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Last updated September 14, 2026

Cleveland Cavaliers history · NBA regular season

The 25 Greatest Cleveland Cavaliers of All Time

LeBron James ranks No. 1 after producing 6,805.9 Franchise Value across 11 seasons in a Cavaliers uniform. Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, and Hot Rod Williams complete the top five. This ranking covers 1970–71 through 2025–26.

25 ranked players1970–71 through 2025–26 franchise coverage1,000 minimum minutesRegular season only
See the full top 25How the ranking works

The answer at a glance

The top five

Franchise Value estimates how many regular-season points above a replacement-level player someone produced for this franchise. It rewards both strong seasons and staying power.

  1. No. 1

    LeBron James

    6,805.9Franchise Value

    11 seasons · 849 games
    27.2 PPG · 7.3 RPG · 7.3 APG

  2. No. 2

    Mark Price

    2,352.1Franchise Value

    9 seasons · 582 games
    16.4 PPG · 2.6 RPG · 7.2 APG

  3. No. 3

    Larry Nance

    1,792.6Franchise Value

    7 seasons · 433 games
    16.8 PPG · 8.2 RPG · 2.6 APG

  4. No. 4

    Brad Daugherty

    1,758.8Franchise Value

    8 seasons · 548 games
    19 PPG · 9.5 RPG · 3.7 APG

  5. No. 5

    Hot Rod Williams

    1,549.9Franchise Value

    9 seasons · 661 games
    12.9 PPG · 7.1 RPG · 2.1 APG

The full list

The full top 25

Every name links to a full career profile. The best-season rank is the player’s leaguewide Impact Rate rank for that season.

  1. 1

    LeBron James

    6,805.9 value · 11 seasons · best: 2008–09

    6,805.9Franchise Value
    11 seasons2003–04 to 2017–18
    2008–09Impact Rate No. 1
    27.2 / 7.3 / 7.3PPG / RPG / APG
  2. 2

    Mark Price

    2,352.1 value · 9 seasons · best: 1989–90

    2,352.1Franchise Value
    9 seasons1986–87 to 1994–95
    1989–90Impact Rate No. 9
    16.4 / 2.6 / 7.2PPG / RPG / APG
  3. 3

    Larry Nance

    1,792.6 value · 7 seasons · best: 1991–92

    1,792.6Franchise Value
    7 seasons1987–88 to 1993–94
    1991–92Impact Rate No. 11
    16.8 / 8.2 / 2.6PPG / RPG / APG
  4. 4

    Brad Daugherty

    1,758.8 value · 8 seasons · best: 1992–93

    1,758.8Franchise Value
    8 seasons1986–87 to 1993–94
    1992–93Impact Rate No. 10
    19 / 9.5 / 3.7PPG / RPG / APG
  5. 5

    Hot Rod Williams

    1,549.9 value · 9 seasons · best: 1989–90

    1,549.9Franchise Value
    9 seasons1986–87 to 1994–95
    1989–90Impact Rate No. 25
    12.9 / 7.1 / 2.1PPG / RPG / APG
  6. 6

    Kyrie Irving

    1,417.2 value · 6 seasons · best: 2013–14

    1,417.2Franchise Value
    6 seasons2011–12 to 2016–17
    2013–14Impact Rate No. 19
    21.6 / 3.4 / 5.5PPG / RPG / APG
  7. 7

    Kevin Love

    1,284.2 value · 9 seasons · best: 2015–16

    1,284.2Franchise Value
    9 seasons2014–15 to 2022–23
    2015–16Impact Rate No. 35
    15.7 / 9.2 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
  8. 8

    Terrell Brandon

    1,228.2 value · 6 seasons · best: 1995–96

    1,228.2Franchise Value
    6 seasons1991–92 to 1996–97
    1995–96Impact Rate No. 3
    12.7 / 2.7 / 4.9PPG / RPG / APG
  9. 9

    Donovan Mitchell

    1,148.4 value · 4 seasons · best: 2022–23

    1,148.4Franchise Value
    4 seasons2022–23 to 2025–26
    2022–23Impact Rate No. 18
    26.7 / 4.6 / 5.2PPG / RPG / APG
  10. 10

