Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nance Jr. Happy He's Headed To Blazers

August 28th, 2021 at 9:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

In the same story, Fedor writes that the Cavs tried hard to trade for a wing shooter, dangling Nance, their 2022 first-round pick and, in some instances, a package of second-rounders. The Cavs couldn’t find the right deal and eventually turned their attention to a stretch four in Markkanen, who they hope can provide an offensive jolt.

The Cavaliers are denying they’re engaged in buyout talks with Kevin Love, according to Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A source told Pluto that progress was being made toward a buyout, which makes sense for both parties, the writer notes.

Northwest Notes: Green, Timberwolves, Lore, Snyder

August 27th, 2021 at 8:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JaMychal Green drew interest from a number of teams during free agency, Mike Singer of The Denver Post reports. Green caught the attention of the Timberwolves, Pelicans, Sixers, Spurs and Bucks. Minnesota even considered a possible sign-and-trade for the veteran forward, who opted to re-sign with the Nuggets on a two-year, $17MM deal.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Timberwolves had some level of interest in all of the forwards involved in the unofficial three-team trade among the Bulls, Cavaliers and Trail Blazers, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. They had early interest this summer in restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen, who’s headed to Cleveland in the sign-and-trade, but Chicago didn’t seriously engage them in trade discussions, Wolfson adds. Minnesota had strong interest last year in Larry Nance Jr., who’s going to Portland, and Derrick Jones Jr., who’s joining the Bulls.
Marc Lore, who along with former baseball star Alex Rodriguez has assumed 20% of the Timberwolves franchise with plans to eventually become the controlling owners, believes he can sell top free agents on coming to Minnesota, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. “When players or people say, ‘Hey, it’s a small market, we’re never going to get any of the big free agents,’ — well, if they share a similar set of values maybe they will (come),” Lore said. “If you really stand for something, and they’re passionate about the same values, then they’re like, ‘No, I’ve seen it. I’ve heard about it. I want to be a part of that.'”
Jazz coach Quin Snyder isn’t likely to tinker too much with his lineups and rotations this coming season, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News speculates. Snyder isn’t the type of coach who does a lot of experimentation but he will play to the strengths of his personnel and there are some new faces, so that will require some flexibility, Todd adds.

Nets Have Interest In Hartenstein, Love

August 27th, 2021 at 7:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are interested in signing free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein and would also be interested in Kevin Love if the Cavaliers buy him out, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Hartenstein became an unrestricted free agent when he declined a minimum-salary player option and the Cavaliers subsequently didn’t submit a qualifying offer to him. He was traded last season by Denver to Cleveland, where he averaged 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.2 BPG in 17.9 MPG.

The Nets and Cavs were among the teams who watched Hartenstein work out in Las Vegas this month.

Love and the Cavs have reportedly made some progress toward a buyout, but are not close to finalizing an agreement.

In any instance, Brooklyn would need to open up a roster spot to fit in Hartenstein and/or Love. The most likely candidate to go is center DeAndre Jordan, who could be bought out, waived, or possibly traded if the Nets are willing to attach an asset. Forward Alize Johnson, who has a non-guaranteed deal, is another possibility. The date for a partial guarantee of $200K on Johnson’s contract has been pushed back from September 4 to October 19, when the regular season begins, according to Lewis.

Cavs, Kevin Love Making Progress In Buyout Talks?

August 27th, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Cavaliers making a bold move to acquire Bulls restricted free agent forward Lauri Markkanen via a sign-and-trade, Kevin Love‘s career in Cleveland may be coming to an end.

The Cavs are making progress toward a buyout agreement with Love, a source tells Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Love has two years and $60MM remaining on the four-year, $120.4MM extension that kicked in during the 2019/20 campaign. However, the talks could still fall apart and it’s not close to a done deal, Pluto cautions, adding that other sources have denied the two sides have made any serious progress.

With the pending addition of Markkanen to join re-signed center Jarrett Allen and lottery pick Evan Mobley, Love wouldn’t appear to have a clear rotation spot on a rebuilding club intent on going younger.

Love’s career has been marred by injuries in recent years, including a right calf strain last season that limited him to 25 games.

Love received an invitation to join Team USA prior to the Olympics but he was reportedly out of shape and departed the squad before it headed to Tokyo.

