Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

J.R. Smith No Longer With Cavaliers

November 20th, 2018 at 12:39pm CST by Luke Adams

12:39pm: The Cavaliers have officially confirmed that Smith will no longer be with the team as the club and Smith’s reps work to resolve his situation. Within their press release, the Cavs thanked Smith for his contributions to the franchise, including his role in the 2016 championship.

12:21pm: Veteran guard J.R. Smith will no longer be actively with the Cavaliers, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter links), who reports that Smith will work out on his own going forward. Smith’s camp and the Cavs are working together to find a trade, Vardon says, adding that a buyout is not a consideration at this point. Vardon describes the breakup as “amicable.”

The Cavaliers reportedly gave Smith the opportunity to take time away from the club earlier in the season, but he turned down the offer at the time — it seems he has reconsidered it now. This development doesn’t come as a huge surprise after Smith made comments suggesting that the Cavs weren’t trying to win, and that he didn’t want to be part of a team if its goal wasn’t “to compete, to win.”

Smith had been a regular part of Cleveland’s rotation over the last couple weeks, but played just six minutes in Monday’s loss to the Pistons. It appears those will be his last minutes for the team for a while – perhaps ever – as he’ll be pulled from the rotation for the third time this season. The Cavaliers have been somewhat indecisive so far in 2018/19 about whether to play their veterans or focus on developing their young prospects, but they appear to be moving more and more toward the latter path.

While Smith is very much on the market, it won’t be easy for the Cavs to find a trade partner. The 33-year-old is off to a very poor start to the season, with just 6.7 PPG on .342/.308/.800 shooting in 11 games (20.2 MPG). He’s also earning a $14.72MM salary in 2018/19.

On the plus side, while Smith remains under contract for one more year beyond this season, his 2019/20 salary, worth $15.68MM, is only partially guaranteed for $3.87MM, so it’d be relatively inexpensive to cut him loose at season’s end.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

J.R. Smith Wants Trade From Cavs, Resisting Buyout

November 20th, 2018 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

Nearly three weeks after he first confirmed that he’d welcome a trade out of Cleveland, J.R. Smith continues to seek a deal, having asked twice to be moved, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The veteran guard made it clear during a conversation with Lloyd that he doesn’t believe the Cavaliers are interested in winning, and doesn’t want to play for a team that’s not trying to win.

“I don’t think the goal is to win. The goal isn’t to go out there and try to get as many wins as you can,” Smith said. “I think the goal is to develop and lose to get lottery picks. I think that was always the plan.”

Asked if he’s interested in being part of the rebuilding process in Cleveland, Smith replied, “Not if the goal isn’t to compete, to win.”

The Cavaliers insisted throughout the offseason, even as LeBron James headed to Los Angeles, that they still believed they could compete in the Eastern Conference — if not for a spot in the Finals, then at least for a playoff berth. Shortly after the regular season got underway, the Cavs seemingly shifted gears and started to focus on developing young players like Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman. However, in the view of vets like Smith and George Hill, that was probably the plan even before the season started.

“I think it re-calibrated before Game 1 was even played,” Hill said of the club’s outlook for 2018/19. “In the summer, it felt like politically you have to say we can still do these things because you want everyone to buy in to being here. Once everybody is here, I don’t know. The directions change.”

While the Cavs would probably have just as much interest as Smith in a deal that sends him elsewhere, his contract – which includes a $14.72MM cap hit for this season – isn’t favorable, especially given his slow start (his 6.7 PPG and .342 FG% would be career lows). Lloyd suggests that if Smith were willing to surrender some of the guaranteed money left on his deal, a buyout would be an option, but the 33-year-old has refused to go down that road so far.

“I don’t want my legacy to be remembered like that in Cleveland,” Smith said of a buyout. “I don’t think that’s fair to the people I see every single day walking around the arena. I don’t think that’s fair to the trainers or equipment guys. … I just look at it differently than being traded. I don’t like the statement of getting bought out.”

