| 2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |
|
| General manager | Koby Altman |
| Owner(s) | Dan Gilbert |
| Arena | Quicken Loans Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 19–63 (.232) |
| Place | Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 14th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Ohio |
| Radio | |
The 2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 49th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers entered the season as the four-time defending Eastern Conference champion, and were coming off of an NBA Finals loss, in which they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in four games, the first Finals sweep since 2007, in which the Cavs were also swept, by the San Antonio Spurs. [1] The Cavaliers had the worst team defensive rating in the NBA. [2]
LeBron James was not on the roster for the first time since 2013-14, as he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason as a free agent, his second time leaving his hometown team after doing so in 2010 to join the Miami Heat. [3]
On October 28, 2018, the Cavaliers fired Tyronn Lue after a 0–6 start (the worst start for a team coming off the NBA Finals) and replaced him on the interim basis with his assistant Larry Drew, who would become permanent coach on November 5. [4]
Without LeBron James, as with the 2010–11 season (James' first departure from Cleveland), the Cavaliers struggled to find a solid identity, ranking in the bottom 10 in all of points per game, opponent points per game, pace, offensive rating, and defensive rating. [5] They finished at 19–63, the third worst record in the league, second worst in the Eastern Conference, and their worst season since 2010–11. This was also the Cavs' first losing season since the 2013–14 season.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College / Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Collin Sexton | PG |  United States | Alabama |
The Cavaliers entered the 2018 NBA draft with the rights to the eighth overall pick, which originally belonged to the Brooklyn Nets. [6] Cleveland acquired the pick from the Boston Celtics in the Kyrie Irving trade during the summer of 2017. [7] The Cavaliers used the pick to acquire point guard Collin Sexton, a freshman out of the University of Alabama. [8]
On July 1, 2018, LeBron James confirmed that he would be leaving the Cavaliers and signing a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. [3] [9] This marked the second time in which James left the Cavaliers in free agency, with the first coming when James joined the Miami Heat in 2010. [3]
| 2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z – Milwaukee Bucks | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 33–8 | 27–14 | 14–2 | 82 |
| x – Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 12.0 | 29–12 | 19–22 | 11–5 | 82 |
| x – Detroit Pistons | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19.0 | 26–15 | 15–26 | 8–8 | 82 |
| Chicago Bulls | 22 | 60 | .268 | 38.0 | 9–32 | 13–28 | 3–13 | 82 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 19 | 63 | .232 | 41.0 | 13–28 | 6–35 | 4–12 | 82 |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Milwaukee Bucks * | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Toronto Raptors * | 58 | 24 | .707 | 2.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Philadelphia 76ers | 51 | 31 | .622 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Boston Celtics | 49 | 33 | .598 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Brooklyn Nets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 7 | y – Orlando Magic * | 42 | 40 | .512 | 18.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Detroit Pistons | 41 | 41 | .500 | 19.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 39 | 43 | .476 | 21.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 39 | 43 | .476 | 21.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Washington Wizards | 32 | 50 | .390 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Atlanta Hawks | 29 | 53 | .354 | 31.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Chicago Bulls | 22 | 60 | .268 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 19 | 63 | .232 | 41.0 | 82 |
| 15 | New York Knicks | 17 | 65 | .207 | 43.0 | 82 |
| 2018 preseason game log Total: 2–2 (Home: 1–2; Road: 1–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 2–2 (home: 1–2; road: 1–0)
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| 2018–19 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Pos. | GP | GS | MP | Reb. | Ast. | Stl. | Blk. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deng Adel ≠ | SF | 19 | 3 | 194 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 32 |
| Jaron Blossomgame ≠ | SF | 27 | 4 | 439 | 98 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 114 |
| Alec Burks † | SG | 34 | 24 | 979 | 186 | 98 | 25 | 16 | 396 |
| Marquese Chriss ≠ | PF | 27 | 2 | 395 | 114 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 153 |
| Jordan Clarkson | SG | 81 | 0 | 2,214 | 270 | 196 | 57 | 13 | 1,364 |
| Sam Dekker † | PF | 9 | 5 | 169 | 33 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 57 |
| Matthew Dellavedova | PG | 36 | 0 | 715 | 67 | 152 | 12 | 2 | 262 |
| Channing Frye | C | 36 | 6 | 341 | 52 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 129 |
