The are a team that knows firsthand the impact that the NBA Draft can have. They drafted a top-2 player all-time with the first overall pick in 2003; in 2016 the greatest shot in franchise history, the go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, was hit by a player the franchise drafted in Kyrie Irving.
Now the Cavs are in a very different stage of their franchise’s life, rebuilding a young core from the after-effects of those contending teams build around James and Irving. With cap space continuing to be a rare commodity for the franchise even three years after their last playoff run, the Cavaliers have to look to the draft to add the pieces necessary to turn the team’s fortunes around.