7 best second-round draft picks in Cavaliers history

No. 2: Carlos Boozer, 35th pick in 2002 Draft

Already on this list we have seen Virginia and North Carolina produce underrated talents for the Cavaliers, but the original second-round steal from the ACC came in 2002. Playing for the Duke Blue Devils, Boozer won an NCAA title in 2001 and was a third-team All-American in 2002 as a junior before declaring early for the NBA Draft.

That level of production wasn’t enough for Boozer to go high in the draft, instead falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 35th pick. That didn’t bother Cleveland at all, as Boozer proved to be a prolific scorer in the paint from day one. He averaged 10 points per game as a rookie and then 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in his second season, starting between Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a rookie LeBron James.

That following summer the Cavs and Boozer had something of a contentious and confusing contract negotiation that ended with Boozer signing with the Utah Jazz instead of re-signing with the Cavaliers. In Utah the power forward became an All-Star, at his peak putting up 20 points and over 10 rebounds a game in multiple seasons. He spent a long stint with the Chicago Bulls before ending his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

In terms of production, Boozer was only matched among Cleveland second-round picks by one player.