The Cavaliers mostly stood pat this summer, but they spent the majority of their taxpayer’s mid-level exception on Mo Williams, and with Kyrie Irving‘s broken kneecap a threat to keep him out as late as January, that move looks wise, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders in his NBA AM piece. The Cavs, with Williams in place, aren’t rushing Irving back, and that’s wise, considering a growing history of injuries for the former No. 1 overall pick, Greene adds. See more from around the Central Division:
- Darrun Hilliard is bothered that he shot only 29% in summer league play, but the Pistons aren’t, observes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The team signed Hilliard, this year’s 38th overall pick, to three-year deal with a total of $1.1MM in guaranteed salary. The Pistons also see his ball-handling as a plus that can complement the games of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jodie Meeks, Detroit’s other shooting guards, as Langlois relays.
- Rashad Vaughn played AAU ball in Milwaukee and was, like Jabari Parker a year ago, hoping the Bucks would draft him, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News chronicles. The Bucks granted the former UNLV shooting guard his wish when they picked him 17th overall. “I feel like we are a young team that can all come together, grow together,” Vaughn said. “I am looking forward to all of us getting in the gym and starting to work.”
- Pacers draft-and-stash prospect Stanko Barac reportedly sought a path to the NBA this year, and the Pacers apparently had him in for a mini-camp in June, but he’s signed with Olimpia Milano of Italy, the team announced (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Enea Trapani).