The Cavaliers surprised the college and NBA basketball worlds by hiring Michigan coach John Beilein to a five-year deal on Monday.
Now, Cleveland can make another splash if it can win Tuesday’s NBA Draft lottery, with the presumed prize being Duke forward Zion Williamson. The Cavaliers tied with the Suns for the second-worst record in the NBA at 19-63, and both teams have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery along with the Knicks (17-65).
If history is any indication, luck might just be on Cleveland’s side.
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Cleveland has made the No. 1 pick five times in the NBA Draft lottery era, which began in 1985. Every time that has happened, the Cavs emerged as an Eastern Conference contender within a few seasons.
That started in 1986, when Cleveland traded with the Clippers and drafted North Carolina center Brad Daugherty with the No. 1 pick. The Cavs then grabbed Ron Harper seven picks later at No. 8 and traded for Mark Price, who was drafted by the Mavericks with the first pick in the second round.
That core helped the Cavs become a playoff regular from the late 1980s to mid-1990s. Cleveland made the playoffs eight times from 1987-96, including a trip to the 1992 Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavs won the lottery again in 2003, drafting LeBron James from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School. The rest is history. James had two stints with the Cavs and took the team to the NBA Finals five times in 10 playoff appearances, including a championship run in 2016.
A run of three No. 1 picks in four seasons this decade made that second stint with James possible.
The Cavs traded for the Clippers' 2011 first-round pick during the regular season, and that landed at No. 1 overall. Cleveland selected Kyrie Irving, who later emerged as James’ wing man. Irving was a four-time All-Star before being shipped to Boston in 2017.
In 2013, the Cavs bumped up two spots to win the NBA Draft lottery in 2013 and drafted UNLV forward Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 pick. Cleveland won the lottery one more time in 2014, with a 1.70 percent chance. The Cavs jumped up eight spots to No. 1 and took Andrew Wiggins.
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The Cavs used Bennett and Wiggins to trade for Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, the third key piece in the four NBA Finals runs with James and Irving.
Love is the only one remaining from the Cavs' "Big Three" era. Last year's first-round pick, Collin Sexton, averaged 16.7 points per game as a rookie. Cedi Osman and Jordan Clarkson are capable scorers. Landing Williamson would at least give Beilein a base capable for reaching the playoffs within two seasons with the right pieces.
The Beilein hire was risky, especially considering it was before the lottery. If Cleveland lands the No. 1 pick, then there might be fewer skeptics.
Will Cleveland feel that luck one more time?
