The Cleveland Cavaliers have been around since the 1970-71 season, giving them over 50 years of history in the NBA. Over that time they have made 263 selections in the NBA Draft; some of those at the very top, picking first overall a whopping six times, but many others have come later in the draft (or even after it) as the Cavs have mined the depths of the draft for gems.
Here we will highlight some of the best second-round draft picks the Cavaliers have made throughout franchise history. These are players selected in the second round who begun their NBA careers in Cleveland, not someone like Kyle Korver who joined the Cavs later in his career. We’ll kick things off in the modern era when the Cavaliers drafted a Cavalier in the second round.
No. 7: Joe Harris, Pick No. 33 in 2014 Draft
In the year 2014, the true value of a 3-and-D wing had not yet been established, and players like Joe Harris were undervalued upon entering the NBA. A four-year player at Virginia, Harris shot 40.7 percent from 3-point range in college and was one of the best two-way players in the nation. At 6’6″ the sharpshooting wing had excellent positional size and should have profiled as a 3-and-D wing that any team would want.
Instead, Harris fell to pick No. 33 in the 2014 Draft, where the Cavaliers scooped him up. He played just 56 games over his first two seasons, a deep reserve wing on a team contending for titles. The Cavs never figured out what they had in Harris, trading him midway through his second season to clear a roster spot.
Harris caught on with the Brooklyn Nets and his career took off from there, and twice he led the NBA in 3-point percentage. For his career, Harris is a 43.7 percent 3-point shooter, which is the best among active players and fourth-most all-time. Injuries have hit him hard in recent years, but he’s still young enough for a long tail to his career built on the strength of his outside shooting.