Cavaliers and the NBA - A history of free draft picks

[FatSam]

The league has always been, first one of profit, second of entertainment.

When Ted Stepien sold the Cavs to the Gund family in 1983, the brothers insisted as a condition of the sale, that the NBA give the new owners extra first round draft picks. Stepien was known to have made some idiotic trades, and the brothers wanted some assurance that they had a way out of the cellar upon their 20 million dollar investment. The NBA acquiesced on their demand and they got the extra pick.....only they did to get one freebie, they received an extra first rounder for 3 straight years!

Fast forward to Dan Gilbert's purchase of the team, subsequent loss of their superstar, and the serious charges by Gilbert of tampering charges to be brought against the Miami Heat, all followed with non stop high first round picks that go beyond all odds.....and I think we have a real case of a very non-public deal. The alleged tampering by the Heat, along with Gilbert vocally demanding to the NBA that they rectify or he will bring suit, resulted in what we have on June 26th.

[Nowascki]