Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyrie Irving Talks Cavs’ Offseason

July 19th, 2017 at 8:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The offseason for the Cavaliers hasn’t gone as smoothly as planned with the franchise failing to reach an agreement to retain GM David Griffin as well finding itself unable to add another major piece to a team that lost handily to the Warriors in this year’s NBA Finals. LeBron James is reportedly unhappy with the team’s offseason and speculation of him fleeing for Cleveland next offseason have persisted throughout the summer.

Kyrie Irving, who can become a free agent after the 2018/19 season, was recently asked how the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions could look different in “just a couple years.” His response (via Sports Illustrated’s Chris Chavez):

“Like I said, we’re in a peculiar place. The best thing we can do is handle things with class and professionalism. Obviously we have a great owner that’s willing to spend a little money on guys that he believes in. At this point, we just see what happens throughout the summer.”

The Cavs weren’t able to add another star like Jimmy Butler or Paul George this offseason, though they added a few reinforcements to their bench. Cleveland signed Jose Calderon to man the backup point guard spot and Jeff Green to add depth on the wing. The team also brought in Cedi Osman to round out the bench.

Cavaliers Sign Cedi Osman

July 18th, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 18: The Cavaliers have officially announced their new deal with Osman, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.

JULY 12: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman to a three-year contract worth $8.3MM, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link). Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that there are no options in the deal.

Osman’s contract, which was first reported by Turkish outlet beIN Sports, will be finalized using a portion of the Cavaliers’ mid-level exception. With no cap room available, Cleveland had the ability to sign Osman using either the MLE or the minimum salary exception. The mid-level will allow the club to give him more than two years and more than the minimum salary.

A 22-year-old wing, Osman was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft but has remained overseas since then, playing for Anadolu Efes in Istanbul. In 2016/17, Osman was the club’s leading scorer in Turkish League play, averaging 13.4 PPG and shooting 38.7% on three-pointers in 34 games.

While it remains to be seen whether Osman will be able to contribute immediately in Cleveland, his arrival provides a much-needed injection of youth to an aging Cavaliers roster. With only the $5.192MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to add free agents, few valuable trade chips in hand, and no 2017 draft picks, the Cavs’ ability to add young talent this offseason was very limited.

Of course, while Osman’s new deal looks modest on the surface, the Cavs’ tax position makes it exponentially more expensive. As a repeater taxpaying team that’s already way over the tax threshold, the Cavs would pay more than $4.25 per dollar in tax penalties on Osman’s 2017/18 salary, as things stand.

Current projections have the Cavs on the hook for a $70MM+ tax bill and more than $210MM+ in total salary and taxes, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. The club could reduce its projected tax bill by dumping salary at some point, but that won’t be easy.

It’s also worth noting that the Cavs will contribute about $700K to Osman’s international buyout, according to Windhorst. Teams are permitted to pay up to $675K to a player’s international buyout this season without it counting against the cap (or having to pay tax on that contribution), so Cleveland likely chipped in that amount.

LeBron James Concerned With Cavs’ Offseason

July 17th, 2017 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Four-time MVP LeBron James is concerned with the Cavaliers’ offseason moves, or lack thereof, a source tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. According to Zillgitt, the team’s decision to part with its top two front office executives right before free agency left James “frustrated and concerned” about the Cavs’ ability to build a roster capable of beating the Warriors.

While the Cavaliers were linked to big-name trade targets such as Paul George and Jimmy Butler, those players ultimately ended up being sent elsewhere. Instead, Cleveland has made modest moves to attempt to fortify its bench. Jose Calderon and Jeff Green were signed to minimum salary contracts, and part of the taxpayer MLE was used on Cedi Osman, though the 22-year-old is unlikely to have a major impact in Cleveland this season.

While James is realistic about the Cavaliers’ cap- and tax-related limitations, he wonders why the club entered the offseason “without veteran front-office execs in place to execute complicated moves,” writes Zillgitt.

According to Zillgitt, the Cavs appeared to be getting close to a deal for Butler before owner Dan Gilbert decided to part ways with GM David Griffin and VP of basketball operations Trent Redden. Having been unable to secure top GM candidate Chauncey Billups, Gilbert continues to evaluate the club’s front office structure, with assistant GM Koby Altman running the show for now.

There’s still time this offseason for the Cavs to make roster additions, and it’s possible the team’s minor moves to date will turn out better than expected. However, team ownership and management will certainly need to take LeBron’s concerns seriously, since he’s eligible for free agency in 2018, and a return to Cleveland isn’t considered a lock.

