Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Gilbert: Irving Trade Was Key To Reach Finals

June 1st, 2018 at 10:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

In a series of tweets before the Cavaliers went down 0-1 in their series against the Warriors, owner Dan Gilbert voiced his thoughts about Cleveland’s’ journey, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The Cavs are back in the NBA Finals for a fourth straight season and team owner Gilbert said that trading Kyrie Irving was a crucial part of that.

“W/o either of these 2 bold moves orchestrated by Koby & the @Cavs front office, we would not be here w/ a good chance to bring another one home to CLE,” Gilbert wrote in one tweet. Gilbert also praised LeBron James, writing that “his impact is magical,” and also lauded the play of his support cast.

In a series of tweets before the Cavaliers went down 0-1 in their series against the Warriors, owner Dan Gilbert voiced his thoughts about Cleveland’s’ journey, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The Cavs are back in the NBA Finals for a fourth straight season and team owner Gilbert said that trading Kyrie Irving was a crucial part of that.

Much was made of the Cavaliers’ decision to part with Irving last summer as the point guard helped lead the team to an NBA title two seasons ago. James himself admitted to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that he doubted the Cavaliers’ ability to compete after the team dealt Irving.

Tristan Thompson Avoids Suspension, Fined $25K

June 1st, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by marksuleymanov

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson has been fined $25K for “failing to leave the court in a timely manner” after he was ejected in overtime of the team’s Game 1 loss, the league announced in a press release (via Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports).

Thompson was ejected with 2.6 seconds left in overtime after it was deemed he threw an elbow at Warriors guard Shaun Livingston. Thompson was assessed a flagrant-2 foul on the play but the league announcement noted that it has been downgraded to a flagrant-1.

Golden State forward Draymond Green taunted a visibly frustrated Thompson, who shoved the basketball at Green’s face. A brief scuffle ensued until both players were separated and Thompson made his way to the locker room.

There was concern that the Cavaliers may lose Thompson to a suspension. His teammate Kevin Love also avoided a one-game ban — it appeared Love walked onto the court during Thompson’s scuffle, but he was not fined or suspended. Head coach Tyronn Lue was also not fined for making critical comments of the officiating late in regulation.

Tyronn Lue Will Not Be Fined For Critical Comments

June 1st, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by marksuleymanov

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue will not be fined for his postgame comments that were critical of the officiating in the team’s Game 1 loss to the Warriors, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

LeBron James appeared to draw a charge on Warriors forward Kevin Durant with the team leading 104-102 and 36.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. However, officials Ken Mauer, Tony Brothers, and Ed Malloy convened and chose to review the video of the play, which is permitted with two minutes or less left in the game.

It was determined that James was outside the restricted area, but the charge was reversed into a blocking foul on the Cavaliers forward. Durant made two free throws to tie the game at 104-104, eventually leading to overtime. The Warriors dominated in overtime, winning the game 124-114 to take a 1-0 series lead.

“For our team to come out and play their hearts out and compete the way we did, man, I mean, it’s bad. It’s never been done before where you know he’s outside the restricted, and then you go there and overturn the call and say it’s a block,” Lue said (via Cleveland.com). “It’s never been done, ever, in the history of the game. And then (Thursday) in the Finals on the biggest stage, when our team played well, played our (butt) off, man, it ain’t right. It ain’t right.”

The NBA is often strict with employees who make critical comments of the league, including the officiating in games. However, Lue not being fined may signal the league sees validity in his comments.

The latter part of Thursday’s game drew plenty of controversy in addition to the overturned call on James. Kevin Love seemed to walk on the court off the bench during a scuffle between Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson. However, Love will not be suspended and Thompson was issued a $25K fine in lieu of a suspension.

Hornets Notes: Porter, Walker, Kaminsky, Howard

June 1st, 2018 at 2:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Porter Jr. could be a risk worth taking for the Hornets if he lasts to the 11th pick, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Porter was among the top recruits in college basketball last year, but a back injury sidelined him for almost the entire season. He underwent surgery to remove a piece of bone that was placing pressure on a nerve and has declared himself to be healthy.

Porter has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, standing 6’10” with the skills of a small forward. If enough teams are scared off by his medical history, Porter could present new GM Mitch Kupchak with his first major draft decision since coming to Charlotte.