The Cavs figure to continue exploring the trade market for Smith in the coming weeks and months. If they can’t find a suitable deal by the February 7 deadline, perhaps Smith would become more inclined to negotiate a buyout in an effort to join a contender.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, White, Holland, Carmelo

November 19th, 2018 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he would discuss holding a future All-Star Game in the city of Detroit with Arn Tellem, the vice-chairman of the Pistons, Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News reports. The Pistons are playing their second season at Little Caesars Arena, which is also the home of the NHL’s Red Wings. “I’m sure we’ll be talking about it,” Silver said during a business trip to the city. The state of Michigan hasn’t seen an All-Star Game since 1979, when it was held in the Pontiac Silverdome. The Pistons’ former home, The Palace of Auburn Hills, never hosted the event.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

Former Heat and Cavaliers big man Okaro White is close to signing with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a Eurobasket.com report which was relayed by Sam Amico. White appeared in six games with Miami last season after seeing action in 35 games with the Heat the previous season. The Cavaliers signed him to 10-day contracts last season but he didn’t play. He was waived by Cleveland in August and then by the Spurs in October after joining them for training camp.
The G League’s Austin Spurs acquired the returning rights to guard John Holland and a 2019 second-round pick from the Canton Charge, the Cavs’ affiliate, in exchange for small forward Jaron Blossomgame, according to a press release from the G League club. Holland had a two-way contract with the Cavaliers last season and played 24 games, posting an average of 2.3 PPG in 7.3 MPG. Holland appeared in one game this season with the Cavaliers before being waived on November 9th. Blossomgame, the Spurs’ second-round pick in 2017, spent the last two seasons with Austin but has yet to make his NBA debut.
The Warriors, Sixers, Lakers and Pelicans are the most likely landing spots for Carmelo Anthony once he’s waived by the Rockets, Matt Eppers of USA Today opines. Anthony could help each of those teams to varying degrees, mainly as a second-unit player.

LeBron: Kyrie Trade Was Beginning Of The End In Cleveland

November 19th, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

With LeBron James‘ return to Cleveland right around the corner, Joe Vardon of The Athletic revisits the 2017 trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston and contributed to James’ decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Lakers in 2018. As LeBron tells Vardon, the Irving deal with the Celtics helped signal the end of an era in Cleveland.

“Everyone knows that when Kyrie got traded it was the beginning of the end for everything,” James said. “It’s not a secret.”

In his account of how that Irving deal got done, Vardon writes that James spoke on the phone to Cavs general manager Koby Altman the day the trade was agreed upon. Vardon cites four separate people present for the conversation who say that – at the end of the call – Altman told LeBron the trade wouldn’t happen. However, the deal was completed shortly thereafter.

Cavaliers officials who spoke to Vardon denied that Altman gave James any assurances that the deal wouldn’t happen, adding that Altman asked LeBron if he’d commit long-term to the Cavs if they kept Irving, and he said no. In any case, James doesn’t feel as if Altman lied to him, according to Vardon — instead, the GM may have simply been overruled by team owner Dan Gilbert.

“You realize at that point in time, take nothing from Koby, because Koby (was just named GM),” LeBron said. “But at that point in time, you realize that Koby’s not the only one running the team, as (former GM David Griffin) had done, and that’s why Griff was let go pretty much.”

While the Cavaliers still earned a spot in the NBA Finals without Irving, they were quickly dispatched by the Warriors, prompting James to seek a new challenge in free agency. Now a Laker, the four-time MVP will make his return to Cleveland this week, with the Cavs scheduled to host the Lakers on Wednesday.

As for Irving, he declined comment today when asked about his response to James’ comments, telling reporters that he’s done talking about his time in Cleveland (video link via Abby Chin of NBC Sports Boston).

Tristan Thompson Emerging As a Leader

November 18th, 2018 at 5:46pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

With the Cavaliers suffering a slow start due to injuries and inconsistent play from many key rotational players, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic writes that amidst a career year, Tristan Thompson has also taken on a new role as a leader of the team, which is something the Cavaliers didn’t have when LeBron James left in 2010.

