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Sexton's Future In Cleveland; Cavaliers Offseason And 2021/22 Expectations

June 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the third pick in the 2021 draft now headed their way, the Cavaliers are set to consider a litany of offseason moves, including the possibility of trading 22-year-old combo guard Collin Sexton. However, sources close to Sexton anticipate that he will be part of the club’s long-term outlook, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“Our guys are hungry. I think they understand that there’s talent here and that has to now translate into wins at some point,” team general manager Koby Altman said at the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ season, when the team finished with a disappointing 22-50 record. “It’s on me to help supplement that young talent and it’s on (head coach J.B. Bickerstaff) to keep growing the culture here.”

  • Given that they’re now armed with the No. 3 overall pick, it’s fair to expect growth from the Cavaliers next season, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “I don’t want to put the pressure and the burden on the young core that it’s playoffs or bust, although that’s sort of what they’re talking about,” GM Koby Altman told Lloyd on Bally Sports Great Lakes’ “Drennan Live.” “If it’s the play-in tournament, if it’s playoffs, that’s where their mindset is and what they’re thinking about every day.” Lloyd notes that his preference would be to trade leading scorer Sexton, eligible for a lucrative contract extension this summer, in exchange for a proven veteran.
  • The Cavaliers will have a lot of optionality during the 2021 offseason, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details in a detailed look at Cleveland’s summer. Marks contends that, with a high draft pick in a loaded, top-heavy 2021 draft, the Cavaliers will be able to build on their intriguing young core of guards Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, wing Isaac Okoro, and center Jarrett Allen, should the team opt to retain everyone. Marks notes that, because the Cavaliers’ salary cap is clogged with veteran contracts, the team needs to maximize the on-court value of those pricey veterans, including former All-Star Kevin Love.
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Hollinger’s Latest: Draft, Wiseman, Siakam, Trent, Combine

June 28th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Sources who have spoken to John Hollinger of The Athletic are skeptical that the Pistons, Rockets, or Cavaliers will trade out of the top three spots in the draft.

As Hollinger notes, there are a lot of teams that figure to have interest in moving up in the draft, including several holding multiple first-round picks, such as the Magic, Thunder, and Knicks. However, it’s more difficult to find teams that will give serious consideration to moving down. Any trade up may require a substantial overpay, Hollinger adds.

Here are a few more tidbits from Hollinger following his time at the pre-draft combine in Chicago:

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Rosters Announced For Olympic Qualifying Tournaments

June 28th, 2021 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

Four qualifying tournaments to determine the final four teams in the men’s basketball pool at the Tokyo Olympics are set to tip off on Tuesday. In advance of the Olympic qualifiers, the 24 teams involved have officially set their 12-man rosters, according to a press release from FIBA.

More than two dozen current NBA players are participating in the tournament, and 11 of the 24 teams competing for Olympic spots have at least one current NBA players on their respective rosters. Of those clubs, Team Canada has the biggest contingent of NBA players — eight of the 12 players on Nick Nurse‘s squad finished the season on an NBA roster. Turkey is next with four NBA players.

The four qualifying tournaments will take place in Serbia, Lithuania, Croatia, and Canada. Only the winner of each six-team group will advance to Tokyo. Those four winners will join Japan, Nigeria, Argentina, Iran, France, Spain, Australia, and the U.S. in the 12-team Olympic tournament.

The teams that move onto the Olympics may tweak their rosters for Tokyo, depending on the availability of certain players. For instance, if Greece were to win its qualifying tournament, perhaps Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo – who remains active in the playoffs for now – would make an effort to join the team in Tokyo next month.

Here are the NBA players on the OQT rosters:

Belgrade, Serbia

Kaunas, Lithuania

Split, Croatia

Victoria, Canada

There are also many former NBA players among the 24 rosters, including Mario Hezonja (Croatia), Milos Teodosic (Serbia), Jan Vesely (Czech Republic), Timofey Mozgov (Russia), and Anthony Bennett (Canada).

To view the full rosters, be sure to visit FIBA’s official site and click through to each team from there.

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Draft Notes: Jones, Mamukelashvili, Wiggins, Edwards

June 27th, 2021 at 3:09pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Stetson guard Christiaan Jones has opted to withdraw his name from consideration in the upcoming 2021 draft and will return to school, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. During the 2020/21 season, the 6’5″ Jones averaged 13 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.6 APG, while shooting .458/.350/842.

