Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets players: who played for both
Who played for both the Cavaliers and Rockets?
41 players played for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets between 1970–71 and 2025–26, including James Harden, Iman Shumpert, Dennis Schröder and World B. Free. 19 of them played for the Cavaliers first and 17 for the Rockets first; 5 played for both in the same season.
Did you know?
- Bingo Smith is the earliest on this list to complete the pair: Rockets first, then the Cavaliers from 1970–71.
- James Harden is the most recent: Rockets first, then the Cavaliers from 2025–26.
- Bingo Smith played the most seasons across the two: 10 for the Cavaliers and 1 for the Rockets.
- 4 of them had two or more separate spells with one of the teams, such as Chucky Brown.
- Most common positions on this list: PG (12), SG (9), PF (9), SF (8).
How many can you name?
Name players who played for both the Cavaliers and the Rockets. The surname is enough. 0 / 41
All 41 players, most seasons with the two first
| Player | Pos | Cavaliers | Rockets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingo Smith | SF/SG | 1970–1980 (10 s) | 1969–70 (1 s) |
| James Harden | PG/SG | 2025–26 (1 s) | 2012–2021 (9 s) |
| Craig Ehlo | SG | 1986–1993 (7 s) | 1983–1986 (3 s) |
| Bob Sura | SG/PG | 1995–2000 (5 s) | 2004–2007 (3 s) |
| World B. Free | SG/PG | 1982–1987 (5 s) | 1987–88 (1 s) |
| John Johnson | SF | 1970–1973 (3 s) | 1975–1978 (3 s) |
| Chucky Brown | PF/SF | 1989–1992, 2000–01 (4 s) | 1994–1996 (2 s) |
| Iman Shumpert | SG/SF | 2014–2018 (4 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Jeff Green | PF | 2017–18 (1 s) | 2019–20, 2023–2026 (4 s) |
| Kevin Porter Jr. | PG/SF | 2019–2021 (2 s) | 2020–2023 (3 s) |
| Scott Brooks | PG | 1997–98 (1 s) | 1992–1995 (3 s) |
| Mike Woodson | SG | 1990–91 (1 s) | 1988–1991 (3 s) |
| Tree Rollins | C | 1988–1990 (2 s) | 1991–1993 (2 s) |
| David Nwaba | SG/SF | 2018–19 (1 s) | 2019–2022 (3 s) |
| Derrick Chievous | SF | 1989–1991 (2 s) | 1988–1990 (2 s) |
| Henry James | PF/SF | 1990–1992, 1997–98 (3 s) | 1995–96 (1 s) |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | C/PF | 2020–21 (1 s) | 2018–2020 (2 s) |
| Brandon Knight | PG/SG | 2018–2020 (2 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Omri Casspi | SF/PF | 2011–2013 (2 s) | 2013–14 (1 s) |
| Earl Boykins | PG | 1998–2000 (2 s) | 2011–12 (1 s) |
| Sam Dekker | SF/PF | 2018–19 (1 s) | 2015–2017 (2 s) |
| Jim Jackson | SG/SF | 2000–01 (1 s) | 2003–2005 (2 s) |
| Marcus Morris Sr. | PF | 2023–24 (1 s) | 2011–2013 (2 s) |
| David Wesley | PG/SG | 2006–07 (1 s) | 2004–2006 (2 s) |
| Derek Anderson | SG/SF | 1997–1999 (2 s) | 2005–06 (1 s) |
| Clarence Weatherspoon | PF/SF | 2000–01 (1 s) | 2003–2005 (2 s) |
| Paul Mokeski | C | 1981–82, 1989–90 (2 s) | 1979–80 (1 s) |
| Pete Chilcutt | PF | 1999–00 (1 s) | 1994–1996 (2 s) |
| Bill Willoughby | SF | 1979–80 (1 s) | 1980–1982 (2 s) |
| Mark Bryant | PF/C | 1999–2001 (2 s) | 1995–96 (1 s) |
| Johnny Egan | PG | 1970–71 (1 s) | 1970–1972 (2 s) |
| Dirk Minniefield | PG | 1985–1987 (2 s) | 1986–87 (1 s) |
| Dennis Schröder | PG | 2025–26 (1 s) | 2021–22 (1 s) |
| Marquese Chriss | PF/C | 2018–19 (1 s) | 2018–19 (1 s) |
| Larry Robinson | SF/SG | 2000–01 (1 s) | 1993–94 (1 s) |
| Mike Wilks | PG/SG | 2005–06 (1 s) | 2003–04 (1 s) |
| Stephen Graham | SF/SG | 2005–06 (1 s) | 2005–06 (1 s) |
| Brodric Thomas | SG | 2020–21 (1 s) | 2020–21 (1 s) |
| Elmer Bennett | PG | 1994–95 (1 s) | 1996–97 (1 s) |
| McCoy McLemore | PF/C | 1970–71 (1 s) | 1971–72 (1 s) |
| Tierre Brown | PG/SG | 2002–03 (1 s) | 2001–02 (1 s) |
From English Wikipedia's player infoboxes (CC BY-SA 4.0), BAA/NBA seasons 1946–47 to 2025–26. A season counts when the player's infobox lists it for the franchise; ABA seasons do not count.Rockets seasons include the San Diego Rockets (1967–1971).
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Questions
How many players have played for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets?
41, from 1970–71 to 2025–26, including James Harden, Iman Shumpert, Dennis Schröder and World B. Free. A player counts when his Wikipedia infobox lists at least one NBA season with each franchise.
Who was the first player on this list to play for both?
Bingo Smith: Houston Rockets first, then the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1970–71.
Who has played for both recently?
James Harden, Jeff Green and Dennis Schröder, with a season for one of the two in 2024–25 or 2025–26.
Does a player count if the team has moved or changed its name?
Yes. Seasons count for today's franchise: every old name and city is linked to the club that carries its history today. Rockets seasons include the San Diego Rockets (1967–1971).
Careers from English Wikipedia's player infoboxes (CC BY-SA 4.0); player ids from Wikidata (CC0). Team logos are trademarks of their respective teams; AllStar Grid is not affiliated with the NBA or any team. Logos via TheSportsDB. Credits