Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Tyronn Lue’s Job Not In Jeopardy

February 3rd, 2018 at 11:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Despite the embarrassment after tonight’s 32-point loss in a prime-time game, the Cavaliers aren’t planning to get rid of coach Tyronn Lue, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. “We are not firing our head coach,” an unidentified Cavaliers official tells the network.

Cleveland will continue to pursue trades through Thursday’s deadline in an effort to snap out of its recent slump, Wojnarowski adds.

Lue has three more years remaining on the five-year, $35MM extension he signed after leading the Cavs to an NBA title in 2016. He has a 108-66 record in one full season and two partial seasons as the team’s head coach.

Frustration was on display throughout the organization after tonight’s loss, notes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Lue said in a halftime interview that his team was “soft, weak, no physicality, no toughness, no grit,” and LeBron James suggested banning the Cavaliers from spotlight games.

“I’m lost for words, actually,” James said. “Going 0-8 on national television. They should take us off every nationally televised game for the rest of the season. We haven’t played good ball and we get our butts kicked every time we play on national television, so I’m at a loss for words.”

James’ recent play has been part of the problem, Vardon points out. His scoring average dipped to 23.5 points per game in January and the team was outscored by an average of 7.1 points during the month while he was on the court. He managed just 11 points tonight.

A bigger problem has been the trade of Kyrie Irving to Boston, which Vardon calls “a disaster.” Isaiah Thomas has been slowed by the injuries to his hip and Jae Crowder has been a disappointment as well. Thomas can no longer score like he did with the Celtics, Vardon notes, and the Cavs don’t have enough good defensive players to make up for his deficiencies in that area.

The situation appears critical with James less than five months away from another free agency decision. Cleveland is 6-12 since Christmas and faces the next two months without All-Star forward Kevin Love. A roster that costs $177MM in salary and tax payments won’t be easy to overhaul by Thursday, but it might be the last chance to avoid a total collapse.

Cavs Willing To Surrender Nets Pick

February 3rd, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by clarkcrum

Despite rumors to the contrary, Terry Pluto of the The Plain Dealer hears that the Cavaliers have indeed entertained the idea or trading the Nets‘ 2018 first-round pick (currently 8th in our 2017/18 NBA Reverse Standings), but only for the right return.

Pluto reports that the Cavs will only trade the all-but-assured lottery selection in exchange for a younger player who is under contract for a couple of seasons. A short-term answer who can become a free agent this summer, like Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, will not entice the team to surrender Brooklyn’s pick.

On the other hand, an expiring contract like Jordan’s would make sense in exchange for the Cavs’ own 2018 first-rounder opines Pluto, who suggests a deal that would send Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, and their own first-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Jordan would work within the salary cap. Whether the Cavs or Clippers would be interested in such a deal remains to be seen.

As for the Brooklyn pick, a previously mentioned trade candidates from a rebuilding team who is relatively young, under contract through this offseason, and has already been linked to the Cavs is Hawks swingman Kent Bazemore. However, it’s hard to believe the Cavs giving up a potential lottery pick for Bazemore at this point.

Central Notes: Frye, Brown, Thomas

February 2nd, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers entertained the thought of trading center Channing Frye in a package for George Hill last month. Now that full-time starter Kevin Love is out long-term, however, the club would be wise to hold off, Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype writes.

Frye didn’t waste time stepping in to fill the void for the Cavaliers. In his first taste of action sans Love, the veteran posted 20 points and added six rebounds in just 21 minutes of action.

The 34-year-old brings more than just leadership to the Cavaliers locker room, his ability to knock down threes and generally play both inside and out will make him extra valuable until Love returns.

“Well, we know what Channing brings to the game,” Cavaliers teammate LeBron James told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He adds spacing with his ability to shoot the ball for one, and he attracts the defense. But his ability to finish in the paint as well helps us out.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

No charges will be filed against Bucks rookie Sterling Brown, Ashley Luthern of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Per Luthern, Brown had been arrested on a tentative misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer. Brown has averaged 3.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 35 games for the Bucks this season.
The first-round pick headed to Chicago in the Nikola Mirotic trade is top-5 protected in 2018, top-8 protected in 2019, top-10 protected in 2020, and top-9 protected in 2021, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. If the Bulls, somehow, still haven’t received the pick by 2021, it will turn into second-rounders in both 2022 and 2023.
He’s been back for 12 games, but Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas still isn’t 100%. “I’m not confident out there as I usually am,” he told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “It’s a process getting confidence back mentally and physically in your body and doing the things you used to be able to do. And my body’s not allowing me to do that yet.”

LeBron James Calls Warriors Rumor ‘Nonsense’

February 2nd, 2018 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked today about a report that suggested he’d be open to talking to the Warriors as a free agent this offseason, LeBron James dismissed the rumor, calling it “nonsense,” according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

“It’s nonsense, and it’s a non-story,” James told reporters, including Vardon. “I think it’s a discredit to what I’m trying to do here. It’s a discredit to my teammates and the coaching staff here. … My only focus right now is trying to figure out how we can become a championship-caliber team in these next few months.”