If the talks succeed, Love would be free to hook on with a contender looking to fortify its frontcourt depth.

Southwest Notes: Anderson, Brooks, Forbes, Pelicans

August 26th, 2021 at 7:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies have not engaged in trade talks with the Cavaliers regarding Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. A report out of Cleveland suggested that the two forwards were available on the trade market for the right price. Memphis does have a major roster logjam at the moment with 18 players on guaranteed contracts, as noted in our latest roster count.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

Whether or not they’ve engaged in talks with the Cavs, the Grizzlies would be wise to explore the market on Brooks, according to Evan Sidery of Basketball News. Brooks’ value is at an all-time high after a playoff series in which he averaged 25.8 PPG, but he may not be the best No. 2 scoring option during Ja Morant‘s prime years. Brooks will be a free agent after the 2022/23 season and Memphis may not want to commit to him long-term.
Bryn Forbes strongly considered re-signing with the Bucks before signing up for a second stint with the Spurs, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. Forbes declined a player option in order to become a free agent. He’s thrilled to return to the Spurs. “I still had good relationships with everyone here,” he said. “They know what I can do. … When I had the opportunity to come back, I was immediately excited.”
The New Orleans Times Picayune trio of Christian Clark, Scott Kushner and Rod Walker believe the Pelicans have improved enough to make the playoffs next season. They also discuss the Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade with the Bulls and the acquisition of Devonte’ Graham from the Hornets.

Sidney Lowe Officially Named Assistant Coach

August 26th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers improved their talent pool this offseason in the estimation of Zach Harper of The Athletic. The addition of lottery pick Evan Mobley gives them a potential star at both ends of the floor, and the acquisition of Ricky Rubio provides much needed veteran leadership in the backcourt. However, they’re still a little thin depth-wise at the wing and forward spots, Harper notes.
The Cavaliers have officially added Sidney Lowe to J.B. Bickerstaff’s coaching staff, according to a team press release. The news that Lowe was leaving the Pistons’ staff to join their Central Division rival surfaced two weeks ago. “Sidney brings a wealth of coaching experience and familiarity to our staff,” Bickerstaff said. “He is a great teacher of the game and his ability to build lasting relationships across the board is integral to the growth of our overall culture here in Cleveland.”

Chandler Vaudrin To Undergo Surgery On Torn ACL

August 23rd, 2021 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted Winthrop guard Chandler Vaudrin, who played for the Cavaliers‘ Summer League team, has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and will soon undergo surgery to repair the injury, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). The injury occurred in his third Summer League game.

Vaudrin had reportedly agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavs, meaning he likely would’ve attended training camp with the team and competed to earn a two-way contract. Instead, it appears his rookie season will be postponed by a year as he recovers from a major knee injury.

Vaudrin – who grew up in Uniontown, Ohio – filled up the stat sheet with 12.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 6.9 APG in 25 games (31.6 MPG) as a senior at Winthrop in 2020/21. He spent his last two college seasons at Winthrop after playing for the Division II Walsh Cavaliers from 2016-18.

We’ll see if Cleveland still ends up signing Vaudrin to an Exhibit 10 deal — if the Cavs like him enough, they could sign him, waive him, then have him report to the Cleveland Charge as an affiliate player. That would allow Vaudrin to rehab his injury with the Cavs’ G League team while receiving a $50K bonus as a result of the Exhibit 10 agreement.

However, it’s also entirely possible that the deal simply doesn’t get finalized due to the injury. In that scenario, the Cavs could circle back to Vaudrin a year from now.

Kevin Pangos Drawing Interest From Cavaliers, Others

August 23rd, 2021 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

Former Gonzaga guard Kevin Pangos, who has spent the last several seasons playing in Europe, is garnering interest from the Cavaliers, according to reports from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com and Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.

Pangos, 28, has carved out an impressive career overseas, having spent time in Spain, Lithuania, and Russia since going undrafted in 2015. In 2020/21, he averaged 13.5 PPG and 6.6 APG on .449/.390/.845 shooting in 39 EuroLeague contests (28.9 MPG) for Zenit Saint Petersburg, earning a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Team.

According to Fedor, Pangos has received “big” offers to remain in Europe, but it sounds like he’s interested in making the move to the NBA. Urbonas and Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link) both suggest that the Canadian guard would likely need a guaranteed contract offer to justify a return stateside.

