The Cleveland Cavaliers made an interesting decision by trading out of their No. 29 overall first round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday.While this was a bit of a surprise to Cavs fans who likely stayed up late on Tuesday night to see who the Cavaliers would select, it can be seen as a worthwhile move looking ahead.It’s not like Cleveland missed out on drafting altogether, as they moved down five picks to select in the second round. The Cavaliers ultimately drafted guard Meleek Thomas out of Arkansas with their No. 34 overall pick.They still picked up an impressive young player in Thomas, who easily could have been taken in the first round. Falling back a few spots into the second round certainly does more for them than some may realize.Now that the draft has concluded, here’s why Cleveland’s decision to trade out of the first round was the right move.Trading down helps the Cavaliers manage their second apron salarySep 14, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn ImagesThe second apron has been a topic of heavy discussion for Cleveland this past season, especially after their acquisition of James Harden via trade. Prior to that, the Cavs were in the second apron, so the trade had to be very specific to help them get under that threshold.Either way, the Cavs have an immense number of limitations when it comes to who they can sign or extend in terms of their contracts. That’s why the draft was such a highlight on their offseason schedule, because they knew they would have some pretty notable limitations.When it comes to the NBA draft, first round picks are given four-year contracts with two years guaranteed in full. Of course, higher picks are handed out more money, but a first round pick still gets a contract that the Cavs just can’t afford right now.That’s a big reason for Cleveland trading their first-round pick, not to mention them getting a future second round pick as well. Their second-round pick of Meleek Thomas means they can offer him virtually any contract down to the league minimum.Second round picks could also sign a two-way contract to end up playing for both the G-League affiliate and their NBA team. In Thomas’ case, he’ll likely be a two-way player, which Cleveland has notoriously given minutes to their recent two-way players over their long 82-game season.If that’s the case, that will help out the Cavaliers tremendously as they navigate the offseason and try to get themselves back under the second apron. With the rumored reports of Cleveland interested in Boston’s Jaylen Brown, if the Cavs want to pull off a trade, they need to do some serious contract work to be able to make that trade come to life.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow