What If Wednesdays: What if the Cavs traded the 8th pick in 2018?

Life is full of many choices. Choices that lead to numerous outcomes. Those outcomes can take someone down an infinite number of paths. There have been plenty of moments in the Cavs‘ history where a change to one decision, one moment, could have shifted everything for the team.

The 2017-18 NBA season was a pivotal one for Cleveland. With LeBron departing for Los Angeles to join the Lakers, the Cavs front office was thrust into one of the most demanding challenges any NBA team can face: rebuilding your team in a post-James era.

The average age of the Cavs as we know them currently is about 25 years.  In the 2017-18 season, the Cavs roster’s average age was about 29 years. The final year of LeBron’s second go-around in The Land saw a Cavs team compromised of older, veteran-type players. The youth movement was held up by the likes of Cedi Osman, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr.

The Cavs made it clear they were prepared for an inevitable exit of the King when they used their 8th pick in the 2018 draft to select Collin Sexton. Fast forward to today, and Sexton is now considered one of the leaders of the Cavs, along with being a top scorer on the team. In my opinion, the current 2021-22 Cavs roster is a skilled and energetic team – and truthfully, I’m thrilled to watch this team grow and improve.

The Cavs chose Collin Sexton at No. 8 in the 2018 NBA Draft just days before LeBron James left for LA. What if the Cavs had traded that pick instead?

However, on this What If Wednesday, let’s have some fun and ask ourselves what if the Cavs traded that 8th pick? Throughout this article we will look at possible lineups for the Cavs if the front office decided to trade away that pick and forego drafting the likes of Collin Sexton, and potential outcomes from those lineups.