The Cleveland Cavaliers have been no stranger to the NBA Draft over the past five years. In fact, they are the only team in the NBA to have selected in the lottery for each of the past five drafts; a few bottom-dwellers had traded a pick somewhere in that range, while teams like the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic made it out of the lottery one time each for a quick playoff exit.
Many of those drafts have gone well, as the Cavaliers have built the core of the team they now have. That team won 51 games, ensuring they won’t have another lottery pick and starting a new era of playoff teams. Through both the draft and the trade market they have built a winner.
What if the Cavaliers had nailed every draft pick?
Yet one has to wonder what might have happened if the Cavs had fully maximized every draft. What if they had landed on the best possible player (within reason, of course) with every first-round pick in the last five seasons? What kind of super team could they have built?
Let’s take a look, walking through five drafts and seven picks to determine the best possible core the Cavaliers could have if they had nailed every single draft pick. Who would be on the “Dream Team” in Cleveland?