- In his list of five under-the-radar offseason moves, CBS’ Brad Botkin writes that the Cavaliers will get a perimeter defender, the likes of which they lacked last season, in recently acquired forward Jae Crowder.
- The Cavaliers will remain contenders following the Kyrie Irving trade but uncertainty abounds for the franchise. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com dredges up some of the instabilities that the organization will have to address in the coming months.
- We’ve written about how the Pelicans have at least a passing interest in Iman Shumpert. Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype has taken things one step further, amalgamating various hypothetical deals that could unfold between the Pels and Cavaliers. It’s unlikely that a Shumpert trade would escalate to the point of DeMarcus Cousins and the Brooklyn first-rounder changing hands but there’s at least some merit to the speculation.
While it’s worth recognizing that little stock should be placed in an NBA player saying they think their team can make the playoffs when asked directly, this is the 20-62 Nets we’re talking about and their success or failure will directly impact one of the summer’s most significant storylines (the Cavaliers acquiring Brooklyn’s first-rounder in the Kyrie Irving trade).
- A proposed $140MM renovation of Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena is a good deal for the city, claims Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. He points out that the $70MM in public financing comes mainly from admission taxes on tickets, meaning it will be paid for by people who use the arena. The deal extends the Cavaliers‘ lease from 2027 to 2034.
New Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas will begin working with doctors and the team’s training staff on Tuesday, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Thomas, whose lingering hip injury held up his trade from the Celtics for more than a week, says he is “fully committed” to playing for the Cavs this season. Several sources told Vardon that the team will take Thomas’ return to the court slowly, but he is expected to return to an All-Star level at some point.
Dr. James Rosneck, a hip specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, will oversee Thomas’ rehab work with help from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Parker, who serves as the Cavaliers’ lead doctor. The team plans to gauge how Thomas responds after a week and then a month of the process before creating a timetable for his return. He suffered a partially torn labrum in his right hip in a March game, then aggravated the injury in the Eastern Conference Finals.
There’s more today out of Cleveland:
- A source with experience in similar hip problems suggests Thomas may not be able to play until January or possibly after the All-Star break, relays Jason Lloyd of the Athletic. Lloyd notes that the injury hasn’t healed enough for Thomas to begin running.
- Jae Crowder plays the same position as LeBron James, but the Cavs don’t view him as a backup, Vardon adds in the same story. Coach Tyronn Lue is developing lineups with James and Crowder on the court together, assuming the new addition remains in Cleveland. Crowder’s versatility, combined with team-friendly salaries of $6.8MM, $7.3MM and $7.8MM over the next three years, could make him a valuable piece in a future trade.
- Free agent addition Jose Calderon started working out in Cleveland more than a week ago, Vardon notes. The 36-year-old could be facing an increased role as the primary backup to Derrick Rose if Thomas is out for several months.
- It didn’t take long for the Cavs to get calls about the Nets’ unprotected first-rounder for next year, Vardon shares in the same piece. With its own pick as another possible trade chip and several second-rounders and trade exceptions available, the Cavaliers’ front office believes the team is in good position to deal for another title chase or for a rebuild if James leaves in free agency next summer.
Isaiah Thomas‘ hip injury has cast doubts on when he will be able to contribute to the Cavaliers this upcoming season. LeBron James and head coach Tyronn Lue reportedly “cooled” on the acquisition of Thomas after learning that he may miss the start of the regular season and possibly be out until after the All-Star break, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
Thomas himself has a more positive outlook. Speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski before the Celtics and Cavaliers completed their blockbuster trade, Thomas proclaimed he is “not damaged” and promised he would return to last year’s form — where he averaged an Eastern Conference-best 28.9 PPG.
“There’s never been an indication that I wouldn’t be back, and there’s never been an indication that this is something messing up my career,” he said. “Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, but I’m going to be back, and I’m going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that.”
If Thomas misses that much time, Cleveland’s signing of former NBA Most Valuable Player, Derrick Rose, becomes that much more important. Rose, 28, spent 2016/17 with the Knicks and while off court issues plagued most of his season, he was a productive asset, averaging 18.0 PPG and 4.4 APG. Hindered by injury for most of his career, Rose underwent surgery for a torn meniscus — his fourth knee surgery — in April but is expected to be ready for training camp.
Cleveland signed Rose to a one-year, $2.1MM deal — the veteran’s minimum. The same player who spent the last two years saying he will seek a maximum contract (which would have been worth approximately $150MM) will make less in 2017/18 than Ron Baker — his backup in New York last season. Yet, much like his new teammate Thomas, Rose is confident about what he will do in a Cavs uniform.
“When I get on a good team and I’m still hooping the same way, what are you going to say then?” Rose said to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. “The only thing that you’ll can say is that I can still play.”