| Andrew Harrison ‡ | PG | 10 | 0 | 144 | 15 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 43 |
| George Hill † | PG | 13 | 13 | 344 | 27 | 36 | 12 | 1 | 140 |
| John Holland ‡ | SF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Hood † | SG | 45 | 45 | 1,234 | 112 | 92 | 38 | 5 | 547 |
| Jalen Jones ‡ | SF | 16 | 0 | 214 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 81 |
| Brandon Knight ≠ | PG | 27 | 26 | 618 | 50 | 62 | 19 | 2 | 230 |
| Kyle Korver † | PF | 16 | 0 | 251 | 29 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 108 |
| Kevin Love | PF | 22 | 21 | 598 | 239 | 48 | 6 | 5 | 374 |
| Patrick McCaw ‡ | SG | 3 | 0 | 53 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Larry Nance | PF | 67 | 30 | 1,795 | 552 | 214 | 100 | 40 | 627 |
| David Nwaba | SG | 51 | 14 | 984 | 163 | 54 | 36 | 17 | 334 |
| Cedi Osman | SF | 76 | 75 | 2,444 | 357 | 195 | 60 | 11 | 991 |
| Cameron Payne ≠ | PG | 9 | 1 | 176 | 19 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 74 |
| Collin Sexton | PG | 82 | 72 | 13.0 | 236 | 243 | 44 | 6 | 1,371 |
| Kobi Simmons ‡ | PG | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. R. Smith | SG | 11 | 4 | 222 | 18 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 74 |
| Nik Stauskas † | SG | 24 | 0 | 342 | 47 | 19 | 7 | 3 | 132 |
| Tristan Thompson | C | 43 | 40 | 1,198 | 438 | 86 | 28 | 16 | 470 |
| Ante Žižić | C | 59 | 25 | 1,082 | 320 | 53 | 13 | 22 | 459 |
After all games. [10]
‡Waived during the season
†Traded during the season
≠Acquired during the season
| August 7, 2018 [11] | To Cleveland Cavaliers Sam Dekker Cash considerations Draft rights to Renaldas Seibutis | To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko |
| Player | Signed |
|---|---|
| Rodney Hood [12] | September 10, 2018 |
| Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Preston [13] | Two-way contract |  Igokea |
| Channing Frye [14] | UFA | Los Angeles Lakers |
| David Nwaba [15] | UFA | Chicago Bulls |
| Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|
| London Perrantes [16] [17] [18] | Waived |  Limoges CSP |
| LeBron James [3] [19] | UFA | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Jeff Green [20] [21] | UFA | Washington Wizards |
| José Calderón [22] | UFA | Detroit Pistons |
| Kendrick Perkins [23] | Waived | TBA |
| Okaro White [24] | Waived | Long Island Nets |
The Cleveland Cavaliers are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team began play as an expansion team in 1970, along with the Portland Trail Blazers and Buffalo Braves. Home games were first held at Cleveland Arena from 1970 to 1974, followed by the Richfield Coliseum from 1974 to 1994. Since 1994, the Cavs have played home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, which is shared with the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. Dan Gilbert has owned the team since March 2005.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a Lithuanian-born American former professional basketball player who played the center position. The 7'3" Ilgauskas played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association from 1997 to 2010 and played for the Miami Heat during the 2010–11 season. He was named to the 1997–98 All-Rookie First Team and is a two-time NBA All-Star. Ilgauskas played in the 2007 NBA Finals as a member of the Cavaliers. He is known for his accurate jump shot, for his rebounding, and for overcoming difficult injury challenges during his career. Nicknamed Big Z, Ilgauskas is the Cavaliers' career leader in blocked shots; his jersey no. 11 has been retired by the team.
Tyronn Jamar Lue is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lue formerly served as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping them win their first NBA title in franchise history.
Maurice Williams is the head men's basketball coach at Jackson State University and a former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a successful high school career at Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi, Williams attended college at the University of Alabama, where he led his team as a freshman to a 27–8 record, and also shared an SEC regular-season championship. After two seasons at Alabama, Williams entered the 2003 NBA draft where he was selected with the 47th overall pick by the Utah Jazz. Throughout his career, he has also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2009, Williams was selected as an NBA All-Star. In the 2016, he won his only NBA championship with the Cavaliers. He retired as a player in 2017.
The 2007–08 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 38th season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers were the defending Eastern Conference champions, and were coming off of an NBA Finals defeat to the San Antonio Spurs, where they were swept in four games.
The 2003–04 NBA season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association in Cleveland, Ohio. In the years following their 1998 first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers dropped to the bottom of the league and became a perennial entrant in the annual NBA draft lottery. The franchise's freefall bottomed out during the 2002–03 season, as the Cavs fell to a 17–65 record, tied with the Denver Nuggets for the league's worst.
