The 2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 35th season of NBA basketball in Cleveland, Ohio. During the offseason, the Cavaliers acquired Drew Gooden from the Orlando Magic. In his second season, expectations were high for LeBron James as the Cavaliers hoped for a return to the playoffs. Through the first half of the season, the Cavs held a 30–21 record at the All-Star Break as James was selected to his first All-Star selection in the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. However, as March began, the Cavaliers were unable to upgrade at the trading deadline as the team went on a 6-game losing streak. Head coach Paul Silas was fired and replaced by interim Brendan Malone. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 42–40 record, a fourth-place finish in the Central Division, and barely missed out of the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker for the 8th spot to the New Jersey Nets. Bespite their collapse, James had an outstanding sophomore season averaging 27.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

Key dates:

^*Selected in expansion draft

* Statistics include only games with the Cavaliers

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