The Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans did not have many reasons to enjoy the 2018-19 NBA season. LeBron James left to join the Los Angeles Lakers, championship-winning coach Ty Lue was fired just six games into the season, and they had the league’s worst defense en route to a 19-63 finish.
There was hope for a better future, however, and that hope rested on the 2019 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers would come out of the draft with three first-round picks, including the No. 5 overall pick, Darius Garland. If the Cavs were going to turn things around, it seemed likely that the 2019 draft would play a pivotal role.