Carmelo Anthony Frustrated By Knicks’ Mixed Messages?

July 14th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The subject of trade rumors for most of the year, Carmelo Anthony is frustrated by reports that Knicks general manager Steve Mills is putting those talks on hold and may be having second thoughts about a deal, according to Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. Isola suggests that the other teams involved in a proposed four-team Anthony trade scenario are also frustrated by the latest developments.

While Anthony’s camp appeared to be pushing for most of the week to complete a deal – likely with the Rockets – a report on Thursday night indicated that the Knicks had paused trade discussions with Houston and Cleveland. The move coincided with the arrival of new general manager Scott Perry, whose new deal with the Knicks was finalized today.

According to Isola, it’s possible that the Knicks just want Perry to settle into his new job before moving forward with an Anthony trade, but the club’s changing stance still comes as a surprise to many of the parties involved. As Isola writes, Anthony has expressed a willingness to waive his no-trade clause for the Rockets, and has been preparing to be sent to Houston.

“From what I understand, Carmelo is under the belief that he’s going to the Rockets,” a source tells the Daily News. “That’s what the Knicks have been telling us; that they’re trading him. I can’t imagine that after all he went though last season with Phil [Jackson] he’s happy with this.”

Isola suggests the parameters of a deal are in place, with some details that need to be finalized, and adds that two people close to the talks think something will get done eventually. Earlier reports from Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com and Marc Berman of The New York Post suggested that the Knicks want Anthony to meet with the new front office and head coach Jeff Hornacek, and may be more open to keeping him. However, Anthony isn’t expected to be very receptive to that idea.

Berman also indicated that the team holds out hope that Carmelo would be willing to expand his wish list to more teams besides the Rockets and Cavs, which perhaps is a hint that the Knicks may not be entirely satisfied with their return in the proposed multi-team trade.

According to Isola, Anthony is concerned about his public image and doesn’t want his potential departure from the Knicks to be messy. It may be getting too late for that.

Carmelo Anthony Trade Talks On Hold

July 14th, 2017 at 9:13am CST by ChrisCrouse

JULY 14, 9:13am: As the Knicks regroup on the Anthony front, the team’s primary hope is that Carmelo will consider expanding his wish list beyond Houston and Cleveland, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, could veto any deal, but has expressed a willingness to waive that NTC for the Rockets or Cavaliers — the Knicks have been unable to work out a deal with either of those teams, so adding more clubs to the list could increase their chances of getting something done.

Berman also notes within his story that the Nuggets were among the clubs who explored getting involved in three- or four-team trade talks when those discussions were active.

JULY 13, 9:04pm: The Knicks have paused Carmelo Anthony trade talks with both the Rockets and Cavaliers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. New York would like to reopen dialogue with Anthony about “reincorporating him into the organization.”

It was previously reported that Anthony’s representatives wanted to see a deal get done this week. The Rockets and Knicks were looking to pull off a multi-team trade and were searching for a fourth team to help facilitate a deal. The two sides discussed a three-team deal last weekend, but those talks reportedly “stalled.”

Scott Perry’s pending arrival as GM has made team executive Steve Mills reconsider his stance on trading Anthony, the pair of scribes add. Perry, who currently is the Kings VP of basketball operations, and the Knicks have agreed on a deal to make the executive the team’s new GM. However, Sacramento and New York still need to work out compensation in order to finalize Perry’s hiring.

The Knicks would like Anthony to meet with the team’s new front office as well as coach Jeff Hornacek soon, but the pair of ESPN scribes add that it’s unlikely Anthony will respond with eagerness to stay with the franchise.

The Rockets acquired Chris Paul two weeks ago and since the trade, Houston has been cited as a potential landing spot for Anthony. In order to bring the 10-time All-Star aboard, Houston would presumably need to move Ryan Anderson, who will earn more than $19.5MM during the 2017/18 campaign. New York has no interest in adding Anderson to the team.

Kyle Korver Re-Signs With Cavaliers

July 12th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 12, 8:28pm: The signing is official, the Cavaliers announced on their website.

JULY 2, 3:09pm: Kyle Korver has agreed to a new three-year, $22MM contract with the Cavaliers, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The final season is only partially guaranteed, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The 36-year-old came to Cleveland in a January deal and provided a needed outside threat. He averaged 10.7 points in 35 games and shot .485 from 3-point range.

The Cavs acquired Korver’s Bird rights when they brought him over from Atlanta, which is fortunate because they don’t have any available cap room to use to re-sign him. The 14-year veteran will get a nice raise from the little more than $5.2MM he made this season.

