Top 5 All-Time Assist Leaders in Cleveland Cavaliers History

The day the Cleveland Cavaliers discovered they had secured the No.1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft marked a pivotal moment in the franchise's history, which dates back to the early 1970s. LeBron James wasn't just a talented player hailing from Akron; he was hailed as the most promising prospect since Michael Jordan. As time has shown, this was not an exaggeration. Despite having played just as many seasons away from Cleveland (11) as with the Cavaliers, LeBron remains the greatest player in the team's history. He holds the franchise records for points (8,369), rebounds (6,190), steals (1,376), and assists (6,228), with a significant lead in the latter category (+2,022).

1. LeBron James – 6,228 assists

2. Mark Price – 4,206 assists

Sometimes, sports pontificators speak of a “Hall of Very Good.” It’s a designation given to players who, while not necessarily Hall of Fame caliber, were quite good and deserve a little extra love. Price is such a player. He is perhaps best known for his elite free-throw shooting. 

Price finished top three in free-throw percentage in NBA history, but the four-time All-Star was also a strong passer. During his time with the Cavs, he averaged 7.2 assists per game.

3. John Bagley – 2,311 assists

James is clearly the top assist guy for the Cavs, and Price is comfortably second. That seems fair, given that those two are probably the best players in Cavaliers history (solely based on what they did for the franchise). Bagley was one of those pass-first forwards you saw in the 1980s, but are less common now. In his career, he only averaged 8.7 points per game, but that’s paired with an average of 6.0 assists per game. Bagley’s best campaign was 1985-86 when he put up 11.7 points and 9.4 assists per contest.

4. Terrell Brandon – 2,235 assists

Brandon played in the NBA for a little over a decade and made two All-Star games. Both of those appearances came with the Cavaliers. It surely helped that he averaged over 19 points per game in those years, but he also dished out over six dimes per contest in those years as well. He actually became a better and more prolific passer after leaving Cleveland, first with Milwaukee (7.6 assists per game) and then with Minnesota (8.3 assists per game).

5. Foots Walker – 2,115 assists

This was a worthwhile endeavor solely to reference a player with a name as great as Foots Walker. Born Clarence Walker, he went by Foots and was with the Cavaliers in the early days of the franchise. A third-round pick in 1974, Walker spent six seasons with Cleveland. In his last season with the Cavaliers he averaged eight assists per game, which gave him enough assists to still be fifth on the franchise’s leaderboard…for now.