The 2018 NBA Draft was one of the most pivotal points in recent Cleveland Cavaliers history. It remains a shame to this day just how badly they fumbled the selection and the ripple effect it has had on the organization.
For those that need a refresh, LeBron James was coming off a one-man, Thanos-like run through the 2018 Eastern Conference Playoffs before getting halted in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors. The murmurings of James eyeing a new destination in free agency were inevitable.
Thankfully, the Cavaliers had the Brooklyn Nets' selection for the 2018 NBA Draft. That pick ended up landing in the top 10. That allowed the Cavaliers to either use the selection to bring in a player that would entice LeBron to stay, or find someone they can build for the future with.
The good news for the Cavaliers was the fact that 2018 turned out to be an absolutely loaded draft class, with plenty of franchise-altering talents available. The bad news is their 8th overall selection of Collin Sextion did not land them one of those players.
Cavaliers' gamble on Collin Sexton failed miserably
Stating the obvious first, the Cavaliers have managed to recover from their blunder and build a respectable championship contender in Cleveland. Sexton was even involved in that process.
The Cavaliers guard never quite established himself as a franchise cornerstone. His averages of 20.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game during his four seasons with the team do not look terrible. However, the comfort of building a roster around the young talent was never there.
Instead, Sexton wound up being included in the trade that did land the Cavaliers a franchise star who could be relied upon. Following a sign-and-trade, the former Alabama guard was sent away as a part of the package that landed Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland during the summer of 2022.
OFFICIAL: #Cavs acquire three-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell#LetEmKnow
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) September 3, 2022
Mitchell has been one of the best guards during the 2020s. His presence is a big reason for many favoring the Cavaliers to win the Eastern Conference in 2025-26.
When you dig a little deeper, though, Lauri Markkanen was also involved in that deal and has since blossomed into a star in his own right. Ochai Agbaji, who just had his best season with the Toronto Raptors, was included too. As was a ton of draft capital involving first-round picks and swaps.
The Cavaliers paid a hefty price to acquire Mitchell. It was one that could have been avoided altogether had they just selected a player who would grow into a far better pro than the former Utah Jazz guard.
A few picks after the selection of Sexton in the 2018 NBA Draft, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected 11th overall. That would be the reigning MVP, NBA champion, and NBA Finals MVP.
If the Cavaliers were looking to properly replace LeBron in 2018, that would have been their opportunity. Granted, there is never a guarantee that Gilgeous-Alexander would have developed exactly the same way in Cleveland that he did in Oklahoma City.
However, the Cavaliers will never know because they picked the wrong guy. As great as the team is today, it is more than fair to wonder just how much better they could have been had history gone just a little differently in 2018.