Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

10-Day Deals Expire For Cleveland, Thornton

March 4th, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Two players are free agents again after their 10-day contracts expired overnight, according to the Real GM Transactions Log.

Shooting guard Antonius Cleveland didn’t see any action for the Hawks during his 10 days with the team. The 24-year-old shooting guard appeared in 13 games with the Mavericks as a two-way player earlier this season before being waived in January. He also played in seven G League games this year.

Marcus Thornton also wasn’t used during his 10-day stay with Cleveland. Although he signed with the Cavaliers, he never left the G League, where he is averaging 18.9 points per game with the Canton Charge.

The Hawks and Cavs made the signings to comply with an NBA requirement that teams have at least 14 players on their rosters, and both clubs will need to find replacements.

Smith Buyout Won't Come Cheap; Green MRI Negative

March 3rd, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

J.R. Smith doesn’t have much incentive to agree to a buyout if the Cavaliers decide they want him off the roster, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. On top of this week’s one-game suspension for a soup-throwing incident, Smith’s value is falling because of a second straight season of declining production. He is averaging 8.3 points per game, his lowest figure in 12 years, and is shooting just 39% from the field.

Smith has a fully guaranteed deal for next season at $14.7MM, but only about $4MM of his $15.7MM salary for 2019/20 is guaranteed. At age 31, he would be unlikely to approach those figures in free agency, so the Cavaliers will probably have to stretch the full guaranteed amount if they decide to waive him.

An MRI on Cavaliers forward Jeff Green today showed no structural damage in his back, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Green has already missed one game with back pain and will sit out the next two, coach Ty Lue told reporters.

Cavaliers Notes: Love, Smith, Green, Buyout Market

March 3rd, 2018 at 10:50am CST by marksuleymanov

Injured Cavaliers big man Kevin Love is back on the court rehabbing from a broken left hand he suffered in late January, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. A team source tells Vardon that there is no anticipated change from the original eight-week timetable for Love’s recovery, putting his return on track for the end of March.

While the team may not see a change, Love hopes he can return ahead of schedule, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin writes.

“If I can get back before eight weeks, great,” Love said. “I’m hoping that is the case.”

Before the injury, Love was enjoying a characteristically strong season, averaging 17.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG in 48 games.

There is more Cavaliers news and notes below:

J.R. Smith made his first public comments since serving a one-game suspension for throwing soup at assistant coach Damon Jones, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. Smith said he has spoken to teammates and hopes to move on from the incident. “I talked to my teammates about it, everybody seemed cool,” Smith said. “We moved on from it as a team, so whether it warranted a suspension or not, that’s not my job. I’m just here to play basketball.” Smith noted that he does not remember what type of soup he threw but Jason Lloyd of The Athletic tweets it was chicken tortilla.
Since the Cavaliers restructured the team at the deadline, Jeff Green has seen his both his role and production diminish. With four name faces in Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, and George Hill on board, the team is still trying to find the right balance, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. “When Channing (Frye) and those guys were here, he had the ball in his hands a lot and making plays and he was orchestrating, and now we have a different team of guys who can score and the second unit can make a play so the ball hasn’t been in his hands as much,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “We have to find that balance still. Searching for that balance.”
The Cavaliers have been active in the buyout market in recent years but the market is razor thin this season, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops writes. Last year, Cleveland added Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams for the postseason run. Both those names are available now but would not be much of an upgrade to the current roster. As it stands, even with an open roster spot, the current Cavaliers roster is the one we will see for the remainder of the year, Amico notes.

Corey Brewer Signs With Thunder

March 3rd, 2018 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 3: Brewer’s signing with the Thunder is official, per the NBA’s official transactions log.

MARCH 1, 10:39am: Brewer has committed to sign with the Thunder once he clears waivers, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Brewer talked to Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan and GM Sam Presti and considered three Eastern Conference teams before deciding.

FEBRUARY 28, 6:50pm: Brewer is likely to sign with the Thunder after all, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers officially waived Brewer earlier today, meaning the veteran swingman will be free to sign a contract with Oklahoma City as early as Friday.

3:03pm: One source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link) that while the Thunder are definitely in the mix for Brewer, the veteran is more likely to land with an Eastern Conference team.

10:44am: Amick (via Twitter) adds the Jazz and Pelicans to the list of teams that could also be in the mix for Brewer, noting that several of the teams he has mentioned are also keeping an eye on the Trevor Booker situation in Philadelphia.

10:28am: The Lakers and veteran swingman Corey Brewer have reportedly reached an agreement on a buyout, which means he could become a free agent as soon as Friday. When Brewer does hit the open market, a deal with the Thunder is a “serious possibility,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

As Wojnarowski notes, the ex-Gator is likely to be drawn to Oklahoma City by the presence of his former coach at Florida, Billy Donovan, who is now the Thunder’s head coach. Even aside from the Donovan connection, Brewer would be a logical fit for OKC, since the team has been on the lookout for one more option on the wing since Andre Roberson‘s injury, tweets ESPN’s Royce Young.

While the Thunder may be the frontrunners for Brewer, he’ll talk to other teams too, per Wojnarowski. The 31-year-old is unlikely to rush his decision, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who tweets that the Cavaliers, Wizards, Trail Blazers, and Bucks have also shown interest. Amick adds that Brewer – averaging a career-low 12.9 minutes per game this season – will be seeking a “legit role,” which figures to impact his decision.

Although several playoff teams have already been linked to Brewer, his mediocre outside shot (.280 career 3PT%) will limit his appeal to some contenders. For instance, he’s not likely to be a fit for the Raptors, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets that Minnesota has “kicked the tires” on the former Timberwolf, but says not to count on a reunion.