If Rose can still play at the level of last season, Cleveland will have a more than adequate stopgap if Thomas is not ready to begin the year. Conversely, unless Rose somehow recaptures his 2011 MVP form, he will be a significant downgrade from the departed Kyrie Irving.
Either way, Rose will have the opportunity to prove with his play that he’s worth more than the undrafted rookie who was his backup in free agency.
With all of that said: Do you think Rose will be a key part of the Cavaliers next season? If he plays well in Thomas’ absence, should he retain the starters role? Will his body be able to hold up? Will Thomas come back healthy and keep Rose on the bench?
The Cavaliers are in win now mode, in case you haven’t heard, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have a handful of young players who will be hard at work this season trying to carve out long-term roles for themselves.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently broke down some of the team’s young talent, including draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman who signed with the Cavaliers ready to suit up for 2017/18. Likened to a 6’8″ Matthew Dellavedova, Osman could hustle his way into a role in Cleveland’s rotation.
The feature also sheds light on big men Edy Tavares and Ante Zizic. The former, he writes, could be the first cut should the Cavaliers need to free up a roster spot. Zizic, on the other hand, could establish himself as a high-motor rebounder in the mold of Steven Adams.
- While Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas were the big names trading places, the fate of the blockbuster trade between the Cavaliers and Celtics could come down to how well Jae Crowder fares in Cleveland, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.
While he was fairly quiet up until word broke this week that the Celtics and Cavaliers had finally agreed on compensation in the Kyrie Irving blockbuster, the star point guard has issued some public comments on the deal since then. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, Irving published a video farewell to the Cavs and their fans on Thursday, thanking them for his time in Cleveland.
On Friday, the Celtics formally introduced Irving alongside Gordon Hayward, and the point guard was asked about his relationship with LeBron James (link via Vardon). While some of Irving’s comments during the press conference hinted that he wanted to get out from under LeBron’s shadow, he had nothing but praise for his former teammate when asked specifically about him, calling it “awesome” to have played with the future Hall-of-Famer: “I’d be telling you guys a lie if I didn’t tell you how much I learned from that guy.”
Here’s more on Irving, along with a few more Cavs notes:
- In a piece for USA Today, Sam Amick examines how the Cavs’ organizational culture and stability (or lack thereof) may have contributed to Irving’s desire to head elsewhere, not to mention the uncertainty about James’ future in Cleveland.
- Within an article about the larger issue of tampering in the NBA, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com notes that it would likely be futile for teams interested in signing James next summer to start courting him now, since LeBron “is known for wanting to have the control rather than be wooed.”
- The Cavaliers’ agreement with Goodyear, the sponsor for the club’s jersey patches, is worth nearly $12MM annually, a league source tells McMenamin.
- The Cavs recently scrapped plans for a $140MM renovation project to Quicken Loans Arena, prompting some speculation that owner Dan Gilbert may be interested in moving the franchise. Gilbert addressed those “silly” rumors on Thursday, assuring fans that he’ll never move the Cavs out of Cleveland (Twitter link).
- Sources outside the Cavs organization believe Gilbert could consider selling the team within the next few years, but a team spokesman said no thought has been given to a sale, per Joe Vardon.
The Cavaliers and Celtics were able to complete the Kyrie Irving trade before Thursday morning’s deadline after Boston agreed to send an additional pick to Cleveland. While Boston did well to draw the line at a future second-round pick, it’s not a great look for the Cavs, who let the saga play out very publicly for more than a week before settling for a 2020 selection that may not even fall in the top 45.
Although the move represents the first major trade completed by new Cavs GM Koby Altman, it was team owner Dan Gilbert who was calling the shots on the deal, multiple sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who says that Gilbert’s “fingerprints were all over” this week’s drama. The Cavs owner, who publicly questioned the Pacers for their return in the Paul George deal, was very aware of the public perception of the Cavs’ return for Irving, O’Connor adds.
According to O’Connor, the Nets‘ first-round pick and Jae Crowder were the assets the Cavs management valued most in the swap, but LeBron James and head coach Tyronn Lue cooled somewhat on the trade when they learned that Isaiah Thomas could miss part of the 2017/18 season. The front office had sold James and Lue on the deal by making the case that Thomas and Crowder could help the club contend immediately, so Thomas’ health was a major concern, even if he wasn’t necessarily the centerpiece of the deal.
Here’s more out of Cleveland:
- While O’Connor suggests in his piece that the Cavs are preparing for the possibility of LeBron signing elsewhere in 2018, we can count Kevin Durant among those who don’t believe the King will leave Cleveland again. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, Durant told Bill Simmons on his podcast this week that he can see James remaining with the Cavs for the rest of his career.