As I noted on Thursday when we relayed the ESPN report, the notion that James would be open to talking to the Warriors isn’t outrageous, but it does seem pretty far-fetched that he would ever seriously consider joining his Western Conference rivals. According to Vardon, James has confided to people close to him that he would never join the Dubs, recognizing the negative impact it would have on his legacy.

After telling reporters today that he never said he would sit down with the Warriors or any other team in free agency, James cautioned against buying into rumors on his free agency that don’t come directly from him.

“I’m here, I’m right here, I’m right now and this is my present and this is where I’m at,” James said of Cleveland and the Cavs. “If you don’t hear something coming from my voice, then it’s not true. I don’t give a damn how close they are, I don’t care if it’s my kids, or my wife or whatever. If it’s not from me, it’s not true, so.”

While James’ vociferous denials are convincing, Haynes is a very good reporter and wouldn’t run a story of this magnitude without solid sources, so it’s worth considering why it surfaced at this point — and who might have leaked it. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons tweeted out one theory on Thursday.

Sixers Express Interest In Lou Williams

February 2nd, 2018 at 10:36am CST by Luke Adams

With the 76ers exploring ways to upgrade their backcourt, former Sixer Lou Williams is among the players on the club’s radar, league sources tell Michael Scotto of The Athletic. According to Scotto, Philadelphia has expressed interest in Williams.

We heard earlier in the week that Tyreke Evans was another potential trade target being eyed by the Sixers, and both Evans and Williams have a similar appeal. Like Evans, Williams is on an expiring contract and is enjoying perhaps the best season of his career in 2017/18. In 49 games, Lou Will has averaged 23.5 PPG and 5.2 APG, with a .443/.390/.895 shooting line.

Of course, unlike Evans’ Grizzlies, Williams’ Clippers remain firmly in the playoff race in the Western Conference, so it remains to be seen if Los Angles will end up moving its veteran guard. According to Scotto, Williams’ preference would be to re-up with the Clips and remain in L.A. beyond this season, but it’s not clear if the club views him as a long-term piece.

With Williams’ future in Los Angeles uncertain, teams like the Sixers and Cavaliers, among others, are monitoring his situation, hoping the Clippers’ asking price will come down, per Scotto. The Clips are said to be seeking a first-round pick in a deal for Williams.

In addition to eyeing Williams, the Sixers are also keeping tabs on Hawks sharpshooter Marco Belinelli, says Scotto. Both Williams ($7MM) and Belinelli ($6.6MM) are on affordable expiring contracts, so it will be interesting to see if Philadelphia is perhaps willing to offer a draft pick along with Jerryd Bayless, whose contract runs through 2018/19.

Kevin Love Expected To Miss Eight Weeks

February 2nd, 2018 at 7:23am CST by Austin Kent

FEBRUARY 2, 7:23am: The Cavaliers have issued a status update on Love, announcing that the veteran will undergo non-surgical treatment on his broken hand. He’s currently projected to be sidelined for about eight weeks, according to the team.

JANUARY 31, 11:55am: It remains uncertain whether or not Love will require surgery, but the Cavs are expected to rule him out for up to two months, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. That would put the big man to miss all of February and perhaps all of March as well.

JANUARY 30, 8:18pm: After sustaining a left hand injury Tuesday, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweets.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin adds that an X-Ray has revealed a non-displaced fracture in the big man’s fifth metacarpal. That’s different, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic tweets, than the bone Love broke with the Timberwolves back in 2009.

Per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Love was removed from the Cavs’ tilt against the Pistons in the first quarter and will be further evaluated on Wednesday.

Assuming the current diagnosis remains, Love will miss his second straight All-Star Game with an injury (last February he had minor knee surgery). This year, Love has posted averages of 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, although the entire 2017/18 Cavaliers season has been mired in drama.

This is the latest setback in a down year for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, a team that’s already said to have been actively seeking reinforcements via trade as the February 8 trade deadline approaches.

Ante Zizic Returns To G League

February 1st, 2018 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie center Ante Zizic is headed back to the Canton Charge on an assignment, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. This will be the ninth G League assignment of the season for Zizic, who has bounced back and forth between Cleveland and Canton all year.

Pistons Rumors: Failed Trades, S. Johnson, Love

February 1st, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons had originally planned to approach this season’s trade deadline by aggressively pursuing upgrades on the wing, writes Jake Fischer of SI.com. League sources tell Fischer that Detroit looked into several potential trade candidates around the NBA, including Danny Green, Jordan Clarkson, Tyreke Evans, Rodney Hood, and Courtney Lee. The Magic also called to discuss a deal that would have included Evan Fournier, Elfrid Payton, and Luke Kennard, per Fischer.

