Cleveland Cavaliers: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been picking near the top of the NBA Draft for the past decade. How do their last ten first-round selections rank?

For fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the end of their regular season comes with a familiar refrain: it’s time to look at the top NBA Draft prospects once more. For the Cavs, this has become like an old hat.

Since 2011, the Cavaliers have held the top overall pick in the NBA Draft three times. This has given the organization ample opportunity to rebuild a long-term winner, both with and without prodigal son LeBron James. And while the Cavaliers won their first NBA title in 2016, the draft history of the franchise leaves much to be desired.

Perhaps the most painful part of the draft for Cleveland is the crop of second-round selections that became impact players in other uniforms. Joe Harris was selected in 2014 by Cleveland, but he became a 3-point ace for the Brooklyn Nets. Jae Crowder was taken in 2012, but his best days came as a Boston Celtic. Another near miss was the second-round selection of Danny Green in 2009.

Then again, the mistakes with the first overall pick have left lasting damage on the franchise. Andrew Wiggins never played a game in Cleveland (though he brought Kevin Love to town). And don’t bring up Anthony Bennett in Believeland…

Tyus Jones and Jared Cunningham were both dealt in draft-night trades, so they’re being left out of this exercise. Here’s a definitive ranking of the last ten first-round picks for the Cleveland Cavaliers.