The 2004–05 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 35th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Cleveland, Ohio. During the offseason, the Cavaliers acquired Drew Gooden from the Orlando Magic, and Eric Snow from the Philadelphia 76ers. In his second season, expectations were high for LeBron James as the Cavaliers hoped for a playoff berth. Through the first half of the season, the Cavs held a 30–21 record at the All-Star Break as James was selected to his first All-Star selection in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game along with Zydrunas Ilgauskas. However, as March began, the Cavaliers were unable to upgrade at the trading deadline as the team went on a six-game losing streak. Head coach Paul Silas was fired and replaced by interim Brendan Malone. LeBron was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and finished in sixth place in MVP voting.
The 2008–09 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 39th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished the regular season with 66 wins and 16 losses, the best record in the NBA, which easily surpassed the previous franchise best of 57–25 from the 1988–89 and 1991–92 seasons. LeBron James won his first MVP Award and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Cavaliers had the fourth best team offensive rating and the third best team defensive rating in the NBA.
The 2009–10 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 40th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers finished with the best record in the NBA at 61–21, earning them first place in the East. The season saw LeBron James win the MVP Award for the second straight year. The Cavaliers had the fifth best team offensive rating in the NBA.
Matthew William Dellavedova is an Australian professional basketball player for Melbourne United of the National Basketball League (NBL). He played college basketball for Saint Mary's College. In 2016, he won the NBA championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a member of the Australian national team, he won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Iman Asante Shumpert is an American former professional basketball player. Shumpert was selected by the New York Knicks with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
The 2010–11 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 41st season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They finished the regular season with 19 wins and 63 losses, the team's worst record since 2002–03. This was also their first season without LeBron James, who was not on the roster as he left the team in the offseason to join the Miami Heat.
The Cleveland Cavaliers first began play in the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team under the ownership of Nick Mileti. Jerry Tomko, the father of future Major League Baseball pitcher Brett Tomko, submitted the winning entry to name the team the "Cavaliers" through a competition sponsored by The Plain Dealer; supporters preferred it to "Jays", "Foresters" and "Presidents". Playing their home games at Cleveland Arena under the direction of head coach Bill Fitch, they compiled a league-worst 15–67 record in their inaugural season. The team hoped to build around the number one 1971 draft pick Austin Carr, who had set numerous scoring records at Notre Dame, but Carr severely injured his leg shortly into his pro career and never was able to realize his potential.
The 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 46th season of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA championship, the first NBA championship in franchise history. During the regular season, the Cavaliers had the third best team offensive rating and were tenth in team defensive rating in the NBA. During the playoffs, the Cavaliers had the best team offensive rating and were eighth in team defensive rating in the NBA.
The 2016–17 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 47th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). For the first time in franchise history, the Cavaliers entered the season as the defending NBA champions, having defeated the Golden State Warriors in seven games in the NBA Finals where they came back from a 3–1 deficit, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to do so. The Cavaliers also broke the record of most made three-pointers in a regular season game with 25 against the Atlanta Hawks.
London Tyus Perrantes Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Kolossos Rodou of the Greek Basket League. He played college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers.
The 2018 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff, the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers four games to zero. The Warriors became the 7th NBA franchise to win back-to-back championships, joining the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat. This year's Finals was the first time in any of North America's four major professional sports leagues that the same two teams met for the championship four years in a row. This was also the first time that a team was swept in the NBA Finals since 2007, in which the Cavaliers were also the losing team. LeBron James, in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals appearance and tenth appearance overall, suffered the second Finals sweep of his career, having also played in the 2007 Finals. Warriors small forward Kevin Durant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
The 2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers entered the season as runners-up in the 2017 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games. This was the Cavaliers' first season without Kyrie Irving since the 2010–2011 season, as he was traded to the Boston Celtics during the offseason per his request. This trade ended the superteam era of the Cavaliers.
The 2018–19 Los Angeles Lakers season was the franchise's 71st season, its 70th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 59th in Los Angeles.
The 2022–23 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 53rd season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This season, the Cavaliers made a blockbuster move to bring Donovan Mitchell to the Cavaliers in exchange for Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and future picks. The Cavaliers matched their win total of the previous season with a 120–104 win over the Charlotte Hornets to improve to 44–27. The Cavaliers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and the first time without LeBron James since drafting him. Their season ended in the 1st round where they lost in 5 games to the New York Knicks. This included one game where they only scored 79 points.