Here’s more on the upcoming draft:

  • 6’11” Seton Hall star big man Sandro Mamukelashvili may stay local at the next level. He has workouts scheduled for both New York clubs next month, with a Nets session scheduled for July 1 and a Knicks workout penciled in for July 8, writes Adam Zagoria for NJ.com. “It would be great,” Mamukelashvili told reporters during a Zoom call on Friday. “I was born in New York. My first game was in New York. I watched the Knicks when I came here first, so it would be great.” Mamukelashvili averaged 17.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.1 SPG in 27 games for Seton Hall during his senior year, all starts.
  • Hawks swingman Kevin Huerter has helped advise Aaron Wiggins, a guard at Huerter’s alma matter Maryland, as the latter player goes through workouts for several teams ahead of the 2021 draft, per Kevin Brown of NBC Sports Washington. Wiggins is hoping to be a first-round draft selection, and is weighing whether or not to remain in the draft. He has worked out for the Warriors, Celtics, Knicks and Cavaliers thus far. “Obviously, a guarantee of a first-round election would be something no one would pass up on,” Wiggins said. “For me, it’s just based on how I feel with what the teams are telling me and if the teams that like me want to draft me and I’m confident I’d be in a good situation and comfortable there, the teams that I’ve worked out with, the teams that I’ve interviewed with, just depending on how it would benefit me if I were to keep my name in there in the future.” Wiggins is currently the No. 58 prospect on ESPN’s big board. Wiggins averaged 14.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG in 31 games for Maryland, including 30 starts.
  • Pepperdine forward Kessler Edwards intends to sign with an agent and stay in the 2021 draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Edwards is projected as the No. 48 prospect on the ESPN 2021 draft board. During his 2020/21 junior year at Pepperdine, Edwards averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 BPG, and 1.0 SPG across 27 games, including 26 starts.
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Central Notes: Kuminga, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Pistons

June 27th, 2021 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Members of the Cavaliers‘ front office attended the pro day for Jonathan Kuminga on Saturday, and the G League standout will receive consideration with the No. 3 pick, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team plans to bring Kuminga to Cleveland for a private workout sometime in July, Fedor adds.

As a 6’8″ forward who offers both athleticism and skill, Kuminga is expected to be taken in the first half of the lottery. Conventional wisdom has Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs going in the top four, but Kuminga may be a better fit for Cleveland.

“He showed up and shot it well,” a scout told Fedor after Kuminga’s workout. “He really helped himself today. He won’t fall past No. 5.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Bucks are focused on reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years and they could do without the controversy that happens every time Giannis Antetokounmpo steps to the foul line, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The two-time MVP has a lengthy free-throw routine that seems to exceed the 10-second limit for taking a shot, and fans have started counting to 10 every time he gets the ball. “Usually I take eight to nine seconds,” Antetokounmpo claims. “Borderline 10 seconds. When my coaching staff tells me to like, speed it up, I know that maybe I’m around 10. Or sometimes the referee talks to me and tells me, ‘You’ve got to speed it up.’ Then I make an effort to maybe take it a second or two seconds faster. But my mindset going into this game was go through my routine, get as many dribbles as I can, get my breath and just shoot my shot.”
  • Bucks guards Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have committed to play for Team USA in the Olympics, but they insist it won’t be a distraction, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Along with the Suns’ Devin Booker, they are they the only Team USA members still active in the playoffs. “I think I’m always focused on the immediate, what’s happening right now. That’s been my main focus, and it’s going to continue to be that,” Holiday said. “If we go the finals or whatever happens, up until that point, this is what matters.”
  • The Pistons should make the obvious choice and take Cunningham with the No. 1 pick, argues Rod Beard of The Detroit News (subscriber only).
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Olympic Notes: Popovich, Lillard, Durant, Love, Grant, Broekhoff, Schröder

June 26th, 2021 at 11:59am CST by Dana Gauruder

The respect that players have for longtime Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was instrumental in getting star players to commit to Team USA for the Summer Olympics, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. Popovich reached out to players but wasn’t overbearing and that helped gain their trust, compared to prior years when Team USA dealt with dozens of decommitments.

After Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant pledged to participate, Popovich and manager director Jerry Colangelo worked with the two perennial All-Stars to recruit other players.

Windhorst also offered up some other interesting tidbits:

  • Lillard was miffed when he missed the final cut before Team USA went to Spain for the World Cup in 2014. That played a role in his decision not to compete for the 2016 Olympic team. With Popovich now coaching the team and knowing this could be a last chance play in the Olympics, Lillard was eager to sign up this time.
  • While Kevin Love‘s stature around the league has taken a big hit in recent years, Popovich valued his versatility and shooting. The Cavaliers were also very supportive of Love’s opportunity to play for Team USA.
  • Pistons forward Jerami Grant was offered a spot after James Harden declined due his hamstring injury. Lillard and Durant vouched for Grant, which tipped the scales in his favor for one of the last roster spots.
  • On the international front, former Mavericks forward Ryan Broekhoff has withdrawn from the Australian national team due to mental health issues, Sportando relays. “My mental health is something I have struggled with for a long time and I think it’s important for me to put my hand up and admit when things aren’t OK and that it is time to seek help,” he said in a statement.
  • Lakers guard Dennis Schröder will not play for Germany during the Olympic qualifying tournament next week due to insurance issues, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press tweets. Schroder will be entering free agency this summer.
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Cavs Won't Limit List For No. 3 Pick To Three Players

