The Cavaliers’ expected deal with free agent guard David Nwaba doesn’t change the status of J.R. Smith or Kyle Korver because both players were already on the trading block, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Appearing on a podcast with Chris Fedor from the same organization, Vardon says the Cavs would like to unload at least one veteran guard to cut down on their cap commitments. Smith will make $14.72MM in the upcoming season and has a $15.68MM player option for 2019/20. Korver has a $7.56MM salary with a $7.5MM player option the following year.
Cleveland is looking for a first-round pick in exchange for Korver, says Vardon, who adds that Philadelphia’s reported offer to swap Jerryd Bayless straight up for Korver wouldn’t have benefited the Cavs.
There’s more news from Cleveland:
- Today marks a salary guarantee date for Okaro White, Vardon tweets. Half of the $1,544,951 he is owed for the upcoming season will become guaranteed if he isn’t waived by 5pm Eastern time. White, who missed much of last season with a broken foot, didn’t see any game action after signing with the Cavaliers in March, but he was able to play for their Summer League team.
- LeBron James‘ departure has left Kevin Love as clearly the top talent on the roster, but he shouldn’t try to go back to being the player he was in Minnesota, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Although Love put up impressive numbers with the Timberwolves, averaging 26.1 PPG in his final season there, he was often lazy on defense and was never able to lead that team to the playoffs, Pluto notes. He suggests that Love should embrace the lessons he has learned in four years with the Cavaliers and become an example to younger players of how to play winning basketball.
- While losing James is obviously a huge step back for the organization, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report identifies a few Cavaliers who could benefit from LeBron’s absence. He states that more playing time and a greater responsibility in the offense should help Love, along with Cedi Osman, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood.
I’m still on the fence regarding Clarkson and Hood, they saw plenty minutes with the ball in their hands in LA and Utah and it never really produced winning basketball. Cedi and Nance Jr have a lot more upside with LeBron’s absence, especially Nance, 7 footer with a midrange jump shot is nice. More touches will definitely benefit him.
I like the upside of Larry Nance as well, he has tremendous athleticism so there’s hope.
He just doesn’t have much game. He’s only 6 8 and can’t create his own shot. Still needs a little work on that mid-range jumper to be part of his Arsenal.
Funny how people keep saying that despite his monster numbers K-Love failed to take Minny to the playoffs, well he was playing at MVP level if they didn’t go to the playoffs all it shows is how bad that team was, pretty sure they had Kobe & they wouldn’t have made it neither, so I cannot see why people keep saying silly things like that, just like AD he has for the last 3 years playing at MVP level, but only once he has gone to the playoffs, because the team is bad, nothing to do with him, some teams just are too bad regardless if they have a superstar.
Kevin love? Who are you kidding. Putting him w/ Kobe and AD. Put down the bottle!
KLove has a ring. AD nope.
You’re not getting a first round pick for Korver. Lol.