Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

LBJ Angling For Cavs To Acquire Josh Jackson?

July 27th, 2017 at 10:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

LeBron James is aware of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request and it appears he’s not going to sit around and be passive in the situation. According to ESPN’s Pablo Torre (h/t Carter Rodriquez of SB Nation), James is “hustling on behalf” of the Cavaliers in regards to finding an Irving trade.

“LeBron James is doing some LeBron James offseason work,” Torre said on ESPN’s first take. “And my understanding is it’s not just Derrick Rose, it’s not just Eric Bledsoe. LeBron James happens to know a guy named James Jones . . . LeBron James is hustling behind the scenes, is my understanding, asking ‘Is Josh Jackson available for Kyrie Irving?’ And the answer back that I heard is ‘no, he is not.’ But LeBron James is hustling on behalf of the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least for this one year.”

Phoenix recently named Jones, who is a longtime friend and teammate of LBJ’s, as its vice president of basketball operations. The first time executive played for the Cavs alongside James and Irving over the last three seasons.

The Suns are not on Irving’s short list of teams of which the Duke product would prefer. However, Irving does not wield a no-trade clause, so the team could ship him anywhere it finds a deal without the point guard’s permission.

If Phoenix relents on its unwillingness to include Jackson in an Irving trade, a deal centered around Bledsoe and this year’s No. 4 overall pick arguably could be Cleveland’s best option on the market. Bledsoe, who shares an agent with James, recently worked out with Rose and the 4-time NBA MVP.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Wiggins, Irving, Nuggets

July 27th, 2017 at 3:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly a month has passed since the Thunder offered an extension to Russell Westbrook, writes Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript. Oklahoma City is hoping the reigning MVP will agree to extend his current contract by five years in a deal that would start with the 2018/19 season. Westbrook is eligible to receive 35% of the salary cap — currently projected at $102MM for that season — along with 8% raises each year. The deadline to accept the offer is October 16, the day before the regular season begins. Katz says the organization remains “cautiously optimistic” that Westbrook will agree to the extension.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Extension talks continued this morning between the Timberwolves and Andrew Wiggins, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson doesn’t believe Minnesota would include Wiggins in a trade offer for Kyrie Irving.
Former Nuggets forward Mike Miller thinks Irving would be a good fit in Denver, relays Ashish Mathur of Amicohoops. In an appearance Wednesday on Altitude Radio, Miller, who spent a year with Irving in Cleveland, said the point guard is “definitely interested” in being traded to the Nuggets. “I’ve already asked that question,” Miller said. “… I think he will. I really do. Like anything else, when people look at cities, Denver’s an unbelievable city we all know that. And with what the organization has built there, he would be crazy not to and he’s definitely, definitely interested in it and I told him by putting this thing out there he has no choice.” Mathur speculates that Denver would have to offer Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Wilson Chandler and a draft pick to make the deal work.
Unless they can pull off a trade, the Nuggets are looking at only “minor tweaks” before the season starts, writes Christopher Dempsey of NBA.com. Denver’s roster is virtually filled with not much cap space remaining. Dempsey adds that the team achieved its top offseason priority of signing Paul Millsap.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Billups, Irving, Rose

July 27th, 2017 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James‘ future after the upcoming season is a mystery even to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal. Gilbert acknowledged at Wednesday’s press conference with new GM Koby Altman that the Cavs have no control over what James may decide to do in the summer of 2018. The three-year contract he signed last summer includes a player option worth more than $35.6MM for 2018/19. “I think he is very hungry for this season and he will tell you that, too,” Gilbert said. “Beyond this season I don’t know. We’re focused on this season.”

