5 best stars the Cleveland Cavaliers missed on draft night

Mikal Bridges (2018)

Shortly after LeBron James departed Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs drafted Collin Sexton out of Alabama at eighth overall. With dynamic athleticism and determined scoring, Sexton sparked a newfound excitement around the organization. Though the Cavaliers would be lottery-bound for the foreseeable future, Sexton gave a glimpse of hope after losing two of their big three in a year.

With the Cavaliers, Sexton never reached the playoffs or earned an All-Star spot, but the fanbase rallied around the Young Bull. His tenure was cut short when the Cavs included him in the blockbuster trade to bring Donovan Mitchell to the Land in the 2022 offseason. Sexton only played 11 games the prior year, opening the door for Darius Garland to emerge as an All-Star and take over Cleveland's backcourt.

Two picks later, the Phoenix Suns selected the highly-coveted Mikal Bridges. While Bridges does not have any All-Star accolades to his name either, the two-way forward has become a borderline star across the league since joining the Brooklyn Nets. As for Sexton, he was moved to the bench unit shortly after joining the Utah Jazz.

The Cavaliers might have included Bridges in the Mitchell trade, similar to the Suns' choice to send him to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant. Still, the current Cavs would be thrilled to get Bridges alongside Mitchell to build a formidable contender.