Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Mulling Options For Open Roster Spots

March 30th, 2018 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Okaro White‘s 10-day contract with the Cavaliers expired earlier this week, meaning the team is once again down to 13 players (not counting two-way players).

NBA rules call for teams to carry at least 14 players on their rosters, but those rules allow clubs to dip below the minimum for two weeks at a time. The Cavs have used this rule to their advantage since the trade deadline, carrying 13 players for two weeks at time in between 10-day contracts for White and Marcus Thornton. That approach has allowed the franchise to avoid tacking on much extra money to its projected luxury-tax bill.

The Cavs won’t be obligated to sign a 14th player until the final day of the regular season, but a team source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that a 14th man will likely join the roster before then.

As Vardon notes, the Cavs have a history in recent years of adding veterans to their roster just before the postseason gets underway — Dahntay Jones received that sort of deal in both 2016 and 2017, appearing in 25 playoff games for the Cavs in those two years, despite playing just two regular season games. The club is currently working through what to do with its two open roster spots for this year’s postseason, per Vardon.

Sources tell Vardon that Kendrick Perkins, who appeared to be on the verge of an agreement with Cleveland in February, remains on the Cavs’ radar and is a candidate to fill one of the open roster spots. Signing a young player like White or John Holland – who is on a two-way contract with the Cavs – is also a possibility, according to Vardon.

As we wait to see which direction the Cavs go, be sure to revisit our discussion from earlier this month on which players the club should target for those two open roster spots.

RFA Rumors: Parker, Gordon, Exum, Smart, Randle

March 30th, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Only about a quarter of the NBA’s teams are expected to have meaningful cap room this summer, so restricted free agents hoping for a major payday could have a tough summer, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Last week, we identified eight RFAs we believe have positioned themselves well for long-term contracts, and while we’re still bullish on those players, the RFA market may not be as active overall as it has been in some previous offseasons.

Within his latest piece, Kyler took a closer look at a few specific 2018 restricted free agents, so let’s round up some highlights from his breakdown…

Most NBA insiders believe the Bucks will ultimately retain Jabari Parker, according to Kyler, who suggests that – with a new arena on the way – Bucks ownership may not be as worried about the rising cost of team salary as you’d expect.
The Bucks and Magic may let the market drive the respective prices on Parker and Aaron Gordon, according to Kyler. With Orlando’s new management group looking to shed cap dollars, the team will be wary of overpaying Gordon. Kyler also notes that the Magic could be open to the possibility of a sign-and-trade if Gordon wants to play elsewhere. However, sign-and-trades can be particularly tricky to pull off for RFAs getting big raises due to the Base Year Compensation rule, so that may be a long shot.
The prevailing thought on Dante Exum is that he’ll be back with the Jazz, though likely not on a long-term deal, says Kyler.
In order to pry Marcus Smart away from the Celtics, it might take an offer sheet at least in the range of $12-14MM per year, per Kyler.
The Kings are worth watching as a possible suitor for Lakers big man Julius Randle, though many people expect the Mavericks to be the team “on Randle’s doorstep” when free agency opens on July 1, Kyler writes.
Clint Capela (Rockets), Zach LaVine (Bulls), Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers), and Rodney Hood (Cavaliers) are among the RFAs considered more likely than not to stay with their current teams, according to Kyler. For more details on those players – along with an item on Suns guard Elfrid Payton – be sure to check out Kyler’s full piece.

Tyronn Lue Set To Rejoin Cavaliers

March 30th, 2018 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, who has been away from his team since March 19 for health reasons, is set to rejoin the squad for Friday night’s game against New Orleans, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, however, Lue will only be at tonight’s game as an observer, and won’t immediately jump back into his head coaching role. As Woj details, Cleveland’s plan is to ease Lue back into coaching during the club’s current four-game home stand. After hosting the Pelicans tonight, the Cavs will face the Mavs (Sunday), Raptors (Tuesday), and Wizards (Thursday) during the home stand.

In a statement released last Monday when Lue first stepped away from the Cavs, he cited health issues that included “chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep.” Reports at the time suggested that Cleveland’s head coach would remain away for at least a week, and then play it by ear from there. The plan was always for Lue to return before the playoffs got underway.

The Cavs have been effective under interim head coach Larry Drew during Lue’s absence, so there was little reason to rush him back. Cleveland has a 5-1 record under Drew over the last 11 days, with the only loss occurring on Tuesday in Miami.

George Hill Solidifies Point Guard Position

March 29th, 2018 at 11:48am CST by Arthur Hill

George Hill is giving the Cavaliers stability at point guard for the first time since trading Kyrie Irving, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. After Cleveland went through numerous candidates in the first half of the season, Hill has solidified the position since being acquired from the Kings in a deadline-day deal.

Will Jeff Green Have A Role In Playoffs?; LeBron Thinks He's The MVP

March 28th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by clarkcrum

Jeff Green has been starting for the Cavaliers lately while the team has been dealing with injuries to Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., and Tristan Thompson, but Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer wonders whether he has a place in the lineup once playoff time comes and the bench shortens.
The Rockets’ James Harden is far and away the favorite to win MVP this season, but he wouldn’t get a vote from Cavaliers‘ superstar LeBron James, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Asked who he’d vote for, James unabashedly said himself. “I would vote for me. The body of work, how I’m doing it, what’s been happening with our team all year long, how we’ve got so many injuries and things of that nature, guys in and out, to be able to still keep this thing afloat, I definitely would vote me.”

Injury Notes: Smart, Love, Ingram, Wall

March 28th, 2018 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics guard Marcus Smart is making progress in rehabbing a torn ligament in his right thumb and hopes to be available for the second round of the playoffs, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

A cast on his hand was recently replaced by a splint with an opening at the top that allows him to move his thumb, and he has been able to do some light exercises with the injured digit. Smart tore the ligament earlier this month and underwent surgery March 16. His original prognosis had him out six to eight weeks, which sets a potential return about the time of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“Definitely right now, that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said. “The way it’s going now, we’re on the right path. Hopefully nothing happens where it gets delayed.”

There are more injury updates from around the NBA:

Kevin Love has been placed in concussion protocol and will miss tonight’s game, the Cavaliers announced on their website. He suffered a front tooth sublexation last night and experienced concussion-like symptoms at halftime.
After missing nearly four weeks with a strained groin, Lakers forward Brandon Ingram expects to return tonight, tweets Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum Sports Net.
Coach Luke Walton says Lakers rookie Josh Hart has looked good in three-on-three games and may be cleared to play Friday, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).
John Wall, who has been sidelined since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in late January, may be able to return tomorrow, according to a tweet from the Wizards. Coach Scott Brooks said Wall will participate in the team’s shootaround and a decision will be based on how the knee responds. He is officially listed as questionable.
Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is targeting Friday to return from a fractured right hand, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “I hope to play a few minutes against Portland [Friday],” Gallinari said in an interview with Italian outlet Sky Sport. “The hand is not completely healed, but we’ll see how I can help the team in the games left in the regular season. I will try to bite the bullet for the playoff race. The franchise asked me to grit my teeth and play. I will try to do that.”
After re-injuring his right ankle Monday, Celtics forward Marcus Morris will sit out tonight’s game, according to a tweet from the team. He will probably return Saturday, according to Himmelsbach (Twitter link).
Celtics coach Brad Stevens provided an another update on Gordon Hayward, saying he’s still limited to the Alter-G treadmill and hasn’t been cleared to run on the court (Twitter link). “There will be nothing more exciting for him than being able to get back out on the basketball court,” Stevens said (Twitter link).
Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman may be cleared to return to action after a hip flexor injury. He tweeted an image of himself accompanied by the word, “finally.”
Jazz center Tony Bradley has cleared concussion protocol, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News.

Cavs Notes: LeBron/Wade, Hood, Calderon, Hill

March 27th, 2018 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have a date with the Heat on tap for Tuesday night in Miami, giving LeBron James a chance to see old friend Dwyane Wade on the court for the first time since a February trade sent Wade back to South Beach. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, Wade’s time in Cleveland was short-lived for a handful of reasons, but the failed union didn’t have a negative impact on his friendship with James.

“I mean, I hated to see him go,” James told McMenamin. “I still do. I still do. So, my emotions were mixed because that’s my guy and I didn’t want him to go but, I mean, listen, I felt like that’s where he belongs. I felt like that’s where his heart has always been, even in the one year in Chicago. … I just felt like that’s where he belonged. I mean, you want to be as happy as you can when you’re in this profession, and I felt like Miami is the best place that creates happiness for him. So, I hated to see him go, I wish he was still here, but I understand. That’s why there’s no hard feelings.”

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Injuries have prevented Rodney Hood from meeting the starter criteria for restricted free agents over the last two seasons, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes. That means Hood is only on track to receive a qualifying offer worth about $3.4MM, rather than one worth $4.7MM. For more details on how the starter criteria impacts RFAs, check out our piece from last spring — we’ll soon be publishing an updated version for 2018 RFAs.
Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer makes a case for why Jose Calderon should remain a part of the Cavs’ starting lineup heading into the postseason. The team has a 21-8 record this season in Calderon’s starts.
With Tyronn Lue away from the Cavs for health reasons, the club has responded to adversity and rallied around its head coach’s absence, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Cleveland is 4-0 so far under interim head coach Larry Drew.
George Hill, acquired in one of Cleveland’s deadline trades last month, is becoming more comfortable in his role with the Cavs, says Colton Jones of AmicoHoops.net.
While the players acquired in those trade-deadline deals have been solid contributors for the Cavs, those trades were important for another reason — they’ve allowed Kevin Love to re-emerge as a primary scoring option, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com.

Injured Players Return; James Flattered By Hometown Billboard

March 23rd, 2018 at 9:29pm CST by clarkcrum

Like many teams this season, the Cavaliers have been bit by the injury bug, with All-Star Kevin Love the most glaring omission from the line-up for most of this year’s campaign. In a recent game against Chicago, the Cavs were without six rotation players – Love, Kyle Korver, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, Tristan Thompson, and Cedi Osman.

Moreover, Cavaliers’ head coach Tyronn Lue remains out with health issues. Yet, things are now beginning to turn around. Osman and Korver remain out, but Love returned earlier this week and, as reported by Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer, Nance Jr., Hood, and Thompson all returned for tonight’s game against Phoenix, albeit on minutes restrictions.

Vardon adds that there is still no word on whether Lue will join the Cavaliers on an upcoming three-game road trip, with interim coach Larry Drew stating, “I haven’t heard anything. I’m just going to proceed and take it a game at a time until I hear something different.”

In another article for The Plain Dealer, Vardon details LeBron James‘ response to Cavaliers‘ fans putting up a billboard in James’ favor in his hometown of Akron, OH. “I haven’t seen it, but, like I said before, it’s very flattering. It’s just, I don’t know, it’s very humbling. I know my hometown, so, I already know there’s no place like Akron, that’s for sure.”

Cavaliers Notes: Lue, Drew, Injuries, Zizic

March 20th, 2018 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Tyronn Lue announced on Monday morning that the head coach would be taking a leave of absence for health reasons, and that was just the start of another eventful day in the life of the 2017/18 Cavs. Later, Cleveland confirmed that Kevin Love would be making his long-awaited return from a hand injury on Monday night. The team later went out and grabbed a dramatic 124-117 win over the Bucks, with LeBron James posting a rare 40-point triple-double.

As Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes, the day was emblematic of the Cavaliers’ season as a whole, which has been filled with ups and downs, with one thing happening after another all year long. While the roster appears to be getting healthy as the regular season nears an end, the same can’t be said for its head coach, whose health will be the franchise’s top concern in the coming weeks. Lue hopes to return well before the playoffs get underway, according to Bontemps.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Before Lue’s leave of absence was announced, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com wrote in a mailbag that he doesn’t think the Cavs’ head coach is on the hot seat. As long as Lue is healthy, Vardon assumes that he’ll continue to be the coach in Cleveland next season.
Interim head coach Larry Drew found out at 1:30 on Monday morning that he’d be taking over for Lue for the time being, Vardon writes in another Cleveland.com article. Vardon notes that the process of having Lue step down temporarily was initiated by GM Koby Altman, adding that it’s expected to take about a week for Lue’s body to become accustomed to the new medication he’s on.
With so many players set to return from injuries for the Cavs, Drew plans to give Lue a call to get his input on some lineup decisions, per Vardon. “We’ll talk about it,” Drew said. “He’s got the final say-so. Whatever he wants, then that’s what we’re going to go with. But if he tells me to make a decision, then I’ll have to make a decision.” Although Love is back, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance, Tristan Thompson, and Cedi Osman are all still dealing with various injuries.
Speaking of Thompson, given the way Ante Zizic has been playing during the veteran’s absence, the Cavs will soon have to figure out how to balance the frontcourt minutes, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Zizic posted 13 points and six boards during Cleveland’s win on Monday, and has been making a case for a more regular role.

Kevin Love Returns To Action Monday

March 19th, 2018 at 4:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will play on Monday for the first time since breaking a bone in his left hand, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets.

Love has been sidelined since suffering the injury during the first quarter at Detroit on January 30th. He was expected to miss eight weeks, so Love recovered a little quicker than expected. He has missed 21 games.

This is welcome news for a team that just lost its coach for an unknown period of time. Tyronn Lue was given a leave of absence on Monday to deal with health issues.

Love will be on a minutes restriction, according to Zillgitt, but he should give the floundering team, which has lost seven of its last 13 games, an immediate jolt. He was averaging 17.9 PPG and 9.4 RPG prior to the injury. He’ll have to blend in with a variety of new teammates who were acquired after Love was sidelined.