7 players the Cleveland Cavaliers gave up on too soon

2. The Cleveland Cavaliers gave up on Bill Laimbeer too soon

Any fan of basketball in the 1980s or anyone with a whisp of knowledge about NBA history has heard of the Bad Boys Pistons. Love ’em or hate ’em, the Pistons of the late 1980s were incredibly successful, overcoming the titans of the NBA to win back-to-back titles and becoming the greatest obstacle that Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had to overcome to start their dynasty.

While Isiah Thomas was the best player on those Pistons teams, the backbone was violent center Bill Laimbeer. The 6’11” giant would unload on anyone coming into the paint, and he made four All-Star teams as a double-double machine next to Thomas. What isn’t as well known is that Laimbeer began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Laimbeer played college basketball at Notre Dame and was a late pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. From the jump he was a big contributor for the Cavaliers, though, averaging 30.4 minutes per game as a rookie and averaging 9.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. For a Cavs team that had not had much success, a late-round find in the draft was just what the doctor ordered.

Except that’s not what the Cavs did. Instead of keeping Laimbeer and building a defensive identity around him, they capitalized on his value by flipping him to the Detroit Pistons for some future draft capital. Laimbeer would accumulate 105.6 win shares over the rest of his career; the four players the Cavs got back in the deal (as players and future picks) provided the Cavs with just 22.8. They tried to sell high and ended up selling really low on one of the best defensive bigs of his generation.