JUNE 25TH, 3:11am: GM David Griffin essentially confirmed the team is shopping Haywood, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com notes at the bottom of a story on J.R. Smith. Cleveland ended up trading its first-rounder in a separate deal.
JUNE 23RD, 9:40am: The market hasn’t yielded much for a package of Haywood and the No. 24 pick, sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe.
JUNE 19TH, 9:44am: The Cavaliers are looking for trade partners who’ll take on Brendan Haywood and his unusually valuable contract, and in some proposals involving him, they’ve offered their first-rounder, the 24th overall pick, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Any such deal involving the draft choice would have to become official after the draft, since the Ted Stepien rule prevents the Cavs, who’ve already traded their 2016 first-rounder, from trading two consecutive future first-round picks, as Windhorst notes. Cleveland would be able to maximize its return for Haywood by waiting until after the July Moratorium to formalize a deal that sends him out.
It’s no surprise that the Cavs would be looking to trade Haywood, since his deal, a vestige of the amnesty clause, contains a non-guaranteed salary worth $10,522,500 next season. A trade that happens before the 2014/15 season officially ends on June 30th would involve salary matching based on his current $2.214MM salary, but if the Cavs wait until next month, they could take in as much as $15,522,500. To make that figure work, they’d have to be careful to execute the trade before making signings that would take the team above the luxury tax threshold, a line the Cavs are seemingly poised to cross. If they traded Haywood as a tax team, they could only take in $13,253,125, though that would still make the contract an eminently valuable trade chip, as the team that receives Haywood can waive him and reap that much more cap flexibility.
The Cavs have explored the market for adding a player as well as a draft pick in return for Haywood, according to Windhorst. That they would seek a draft pick suggests that Cleveland is considering a measure of austerity, since that would be significantly cheaper than taking back an eight-figure guaranteed salary. The Cavs want a facilitating guard who can either back up or play alongside Kyrie Irving, according to Windhorst, and if they’re seeking a player who’d primarily be a reserve, that, too, indicates that Cleveland wants to hold the line on its payroll to some degree. Simply re-signing its own free agents would likely force the Cavs well into the tax, and the team has had internal discussions about a payroll of between $100MM to $110MM, numbers that would likely incur a tax bill of some $75MM or more, as Windhorst reported earlier this week.
Windhorst also suggests in his latest report that the Cavs could dangle the rights to draft-and-stash center Sasha Kaun, who played under coach David Blatt on the Russian national team and who’s apparently eyeing an NBA deal. Cleveland was earlier reportedly giving thought to signing him this summer.
kahn was the supersonics last pick ever lol
Trade Haywood’s contract and the 24th pick to Minnesota for Kevin Martin who’s owed $7 mil in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
That’s a win-win. Minnie gets Martin’s 2015-2016 and 2016-17 money off the books and will waive Haywood before aug 1st and gain $10 mil in cap space for 2015-16.
Bring back (hopefully) LBJ and Love and depending on his asking price, JR Smith on a 2 year deal. Trying and sign Brewer as a FA. Brewer averaged about $4.8 per on his last deal. We should have about $3mil of cap space from the Haywood deal and another few million from letting two or all of Marion, Miller, Jones, Shumpert, and Delly go.
Starters:
Irving/Smith/LBJ/Love/Mozgov
6th, 7th, 8th and 9th guys off the bench:
Martin (backing up PG/SG), Brewer (backing up SG/SF), Thompson and Varejao (backing up PF and C).
Reserves and specialists:
Shump or Delly (in case Irving goes down they would be the immediate backups) and bring back or replace Jones and Miller as your 3pt specialists. However, with Kevin Martin (39% avg last 5 years) and a healthy Irving and Love on the squad there may not be as much of a need for a 3pt specialist.
Results:
Improved quality of backups offensively as Martin and Brewer bring more length, athleticism and scoring to the guard positions vs Shump and Delly.
Great ability to match small ball lineups like Golden St by playing Irving/Smith or Martin @ SG/Martin or Brewer @ SF/LBJ at PF and Thompson or Love at C
One of the most versatile lineups as you can match small ball, kill teams with a very good big rotation (Love/Thompson/Mozie/Varejao) and you can even play too seperate squads with complete efficiency because they know each other.
Squad #1- Irving/Smith/LBJ/Love/Mozie
Rest LBJ and Irving and go with
Squad #2-Shump or Delly or other PG/Martin/Brewer/Love/Thompson or Varejao
While Martin and Brewer are not known for being great defenders they are known to be energetic guys and hopefully, Blatt and LBJ and being on a Finals contender will motivate them to bring their defense up a notch above their norm. I also like the fact that Martin tasted playoff basketball his one year with OKC and Brewer last year with the Rockets.
That’s an interesting idea from Cleveland’s perspective. A lot depends on what Garnett takes on his next deal. And the Timberwolves probably don’t have a lot of immediate targets for cap space, since they’re still a long way from contention. But there are worse assets to acquire than the Haywood contract, that’s for sure.
Wilson Chandler maybe. Nuggets in rebuild mode. Clear his salary and a 1st round pick enough to move him
If they want a sharp shooting PG who can back up Irving, why not take Jose Calderon from the Knicks for Haywood and the #24 pick? Phil wanted another 1st rounder and this gets them out of Calderon’s deal. Cleveland gets a solid PG who can dribble the ball into submission with the 2nd unit and jack a few 3’s (basically upgrading Mike Miller’s role).
I would prefer someone that can also take it to the hole but Calderon would be a good fit as you mentioned. I’d want more than him back though. I think unloading his contract for 2016 and 2017 AND opening up $10 mil (or more) in cap space is enough as it is to give to the Knicks.
This has Sam Hinkie written all over it. Get a player with non guaranteed salary, a first rounder and possibly rights to an overseas player? Don’t let him see this rumor.