Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Notes: Davis, James, Rubio, Garland, Rotation

October 14th, 2021 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ signing of Ed Davis on Wednesday came as a bit of a surprise, given the timing of the move and the fact that Cleveland already has a good amount of frontcourt depth. However, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff pushed for the addition of Davis, who is considered one of the NBA’s best locker-room presences and mentors.

Davis’ one-year, minimum-salary contract is non-guaranteed, per Fedor. However, the expectation is that the veteran center will be part of the Cavaliers’ 15-man roster to start the regular season.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Justin James, who also signed with the Cavs on Wednesday, will likely play in the team’s preseason finale on Friday and will get a chance to earn one of the team’s open two-way slots, says Fedor. If James doesn’t get a two-way contract, he could still become an affiliate player for the Cleveland Charge.
In another story for Cleveland.com, Fedor takes an in-depth look at how the Cavaliers acquired Ricky Rubio early in the offseason and what role they expect him to play in 2021/22. Although Rubio won’t be part of the starting five, Bickerstaff will be counting on him for starter-type minutes, and one member of the organization told Fedor that he thinks the Spaniard will work his way into Cleveland’s closing five.
Fedor adds in the same story that Rubio has taken starting point guard Darius Garland “under his wing.” The two guards, whose lockers are next to each other, talk daily and watch film together, writes Fedor.
After indicating earlier this month that he planned on a 10-man rotation for the regular season, Bickerstaff now thinks the Cavs’ regular rotation could include just nine players, tweets Fedor. Bickerstaff believes the versatility of Evan Mobley and Lauri Markkanen, along with his desire to have Rubio play starter minutes, reduces the need for a 10th regular.

Cavaliers Sign Ed Davis, Justin James

October 13th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have announced a pair of signings, stating in a press release that they’ve added big man Ed Davis and guard Justin James to their roster. Cleveland now has a full 20-man squad.

Davis, 32, spent the 2020/21 season with the Timberwolves, playing a limited role in the team’s frontcourt. The center averaged 2.1 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 23 games (13.0 MPG).

Davis, an 11-year veteran who has 691 career regular season games under his belt, isn’t the kind of player who typically gets signed and quickly waived this week for G League purposes, so it will be interesting to see what the Cavs’ plan for him is. The team only has 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, so there’s room for Davis to make the 15-man regular season roster.

As for James, he spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings after being selected 40th overall in the 2019 draft out of Wyoming. He didn’t play a regular role for Sacramento, but appeared in 72 games across two seasons, averaging 3.2 PPG and 0.9 RPG with a shooting line of .446/.343/.544 in 7.5 minutes per contest.

The 24-year-old was waived by the Kings earlier this offseason, signed a two-way deal with Utah, and then was released by the Jazz as well. The Cavs may view him as a potential affiliate player for the Cleveland Charge.

Ben Simmons Takes Physical, Meets With Sixers’ Brass

October 13th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

After returning to Philadelphia on Monday, Sixers star Ben Simmons took his required physical and met with the team’s brass on Tuesday, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. That meeting included president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who says sources described it only as “brief.”

Both Pompey and Shelburne indicate that Simmons won’t be cleared to participate in any team-related activities until at least Friday, due to the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. As Brian Windhorst observed during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up (video link) on Wednesday, that timeline suggests Simmons may not yet be fully vaccinated, since the league requires fully vaccinated players to register just one negative PCR test in order to interact with other players. Players who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated require at least four negative tests upon reporting to the team, according to ESPN.

We don’t know yet whether Simmons actually intends to return to the court and play for the 76ers following his holdout, but for what it’s worth, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says the 25-year-old’s physical showed no signs that he isn’t healthy. Simmons will be able to begin conducting individual workouts with the assistance of Sixers coaches on Wednesday, Fischer notes.

As we wait to see what the next steps are for the Sixers and Simmons, there’s no indication that the team is anywhere close to making a trade. Both Fischer and Sam Amick of The Athletic have heard that Philadelphia continues to hold out hope that a star like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal will become dissatisfied with his situation and ask for a trade, but that remains a long shot unless the Trail Blazers or Wizards get off to a really disastrous start this season.

According to Amick, Simmons’ camp hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a trade to the Nets, but sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic that the Sixers have exhibited zero interest in pursuing a deal involving Kyrie Irving.

