The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a tough spot. At least, from a draft pick perspective. As things currently stand, the Cavaliers don’t own a single draft pick in the 2027 NBA Draft (in the first or second round). So, if things go awry early in the season and the Cavs don’t look like a top team in the Eastern Conference, things could get dicey.
Having draft picks is the best way to ensure that a bad season doesn’t go to waste. If you fail to reach your goals in the playoffs, at least you have picks to back yourself up. That’s the case in most scenarios. But the Cavaliers don’t have that luxury, as not only do they not own their own picks this year, but they don’t have any picks at all.
So, if the Cavs don’t end up playing like one of the best teams in the league, they could get sandwiched into mediocrity with little means of escaping.
Cavaliers' lack of 2027 draft picks is scary
It may not seem like much, but draft picks of any kind are super important in today’s NBA. Even late firsts and second-round picks can help produce cheap talent that helps team bordering the aprons compete.
That’s where the Cavs are. They are pressed up against the first apron and could very well inch toward being a second-apron team next season. That’s a tough spot to be in.
Drafting players who can impact winning while on rookie-scale contracts is crucial. Just look at the Boston Celtics with guys like Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez. Or Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren when the Oklahoma City Thunder won the title, if you want a larger-scale example.
The point is, having draft picks is one of the best ways of staying afloat as an expensive basketball team. And if you aren’t a bona fide title contender, having them is even more important.
Because let’s say the Cavs don’t make the Eastern Conference Finals again. Let’s say they plateau. They don’t have many ways of hitting the trade market without trading one of their core pieces.
The best way for them to improve internally would be to draft their next wave of young talents on cheap deals, but next summer, they won’t have any draft picks to do so.
Cleveland better hope it ends up being a true-blue title contender, because if it isn’t, not having draft picks could come back to bite them very quickly.
