King James Gospel
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Ranking the 12 worst trades in Cleveland Cavaliers history

By Josh Cornelissen

James Worthy#42, Small Forward and Power Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA Pacific Division basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on 15th February 1994 at the Great Western Forum arena in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Los Angeles Clippers won the game 100 - 89. (Photo by J.D. Cuban/Allsport/Getty Images)
James Worthy#42, Small Forward and Power Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA Pacific Division basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers on 15th February 1994 at the Great Western Forum arena in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California, United States. The Los Angeles Clippers won the game 100 - 89. (Photo by J.D. Cuban/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers
1 Nov 2000: Ron Harper #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Jazz defeated the Lakers 97-92. NOTE TO USER: It is expressly understood that the only rights Allsport are offering to license in this Photograph are one-time, non-exclusive editorial rights. No advertising or commercial uses of any kind may be made of Allsport photos. User acknowledges that it is aware that Allsport is an editorial sports agency and that NO RELEASES OF ANY TYPE ARE OBTAINED from the subjects contained in the photographs.Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport /

Worst Trade No. 5: Trading Ron Harper for flotsam

The name Ron Harper will sound familiar to basketball fans of the 1990s. Harper won five NBA titles during his career, starting for both the Chicago Bulls during their second threepeat and the Los Angeles Lakers during the first two seasons of their threepeat in 2000 and 2001. Long before that, however, he was a budding star for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Harper made the All-Rookie Team in 1986-87 after the Cavaliers took him eighth overall in the 1986 NBA Draft. He averaged 22.9 points per game as a rookie, and overall in four seasons with the Cavs he averaged 19.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Then suddenly and inexplicably, the Cavaliers traded Harper in 1989. More than that, they attached four draft picks to him, getting back recent No. 2 pick Danny Ferry (who was in Italy because he refused to play for the LA Clippers as a rookie) and a bit player in Reggie Williams.

The reasoning is convoluted as different parties have tried to explain the situation, but the core of the matter seems to be that Harper’s personal friends got involved in a series of drug arrests. While there was no evidence of Harper doing drugs, the Cavs’ brass got scared, and they moved him to the Clippers.

Harper went on to have a long career without any legal or drug issues, and the Cavaliers wobbled through the season to finish with just 42 games after winning 57 the year before. Ferry was a bust, playing a decade in Cleveland and only becoming a full-time starter in one season. The trade was a disaster.