Fischer names the Cavaliers, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, Timberwolves, Blazers, Kings, Spurs, and Raptors as the nine teams that have remained at least somewhat engaged with Philadelphia, and adds that a “mystery” 10th club has also had “substantive” discussions with the Sixers as of late. Not even Klutch Sports is certain of the identity of that 10th team, per Fischer, who cautions that the mystery suitor still hasn’t come close to meeting Morey’s asking price.

Here’s more on Simmons:

Sources tell Fischer that the Sixers have informed potential trade partners whose offers would be heavy on draft picks that their best bet would be a three-team structure in which Philadelphia lands at least one impact player, since Morey and his front office are interested in win-now pieces rather than future assets.
Although the Timberwolves still have interest in Simmons following their front office shake-up, new head of basketball operations Sachin Gupta isn’t believed to be pursuing the three-time All-Star as aggressively as Gersson Rosas did, according to Fischer.
The Kings remain unwilling to discuss either De’Aaron Fox or Tyrese Haliburton in a potential Simmons deal, while the Sixers appear unmoved by the idea of acquiring Dejounte Murray and/or Lonnie Walker from the Spurs, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer adds that there’s a belief the Pistons would entertain trading Jerami Grant in a deal for Simmons.
Improving the relationship between Simmons and head coach Doc Rivers is believed to be a priority for the Sixers if Simmons is going to stick around for a little while, according to Fischer, who says the two men never seemed to build a strong rapport last season. Sources tell Bleacher Report that during an offseason meeting at agent Rich Paul‘s home, when the Sixers confirmed they intended to fine Simmons for not complying with the terms of his deal, Rivers shouted, “It’s in your f–king contract” to report to training camp and play for the team.

And-Ones: Li. Ball, Restricted Free Agency, 2022 Draft, Floyd

October 12th, 2021 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

LiAngelo Ball, the brother of NBA guards LaMelo Ball and Lonzo Ball, is signing a G League contract and will enter the October 23 NBAGL draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

LiAngelo played for the Hornets in the Las Vegas Summer League, and Charania suggests he’s a candidate to be selected by the Greensboro Swarm – Charlotte’s G League affiliate – in the NBAGL draft. However, if the Hornets were prioritizing Ball for a spot on their G League squad, they’d likely sign him to an Exhibit 10 contract in order to make him an affiliate player.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets, the G League draft isn’t expected to be packed with talent, so Ball has a good chance of coming off the board in the top 10 or 20 picks.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) have updated their top-100 list for the 2022 NBA draft. Within the article, Schmitz identifies French center Ismael Kamagate as the international prospect who is “making the most noise” early in the season. Kamagate is the No. 36 player on ESPN’s 2022 big board.
In an interesting piece for HoopsHype, Michael Scotto spoke with a handful of agents and team executives about how restricted free agency works behind the scenes. One agent suggested that restricted free agency is “not really free agency,” since rival teams are so reluctant to sign players to offer sheets that tie up cap space for several days at the start of the league year and may just end up being matched.
The Bucks (No. 2), Heat (No. 5), Suns (No. 6), Warriors (No. 7), and Hawks (No. 11) are among the biggest risers in ESPN’s latest installment of “future” power rankings from Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, Andre’ Snellings, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link). For a second consecutive year, the Nets rank first and the Cavaliers are dead-last on ESPN’s list, which is essentially designed to be power rankings that cover the next three seasons.
Free agent guard Jordan Floyd, who was on the Lakers’ Summer League roster, is signing with Kolossos H Hotels in Greece on a deal that includes an NBA out, a source told our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Rebuilding Club Surprisingly Close To Tax Line

October 11th, 2021 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers aren’t well-positioned cap-wise despite their status as a rebuilding team, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes in his season preview. In part due to Kevin Love‘s bloated contract, the team is currently only $3MM below the luxury tax threshold. Their situation improves next season but that could change, depending upon a potential extension for Collin Sexton and the price tag. Hollinger projects Cleveland to finish 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Markkanen Could See Time At Small Forward

October 9th, 2021 at 12:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Following two injury-riddled seasons, Dylan Windler is making his case for a rotation spot as the Cavaliers’ backup wing, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. Windler had 12 points and four rebounds in 22 minutes in Cleveland’s preseason game on Friday. “To be out here at the start of the season and contributing in the ways that I’m supposed to, it feels great,” he said. “I don’t control the rotations. That’s coach’s job. I’ve just got to come in, get my work in, do what I do and continue to prove myself when I get the opportunities.”
Lauri Markkanen will spend most of his time at power forward but Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff also plans to use him at small forward in jumbo lineups, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. “It’s one of those things where I believe he’s one of our best players,” Bickerstaff said. “So we have to do what we can to get him on the floor so he can help us. His versatility helps. Right now, you see the strength of our bigs and the fact that they are so versatile and they can play next to each other, you can get them out there on the floor.”