- With the Irving deal done, former Cavs GM David Griffin, who was replaced this offseason by Altman, can envision the Cavs making another move before the trade deadline, as he said on NBA TV (h/t Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com). “One of the real blessings of this is Koby and his team don’t need to be done (trading) at this point,” Griffin said. “They can continue to try to build the team. The value-to-production of Jae Crowder and his contract are incredible. As you move closer to the trade deadline, the assets they’ve acquired may be able to be put to work again in continuing to improve the team. I think they clearly wanted to get some sustainability so that lottery pick was really important because in the absence of LeBron that’s the piece that helps them rebuild rather quickly.”
- Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com takes a closer look at where the Cavs stand now that the Irving era is officially over in Cleveland, and wonders whether the deal will end up helping or hurting the club’s quest for a second title in the last three years.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post.
The Celtics and Cavaliers have reached an agreement that will end the week-long hold-up of the Kyrie Irving deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). In addition to the previously agreed upon bounty—Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick—Boston will also send a 2020 second-round pick to Cleveland.
The additional pick on the move is Miami’s 2020 selection. Boston received the pick back in 2015 when the Heat attached it to Zoran Dragic in order to move his salary.
The two sides had an agreement in place eight days ago, but Cleveland had concerns over Isaiah Thomas‘ hip after examining the point guard during the routine post-trade physical. After the discovery, the Cavs re-engaged with Boston in the hopes of receiving either a young prospect or a future first-rounder on top of the players in the original offer, suggesting that the Celtics understated the scope of Thomas’ injury. However, Boston was firm on not giving up anything more than the second-rounder in the deal.
It was reported earlier today that there’s at least a slight chance that Thomas misses the entire 2017/18 season if his recovery doesn’t progress as smoothly as hoped. How IT heals and returns from his hip injury will be a major developing story as the season progresses for a bevy of reasons. The point guard can become a free agent at the end of the campaign. So can LeBron James. Both the team and James would certainly like to evaluate how Thomas fits alongside the four-time MVP before any future decisions are made.
For the Celtics, another excellent offseason seemingly concludes. A year after signing Al Horford to a four-year deal, the team made several additions that should help in both the short- and long-term. Boston landed the No. 1 pick in the lottery and dealt it to the Sixers for the pick that became Jayson Tatum – one of the most pro-ready prospects from the 2017 draft – and an additional future first-rounder. The franchise also agreed to terms with Gordon Hayward before trading for Marcus Morris.
Adding Irving to the mix only solidifies the Celtics as a true contender in the Eastern Conference. The C’s bested Cleveland and the rest of their conference rivals with 53 wins last season, though they were dispatched handily by the Cavs in the Eastern Finals as they watched an LBJ-led team dance into the NBA Finals for a seventh straight season.
The last team to win the East without LeBron? The 2009/10 Celtics. That squad, which was led by Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, beat James’ Cavaliers in the King’s last game before moving to Miami before reaching the NBA Finals. Boston will again look to get by James in 2017/18 in the hopes of landing the Eastern Conference crown and this time, the Larry O’Brien Trophy as well.
The Cavs and Celtics play each other in the league’s first game of the 2017/18 season. There’s plenty of time to get your popcorn ready for the October 17 showdown and the upcoming season.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Images
Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin believes the Kyrie Irving trade will take place as originally constructed, as Sam Amico of Amico Hoops relays.
“There’s not a lot of upside to this deal coming undone, for either side,” Griffin said on NBA TV. “Because of that, I think it will end up going through as is. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get Isaiah to a point where he’s ready sooner than people think.”
Boston originally agreed to send Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s 2018 pick to Cleveland for Kyrie Irving. Griffin said that if he were still the team’s GM, he would have made that trade.
“I think I would have,” he told NBA TV. “I really think Koby Altman made a tremendous trade here, given the circumstances. When you’re trying to win a championship, there is no in between. You’re all the way with me, or you’re all the way against me. And I think this is a situation where Kyrie made it clear he had a goal that might not have jived with Cleveland’s.
“They made a deal that, even in the absence of Isaiah Thomas, is a tremendous collection of assets. At the same time, Boston made a trade to get a piece that really could be a key for them — a 25-year old player in his prime, an NBA champion, an Olympic champion. He is really just starting to scratch the surface of who he can be.”
That was Boston’s offer for Irving before all the players involved took their physicals with their new teams and Cleveland expressed concern over Isaiah Thomas’ hip. Griffin added that he suspects Thomas’ injury wasn’t a surprise to the Cavs.
“When you go through these deals, you share all the information you have, you share all the images you have. If the most recent images of Isaiah were as far back as the playoffs, a new set of images now will create the ability to compare and contrast, and see how things have improved.
“So I don’t think it’s a situation where anybody was caught off guard. It was just a case of getting perhaps more information. Obviously, Isaiah is in this league because he has heart and soul that is almost unparalleled, and I believe him when he says he’s gonna be back to 100 percent.”
The two teams have until Thursday morning to finalize an agreement. However, if both sides decided to, they could extend the deadline.