As Urbonas writes, the Grizzlies are among the other teams eyeing Pangos, but they already have too many players on guaranteed salaries on their roster and likely aren’t in position to offer more than an Exhibit 10 contract. Murphy names the Raptors as another NBA club with interest.

Cleveland could ultimately be the best fit for Pangos. As Fedor has previously reported, the team remains in the market for one more point guard even after acquiring Ricky Rubio earlier this offseason. The Cavs also have plenty of roster flexibility, with just 10 players on guaranteed contracts so far — Lamar Stevens, Damyean Dotson, Dean Wade, and Mfiondu Kabengele don’t have full guarantees.

Central Notes: Giannis, Sykes, Nance

August 22nd, 2021 at 3:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has bought a stake in MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, the Brewers announced on Friday (link via ESPN). He certainly has the means: the 6’11” reigning Finals MVP inked a five-year, $228MM+ supermax extension with Milwaukee ahead of his championship 2020/21 season with the Bucks.

“This is a dream come true for a kid from Sepolia, Athens, Greece, born from immigrant parents. I could have never imagined I would be in this position,” Antetokounmpo said during a news conference about the purchase on Friday. “I want to be involved in the community as much as possible. I know Milwaukee invested a lot in me, and I want to invest a lot of me back into the city of Milwaukee.”

For more on Antetokounmpo’s foray into MLB ownership, check out the story at MLB Trade Rumors.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Point guard Keifer Sykes has a chance to stick with the Pacers thanks to his solid Summer League play, writes J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. New Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle appears to be in favor of Sykes’ addition. The 5’11” Sykes has been playing in various international leagues since going undrafted out of Green Bay in 2015.
The Cavaliers explored adding a variety of wings during free agency, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Josh Hart, Doug McDermott, Alec Burks, Reggie Bullock, Furkan Korkmaz and Kent Bazemore were all considered. Cleveland committed significant long-term money to Jarrett Allen this summer and drafted Evan Mobley with the No. 3 pick, prompting Fedor to explore whether the team might trade big man Larry Nance Jr. to bolster its wing depth, now that most appealing free agent swingmen are off the table.
In case you missed it, restricted free agent forward Hamidou Diallo re-signed with the Pistons on a two-year, $10.4MM deal, with a team option for the second year of the contract.

Cavaliers Notes: Mobley, Rubio, Allen, Schedule

August 21st, 2021 at 6:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Mobley appears to be the best candidate to start at power forward when the Cavaliers open their season, writes Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. The No. 3 pick in this year’s draft showed during Summer League that he’s mobile enough to handle the power forward duties. The coaching staff is reluctant to use Mobley extensively at center until he adds more muscle, so he’ll probably play alongside Jarrett Allen, giving the team two seven-foot rim protectors on defense.

If Mobley is named the starter, that will mean bench roles for veterans Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. The Cavaliers have already spoken to Love about reducing his time on the court, and he talked last month about no longer being the No. 1 option who plays 35 minutes per night. Russo notes that Love, who still has two years and more than $60MM left on his contract, can still be valuable as a floor-spacer and rebounder.

Nance is coming off an injury-plagued season, but he started 27 of the 35 games he appeared in and averaged a career-high 31.2 minutes per night. He’s useful as a big man who can pass and defend, and he provides a veteran on-court presence for a very young team. Nance is also under contract for two more seasons, but only at a total of a little more than $20MM.

There’s more from Cleveland:

Newly-acquired Ricky Rubio will probably be used off the bench, as the starting backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland remains together, Russo adds. Rubio is expected to run the offense with the second unit and can defend either guard position.
Allen left a contending team when the Nets traded him to Cleveland in January, but he didn’t hesitate to re-sign with the Cavs this summer, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Allen’s new five-year, $100MM contract means he will be a long-term part of the rebuilding process. “Seeing a team like this, knowing what it takes, we have all the right guys and the right mindsets to do it,” he said. “So, I thought, ‘Hey, I’m willing to be part of this again, especially with these guys.’ I see a bright future here that I fit in perfectly.”
The new schedule that was announced Friday includes a tough early stretch that could set the tone for the Cavs’ entire season, Fedor notes in a separate story. Cleveland has one of the most difficult starts in the league, with eight of its first 11 games on the road and 11 of the first 12 against teams that were in the playoffs last season.