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

Gilbert took issue with reports that Chauncey Billups turned down a front office position because of money, Ridenour adds in the same story. Billups supposedly interviewed twice with the team about possibly replacing former GM David Griffin, but Gilbert downplayed those sessions, calling them “informal.” He also said an ESPN report that Billups pulled his name out of consideration because of a lowball salary offer of $2MM were erroneous. “It was nothing to do with money at all,” Gilbert said. “For you guys to think that we’re in this payroll tax or luxury tax to where we are and we’re going to worry about — I don’t want to ever say a million dollars or two [million] dollars or three is not a lot of money — but relatively speaking, you know our track record and that’s not how we make decisions. It had nothing to do with money.”
The refusal by Gilbert and Altman to admit that Kyrie Irving has asked for a trade was a strategy to preserve the point guard’s value, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Pluto notes that Irving and his representatives have had several days to deny the rumor and have remained silent. The writer adds that getting sufficient value in return for Irving is the biggest challenge facing Altman as he settles into his new job.
The Cavaliers have made attempts to reach out to Irving, but he doesn’t want to talk to anyone from the team, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic (subscrition site).
Derrick Rose hoped to sign with the Spurs or Clippers when free agency began, but both teams passed on him, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Bucks coach Jason Kidd was interested, but the only offers came from the Lakers and Cavaliers.

Bledsoe Working Out With James, Rose

July 26th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Suns guard Eric Bledsoe is adding fuel to the rumors of a possible deal to Cleveland by working out with LeBron James and newly signed Cavaliers guard Derrick Rose this week in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.com. Bledsoe is among several players who have been tied to Cleveland in the past week in rumored trades involving Kyrie Irving, but he has a unique connection by being a client of Klutch Sports, just like James and teammates Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith. “I love everything about [the Phoenix area],” Bledsoe told Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic this week. “At the same time, I want to win.” A report Tuesday said the Suns wouldn’t be willing to part with first-round pick Josh Jackson in an Irving deal.

Today’s press conference with owner Dan Gilbert and new GM Koby Altman did little to calm the nerves of Cavaliers fans, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon-Journal. Despite Altman’s assurances that the feud between James and Irving is “overblown,” there is clearly a rift between the stars and Irving’s trade request could sour team chemistry if he is not moved before the season starts, Ridenour adds. Gilbert and Altman both used the word “fluid” to describe Irving’s situation, and Altman admitted that he has been in touch with Irving’s agent.

Cavs Owner: Pacers ‘Could Have Done Better’ In Paul George Trade

July 26th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is perhaps most known among NBA fans for an angry farewell letter printed in Comic Sans that he published in the wake of LeBron James‘ departure from Cleveland in 2010. Seven years later, Gilbert and James are on much better terms, but Gilbert was still showing a penchant for saying things other team owners wouldn’t during a press conference today.

Asked about the Cavaliers’ pursuit of Paul George, Gilbert told reporters that the Pacers “could have done better than they did,” per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops (Twitter link). While that’s a view widely held by NBA observers, it’s still surprising to hear it coming in a public forum from a rival team’s owner. The Cavs were reportedly close to acquiring George last month before the Pacers opted to go in another direction, so perhaps Gilbert was conveying some lingering frustration from those discussions.

Here’s more from today’s presser in Ohio:

When pressed directly, Gilbert said he expects Kyrie Irving to be in camp with the Cavs this fall, but neither Gilbert nor GM Koby Altman would confirm that Irving won’t be traded, or even that he’s asked to be dealt. The duo referred to the situation as “fluid,” as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details.
Altman called the idea that there’s animosity between Irving and James “overblown,” and added that the Cavs still believe they’re in great shape as a franchise, despite the offseason narrative of turmoil and drama.
James remains “deeply committed” to the Cavaliers, Altman said today, according to Vardon. Gilbert added that the four-time MVP has been “as helpful as he’s even been” this offseason, having helped recruit Derrick Rose and Jeff Green.

Trade Between Cavs, Knicks Appears Increasingly Unlikely

July 26th, 2017 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have been mentioned all offseason as a possible landing spot for Carmelo Anthony, and within the last few days, the Knicks were named among Kyrie Irving‘s preferred destinations. However, a trade between the Cavs and Knicks increasingly appears to be a long shot, according to reports.

