Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Kobi Simmons

September 20th, 2018 at 1:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

SEPTEMBER 20: The Cavaliers have officially signed Simmons after waiving JaCorey Williams to clear a roster spot, per RealGM’s transactions log.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Cavaliers will sign Kobi Simmons to a one-year contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The point guard participated in Cleveland’s free agent tryout camp last week.

Simmons played for the Grizzlies last season on a two-way contract, but Memphis waived him in late August. The 21-year-old appeared in 32 games, starting 12, and averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 assists per night.

Cleveland was at the 20-player roster limit after yesterday’s reported deals with Bonzie Colson, Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, so an opening will have to be created before all the contracts can be finalized.

Cavaliers Cut JaCorey Williams

September 20th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

JaCorey Williams‘ latest stint with the Cavaliers lasted a little longer than his time with the team a year ago, but not by much. A week after signing him, Cleveland has waived Williams, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.

In 2017, Williams was signed by the Cavaliers and released one day later, since the team wanted to secure his G League rights. This year’s signing appears to have been G League-motivated as well, as Williams has been released several days before the Cavs’ training camp will get underway.

Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year in 2016/17 during his final year at Middle Tennessee State, spent last season playing for the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s NBAGL affiliate. In 50 games (40 starts), the 6’8″ forward averaged 15.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG.

Having released Williams, the Cavaliers created an opening on their 20-man offseason roster, which they used to formally sign Kobi Simmons. Simmons had agreed to terms on a deal with the Cavs last week.

Rodney Hood Hopes To Remain With Cavs Long-Term

September 18th, 2018 at 10:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Rodney Hood accepted his one-year, $3.4MM qualifying offer from the Cavaliers earlier this month after a summer that didn’t go as planned. Despite settling for the deal that creates the quickest path to unrestricted free agency, the Duke product says he hopes to parlay the QO into a long-term contract with the Cavs.

“I believe strongly in myself that after this year, I’ll be able to make Cleveland my home and we’ll get a better deal next summer,” Hood tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

“Just because he signed the qualifying offer, he’s not on the first train out of here,” Hood’s agent Travis King said. “He plans to stay in Cleveland.”

Hood struggled during limited action in the playoffs for the Cavaliers and was relegated to the bench. He also reportedly refused to enter a postseason game against the Raptors during garbage-time minutes. Then, once he hit the restricted free agent market, teams weren’t willing to make a hefty investment in the 25-year-old.

Hood was reportedly seeking a deal with annual values in the $10-12MM range. According to his agent, he only received offers in the $5-8MM range.

“At first I kind of felt bad for myself, but then it was like I don’t want to feel this feeling again, sitting on the bench, or playing 8-10 minutes a game,” Hood said. “I want to be a big part of a really good team, so that was my focus this whole summer.”

The Cavaliers offered Hood a multi-year pact for roughly $7MM per season, a source tells Vardon. Hood told the scribe that he wasn’t “comfortable” accepting that offer from the Cavs. He hopes to sign a more lucrative deal with Cleveland next offseason.

“My twins were born here,” Hood said. “I like the community, even though I haven’t been out there a lot. I want to make this a home. It’s just didn’t happen this summer. That’s how I look at it.”

Cavaliers Sign Levi Randolph

September 18th, 2018 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have signed former Alabama standout Levi Randolph to a training camp contract, according to RealGM’s NBA transactions log. RealGM also lists Cleveland’s deal with Bonzie Colson, signaling that the previously-reported agreement is now official.

The signings are the latest in a string of moves for the Cavs, who are working on securing certain players’ G League rights and finalizing their roster for training camp. Cleveland recently added JaCorey Williams to its offseason roster, and also signed and released Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith.

That 20-man offseason squad is now full, with Randolph and Colson officially under contract. The Cavs have reportedly reached a contract agreement with Kobi Simmons as well, meaning the team will have to open up a roster spot before Simmons’ deal can be formally finalized.

Randolph, who went undrafted out of Alabama in 2015, has played in the G League and in international leagues since then, spending time with the Maine Red Claws and with clubs in Italy and France. Most recently, he finished the 2017/18 campaign with French club SIG Strasbourg, averaging 8.6 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 22 French League games (19.5 MPG). The 6’6″ shooting guard also played for the Pacers’ Summer League team in July.

Cavaliers Sign Forward JaCorey Williams

September 14th, 2018 at 6:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward JaCorey Williams has signed a contract with the Cavaliers, according to the RealGM transactions log.

Terms were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal. Williams participated briefly in Cleveland’s training camp last season but was waived to make room for Dwyane Wade. Williams eventually wound up playing 49 games for their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, where he averaged 15.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Williams went on to play for Israel’s Hapoel Gilboa Galil during the spring.

Williams, a 6’8″ forward, played his first three college seasons at Arkansas, then transferred to Middle Tennessee State for his senior year. He enjoyed a breakout season there, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year for 2016/17, joined the Warriors’ summer league team before his short stay in Cleveland’s training camp.

The Cavaliers have waived guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, whom they signed to Exhibit 10 contracts on Thursday, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. That duo will join the team’s G League camp.

The Cavs have also reportedly reached an agreement with point guard Kobi Simmons and also added forward Bonzie Colson, though neither have officially signed. If they do become official, Cleveland will reach the 20-player training camp roster limit.

