When the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Dion Waiters with the 4th pick in the 2012 draft, they had big aspirations. With LeBron James gone and Kyrie Irving blossoming into a star, they thought Waiters would be a perfect solution to their needs.
According to Bill Oram, Joe Vardon, and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, they also thought Waiters would be an ideal fit with LeBron James when he eventually returned to the franchise.
The Cavs selected Waiters in 2012 with LeBron’s eventual return to the team from Miami in mind, sources said, to the point where they effectively shut down Waiters’ pre-draft workouts with a promise of taking him. The team’s executives at the time thought Waiters would be a perfect fit off the bench if LeBron ever returned.
Despite early optimism and Dion’s scoring talents, he only lasted about 33 games with LeBron before he was traded to the Thunder. He would never return to the Cavs and he was never able to live up to his reputation a lottery pick.
His career averages are just 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1 assist per game on an abysmal 38.5% shooting. During his last stint in Miami, he made the headlines for a gummy overdose, and his dysfunctional behavior us what eventually caused his exit.
Fortunately, he will have another chance with the Lakers and, funnily enough, he gets to call Bron his teammate once again. We’ll see how it works out for him this time.