As Ian Begley of ESPN writes, Anthony’s top choice continues to be the Rockets, and the star forward still expects the Knicks to find a way to get him at Houston. It’s possible Carmelo’s stance will change at some point, but he wields a no-trade clause and appears intent on waiving it for the Rockets rather than the Cavs, particularly if he wouldn’t have the opportunity to play with Irving in Cleveland.

According to Begley, the Knicks have no interest in including Kristaps Porzingis in any trade for Irving, so they’d likely need to include Anthony in a hypothetical Irving deal with the Cavs. Not having Carmelo’s approval is, of course, a major roadblock. But even with his go-ahead, it’s not clear if the two teams would be able to reach an agreement.

Begley suggests that some members of the Knicks’ front office would be willing to trade Anthony and multiple first-round picks for Irving, but the organization is not in full agreement on the idea of giving up multiple first-rounders in any trade.

Conversely, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops hears that the Cavs would be unwilling to move Irving for only Anthony and draft picks. Sources tell Amico that the Cavs may be removing themselves from the Carmelo sweepstakes in the wake of Irving’s trade request, since their trade objectives – and possibilities – have changed.

Even if the Knicks aren’t a viable trade partner for the Cavaliers, Cleveland should have no shortage of options for an Irving deal. Amico reports that at least seven teams have made “serious inquiries” on Irving, and Cleveland is making every effort to grant the point guard’s trade request. However, the Cavs are also in no rush to get something done, as they attempt to sniff out the best possible deal.

The Timberwolves are one of those teams exploring a possible Kyrie trade with “incredible seriousness,” says Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (via Twitter). However, Krawczynski remains unsure whether Minnesota would be open to including Andrew Wiggins in an offer for Irving.

Bulls, Blazers, Raptors Hold Largest Trade Exceptions

July 26th, 2017 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

When an over-the-cap NBA team sends out more salary than it receives in a given trade, that team can generally create a traded player exception. As we explain in our glossary entry, a traded player exception serves as a way for a team to acquire talent without using cap room to do so.

Traded player exceptions last for one year from the time they’re created, and can be used to absorb a player’s contract in a trade without sending out any salary in return. Trade exceptions can’t be combined with another exception or another contract, but they have $100K worth of wiggle room. So, a team with a $9.9MM TPE could trade for a player earning $10MM without any outgoing salary involved in the deal.

In recent weeks, a handful of teams – including the Hornets, Clippers, and Cavaliers – have seen trade exceptions created last July expire without being used. However, none of those TPEs was substantial. All of this year’s biggest TPEs are still available, though some are more likely to be used than others.

Here’s the current list of the top 10 traded player exceptions available around the NBA, along with each TPE’s expiration date:

Chicago Bulls: $15,311,329 (6/22/18)
Portland Trail Blazers: $12,969,502 (7/25/18)
Toronto Raptors: $11,800,000 (7/13/18)
Toronto Raptors: $7,630,000 (7/14/18)
Los Angeles Clippers: $7,273,631 (6/28/18)
Milwaukee Bucks: $5,000,000 (2/23/18)
Oklahoma City Thunder: $4,936,529 (11/1/17)
Cleveland Cavaliers: $4,837,500 (1/7/18)
New Orleans Pelicans: $3,517,200 (2/20/18)
Oklahoma City Thunder: $2,550,000 (7/6/18)

While some of these TPEs are quite sizable, there’s a good chance that most of them will go unused. Many of the clubs on this list are near or above the luxury tax threshold, and will be reluctant to acquire an expensive player without dumping any salary as part of the deal.

The Blazers, Raptors, Clippers, Bucks, Thunder, and Cavaliers all fit that bill, though some of those clubs may be willing to bite the tax-penalty bullet, while others could wait until next July when some contracts expire to use their respective TPEs.

As for the Bulls, no team has a more significant TPE than the one Chicago created as part of June’s Jimmy Butler trade. But that exception is somewhat hollow at the moment — the Bulls only have $73.25MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, so the club could actually create an even greater chunk of cap room by renouncing its trade exception, along with its other cap holds and exceptions. Still, there’s no reason to do that now. That TPE could come in handy later if the Bulls re-sign Nikola Mirotic and much of that potential cap space disappears.

