One of the major reasons why LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat in 2010 was the Cavs’ inability to surround James with talent; Mo Williams was the sidekick and second-best player during James’ first stint with Cleveland. Drafting was not a strong point of those Cavs teams, and in 2005 and 2007, Cleveland didn’t even have a draft pick. Looking back, who are some players that the Cavs could’ve paired with LeBron James in order to create more success, and possibly keep James in Cleveland?

2004-2005

In the 2004 NBA Draft, Cleveland owned the 10th overall pick, which they used to select SG Like Jackson from Oregon. Jackson was a bust, and was never a big contributor to the team. Players selected after Jackson include C Al Jefferson, F Josh Smith, SG JR Smith, PG Jameer Nelson, SG Tony Allen, SG Kevin Martin, and SF Trevor Ariza. All of these players would be useful, and significant upgrades over Jackson, but the choice at #1 comes down to Jefferson, Smith, and Allen.

James has never played with a dominant big man; the closest things were an aging and brittle Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and the corpse of Shaquille O'Neal. While Jefferson has never been elite, he has been a quality big man who has started for a number of teams. Having a food rebounder and someone who can consistently score in the post would be beneficial.

During James’s second tenure with Cleveland, the strategy has been to surround him with good three-point shooters in order to spread the floor and give James more room to drive and slash to the basket. Back in his early to mid 20s, James was even more aggressive, and relied less on his jumpshot and more on his otherworldly athleticism than he does now. Having food floor spacing back then would've been very nice, and James’s gaudy numbers could've been even better. One of his current teammates is JR Smith, who has revitalized his career in Cleveland. Pairing him up with James 10 years earlier would've done wonders for both players.

Lock-down wing defenders are hard to come by, and are always at a premium. Tony Allen has been one of the best for the past 13 years. He was somewhat of an offensive liability, although nothing like the Thunder’s Andre Roberson. Allen was a key part of Boston’s championship team in 2008-2009? and has remained an effective player for Memphis the last few seasons. LeBron James has been an elite defender for years, and having someone that could defend players like Brandon Roy and Kobe Bryant would be quite helpful.

The pick: JR Smith

2006-2007

In this draft, Cleveland owned the 25th, 42nd, and 55th selections, which they used to take Shannon Brown, Daniel Gibson, and Ejike Ugboaja. All-Star PG Kyle Lowry went 24th overall, so the Cavs didn't have a chance to take him. Options to replace Brown include SF P.J. Tucker, PF Paul Millsap, and undrafted PG C.J. Watson.

Tucker currently plays for the Houston Rockets, and is a good rotational player who specializes in defense. He ended up going 35th overall to Toronto.

Millsap has been a perennial All-Star for Atlanta, and signed with Denver during this past off season. His ability to score inside and shoot the three while playing solid defense has made him incredibly valuable. Adding another legitimate offensive threat alongside James would make the Cavs a formidable team.

Watson has been a solid backup PG for multiple teams, and would’ve been a good late second round pick.

Gibson was a good rotational guard for the Cavs, and in this hypothetical, is still selected in the second round.

The picks: Paul Millsap and C.J. Watson

2008-2009

In this draft, the Cavs took PF J.J. Hickson, who Cleveland thought so highly of that they refused to trade him away from Amar’e Stoudemire. Players selected after Hickson include SG Courtney Lee, PF Serge Ibaka, SF Nicolas Batum, PG Mario Chalmers, C DeAndre Jordan, and SF Luc Mbah a Moute. SG Anthony Morrow and C Timofey Mozgov went undrafted.

This choice is clear; DeAndre Jordan is an elite defender and rebounder; a better version of James’s current teammate Tristan Thompson. Jordan is well known for his high-flying alley-oops and slam dunks, and his play style would mesh well with James.

The pick: DeAndre Jordan

2009-2010

James’s final season before leaving for Miami was disappointing. After adding Shaq, the Cavs eventually lost 4-2 to the Boston Celtics, and fans will remember James removing his jersey while exiting the court. Christian Eyenga was selected 30th overall, and Danny Green 46th. PG Patrick Beverley went later on, and SG Wesley Matthews went undrafted.

Green didn’t do much for Cleveland, but after signing with San Antonio, he has become one of the NBA’s premier 3-and-D players.

After a strong run with the Houston Rockets, Patrick Beverley was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Chris Paul trade. He is one of the most underrated guards in the league; a capable scorer, passer, and defender.

Wesley Matthews was signed by the Dallas Mavericks after a few good seasons with with Portland. Like Green, Matthews is a good 3-and-D player.

The picks: Patrick Beverly and Danny Green

Final roster

The Cavs 2009-2010 key rotational players were:

PG – Mo Williams, Sebastian Telfair, Delonte West

SG – Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker, Danny Green

SF – LeBron James, Jamario Moon, Jawad Williams

PF – Antawn Jamison, J.J. Hickson, Leon Powe

C – Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao

In this scenario, the optimal roster would be:

PG – Mo Williams, Patrick Beverley, C.J. Watson

SG – JR Smith, Danny Green, Daniel Gibson

SF – LeBron James,  Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker

PF – Paul Millsap, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe

C – DeAndre Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Quite a difference. The Cavs now have a starting lineup that can both defend well and score at will. Their depth is also much improved, as a second unit of Beverley, Green, Jamison, Varejao, O’Neal would be a respectable starting lineup. A deep team of shooters and defenders to surround James is exactly what the 2009-2010 Cavs were lacking, and what ended up being a major factor in James’s infamous “Decision”.