There’s more from Charlotte:

The Hornets might be willing to ship Kemba Walker to Cleveland in a deal involving the No. 8 pick, but LeBron James‘ uncertain status makes the trade problematic, Bonnell notes in the same story. Dealing Walker, who has one year left on his contract, for a draft choice would help ease Charlotte’s cap situation, but the Cavaliers won’t know until July if James is leaving. The eighth pick becomes extremely valuable if Cleveland is facing a rebuilding project.
Frank Kaminsky hasn’t done enough in three seasons to convince the Hornets he’s worthy of a long-term investment, Bonnell adds. The ninth pick in the 2015 draft has averaged 10.0 points per game since joining the team, and there are concerns about his rebounding and passing. Bonnell believes Charlotte wouldn’t hesitate to draft another power forward.
Dwight Howard could be a buyout candidate if he’s still on the roster in February, Bonnell writes in a mailbag column. The veteran center will make more than $23.8MM in the final year of his contract.
In the same piece, Bonnell puts the odds at 50-50 for free agents Michael Carter-Williams and Treveon Graham to return to the Hornets next season. An abundance of guaranteed contracts for wing players will limit Graham’s opportunity, while Carter-Williams is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he shot a career-low 33% from the field.

Kevin Love Won’t Be Suspended

June 1st, 2018 at 1:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA won’t suspend Kevin Love for leaving the bench area during an altercation at the end of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, tweets Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.

A source tells Mannix that NBA officials determined that Love stepped onto the court to protest a foul call against Tristan Thompson and returned to the bench when physical confrontations began (Twitter link).

The incident was precipitated when Thompson took exception to a jumper by Shaun Livingston to beat the shot clock in the final seconds of Thursday’s overtime. Thompson tried to block the shot and elbowed Livingston in the chest. That led to an altercation that resulted in Thompson pushing the ball in Draymond Green‘s face after being ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul. Green was restrained by teammates before he could retaliate.

League officials are still reviewing Thompson’s actions and will announce later today if he will be suspended for Game 2, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link).

Adam Silver Speaks On Hard Cap, Other Topics

June 1st, 2018 at 12:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

A salary cap system that has contributed to the same NBA Finals matchup in four straight seasons was among the topics commissioner Adam Silver addressed Thursday in his annual pre-Finals news conference, relays Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.

The Warriors and Cavaliers have the league’s two highest payrolls, with both topping $137MM. This season’s biggest salaries belong to Golden State’s Stephen Curry at $34.7MM and Cleveland’s LeBron James at $33.3MM.

Amid complaints that having the same two teams meet for the championship every season is harmful to the league, Silver addressed questions on whether a hard salary cap is needed, similar to the NFL’s. The current system allows teams to go over the cap to re-sign their free agents and provides yearly exceptions for teams that elect to use them.

“Now [the hard cap is] something that we’ll continue to look at,” Silver said. “There are pros and cons to doing it. Historically, one of the issues in our league was we didn’t necessarily want to break up teams. There is a different sense in the NBA than the NFL, and the chemistry and dynamic that comes together with a group of players.”

Any changes to the salary cap would have to be negotiated with the players’ union through collective bargaining, Aschburner notes. The year’s cap is set at $99MM, with the luxury tax threshold at $119.2MM.

Silver touched on several other topics during his session with the press:

He declined to comment on the specifics of the accusations surrounding Sixers executive Bryan Colangelo, noting that the team is conducting an investigation, but acknowledged the charges tarnish the league’s reputation. “Here we are, Game 1 of the Finals,” Silver said. “It’s not necessarily something we want to be talking about.”
Some gambling enterprises are objecting to a 1% “integrity fee” that Silver hopes to collect through legalized sports betting, but he believes it’s a fair price to compensate the league for intellectual property and its role in preventing fixing scandals.
Changes could be coming soon to the one-and-done system, with more players opting to enter the G League rather than going to college for one season. “If you have, in essence, college saying, ‘We don’t want these players,’ it would be hard for us not to respond,” Silver said.
After another year filled with significant player injuries, the NBA will continue to study the benefits of a shorter season, but Silver said action is unlikely without data showing that a 72- or 75-game slate would resolve the problem.
Despite interest from Seattle and other cities in acquiring an NBA franchise, Silver indicated expansion won’t be coming soon, tweets Ben Golliver of Sport Illustrated. “Expansion is not on our agenda right now,” the commissioner said. “… I’m very focused on creating a competitive 30-team league right now… [Our focus is]: What is it we can do system-wise, training-wise to create more competition within this league?”

Suspensions May Result From Game 1 Fracas

June 1st, 2018 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

A scuffle in the waning seconds of Thursday night’s contest may leave some key players suspended for Game 2, writes Chris Haynes of ESPN.

Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson is expected to receive some form of penalty for shoving the ball in Draymond Green‘s face after being tossed out of Game 1 for committing a Flagrant 2 foul. Kevin Love may also face a suspension for leaving the bench during the incident. Love, who was quickly pulled off the court by an assistant coach, said he doesn’t believe any disciplinary action is warranted.

“I was already on the court trying to get the refs’ attention before the scuffle,” he explained.

The altercation started when Golden State’s Shaun Livingston attempted a jumper with the shot clock expiring in the final seconds of overtime. Thompson hit Livingston in the chest with his elbow as he tried to block the shot and later expressed anger that the Warriors didn’t accept the clock violation.

