Crawford and Mihm Swapped Draft Addresses in Minutes
The Bulls selected Texas center Chris Mihm with the seventh choice of the 2000 draft, and Cleveland took Michigan guard Jamal Crawford at No. 8. The clubs then exchanged those draft rights, with Chicago also receiving cash. Michigan’s own athletics report from June 28 documents the immediate draft-night transfer and which club originally made each selection. Chicago wanted a guard with scoring and ball-handling upside for its post-Jordan roster, while Cleveland added a seven-foot interior prospect. Neither player should be described as having appeared in a game for the club that first drafted him. The right to sign the player, not an existing playing contract, was the principal asset.
Chicago Got Four Seasons From a Future High-Volume Scorer
Crawford’s rookie role was limited to 61 games and eight starts, but the Bulls developed him into a frequent starter. He played 80 games in 2002-03 and another 80 in 2003-04, starting 73 in the latter campaign while averaging 17.3 points and 5.1 assists. Chicago eventually traded him to New York in 2004, a separate transaction that does not erase the substantial output he provided after this 2000 agreement. His later Sixth Man of the Year honors with other clubs add career context, but the Bulls’ A grade can already be explained by the seasons he actually played in Chicago. The added cash was a minor supplement, not the source of the basketball value.
Cleveland Received a Useful Center Without Similar Upside
Mihm was not an empty Cavaliers return. He played 59 games and started 43 in 2000-01, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, then started 60 of 74 in 2001-02 and averaged 7.7 points with 5.3 rebounds. His role declined in 2002-03, when he appeared in 52 games with no starts before later changing teams. Cleveland’s C grade reflects real frontcourt minutes but a lower sustained offensive ceiling than Crawford developed in Chicago. There was no additional first-round selection for Cleveland to offset that difference. The Bulls won by choosing the more productive long-term guard from two adjacent lottery slots.
Final Verdict
Bulls Win. Chicago earns A after Jamal Crawford developed into a 73-start, 17.3-point scorer in 2003-04, having arrived through a draft-rights exchange plus cash. Cleveland receives C for Chris Mihm’s useful but less productive center seasons, including 60 starts in 2001-02.