2021 NBA Offseason In Review: Cleveland Cavaliers

October 6th, 2021 at 8:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2021 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s offseason moves, examine what still needs to be done before opening night, and look ahead to what the 2021/22 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Free agent signings:

Note: Exhibit 10 deals aren’t included here.

Jarrett Allen: Five years, $100MM. Re-signed as restricted free agent using Bird rights.
Lauri Markkanen: Four years, $67.47MM. Fourth year partially guaranteed. Acquired via sign-and-trade.
Kevin Pangos: Two years, $3.42MM. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
Denzel Valentine: Two years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed. Second year non-guaranteed. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Brodric Thomas: Two-way contract. Accepted two-way qualifying offer as restricted free agent.

Trades:

Acquired Ricky Rubio from the Timberwolves in exchange for Taurean Prince, the Wizards’ 2022 second-round pick, and cash ($2.5MM).
Acquired Lauri Markkanen (sign-and-trade; from Bulls) in a three-team trade in exchange for Larry Nance Jr. (to Trail Blazers) and the Nuggets’ 2023 second-round pick (top-46 protected; to Bulls).

Draft picks:

1-3: Evan Mobley
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $36,664,177).

Contract extensions:

None

Departing players:

Matthew Dellavedova
Damyean Dotson
Isaiah Hartenstein
Jeremiah Martin
Larry Nance Jr.
Taurean Prince

Other offseason news:

Hired Sidney Lowe and Nate Reinking as assistant coaches; lost assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
Moved G League affiliate from Canton to Cleveland, renaming the team the Cleveland Charge.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap and below the tax line.
Carrying approximately $133.4MM in salary.
$7,866,822 of non-taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($1,669,178 used on Kevin Pangos).
Full bi-annual exception ($3,732,000) still available.
Two traded player exceptions available, including one worth $4.2MM.

Lingering preseason issues:

The Cavaliers have 11 players on guaranteed contracts and a 12th with a partial guarantee, so they have multiple options with their last few roster spots.
The Cavaliers have an open two-way contract slot. Camp invitees Tacko Fall, Mitch Ballock, RJ Nembhard, and Kyle Guy are among the candidates to fill it.
Collin Sexton is eligible for a rookie scale contract extension until October 18.
Kevin Love is eligible for a veteran contract extension until October 18.
Ricky Rubio is eligible for a veteran contract extension all season (extend-and-trade limitations are in place until December).

The Cavaliers’ offseason:

After winning the draft lottery in 2011, 2014, and 2015, the Cavaliers’ luck had turned in recent years, as they slipped three spots in the lottery in both 2019 and 2020.

In 2021, Cleveland didn’t exactly recapture its previous lottery magic, but the team didn’t need to land the No. 1 pick. Moving up just a couple spots to No. 3 put the Cavs in a position to land Evan Mobley, a prospect with star potential who might’ve been the first player off the board if he’d been draft-eligible in 2020.

Drafting Mobley wasn’t the only major move the Cavs made during the 2021 offseason, but it may be the most impactful in the long term. When I previewed the club’s summer back in June, I noted that Cleveland’s front office had done a decent job of accumulating young talent during its current rebuild, but lacked a franchise-caliber player who could be its centerpiece for the next decade.

Mobley isn’t a lock to be that player, but he’s the best candidate the Cavs have had since LeBron James‘ departure. The former USC big man is a versatile, athletic defender who can protect the rim and shouldn’t be run off the court by smaller lineups. And while it remains to be seen whether he can be a go-to offensive option at the NBA level, he can certainly impact the game on that end of that court, having shown an ability to finish at the rim, knock down jump shots, and find open teammates as a passer.

Whether Mobley’s best fit at the NBA level will ultimately be at the four or the five is an open question. But the Cavaliers signaled that they think he’s perfectly capable of playing alongside another big man when they re-signed restricted free agent Jarrett Allen to a five-year, $100MM contract.

