

Larry Nance was involved in one of the best trades in NBA history where both teams involved in the trade benefitted greatly. Nance brought the Cavaliers the defensive presence on the inside that the team was lacking while Kevin Johnson became an All-Star with the Suns.

Nance was part of one of the best starting fives in the NBA during the late 80’s along with fellow All-Stars Mark Price, Ron Harper, and Brad Daugherty. His teams always played well until they hit a roadblock in Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls time and time again in the playoffs. His best year for the Cavs came in the 1990-91 season where he averaged 19.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks.

Still, Nance was one of the best players of all-time in Cavaliers history. During his seven seasons with the team, Nance was an NBA All-Star twice (1989, 1993), and an NBA All-Defensive Team First Team and Second Team member in 1989, and 1992 and 1993 respectively.

Editor’s Note: While it might be recency bias, trading Mo Williams to get Baron Davis and the Clippers 1st Round pick that became Kyrie Irving might be #1 by a whole lot.

Did we miss out on a great trade? Which trade would you have added to the Cavs best of all-time?

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