7 best second-round draft picks in Cavaliers history

No. 6: Ron Anderson, 27th pick in 1984 Draft

Ron Anderson starred at Fresno State before entering the 1984 NBA Draft, where he was taken 27th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was an old rookie, entering the league at 26 years old. His career started slowly, so despite the mid-80s Cavs being a team that could use forward depth, the Cavs flipped him 53 games in to the Indiana Pacers.

It was in Indiana that Anderson began to establish his footing, becoming a full-time rotation player and scoring well in a small role. That built his value enough that the Philadelphia 76ers traded for him in 1988, and things took off from there.

Anderson went from 14.8 minutes per game to 31.9 in his age-30 season, scoring a career-best 16.2 points as he played alongside Charles Barkley in the frontcourt. He averaged double-digits in points for four-straight seasons in Philly before his career descended into a couple of short stints in New Jersey and Washington.

The most impressive part of Anderson’s story, however, is that his playing career did not end when his NBA career did. He played in France and Israel, eventually settling in with La Seguiniere in France. He played there until he was 52 years old! Anderson wasn’t a star, but his longevity is incredibly impressive.