Cleveland likely would’ve preferred to get a look at Allen and Mobley on the court together before making that sort of investment, but Allen was up for a new deal, and after giving up a first-round pick for him in January, there was no chance the Cavs were going to let him walk as a free agent. While Allen’s contract may end up being a slight overpay, it shouldn’t become an albatross — he’ll only be 28 by the time it expires, and the NBA’s salary cap will have increased significantly by then.

The Cavs’ other significant frontcourt change saw them swap out Larry Nance Jr. for Lauri Markkanen, who received a four-year, $67MM+ contract in a sign-and-trade. I’m not convinced Markkanen is a better all-around player than Nance, but he’s probably a better fit for this roster. With Allen and Mobley up front and Kevin Love not in Cleveland’s long-term plans, a floor-stretching big man like Markkanen will help balance the frontcourt and prevent spacing issues. The hope is that whichever center he’s sharing the court with can help cover up his defensive shortcomings.

Finally, the Cavaliers made it a priority this offseason to bring in a veteran point guard after Matthew Dellavedova missed most of the 2020/21 season due to health issues. The club was linked to free agents like Alex Caruso and T.J. McConnell early in the offseason, but ultimately found its answer on the trade market, sending Taurean Prince to Minnesota in a deal for Ricky Rubio.

The swap might leave Cleveland a little short-handed on the wing, but I like what Rubio can bring to the team. Anthony Edwards raved about Rubio’s leadership in Minnesota, and he should have a similar positive influence on Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. Plus, if things don’t work out, his expiring contract could be a useful trade chip at the deadline.

Speaking of trades, Sexton’s name popped up in trade rumors this summer, and while it appears those whispers have quieted with the regular season around the corner, it will be interesting to see how rookie scale extension negotiations between him and the team play out this month. Sexton’s camp may point to his scoring numbers as evidence that he’s worth a max deal, but I doubt the Cavs will be convinced. They might prefer to keep their options open and take their chances with Sexton in restricted free agency next summer.

The Cavaliers’ upcoming season:

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel for the Cavaliers’ rebuild, but I’m not sure it’s as close as the team would like. Despite their playoff aspirations, the Cavs still don’t project to finish in the top 10 of the Eastern Conference entering the 2021/22 season — a lot would have to go right for them to earn a postseason spot.

Still, there’s room for Cleveland to take incremental steps forward over the next six months. Even a modest 26-56 record this season would be the Cavs’ best mark since 2017/18, and I think they can do better than that. The play-in format will allow them to remain in the hunt a little longer than they otherwise would, giving their young core an opportunity to play meaningful games in the second half of the season.

The safe money is on Cleveland to miss out on the play-in and claim another lottery pick in 2022, but this roster has more talent than any Cavs team since the franchise’s last Finals appearance. If the front office can find a way to add a reliable wing or two, the pieces for playoff contention are there.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.

Central Notes: Cavs’ Rotation, Pacers’ TPE, Vaulet, Cunningham

October 6th, 2021 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff is planning on a 10-man rotation but the last two spots could change from game-to-game, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer speculates.

“We’re working our way to what will be probably a 10-man rotation and then there’s different nights that are going to call for different things and we will go to those different guys,” Bickerstaff said.

By process of elimination, Denzel Valentine, Kevin Pangos, Cedi Osman, Dylan Windler, Dean Wade, Lamar Stevens and Mfiondu Kabengele are the players vying for those rotation minutes and each brings a different skill set to the table.

We have more on the Central Division:

The Pacers picked up a $7.33MM traded player exception from the Spurs in the Doug McDermott sign-and-trade but it’s highly unlikely they’ll use it this season, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. They were just $763,905 below the luxury tax line before dumping Edmond Sumner‘s contract on Wednesday, which moved them $2.8MM under the tax line. That’s still not nearly enough incentive to use the exception, since the franchise has no desire to be a taxpayer.
The Pacers received the rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet in the Sumner trade with Brooklyn but he won’t be playing in the NBA this season, Nat Newell of the Indianapolis Star notes. He signed a two-year contract with AEK Athens in July. The 6’6” Vaulet was originally drafted by Charlotte in 2015.
Top pick Cade Cunningham sat out the Pistons‘ preseason opener against San Antonio on Wednesday, Rod Beard of The Detroit News tweets. Cunningham is recovering from a mild ankle sprain.

