The Cleveland Cavaliers came into the 2019 NBA Draft with two selections, at fifth and 26th overall, as we often mentioned leading up to the event.
It was reported throughout the last few months that the team, and general manager Koby Altman, in particular, believed they could acquire another first-round pick (either in the 2019 NBA Draft or in future drafts) in exchange for J.R. Smith‘s team-friendly contract for 2019-20.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Altman and the Cavaliers did not want to take back bad contract money along with the potential pick, though, according to a recent report from The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon (subscription required).