Young Players Could Provide Intrigue

September 14th, 2018 at 3:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers could be more interesting and successful without LeBron James than many people expect, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines. The development of first-round pick Collin Sexton, Ante Zizic and Cedi Osman will be intriguing to watch and GM Koby Altman will likely make more moves during the season to reshape the team’s future, Pluto continues. Trading J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson, who have seemed disinterested during the regular season during the James era, would move the process along, Pluto adds.

Bonzie Colson Added To Cavs Camp Roster

September 13th, 2018 at 8:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Former Notre Dame star forward Bonzie Colson has agreed to a training camp contract with the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The addition of Colson gives Cleveland a full 20-player roster for camp. The Cavs also reached camp agreements with guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith on Thursday.

The 6’6” Colson missed most of his senior season with the Fighting Irish due to multiple foot injuries. He was viewed as a potential second-round pick before fracturing his left foot against Penn State during the National Invitation Tournament in March. When he was able to take the court, he was very effective, averaging 19.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 2.2 BPG as a senior.

He was scheduled to play for the Cavs at the Las Vegas Summer League but that plan was scuttled because he was still rehabbing his foot.

Cavaliers Sign Pair To Training Camp Contracts

September 13th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have reached training camp deals with guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. Both players will receive Exhibit 10 contracts, which provide bonuses up to $50K if the players spend at least two months with the team’s G League affiliate.

Hamilton was in camp with the Cavs last year before spending the season with the Canton Charge. The UCLA product posted a 7.4/2.5/1.2 line in 42 G League games.

Smith played part of last season in Australia before joining the Charge in March and averaging 14.3/4.3/8.1 in eight games. The former Dayton standout played for Cleveland’s entry in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League.

Cavaliers Notes: Workouts, Osman, Sexton, Thompson

September 12th, 2018 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love‘s duties in taking over for LeBron James as team leader include organizing the Cavaliers’ annual pre-camp workouts, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Love, whose leadership role was cemented when he agreed to a four-year, $120MM extension this summer, is hosting the voluntary sessions this week at the University of Miami.

Most of the players who are under contract are expected to attend. Coach Tyronn Lue is in Miami as well, but won’t participate if the players-only tradition continues. Tristan Thompson, Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic are all out of the country to play in World Cup qualifiers.

James, who signed with the Lakers in July, organized the workouts in each of the past four seasons. They are usually held in vacation spots, with coaches and front office personnel accompanying the team but letting the players run things.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Osman can look forward to a much larger role in his second season with the Cavaliers, Vardon notes in a player profile. Osman may inherit James’ role as starting small forward, although Rodney Hood is also a candidate. The 23-year-old saw action in 61 games as a rookie, averaging 3.9 points per night. Osman played several years in Europe before coming to the NBA and appeared much more polished in this year’s Summer League, according to Vardon.
Collin Sexton will need to improve his shot, especially from long distance, to become a Rookie of the Year candidate, Vardon states in another profile. Sexton tied with Suns center Deandre Ayton as the favorite for the award in a poll among players drafted this year. However, his success could depend on improving his accuracy from 3-point range, where he hit just .336 last year as a college freshman, and just .242 in SEC games.
Thompson, who owns a championship ring and has made four straight trips to the NBA Finals, hopes to create that same atmosphere of success on the Canadian national team. He has been playing for his home country for nearly a decade and believes there’s an opportunity for Canada to become a major player in international competitions. “Right now we have a wave of really good players in the NBA,” Thompson said, “but who knows? Maybe 15 years from now we have a drought, so while guys are here and at a high level, let’s take advantage of it.”

Cavaliers Notes: Love, Trades, Hood

September 10th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers will need Kevin Love to post the type of numbers he put up regularly in Minnesota for them to remain a playoff contender after the departure of LeBron James, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Love had an eventful off-season, highlighted by his 30th birthday last week and a four-year, $120MM extension in July.

Love was an All-Star with the Timberwolves before a trade brought him to Cleveland to be part of a Big Three with James and Kyrie Irving. That trio reached three straight NBA Finals and won the 2016 title before Irving was traded to Boston last summer.

Love played 59 games last season and made his fifth All-Star appearance, but he was sidelined for much of the year by a broken hand. He has become the face of the franchise now, Vardon notes, and the Cavaliers will be expecting much more than the 17.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG he averaged last year.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The Cavaliers should ignore calls to trade Love and accelerate the rebuilding process, David Aldridge of TNT writes in a mailbag column. Cleveland doesn’t have a great history of attracting free agents, Aldridge argues, and that path would be much more difficult without an elite player on the roster. Love can keep the Cavs competitive for the next couple of seasons, then be traded if the organization decides to commit to a youth movement.
Rodney Hood will be competing against a talented group of shooting guards when he becomes unrestricted free agent next summer, notes Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report. After failing to get a contract he liked as a restricted free agent, Hood opted to accept Cleveland’s $3,472,887 qualifying offer, reportedly turning down a three-year deal from the team in the neighborhood of $21MM. Also hitting the open market next summer will be Klay Thompson, J.J. Redick, Tyreke Evans, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Austin Rivers, Mario Hezonja, Danny Green, Terrence Ross and Jeremy Lamb.
Hood’s body of work through his first four seasons suggests his best days might still be ahead of him despite his playoff struggles, Joe Gabriele of the team’s website opines. Hood could have a breakout season since he’ll have more of a scoring and leadership role with the James-less Cavs, Gabriele adds.