Bulls Notes: Starting Lineup, Williams, Vucevic, Markkanen

October 5th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls will begin preseason play tonight without Patrick Williams, who is recovering from a severely sprained left ankle. That leaves a hole in their starting lineup, and coach Billy Donovan is considering a number of options to fill it, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com.

Donovan has expressed a desire to play faster this season, so it doesn’t appear he will turn to a traditional big man to step in for Williams at power forward. He has been experimenting with several players to see who fits best alongside Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic.

“We’ve thrown Derrick (Jones Jr.) in with that (starting) group,” Donovan said. “We’ve thrown Javonte Green in with that group. We’ve put Alex Caruso in there. We’ve put Troy Brown in there with that group. It’s been hard to really evaluate it because as you’re implementing and you’re putting in, there’s things that we have to continue to get better at and improve upon. And then I think the other piece of it is, how well does the group function together?”

There’s more from Chicago:

It’s possible that Williams could return before the preseason is over, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Williams injured his ankle on September 15 and was projected to miss four to six weeks. Mayberry notes that he wasn’t limping at media day and may be ahead of schedule in his recovery. “He’s been able to come in here and shoot,” Donovan said. “We haven’t done anything laterally, cutting-wise with him. He’s been coming in at night, getting some shots up, doing as much conditioning as he can be doing. But he’s done well. We feel pretty good about the way he’s progressing. I guess that’s what happens when you’re 20 years old. You heal pretty quickly.”
No team has changed its roster more than the Bulls since last season’s trade deadline, and Vucevic believes they’re ready to contend, calling it “definitely the most talented team I’ve been a part of,” Mayberry adds in the same piece. One concern is lack of depth in the frontcourt after the team missed out on Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency.
The Cavaliers will be the opponent in the preseason opener, which means a quick return to Chicago for Lauri Markkanen, who suggested in the offseason that he wanted a “fresh start.” Speaking to reporters today, Markkanen refused to criticize his former team, tweets Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I’ve got nothing bad to say about them,” he said. “When I was here, they treated me well and just things didn’t go as planned.”

NBA GMs Like Heat’s Offseason Moves, Nets’ Title Chances

October 5th, 2021 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Nearly half of the NBA’s general managers voted for the Heat as the team that had the best 2021 offseason, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes in his annual survey of the league’s GMs. Miami got 14 of 30 possible votes, while the Lakers picked up five votes. The Nets, Rockets, and Wizards were the other teams picked by multiple GMs as having the best offseason.

The Heat’s acquisition of Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade helped tip the scales in their favor. Asked which offseason player acquisition will make the biggest impact for his new team this season, GMs overwhelmingly chose Lowry — he received 23 of 30 votes. New Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook was the only other player to get multiple votes (five).

Although the Heat and Lakers received high marks from rival GMs for their work over the summer, neither club is considered the title favorite entering the 2021/22 season. That honor belongs to the Nets, who earned 22 votes from GMs for the team that will win the 2022 Finals. The Lakers (five) and Bucks (three) were the only other teams to receive any votes.

Here are a few more of the most interesting responses from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

The Trail Blazers‘ trade for Larry Nance Jr. received the most votes (28%) for the most underrated acquisition of the offseason, with the Nets‘ signing of Patty Mills (17%) and the Wizards‘ addition of Spencer Dinwiddie (14%) also receiving support in that category.
The NBA’s GMs view Rockets guard Jalen Green (47%) and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (40%) as the best bets to win Rookie of the Year, but voted Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley as the rookie who will be the best player in five years. Mobley (33%) narrowly edged out Cunningham (30%) and Green (23%) in that category.
The GMs voted the Magic‘s selection of Jalen Suggs at No. 5 (23%) and the Rockets‘ pick of Alperen Sengun at No. 16 (20%) as the biggest steals of the 2021 draft.
The Bulls (27%) are considered the best bet to be the most improved team in 2021/22, while Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (17%) received the most support as the top breakout candidate.
Following their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks (50%) were overwhelmingly voted as the team with the best young core. The Rockets received three votes, while no other team got more than two.
Only two players received multiple votes when GMs were asked which player they’d want to start a franchise with: Mavericks star Luka Doncic (43%) barely beat out Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (40%).