Sexton May Have Claimed Starting Role

November 16th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Collin Sexton may have taken over the Cavaliers’ starting point guard spot from George Hill, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland’s lottery selection is averaging 18.0 PPG and shooting 48.4% since Hill injured his shoulder earlier this month. “There are just guys who feel more comfortable starting than coming off the bench,” head coach Larry Drew told Fedor and other media members. “I think everybody wants to start, but everybody’s production as a starter is not very good. … Certainly with G-Hill out, Collin has definitely stepped up to the plate and made his presence felt and has made a major impact to what we’ve been doing.”

Sixers Remain Interested In Kyle Korver

November 13th, 2018 at 6:43pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Fresh off of a blockbuster deal that brought in Jimmy Butler, the Sixers are eyeing moves that will add shooting to a roster depleted of it.

Philadelphia remains “highly” interested in Kyle Korver, as Marc Stein writes in his weekly newsletter for The New York Times. Stein notes that it will be difficult for Philadelphia to acquire Korver now that Jerryd Bayless is no longer on the team. Bayless, who is on an expiring contract worth $8.6MM, was sent to Minnesota in the Butler deal.

Korver signed a three-year, $22MM contract with the Cavaliers during the summer of 2017. LeBron James has since left The Land, making him an awkward fit on a rebuilding squad.

Philadelphia still has options, as a package of Mike Muscala and Zhaire Smith would financially work for a Korver trade. With Muscala seeing meaningful minutes this year, it’s hard to see the Sixers including him or their promising 2018 first-rounder in a deal for the 37-year-old.

Swapping Markelle Fultz for Korver would also work financially, though the team’s front office appears to be taking a patient approach with the former No. 1 overall pick, which makes a Fultz trade unlikely at the moment.

Reactions To The Jimmy Butler Trade

November 10th, 2018 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler never meshed with two young stars in Minnesota, but he’ll have to make a similar situation work with the Sixers, writes Mike Sielski of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Butler was abrasive with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, often questioning their toughness and their work ethic. Sielski believes the All-Star wing will have to take a different approach to be successful in Philadelphia.

The confrontations could be at least partially explained by Butler’s background, Sielski notes. He was picked 30th overall in 2011 and didn’t enter the league as a ready-made star like Towns and Wiggins or like the Sixers’ Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Butler’s attitude may endear him to fans, but it could lead to clashes with teammates, particularly Simmons, who has been known to pass up open jumpers and avoid contact late in games to avoid going to the foul line, where he is a 57% career shooter.

Coach Brett Brown talked about the need to add toughness after his team was eliminated from the playoffs last year. Butler brings plenty of that, Sielski adds, but some of his Sixers teammates may find it hard to adapt to the new atmosphere.

There’s more to pass along in the wake of today’s blockbuster:

The trade makes the Sixers better right away and still leaves the flexibility to improve in the future, states David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who adds that it won’t take much roster tinkering to be able to offer another maximum contract next summer. Philadelphia will have about $22MM in available cap room after accounting for Butler, Simmons and Embiid, along with Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet, Zhaire Smith and Jonah Bolden. Fultz will make $9,745,200 next season, so trading him and another young player could free up the roughly $11MM the Sixers will need for a max deal.
Butler now has all the advantages he could ask for and needs to prove he can fit in, according to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. The Sixers provide owners that are willing to spend, a forward-thinking and popular coach in Brown and proven talent already in place. Embiid and Simmons have the franchise set up for a long run as contenders, and Butler needs to settle into a role that doesn’t disrupt the chemistry that’s already in place.
The Sixers talked to the Cavaliers this summer about trading for Kyle Korver and still have interest in the 3-point specialist, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Knicks’ Courtney Lee is another possibility as Philadelphia looks for shooters after sending Dario Saric and Robert Covington to Minnesota. O’Connor suggests that the team may also wait for buyouts as it did last year when it picked up Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova.
There was a big change in the Sixers’ odds to capture the NBA title after news of the trade was announced, according to Ed Barkowitz of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The team moved to a 16-1 shot to win it all at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas after starting the day at 30-1.

Kevin Love Reportedly Receiving Interest Around League

November 10th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by marksuleymanov

It has been a nightmare season for the Cavaliers, who currently own the NBA’s worst record at 1-10. On top of that, the team is without its best player, Kevin Love, who underwent left foot surgery and is expected to miss at least the next six weeks.