The full list of current NBA trade exceptions can be found right here.

Cavs Had Interest In Rose Regardless Of Kyrie's Status

July 26th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers had interest in Derrick Rose regardless of Kyrie Irving‘s status, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. However, as Wojnarowski writes, the Cavs are starting to engage in trade discussions involving Irving, and the possibility of Rose gaining a more significant role in Cleveland “grows every day.”

Heat Notes: Hayward, Irving, Olynyk

July 25th, 2017 at 6:43pm CST by Joshua Fischman

Gordon Hayward was extremely inspired during his free agency meeting with the Heat, passes along Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In fact, the small forward was so pumped that he felt about ready to put on a Miami uniform:

“After the video, he [Pat Riley] kind of talked a little bit,” Hayward said. “And that was the moment where you kind of do get some chills. And everyone’s wearing their ring, too, everybody on the staff was. And so that’s the moment where you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’ an I-want-to-put-on-the-jersey-right-now type feeling.”

Hayward went on, “Miami was the spot that the more and more we talked about it, the more and more it looked like this would be a really, really good fit for me. And we actually broke it down and had like a point system of different pros and cons and on a weighted scale of different things that each city would represent and each team would represent, and Miami was always near the top of the rankings when we did it.”

Hayward was also struck by “this family vibe that they have.” The now Celtics forward also said about the Heat pitch, “Mark [agent Mark Bartlestein] had tried to tell me, after you talk with him, you’re going to be like, ‘Mark, I’m ready to sign right now.’ You do get that vibe from him. He’s a great motivator. And we watched some videos, too, of the Heat and their tradition. He definitely makes you feel like you’re going to be competing for championships year in and year out.”

Here’s more from the Miami Heat:

The Heat do not have considerable optimism about being able to land Kyrie Irving in a trade, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Tim Reynolds, who covers the NBA for the Associated Press, said that he does not believe that the Heat are even interested in acquiring Irving. Regardless, Jackson says that the Heat’s best chance to get Irving in a trade is if suitors with more appealing assets cannot strike a deal and the Cavs circle back to Miami.
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes that the Heat have completed more trades, six, with the Cavaliers than any other team. Winderman details this rich trading history, which suggests that an Irving deal should not be viewed as impossible.
In a separate piece, Winderman argues that the Heat owe it to themselves to consider trading for Irving. As Winderman puts it, the Heat should consider breaking up a good team to put together a great team. The scribe also points out that Irving’s list of preferred destinations purposefully includes teams with respected coaches and front offices.
Eric Pincus tweets that Kelly Olynyk‘s deal includes a 5% trade kicker that cannot be used in excess of $2MM.

Suns Will Not Include Josh Jackson In Kyrie Irving Offer

July 25th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Joshua Fischman

The Suns will not include Josh Jackson in any trade for Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link) adds that the team has reassured Jackson of this as well.

Phoenix has been rumored to be interested in the disgruntled Cleveland point guard, but it will not be entertaining offers that include its top 2017 draft pick. Jackson was selected fourth overall by the Suns as a forward out of the University of Kansas. The Suns clearly view Jackson as a critical part of their future if they are not willing to discuss trading him for a star of Irving’s caliber.

In Jackson’s lone season at Kansas, he averaged 16.3 PPG and 7.4 RPG, while shooting 51.3% from the field. Last season for the Cavs, the 25-year-old Irving scored 25.2 PPG and dished out 5.8 APG, while boasting an extremely impressive slash line of .473/.401/.905. Irving’s career playoff figures are even more impressive, as he has averaged 23.9 PPG, 4.7 APG, and 1.5 SPG in 52 career playoff games with a slash line of .465/.415/.876. Irving’s numbers in the past two playoffs are much higher still.

Since the Cavaliers do not need to trade Irving any time soon, although one could argue it would be awkward if they didn’t before training camp, it appears less likely that the Suns could nab him without agreeing to part with Jackson. Still, the Cavaliers may have interest in Eric Bledsoe as the centerpiece of a potential Irving trade.