“I contested a shot that shouldn’t have been taken,” Thompson said. “I mean, it’s like the unspoken rule in the NBA: If you’re up 10 or 11 with about 20 seconds left, you don’t take that shot. I make the contest, and next thing I know, I was being kicked out for making a contest that we learn in training camp. I don’t know why I got thrown out.”

Livingston and Klay Thompson stepped in to prevent Green from retaliating, which likely saved him from being suspended.

Livingston defended his decision after the game, claiming that taking the shot was the right play to make.

“I say that we don’t take the turnover. I don’t take the turnover,” he said. “Kevin [Durant] threw me the ball, and he threw it to me like we were still playing. J.R. [Smith] was still guarding him, you know. No disrespect. We just play the game. So, that’s what it was. … It’s the Finals. It’s all love. … It was like a YMCA pickup game in the last 30 seconds.”

Cavaliers Notes: James, Irving, Lue, Hill

May 31st, 2018 at 7:03pm CST by marksuleymanov

As the Cavaliers prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Warriors, the fourth consecutive meeting between the two franchises in the Finals, the journey for Cleveland was not easy. A midseason roster purge cast doubt over the Cavaliers’ ability to construct the team chemistry necessary for a deep postseason run.

In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, LeBron James acknowledged that, at certain points, there were doubts about the Cavaliers’ ability to reach the postseason.

“It was at points where, ‘OK, will the Cavs even make the playoffs?'” James said. “And I was like, ‘OK, I am not settling for that conversation. Now that is just ridiculous. Now I have got to get into the postseason.'”

James has been instrumental in leading the Cavaliers to this point as the team escaped tough series against the Pacers, Raptors, and Celtics to face Golden State. However, James also divulged that his doubts began forming last summer when the team decided to trade Kyrie Irving.

“Even if you start back to the summertime where I felt like it was just bad for our franchise just to be able to trade away our superstar point guard,” James said. “A guy that I had been in so many battles with over the last three years, and obviously I wasn’t a part of the communications and know exactly what went on between the two sides. But I just felt like it was bad timing for our team.”

Check out more Cavaliers notes below:

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer looked back at the Kyrie Irving trade and the repercussions it had on the Cavaliers, Celtics, and even the point guard’s own career. Irving last played on March 11 before he was ruled out for the remainder of the year due to a knee injury which predates his Boston tenure.
George Hill was traded from the Kings to the Cavaliers just before the deadline and he said he’s excited to be suiting up for the NBA Finals after playing for a losing team in Sacramento, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. “You’re competing for an NBA Finals (with Cleveland),” Hill said, “In Sac we were just playing. I feel like my teammates in Sac, I love them to death. … But it’s a whole different feeling when you’re playing for something, totally different. We’re playing for something and that’s why we’re here today.”
Head coach Tyronn Lue temporarily left the team two months ago due to medical reasons and he revealed to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that he’s been treated for anxiety. “I’m glad it wasn’t anything serious,” Lue said. “Just anxiety, and the medication I’m on is great. No more chest pains, so everything’s been great.”

Knicks To Host Trae Young For Private Workout

May 31st, 2018 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma guard Trae Young has elected to grant the Knicks a private workout, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Young, who intends to work out for “a handful” of clubs, is still figuring out his schedule, so the date of the workout remains unclear, per Berman.

Young, widely viewed as a top-eight prospect, isn’t expected to be on the board when the Knicks pick at No. 9. Even if he’s available, he may not be the first choice for a New York club with multiple point guards already on the roster and a more glaring need on the wing. Still, Young is very much on the Knicks’ radar due to his high upside, sources tell Berman.

According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link), the Suns, Kings, Hawks, Grizzlies, Knicks, and Sixers have already “passed through” Oklahoma to talk to staff and faculty about Young. The Cavaliers have also been in touch with the program about Young, Zagoria adds.

In Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for ESPN.com, he has Young coming off the board at No. 6 to Orlando, writing that the 19-year-old is a “highly skilled scorer and passer with unlimited range on his jump shot and tremendous instincts in the pick-and-roll.”

Kevin Love Available To Play In Game 1

May 31st, 2018 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Love has completed the NBA’s Concussion Return to Play Program and will be available to play on Thursday night in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release.

It’s big news for the Cavaliers, who had been without Love since he exited Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston and entered the NBA’s concussion protocol. During this year’s playoffs, the veteran power forward has been Cleveland’s second-leading scorer (13.9) and top rebounder (10.0 RPG).

It’s not clear how many minutes Love might play in Game 1, but I’d expect him to start alongside LeBron James and Tristan Thompson in the frontcourt. Head coach Tyronn Lue may get creative as he determines how best to match up with the defending-champion Warriors, but indicated on Wednesday that Love would start if he’s healthy.

While the Cavaliers will get Love back in their lineup, the Warriors will be without key forward Andre Iguodala for Game 1. Iguodala, who continues to battle a lateral left leg contusion, will be re-evaluated prior to Game 2.