    Jarrett Allen

    1,070.4 value · 6 seasons · best: 2023–24

    1,070.4Franchise Value
    6 seasons2020–21 to 2025–26
    2023–24Impact Rate No. 39
    14.8 / 9.9 / 1.9PPG / RPG / APG
  11. 11

    Craig Ehlo

    973.9 value · 7 seasons · best: 1989–90

    973.9Franchise Value
    7 seasons1986–87 to 1992–93
    1989–90Impact Rate No. 38
    9.9 / 4.4 / 3.5PPG / RPG / APG
  12. 12

    Ron Harper

    939.0 value · 4 seasons · best: 1988–89

    939.0Franchise Value
    4 seasons1986–87 to 1989–90
    1988–89Impact Rate No. 10
    19.4 / 4.7 / 5.1PPG / RPG / APG
  13. 13

    Zydrunas Ilgauskas

    923.4 value · 12 seasons · best: 2003–04

    923.4Franchise Value
    12 seasons1997–98 to 2009–10
    2003–04Impact Rate No. 59
    13.8 / 7.7 / 1.2PPG / RPG / APG
  14. 14

    Evan Mobley

    794.7 value · 5 seasons · best: 2024–25

    794.7Franchise Value
    5 seasons2021–22 to 2025–26
    2024–25Impact Rate No. 32
    16.7 / 9 / 3PPG / RPG / APG
  15. 15

    Anderson Varejão

    792.3 value · 13 seasons · best: 2013–14

    792.3Franchise Value
    13 seasons2004–05 to 2020–21
    2013–14Impact Rate No. 40
    7.5 / 7.5 / 1.2PPG / RPG / APG
  16. 16

    Andre Miller

    786.0 value · 3 seasons · best: 2001–02

    786.0Franchise Value
    3 seasons1999–00 to 2001–02
    2001–02Impact Rate No. 19
    14.5 / 4.2 / 8.2PPG / RPG / APG
  17. 17

    Foots Walker

    777.1 value · 6 seasons · best: 1979–80

    777.1Franchise Value
    6 seasons1974–75 to 1979–80
    1979–80Impact Rate No. 41
    7.2 / 3 / 5PPG / RPG / APG
  18. 18

    Bingo Smith

    773.2 value · 10 seasons · best: 1970–71

    773.2Franchise Value
    10 seasons1970–71 to 1979–80
    1970–71Impact Rate No. 25
    13.2 / 4.2 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
  19. 19

    Campy Russell

    764.6 value · 7 seasons · best: 1978–79

    764.6Franchise Value
    7 seasons1974–75 to 1984–85
    1978–79Impact Rate No. 42
    16.1 / 5.1 / 2.8PPG / RPG / APG
  20. 20

    World B. Free

    748.1 value · 4 seasons · best: 1984–85

    748.1Franchise Value
    4 seasons1982–83 to 1985–86
    1984–85Impact Rate No. 22
    23 / 2.9 / 3.9PPG / RPG / APG
  21. 21

    Austin Carr

    731.9 value · 9 seasons · best: 1972–73

    731.9Franchise Value
    9 seasons1971–72 to 1979–80
    1972–73Impact Rate No. 46
    16.2 / 3 / 2.9PPG / RPG / APG
  22. 22

    Wesley Person

    712.1 value · 5 seasons · best: 1997–98

    712.1Franchise Value
    5 seasons1997–98 to 2001–02
    1997–98Impact Rate No. 24
    12 / 3.6 / 2PPG / RPG / APG
  23. 23

    Jim Brewer

    655.1 value · 6 seasons · best: 1975–76

    655.1Franchise Value
    6 seasons1973–74 to 1978–79
    1975–76Impact Rate No. 26
    7.5 / 7.7 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
  24. 24

    Lenny Wilkens

    598.8 value · 2 seasons · best: 1972–73

    598.8Franchise Value
    2 seasons1972–73 to 1973–74
    1972–73Impact Rate No. 10
    18.5 / 4.2 / 7.7PPG / RPG / APG
  25. 25

    Jim Cleamons

    511.0 value · 5 seasons · best: 1975–76

    511.0Franchise Value
    5 seasons1972–73 to 1976–77
    1975–76Impact Rate No. 44
    9.4 / 3.6 / 4.1PPG / RPG / APG

What separates the list

Peak and staying power

The main order uses total Franchise Value. These views show who supplied the biggest single seasons and who contributed across the most seasons.

