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10:05am: Windhorst pegs the total value at $2.6MM (Twitter link).
9:42am: The two-year package is worth $2.5MM total, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
SEPTEMBER 9TH, 9:35am: The deal is official, the team announced. Kaun will make $1.2MM this season, as Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote recently.
7:38pm: Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com hears that the second year is not a player option, in contrast to what sources told Windhorst (Twitter link).
6:40pm: The contract gives Kaun a player option for the second year, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
AUGUST 22ND, 4:44pm: Kaun and the Cavs have reached an agreement on a two-year pact, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter).
AUGUST 17TH, 4:09pm: Draft-and-stash center Sasha Kaun appears on his way to the Cavaliers for this season, as a source tells Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com that “it’s only a matter of time” before a deal is done. Kaun and the Cavs had reportedly engaged in talks last month, and GM David Griffin confirmed the team’s interest in bringing the big man aboard for this coming season. Griffin pointed to finances as a concern, and while every dollar the Cavs spend this season will likely entail multiple additional dollars going out in tax penalties, Kaun downplayed any financial hurdles. Still, no deal is imminent, and Kaun, who’s in Cleveland this week to house hunt, among other pursuits, is scheduled to leave town Tuesday, and the sides probably won’t have an agreement in place by then, Haynes writes.
The Cavs can offer no more than the $1.276MM sliver of the mid-level exception they have left over after signing Mo Williams to his deal earlier this summer, and that’s much less than the $2.9MM he had been making for Russia’s CSKA Moscow. Using the balance of that exception on Kaun would also make it virtually impossible for Cleveland to offer a market-rate deal to Cedi Osman, whom the Cavs drafted No. 31 overall this year.
The 30-year-old Kaun, who played collegiately at Kansas, was the 56th overall pick in 2008. The Cavs have seemingly been giving thought to bringing him aboard for the season ahead since at least this past March. Cleveland reportedly had talks with the Nets about trading Kaun’s rights to Brooklyn, but it looks like the Cavs won’t be dealing him away. Cleveland has plenty of room on its roster, as Sunday’s apparent deal with Jared Cunningham gives the team contracts or verbal agreements with only 12 players. Re-signing Tristan Thompson remains the focus for the Cavs, Haynes notes.
Do you think Kaun is the right fit for one of the final roster spots on the Cavs? Leave a comment to tell us.
SASHA KAUN. Wasn’t he the tiger in The Jungle Book?
I’ve watched video. Cavs could get at least 100 American centers who are at least as good. I don’t get it.
I think they want him to train under Mozgov and maybe since they’re both russians… see where I’m going with this?
Wait he’s a year older so nevermind
He is older 30, which means he can catch on to the league an system at a faster pace then regular rookies. Although he is younger Mazi has nba expierience an is now successful an can hopefully show the fellow Russian the ropes off the court, be an extra voice on court when Kaun doesn’t understand something (although he speaks English great ) an also provide a comfort level which always helps adjusting to new situations. you see what Coach Blatt did with Mazi hopefully can do same with Kaun. We are not expecting starter minutes probably won’t play every game.