June 25th, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers will not just limit their interview and workout list for the No. 3 pick to USC’s Evan Mobley, the G League Ignite’s Jalen Green and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Those players are widely considered the next three prospects beyond Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, who is only expected to visit Detroit

Duke’s Jalen Johnson, who is ranked No. 9 by ESPN, was scheduled to meet with the Cavaliers on Friday. The Cavs are also expected to look at the G League Ignite’s Jonathan Kuminga (rated No. 5) and Florida State’s Scottie Barnes (No. 6). The latter met with Cleveland’s brass on Thursday, Fedor adds.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Chase Buford is leaving his post as the Wisconsin Herd’s head coach in order to become the head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL, according to a team press release. “We are excited for Chase to pursue this opportunity with one of the best clubs in Australia,” said Herd GM Dave Dean. Buford, 32, led the Bucks’ G League team to a league-best 33-10 record before the 2019/20 season was suspended due to the pandemic.
  • Along with mulling what to do with the top pick, the Pistons must decide how high they’re willing to go on restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) writes. Diallo is projected to command somewhere in the neighborhood of the mid-level exception, which the Pistons could easily match. Marks also explores the team’s other pending decisions and its cap situation.
  • With his long track record and a four-year contract, Rick Carlisle will command respect in the Pacers’ locker room, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star (subscription required) writes.
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Cavs Looking To Move Collin Sexton?

June 24th, 2021 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers have begun to explore trade options involving guard Collin Sexton, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated reports.

Sexton is one of the prominent players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. He’s likely to seek a maximum contract, Woo notes, but the Cavaliers have continued to flounder during his first three seasons. The Cavs have gone 19-63, 19-46 and 22-50 during that span.

Jarrett Allen is a restricted free agent and Cleveland is expected to pursue a multiyear deal with the young center it acquired from the Nets this season.

There’s belief around the league that the Cavs would prefer to trade Sexton in order to protect their future cap flexibility, according to Woo. Sexton averaged a team-high 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG this season.

The fact that the Cavs moved up in the lottery also plays into that notion. They hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and three of the top four prospects are guards — Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs. They could replace Sexton with a player on a rookie contract for the next few years and acquire other assets for him.

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Fedor: No Bad Options For Cavs At No. 3

June 24th, 2021 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Although they didn’t nab the first overall pick like their division rivals, the Cavaliers are in a great spot at No. 3, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Fedor contends there’s essentially no wrong answer with that pick, which could be used to draft a franchise cornerstone or possibly to trade for a star. “If that’s the direction that we want to go with that ammunition, we can certainly get in some (trade) conversations,” GM Koby Altman said. “But we really do like this draft.”
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Bulls Notes: Lottery, LaVine, Simmons, Dinwiddie, T. Young

June 23rd, 2021 at 8:43pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls were among the unluckiest teams at the draft lottery, losing their first-round pick to the Magic when it failed to land in the top four, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Chicago wound up sending the No. 8 selection to Orlando as part of the trade deadline deal involving Nikola Vucevic, and it owes another first-rounder to the Magic in 2023.

With only the No. 38 pick remaining in the July 29 draft, the Bulls will have to explore other ways to improve, Mayberry adds. They’re short on trade assets after investing so much in the roster makeover in March, and they may not have enough cap space to add a meaningful free agent.

Mayberry suggests the Bulls may try to trade back into the first round on draft night, using the expiring contracts of Thaddeus Young ($14.19MM) and Tomáš Satoranský ($10MM), both of which are non-guaranteed, as well as Al-Farouq Aminu ($10.183MM).

They may also reach out to a couple of division rivals who had better fortune at the lottery. The Pistons landed the top overall pick and are likely to draft Cade Cunningham, which could make point guard Killian Hayes available in a trade, Mayberry speculates. Meanwhile, if the Cavaliers get Jalen Green at No. 3, they might be willing to part with Collin Sexton, Darius Garland or Isaac Okoro.

There’s more on the Bulls:

  • Zach LaVine‘s inclusion on the Olympic team could be good for the Bulls’ future, states Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. He notes that many star pairings in the NBA began when players got to know each other as Olympic teammates. Cowley cautions it might work the other way, and LaVine, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, could get recruited to go somewhere else.
  • Ben Simmons‘ playoff struggles and Spencer Dinwiddie‘s decision to turn down his player option for next season create two intriguing options for the Bulls in their search for a point guard, writes Jamal Collier of The Chicago Tribune. Simmons would be an ideal backcourt partner for LaVine, Collier notes, but it would be hard to put together an enticing offer for the Sixers without giving up LaVine in return. Dinwiddie will be seeking more than the $12.3MM he opted out of, but Collier expects concerns about his partially torn ACL to keep the price tag down.
  • Thaddeus Young has been chosen as this year’s winner of the NBA Hustle Award, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The honor goes to the player who makes the most energy and effort plays during the season.
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