2018-19_Cleveland_Cavaliers_season
2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers season
Season of National Basketball Association team the Cleveland Cavaliers
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]
| 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 | |||
| |||
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]
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Division
| 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 |
Conference
| 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 |
Preseason
| 2018 preseason game log Total: 2–2 (Home: 1–2; Road: 1–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 2–2 (home: 1–2; road: 1–0)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
.jpg){kind=link}
| 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
Trades
| 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 |
Free agency
Re-signed
Additions
| Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Preston[13] | Two-way contract |  Igokea |
| Channing Frye[14] | UFA | Los Angeles Lakers |
| David Nwaba[15] | UFA | Chicago Bulls |
Subtractions
| 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 |
- Cacciola, Scott; Hoffman, Benjamin; Stein, Marc (June 8, 2018). "Warriors, in Full Dynasty Mode, Sweep Cavaliers in N.B.A. Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- "Teams Defense". NBA.com. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- Stein, Marc; Cacciola, Scott (July 1, 2018). "LeBron James Joining Lakers on 4-Year $154 Million Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- "Cavaliers and Larry Drew Agree on New Head Coaching Deal". NBA.com. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
- "2018–19 Cleveland Cavaliers Schedule and Results". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- "Cavs Earn Eighth Overall Pick in 2018 NBA Draft". NBA.com/cavaliers. May 15, 2018. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
- Vardon, Joe (May 15, 2018). "Cavaliers land No. 8 pick in draft at 2018 NBA Lottery in Chicago". cleveland.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
- Vardon, Joe (June 22, 2018). "Cavaliers select Collin Sexton of Alabama, and he makes immediate pitch to LeBron James to stay: NBA Draft 2018". cleveland.com. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
- Ruiz, Steven (July 2, 2018). "LeBron James thanks Northeast Ohio in classy farewell message". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
- "2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers Roster and Regular season Stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- "Cavaliers Acquire Sam Dekker". NBA.com. August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- "Cavs Re-Sign Rodney Hood". NBA.com. September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Sign Billy Preston to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. July 7, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Sign Channing Frye". NBA.com. July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Sign David Nwaba". NBA.com. September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- "London Perrantes: Waived by Cavs". CBS Sports. June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
- "London Perrantes signs with Limoges CSP". Sportando. July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.[permanent dead link]
- "Le playmaker London PERRANTES rejoint le Limoges CSP". limogescsp.com (in French). July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
- "Lakers Sign LeBron James". NBA.com/lakers. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- Buckner, Candace (July 3, 2018). "Wizards add veteran depth, sign former Hoya Jeff Green to one-year deal". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- "Wizards sign Jeff Green". NBA.com. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
- "Detroit Pistons sign free agents Jose Calderon, Glen Robinson III". NBA.com. July 7, 2018. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Waive Kendrick Perkins". NBA.com. July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
- "Cavaliers Waive Okaro White". NBA.com. August 5, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.