Cleveland Cavaliers: Complete order for the 2021 NBA Draft

The Cleveland Cavaliers will go into Thursday’s NBA Draft with the No. 3 overall pick. It’s the highest the team has chosen since taking Andrew Wiggins first overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, and for a team still trying to form its future core is a crucial one.

Rebuilding has been slow for the Cavaliers this time around, with a lack of cap space and numerous injuries pumping the brakes on a fast rebound. The team has had three top-10 picks over the past three seasons, and five first rounders overall: the team has used them on three guards and a pair of wings.

Kevin Porter Jr. has already been moved out, and the team is reportedly shopping Collin Sexton, taken with the eighth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro both went fifth overall in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Oft-injured wing Dylan Windler was the 26th pick in 2019.

Cleveland is not the only team looking to make a major improvement to their roster with a high draft pick this upcoming Thursday night. What is the complete draft order for the 2021 NBA Draft?

While the order will certainly change as the draft goes on, this is currently the order for the 2021 NBA Draft.

NBA Draft Order: Round 1

1. Detroit Pistons
2. Houston Rockets
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Toronto Raptors
5. Orlando Magic
6. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Golden State Warriors (from Minnesota)
8. Orlando Magic (from Chicago)
9. Sacramento Kings
10. New Orleans Pelicans
11. Charlotte Hornets
12. San Antonio Spurs
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Golden State Warriors
15. Washington Wizards
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Boston)
17. Memphis Grizzlies
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami via the LA Clippers, Philadelphia, and Phoenix)
19. New York Knicks
20. Atlanta Hawks
21. New York Knicks (from Dallas)
22. Los Angeles Lakers
23. Houston Rockets (from Portland)
24. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee)
25. Los Angeles Clippers
26. Denver Nuggets
27. Brooklyn Nets
28. Philadelphia 76ers
29. Phoenix Suns
30. Utah Jazz

NBA Draft Order: Round 2

31. Milwaukee Bucks (from Houston)
32. New York Knicks (from Detroit via the LA Clippers and Philadelphia)
33. Orlando Magic
34. Oklahoma City Thunder
35. New Orleans Pelicans (from Cleveland via Atlanta)
36. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Minnesota via Golden State)
37. Detroit Pistons (from Toronto via Brooklyn)
38. Chicago Bulls (from New Orleans)
39. Sacramento Kings
40. New Orleans Pelicans (from Chicago)
41. San Antonio Spurs
42. Detroit Pistons (from Charlotte via New York)
43. New Orleans Pelicans (from Washington via Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Utah)
44. Brooklyn Nets (from Indiana)
45. Boston Celtics
46. Toronto Raptors (from Memphis via Sacramento)
47. Toronto Raptors (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans)
48. Atlanta Hawks (from Miami via Sacramento and Portland)
49. Brooklyn Nets (from Atlanta)
50. Philadelphia 76ers (from New York)
51. Memphis Grizzlies (from Portland via Dallas, Detroit, and Cleveland)
52. Detroit Pistons (from Los Angeles Lakers via Sacramento, Houston, and Detroit)
53. New Orleans Pelicans (from Dallas)
54. Indiana Pacers (from Milwaukee via Houston and Cleveland)
55. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Denver via Golden State and Philadelphia)
56. Charlotte Hornets (from LA Clippers)
57. Charlotte Hornets (from Brooklyn)
58. New York Knicks (from Philadelphia)
59. Brooklyn Nets (from Phoenix)
60. Indiana Pacers (from Utah)

Who the Cavaliers take with the No. 3 overall pick will largely depend on what the Houston Rockets do with the second overall pick. If the Rockets take G League Ignite guard Jalen Green, then the Cavs likely take USC center Evan Mobley. If Houston goes for Mobley, then the Cavs likely take Green.

Things get infinitely more interesting, and difficult for Cleveland, if the Rockets take Gonzaga lead guard Jalen Suggs. The Cavaliers then would have to make a call between Green and Mobley. If they take Green, that probably means they are moving on from Sexton. If they take Mobley they might be committing to Sexton, but does that mean they are open to not matching a contract offer for restricted free agent center Jarrett Allen?

Once that decision is made, Cleveland does not have any other currently scheduled draft picks. They moved their second round pick in 2017 for Atlanta Hawks sharpshooting Kyle Korver, and the Hawks later rerouted that to the New Orleans Pelicans in their draft day blockbuster in 2019.

A lack of a draft pick right now doesn’t mean the Cavaliers won’t end up with one on or before draft night. Moving Sexton or Larry Nance Jr. could net the team a late lottery pick. If the Pelicans made a move for Sexton could the Cavs leap back into the lottery with the 10th pick? What about the 14th pick if they make a deal with the Golden State Warriors?

There is also a very good chance that Cleveland buys or flips a small asset for a second round pick, as the 2021 NBA Draft offers a lot of long-shot prospects with some legitimately high upside. Rolling the dice on a player like that is exactly the move a long-term rebuilding team has the patience to do.

The entire league will be active leading into the draft and on Thursday night exploring opportunities to move up and down, and how the order looks right now is most likely going to change many times over. When the dust clears, the Cleveland Cavaliers hope they will walk away with at least one significant building block for their team to use in its quest to build another title-winning team.