CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs ended night one of the 2025 NBA Draft in the same place they started:
Without a first-round pick.
Because of the franchise-changing Donovan Mitchell trade three years ago, Cleveland did not have a selection, sending it to the Utah Jazz who then flipped it to Phoenix in a separate deal.
About an hour into Thursday’s draft, the pick-holding Suns reportedly agreed to yet another trade with the Charlotte Hornets centered around youngster Mark Williams. Technically, the Hornets ended up with final control of the 29th pick. They chose Connecticut swingman Liam McNeeley — the final prospect remaining in the green room and a high school teammate of top-overall pick Cooper Flagg.
As for the cap-strapped Cavs, despite exploring the possibility of moving into the first round — and a few of those picks being available — they didn’t believe there was anything worthwhile.
Now they have a chance to regroup and re-evaluate the board heading into Thursday night.
The Cavs hold two second-rounders — Nos. 49 and 58 overall. It’s a chance to continue fortifying an already deep and talented roster that advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for a second straight season.
Since that loss to NBA finalist Indiana, the team conducted numerous workouts with draft-eligible prospects — all of whom remain available, including Florida State’s Jamir Watkins, Villanova’s Eric Dixon, Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer and Kentucky teammates Amari Williams and Jaxson Robinson, among others. During president of basketball operations Koby Altman’s tenure, the Cavs have drafted eight players (out of 12) that conducted a pre-draft workout.
Given their current financial situation — projected as one of two second apron teams, with limited flexibility and stiff penalties — the Cavs could explore the possibility of combining those two picks to move up higher, use both on potential full-time roster additions or perhaps target an overseas stash player, similar to what they did in the past with Luke Travers and Khalifa Diop. Either way, a pair of late-round picks will allow the Cavs to finally participate in this year’s draft after a quiet first night.
Thursday’s second round begins at 8 p.m. The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock.