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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).

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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.
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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.“
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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.”
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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.
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Cavaliers Assign Ante Zizic To G League

February 28th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams
  • The Cavaliers have assigned rookie center Ante Zizic to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Zizic will suit up for the Canton Charge on Wednesday night in the club’s game against the Maine Red Claws.
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Update On Open NBA Roster Spots

February 28th, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, we identified the NBA teams with open roster spots. Since then, clubs have completed a flurry of 10-day signings, and a couple players have even received rest-of-season deals.

However, there are still plenty of teams around the league with openings on their respective rosters, which could come in handy with Thursday’s de facto buyout deadline around the corner. Once March 1 comes and goes, teams will have a better idea of which players will or won’t have postseason eligibility the rest of the way, creating a clearer picture for how to fill those open roster spots.

In the space below, we’ll take a closer look at teams with an open roster spot, breaking them down into three categories. Each of the clubs in the first group actually has a full 15-man roster right now, but in each instance, one of those 15 players is only a 10-day contract. With those contracts set to expire soon, it’d be very easy and inexpensive for these teams to create an opening if they need to.

Teams with full 15-man rosters who are carrying at least one player on a 10-day contract (10-day player noted in parentheses):

The next list of teams includes the clubs with one open spot on their roster and no players on 10-day contracts. These clubs each have 14 players on standard, full-season NBA deals, leaving one spot open for either a 10-day player or a rest-of-season signing.

Teams with one open roster spot:

  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
    • Note: The Lakers will create a second opening when they officially waive Corey Brewer.
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Toronto Raptors

Finally, the last group of teams features four clubs that have been grouped together before. These four teams saw their roster counts slip to 13 players around the time of the trade deadline, and each had to add a player to get back up to the NBA-mandated minimum of 14. To reach that minimum, each team signed a player to a 10-day contract. That means these four franchises still only have 12 or 13 players on full-season contracts, with at least one player on a 10-day deal.

Teams with one open roster spot, plus at least one player on a 10-day contract:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Portland Trail Blazers
    • Note: 13 full-season contracts, plus Brandon Rush on 10-day contract.
  • Washington Wizards
    • Note: 13 full-season contracts, plus Ramon Sessions on 10-day contract.

For roster-count details on all 30 teams, be sure to check out our roster count page, which we updated daily throughout the 2017/18 season.

Note: Roster info current as of Wednesday, February 28 at 12:00pm CT.

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Gudaitis Re-Signs With LBA Squad; Holds Several NBA Opt-Outs

February 27th, 2018 at 9:01pm CST by marksuleymanov
  • Cavaliers draft-and-stash player Arturas Gudaitis recently signed an extension with Olimpia Milano until 2021, per Sportando. However, Gudaitis, who was acquired in a three-team deal with the Kings and Jazz, holds NBA opt-outs in both 2019 and 2020 worth $650K.
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Cavs Notes: James, Nets Pick, Hood, Defense

February 26th, 2018 at 10:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James wasn’t expecting the Cavaliers to make any major deals prior to the deadline, sources told David Aldridge of NBA.com. James anticipated a minor trade or two but found out a night prior to the deadline that a major roster makeover was possible, Aldridge continues. James had already decided he needed to do more to get the team headed in the right direction, as he told Aldridge. “Even before the deadline happened and before the trades happened, I had to refocus myself and understand that I’m the leader of this team, and I have to be mentally sharp and mentally strong throughout anything,” he said.

In other nuggets involving the Cavaliers:

  • The team’s scouting staff has been energized by the acquisition of the Nets’ first-round pick that the Celtics forwarded in the Kyrie Irving trade, Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. There’s a level of excitement in evaluating players who will go in the lottery, knowing the franchise will draft one of them. “With a high pick, you go to a game and you watch a guy and you think ‘there’s a legit chance that maybe we get him, and he becomes a core piece of our franchise moving forward,'” Cavs assistant GM Mike Gansey told Vardon.
  • Rodney Hood should be used extensively as the ballhandler on pick-and-rolls, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype. Kalbrosky notes that Hood was a superior scorer on pick-and-roll plays with the Jazz. By trading away Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade, the Cavs need Hood to fill the void in those situations, Kalbrosky adds.
  • The additions made at the trade deadline have improved the Cavs’ defense but it’s still not at the level of other title contenders, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer argues. The roster is now younger and more athletic but none of the newcomers are All-NBA defenders, Fedor adds.
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Cavaliers Notes: Thomas, LeBron, Hill, Leonard

February 25th, 2018 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Isaiah Thomas believes the Cavaliers panicked when they sent him to the Lakers as part of a flurry of deals at the trade deadline, according to an ESPN story. Thomas, who was acquired from the Celtics in the offseason, played just 15 games for the Cavs before being sent to L.A.

“It was a tough situation I was being put in,” Thomas said. “It was — it was different. … It’s hard to get acclimated to a team halfway through the season. People don’t put in there that we had eight or nine new players. So it was basically a brand new team. … I’m in a new system. New team, new coach, new players. And then I’ve been off for seven months. So I got to get — individually, I got to for the most part get my rhythm back, get my timing back.”

Thomas, who will be a free agent this summer, said he has no hard feelings about his time in Cleveland and he is concentrating on his future with his new team. He added that he plans to “play my heart out and show the Lakers why I should be here long term.”

There’s more out of Cleveland:

  • LeBron James was revitalized by the trades because he knew he wouldn’t have to share the ball anymore with Thomas or Dwyane Wade, writes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. He adds that James prefers to control as much as he can, both on and off the court, and now has the freedom to initiate the offense any time he wants. Pluto has noticed a difference in James’ play and his on-court demeanor since he found out the trades were coming on the night before the deadline.
  • The addition of George Hill and Larry Nance Jr. has provided the defensive spark the Cavaliers needed, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The Cavs turned in one of their best performances of the season Saturday, holding the Grizzlies to 89 points while registering 13 steals and 35 points off 23 turnovers. “Obviously G. Hill’s hands, Larry’s length and athleticism allows us to kind of keep everything at bay,” James said. “Our league is all pick and roll. So when you’ve got a point guard and a center that can play two on two and the other three can kind of stay at bay, it helps out everybody.”
  • The Cavaliers would be very interested if the Spurs decide to part with star forward Kawhi Leonard, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. Leonard reportedly has a strained relationship with the organization related to his lingering quad injury. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski revealed this week that Leonard has been medically cleared to play, but is choosing to sit out until the pain subsides. Amico speculates that Cleveland would be willing to give up the unprotected pick it owns from Brooklyn as the centerpiece of a deal for Leonard.
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