Cavaliers Re-Assign Ante Zizic To G League

March 2nd, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers center Ante Zizic continues to bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League, with the team announcing in a press release that he has been re-assigned to Canton. The Cavs’ G League affiliate will host the Grand Rapids Drive on Friday night, so Zizic should be in Canton’s starting lineup for that game.

Cavaliers Suspend J.R. Smith For One Game

March 2nd, 2018 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 2, 9:34am: According to a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Dave McMenamin, Smith received his suspension after throwing a bowl of soup at assistant coach Damon Jones. Smith, who served his one-game ban on Thursday night, will return to Cleveland’s starting lineup on Saturday.

MARCH 1, 5:20pm: According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link), head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that “something happened after shootaround” today, leading to the decision to suspend Smith. Hood will start at shooting guard today, with Smith regaining his starting job on Saturday, per Lue.

MARCH 1, 5:10pm: The Cavaliers have suspended J.R. Smith for one game for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced today in a press release.

Word of the suspension broke just two hours before the Cavaliers are scheduled to host the Sixers in Cleveland. Smith will serve his suspension tonight, so he won’t be available for that game vs. Philadelphia.

With Smith sidelined, Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, and Jordan Clarkson are among the Cavs who could see a few extra minutes of action.

Smith’s one-game ban will cost him $94,897, 1/145th of his $13.76MM salary for the season. However, Cleveland won’t get any tax relief, since the suspension is coming from the team rather than the league, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).

Cavs Recall Ante Zizic From NBAGL After Double-Double

March 1st, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have recalled rookie center Ante Zizic to the NBA, the team announced today in a press release. Zizic helped lead the Canton Charge to a win over the Maine Red Claws on Wednesday night, posting 15 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland’s G League affiliate.

Tyronn Lue Still Sizing Up Newest Cavaliers

March 1st, 2018 at 8:52pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers added four rotation players at the trade deadline, so it’s not surprising that head coach Tyronn Lue is still sizing up what exactly he has on his hands. “I just want to see what I’m working with,” Lue told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “I really don’t know the guys that much, that well. Just want to see in big moments, pressure situations, how they perform. They performed well and they’ve been performing well.“

LeBron James Shoot Down Philadelphia Schools Rumor

March 1st, 2018 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James shot down a rumor that he spent part of the All-Star break in Philadelphia checking out possible schools for his children, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The report, which James called “disgusting,” started with Sixers TV analyst Alaa Abdelnaby, who said his brother told him a Philly-area superintendent relayed that James was looking at private schools in the region.

“Pennsylvania? Nah. What are you talking about?” James said. “Over the All-Star break, I was on vacation and then went to Los Angeles.”

There has been speculation that Philadelphia is one of the destinations James will consider in free agency this summer, with a company from the city buying billboards near Quicken Loans Arena urging him to join the Sixers.

There’s more today from the Atlantic Division:

Ersan Ilyasova held his first workout with the Sixers today since returning to Philadelphia following a buyout with the Hawks, and his ex-teammates were thrilled to see him again, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’m happy that we got him back,” Joel Embiid said. “I thought we should have kept him last year and re-signed him this summer. But I’m glad that he’s back and I’m excited.” Ilyasova played 53 games for the Sixers last season before being dealt to Atlanta.
The Raptors don’t expect to pick up anybody on the buyout market, tweets Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet. He adds that the team doesn’t see any players who would be good fits for the limited roles it has available. Toronto saved about $1MM by trading Bruno Caboclo‘s expiring contract to the Kings last month for Malachi Richardson and was hoping to use that money on a buyout, adds Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun (via Twitter). The Raptors may wind up with a slightly larger tax bill for next season due to Richardson’s $1.57MM salary for 2018/19.
Fully recovered from knee surgery, D’Angelo Russell is showing why the Nets traded for him over the summer, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. It took a while for Russell to return to form following the operation, but he is averaging 14.5 points and 5.3 assists over the past 11 games. “Oh man, it was only a matter of time,” said teammate Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. “That’s D’Angelo’s game. He can score, he can pass, play-make. There isn’t much he can’t do. “It just feels good to have him back.”

Central Notes: LeBron, Clarkson, Portis, Booker

February 28th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite never playing college basketball himself, Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has a pretty strong opinion of the sport’s governing body, the NCAA, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Asked recently about the federal investigation into college basketball recruiting, James called the NCAA a “corrupt” organization and said the NBA needs to further develop a minor league-type system.

“I don’t know if there’s any fixing the NCAA. I don’t think there is,” James said. “It’s what’s been going on for many, many, many, many years. I don’t know how you can fix it. I don’t see how you can fix it… The NCAA is corrupt, we know that. Sorry, it’s going to make headlines, but it’s corrupt.

“We have to shore up our G League, continue to expand our G League… I just looked at it like the farm league, like in baseball. Or you look at pros overseas; some of those guys get signed at 14, but they get put into this farm system where they’re able to grow and be around other professionals for three or four years. Then, when they’re ready, they hit the national team, or when they’re ready, they become a pro. So I think us, we have to kind of really figure that out, how we can do that.”

Here’s more from out of the Central:

There’s more from the Central Division:

Jordan Clarkson was largely seen as a price the Cavaliers had to pay to rid themselves of Isaiah Thomas while simultaneously obtaining the young, reasonably priced Larry Nance Jr. Yet, Clarkson has performed admirably thus far in Cleveland, and as relayed by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs believe three-point shooting could actually become a strength for the career 33% shooter from deep.
The Bulls have Bobby Portis under contract through next season and can make him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago takes an in-depth look at whether Portis fits into Chicago’s rebuilding plans.
We found out earlier today that Trevor Booker plans to sign with the Pacers after his release from the Sixers is finalized. Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype opines that Booker will be a great fit with Indiana’s offense, immediately providing a new threat to score in transition and when cutting to the basket.