Tristan Thompson was drafted fourth overall in 2011, which made history as that made him (since broken) the highest-drafted Canadian.  While it can be argued that Thompson has not lived up to the lofty expectations that were placed upon him, it has been a good career thus far.  Four times as a Cavalier, Thompson would average more than 10 Points per Game, but his real strength has been rebounding, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.  In four straight seasons (2012-13 to 2015-16) he finished in the top five in total Offensive Rebounds and in the 2015-16 campaign he finished first in Offensive Rating.  That season he would help the Cavaliers win the NBA Championship.

Thompson left Cleveland after nine seasons for Boston as a Free Agent, but he returned in 2023 to add a veteran presence in the paint.  He played there for two years, but was not resigned.  

Kevin Love would spend the first six years of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he was the team's star, but the T-Wolves lacked much else, and he never made the playoffs while he played there.  LeBron James would return to Cleveland, and the Cavs would orchestrate a trade to bring Love to the Cavaliers to join him and Kyrie Irving.  Love was now the third option on a superteam, but, like many stars, he had to take time to adjust, and eventually he found his footing.  The triumvirate would take Cleveland to its first NBA Championship in 2016.

From Brazil, Anderson Varejao arrived in Cleveland as part of a trade a month after he was drafted (by Orlando) and it is safe to say that the big man exceeded every expectation that anyone could have had for him.

Terrell Brandon was the 11^th Overall Pick in the 1991 Draft, and he would spend his first three years and change serving as the backup Point Guard to Mark Price.  Brandon would officially become the team's starter in the 1995/96 season, during which he would go on a two-year streak of All-Star Game appearances, average 19.4 Points per Game, and be regarded as one of the most accurate shooters in the sport.  He would have a PER of 25.2 and 21.5, respectively, and was in the top three in Free Throw Percentage both of those years.