Love, 30, signed a four-year, $120MM extension with Cleveland this summer, but that does not mean he will spend all those years in a Cavaliers uniform. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently appeared on The Really Big Show on ESPN 850 WKNR and addressed the possibility of Cleveland trading the five-time All-Star — if he’s healthy.

“Yes. Absolutely. There is interest in Kevin Love in this league,” Windhorst said (via Amico Hoops). “Would it be the best time to trade him? I don’t believe so, no. I don’t believe you could get your best value then.”

Given Love’s contract and surgery, it’s fair to temper expectations on what the Cavaliers could receive in exchange for his services. Also, his timeline to return is unclear, as the Cavaliers noted in their press release that an update would be issued within six weeks — meaning he likely would not be ready to return by then.

That notwithstanding, Windhorst asserted that if the Cavaliers wanted to, they could “trade Love in 15 minutes.”

“The Cavs would be able to get pieces for him,” Windhorst said. “I don’t necessarily think they’d be great pieces. When you have a guy under a $100MM contract who is injured, you worry about whether you’d have to ‘incentivize’… it’s what’s known as ‘incentivizing’ where you’d have to add something to the deal like a draft pick or something to sweeten the pot for a team to get the player off your hands.”

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Central Division

November 9th, 2018 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if those players’ stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Central Division:

Justin Holiday, Bulls 29, SG (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $9MM deal in 2017
Holiday is playing heavy minutes for the injury-riddled Bulls. His scoring average (12.0 PPG) is modest, given the amount of playing time he’s receiving, but he’s been solid from long range (38.9%) and rarely turns the ball over. His OBPM (Offensive Box Plus/Minus) is a career-best 1.7, according to Basketball Reference. Defensively, he leads the club in steals (1.6). Holiday probably won’t find a starting gig on the open market, but he’d be a solid second unit option on a playoff contender.

Rodney Hood, Cavaliers, 26, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $3.47MM deal in 2018
Hood accepted the Cavaliers’ qualifying offer as a restricted free agent over the summer with the aim of landing a lucrative mult-year pact as an unrestricted FA next summer. Thus far, Hood hasn’t really stood out from the pack on a struggling team. With Kevin Love sidelined by a foot injury, Hood had an opportunity to be a bigger offensive force. Instead, his numbers have declined. He averaged 14.0 PPG in 27.7 MPG last month but has posted a 9.3 PPG average in 26.0 MPG through four November outings.

Stanley Johnson, Pistons, 22, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $12.85MM deal in 2015
Johnson didn’t receive a rookie scale extension and he’ll be a restricted free agent if the Pistons extend a $5.3MM qualifying offer after the season. Right now, that’s a big if. Johnson lost his starting job to Glenn Robinson III after shooting 35.2% overall and 25.0% from deep while committing 16 turnovers in seven starts. The Pistons are currently looking at Johnson as a small ball power forward off the bench. He’s looked comfortable in that role, posting back-to-back double-digit games while shooting with more confidence.

Tyreke Evans, Pacers, 29, SG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $12MM deal in 2018
Coming off a career year with the Grizzlies in which he averaged 19.3 PPG, Evans was expected to be one of the league’s premier sixth men. He’s still finding his way with a much more talented team, averaging 10.9 PPG, though he’s been fine beyond the arc (41.7%). In his last six games, Evans is averaging 10.0 PPG while shooting 38.2% from the field. Evans’ numbers should spike up but for now, he hasn’t done anything to make him more attractive on the open market than he was this summer.

Khris Middleton, Bucks, 27, SF (Up) – Signed to a five-year, $70MM deal in 2015
Middleton has a $13MM option on his contract for next season and it’s a foregone conclusion he’ll test the open market. His value continues to rise with his early-season performances. He’s the second-best player on a very good team, averaging 19.3 PPG and shooting a whopping 45.5% from long range. Throw in career bests in rebounding (5.2 per game) and assists (4.3) along with his solid defense and Middleton will be highly coveted in July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.