Why No. 1

Why LeBron James leads

LeBron James produced 6,805.9 Franchise Value, 4,453.8 more than Mark Price. His best team season was 2008–09, when he ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate.

If you put more weight on playoff moments, championships, or awards, your order may differ. This list does not quietly fold those judgments into the number.

Most seasons among the top 25

Anderson Varejão · 13 seasons

Anderson Varejão logged 596 games and 14,809 regular-season minutes across 2004–05 to 2020–21.

Best individual seasons

  1. 1
    LeBron James2008–09 · Impact Rate No. 1
    819.4
  2. 2
    LeBron James2007–08 · Impact Rate No. 1
    786.1
  3. 3
    LeBron James2009–10 · Impact Rate No. 1
    754.1
  4. 4
    LeBron James2004–05 · Impact Rate No. 2
    706.3
  5. 5
    LeBron James2005–06 · Impact Rate No. 2
    680.7

Franchise Value leaders by decade

  1. 1970s
    Foots WalkerMost value in the decade
    777.1
  2. 1980s
    Mark PriceMost value in the decade
    1,020.6
  3. 1990s
    Mark PriceMost value in the decade
    1,331.5
  4. 2000s
    LeBron JamesMost value in the decade
    4,657.6
  5. 2010s
    LeBron JamesMost value in the decade
    2,148.3
  6. 2020s
    Donovan MitchellMost value in the decade
    1,148.4

Just outside the list

Nos. 26–30

  1. No. 26Darius Garland503.4
  2. No. 27Jim Chones474.1
  3. No. 28Bobby Phills413.6
  4. No. 29Carlos Boozer412.0
  5. No. 30Brevin Knight410.9

Method and limits

What this ranking measures

This is a model ranking, not a claim that one number settles every argument about franchise greatness.

01

Count only team value

We add the player’s hussEyquation Season Value only while he belonged to this franchise. A player needs at least 1,000 franchise minutes to qualify.

02

Split traded seasons

When a player changed teams, his season value is divided by the minutes played at each stop. In 1950–51, when minutes were not recorded, games are used instead.

03

Use one clear order

Higher total Franchise Value ranks first. Ties are broken by the player’s best leaguewide Impact Rate rank, then franchise minutes. Peak seasons and per-game stats are context, not hidden inputs.

04

Know what is missing

The model covers NBA regular seasons from 1950–51 onward. Playoffs, championships, awards, cultural importance, and ABA seasons are not inputs.

Sources and historical estimates: Team stints and conventional totals come from Basketball Reference; Franchise Value comes from the hussEyquation model. The site reconstructs missing box-score inputs through 1972–73. Exact Raw BPM inputs begin in 1973–74. In a traded season, the model has one combined season impact estimate; only the value allocation is split by team workload. Data were checked for this release on September 14, 2026. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

Cleveland Cavaliers ranking FAQ

Who is the greatest Cleveland Cavaliers player of all time?

Within this NBA regular-season ranking, which begins in 1970–71, LeBron James ranks first with 6,805.9 Franchise Value produced for this franchise.

Who had the best single season in this ranking?

LeBron James has the highest team-season value in this dataset: 819.4 in 2008–09. He ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate that season.

How are the top 25 ranked?

The order is total regular-season Franchise Value, which adds up value above replacement produced for this franchise. More value ranks higher.

Which earlier team names and locations are included?

Covers every Cleveland Cavaliers NBA season.

Keep exploring

Greatest players for every NBA team

Move from this franchise to any of the other 29 current NBA teams, or compare these players with the leaguewide career ranking.

Leaguewide all-time rankingsCurrent NBA team power rankingsLeBron James’s full career profile