As a result of all that research and legwork on wing players, the Pistons came to a realization that prompted them to change direction. “It’s becoming a wing league, and not many teams are willing to move those players,” a Pistons source told Fischer. “We were willing to give up ours.”

Rather than looking to build up on their own wing depth, the Pistons decided to part with Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris in a deal that would bolster their frontcourt instead. It remains to be seen whether that approach will pay off, but the team will start to find out tonight, with Blake Griffin set to make his Pistons debut. “It’s time to make a run now,” one team source told Fischer, who notes that seven of Detroit’s eight remaining games before the All-Star break are at home.

Here’s more on the Pistons from Fischer:

The Pistons, who explored trading for Eric Bledsoe last summer, circled back to him in November and came “within inches” of acquiring him in a three-way deal with the Suns and Pelicans, according to Fischer. That trade, which would have included Reggie Jackson, fell through.
The Pistons will continue to keep an eye out for opportunities to acquire wing players, and Fischer hints that Stanley Johnson is more likely than Kennard to be included in such a deal.
Detroit’s front office worked with Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and GM Michael Winger on the Griffin deal. Head coach Doc Rivers, who served as the Clippers’ head of basketball operations until this past offseason, didn’t find out about the deal until Sunday — by that point, every detail except the first-round pick protections had already been agreed upon, a league source tells Fischer.
If the Pistons had been unable to finalize a deal for Griffin, they were planning to shift their focus to Kevin Love, says Fischer. Obviously, that was before Love suffered his hand injury, though there’s no indication that the Cavaliers would have seriously considered moving him.

LeBron James Open To Talking To Warriors In Free Agency

February 1st, 2018 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

If the Warriors could make a maximum salary contract work within the NBA’s cap rules, LeBron James would be open to meeting with the team as a free agent this summer, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN. Haynes cautions that there’s no indication at this point that Golden State is exploring ways to land James, but suggests that the four-time MVP would listen to a Warriors pitch out of respect for the team’s “winning culture.”

As Haynes observes, James and his business team are known to “covet structure,” and the Warriors’ management group – from head coach Steve Kerr to GM Bob Myers to Joe Lacob‘s ownership group – epitomize that sort of structure. It also goes without saying that no other NBA team would provide a better opportunity to win multiple more titles over the next few years.

While no one knows where James will end up playing in 2018/19, the idea that he would make the leap to his already-stacked rivals in the Bay Area seems awfully far-fetched. Of course, the thought of Kevin Durant doing the same seemed just as unbelievable when those rumors first started surfacing two years ago.

Still, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), the summer of 2016 posed a unique opportunity for the Warriors to create maximum salary space due to an unprecedented cap spike and the fact that Stephen Curry was still on a very team-friendly contract. Creating a path for James to get to Golden State this offseason wouldn’t be nearly as simple.

Within his article, Haynes suggests that a sign-and-trade deal, perhaps built around Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, would be the most realistic scenario to get James to the Warriors. However, even that would be a challenge, since Durant would have to take another discount and the club would likely need to move Shaun Livingston, filling its bench with minimum salary players.

In Marks’ view (Twitter links), the only realistic scenario would be having James go the Chris Paul route, exercising his player option for 2018/19. That way, Durant’s free agency wouldn’t be affected and the Warriors wouldn’t be hard-capped as a result of completing a sign-and-trade. LeBron would also be in line to earn the same amount in ’18/19 that he’s expected to on a new contract, and he could sign an extension six months later that could essentially mirror a free agent deal (Twitter link via Marks).

I suspect any debate over the cap machinations of such a deal will ultimately be moot. While Haynes’ report confirms that James isn’t ruling out Golden State out of hand, the odds of LeBron ever donning a Warriors uniform still seem very low.

Grizzlies To Sit Tyreke Evans

January 31st, 2018 at 7:36pm CST by clarkcrum

7:36pm: Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer is reporting that multiple teams have already put a first-round pick on the table for Evans.

5:59pm: As trade discussions involving Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans intensify, the team will sit him out until a deal is completed, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Evans will not play this evening in Indiana, as confirmed by Michael Wallace of Grind City Media, who reports that he witnessed the veteran guard leaving Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Wallace adds that Evans believes any potential deal would send him to a playoff team.

As we detailed earlier today, the Bulls are doing the same thing with trade candidate Nikola Mirotic, holding him out of games while pursuing potential trades. Bobby Marks of ESPN suggests both teams’ decisions, while unprecedented, are the right moves given that both the Grizzlies and Bulls have little chance of making the playoffs.

Marks also tweets that teams interested in trading for Evans are being cautious due in part to Evans not having either Bird or Early Bird Rights this offseason, meaning a team over the apron (i.e. the Cavaliers, who are reported to have interest) would be limited to offering Evans a starting salary in the range of about $5.4MM, the projected value of the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Earlier reports linked the Sixers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Pelicans, Thunder, Heat, and Rockets to Evans.