Several other teams expressed an interest in Korver, including the Pelicans and Bucks, but he decided to remain with the Eastern Conference champions and take another shot at a ring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorite

July 11th, 2017 at 6:08pm CST by Joshua Fischman

LeBron James and the Cavaliers have dominated the Eastern Conference playoffs for three consecutive seasons, advancing to the NBA Finals with ease each year. King James himself has represented the East for the past seven seasons in the the league championship.

Last season, however, the Celtics finished with the best record in the conference and have enjoyed a productive offseason. Boston landed prized free agent Gordon Hayward and drafted Jayson Tatum. In addition, Danny Ainge traded for Marcus Morris and signed Aron Baynes. While Boston did trade key two-way player, Avery Bradley, and lost Kelly Olynyk in free agency, the team may be prepared to contend for its first NBA Finals berth since 2010.

For Cleveland’s part, it re-signed Kyle Korver this offseason, inked veteran Jose Calderon to a one-year contract backing up Kyrie Irving at point guard, and brought in another vet in forward Jeff Green. Over their past three Eastern Conference Finals series, the Cavaliers have won 12 of 15 games.

Will the Cavs’ recent playoff domination continue or have the Celtics suddenly emerged as the favorite to represent the East in the Finals? Which team will finish with the better record this season and what, if anything, will home-court advantage mean if the teams face off in the postseason?

We look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.

Cavs Sign Jeff Green

July 11th, 2017 at 5:36pm CST by Austin Kent

JULY 11: Jeff Green has officially signed with the Cavaliers, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The team announced the signing in a Tuesday evening press release.

JULY 7: The Cavaliers have reached a deal with forward Jeff Green, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. Brian Windhorst of ESPN adds that the deal in place is a one-year pact worth $2.3MM.

After signing a previous one-year, $15MM deal with the Magic last offseason, Green averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. The considerable pay decrease on the heels of a career worst season comes with a drastically improved chance of playing for a winner and is a low-risk, high-reward move for the reigning Eastern Conference champions.

The 30-year-old has bounced around since coming into the league in 2007/08, some of his best years coming early in his career with the Thunder, and as a result it’s been difficult to truly assess what he’s worth. That, perhaps, has never been more evident than when one compares the contrasting deals the forward signed this summer versus last.

Central Rumors: Pistons, Cavs, Bulls, Mirotic

July 11th, 2017 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are considering free agents like Jonas Jerebko and Anthony Tolliver for one of their open roster spots, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Ellis adds that the team has also engaged with a handful of other players as it weighs how to fill that spot.

Having traded away Marcus Morris and lost Aron Baynes in free agency, the Pistons could use some frontcourt depth, but their ability to add another free agent is somewhat limited. Having already used their full mid-level exception, Detroit could make an offer with its $3.29MM bi-annual exception, but otherwise could only offer the minimum.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert met with assistant GM Koby Altman for dinner on Monday night to discuss the future of the club’s front office, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). After losing David Griffin, the Cavs pursued Chauncey Billups to fill their head front office position, but haven’t been linked to any candidates since Billups turned them down. It’s possible Altman – who has essentially been the acting GM this offseason – will be offered the permanent job at some point, though that’s my speculation.
The Bulls remain optimistic about getting a deal done with restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic, per GM Gar Forman (link via Sam Smith of Bulls.com). “We want Niko back and we think Niko wants to be in Chicago,” Forman said. “Usually when you have those two things, at the end of the day there’s usually a way to get something done.”
Forman also discussed the Bulls‘ rebuilding process, expressing no regrets at moving Jimmy Butler last month, per Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com.
The Bulls continue to operate as an over-the-cap team, having signed Justin Holiday to a deal using part of their mid-level exception ($4.6MM of $8.4MM), tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Chicago could create between $25-30MM in cap room by renouncing Mirotic’s cap hold and various exceptions – including the trade exception from the Butler deal – but there has been no reason to do that so far, since the club hasn’t made any big-money acquisitions.

Jose Calderon Signs With Cavaliers

July 10th, 2017 at 8:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 10th, 8:06pm: The signing is official, according to a press release on the team’s website.

JULY 1st, 8:05pm: Veteran point guard Jose Calderon has agreed to a deal with the Cavaliers, according to a tweet from his agency, Priority Sports.

Calderon, 35, will receive a one-year contract for the league minimum, which will pay him about $2.3MM, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, although it will only count roughly $1.47MM against Cleveland’s cap. Facing potentially huge luxury tax payments, the Cavs have been searching for inexpensive help for their bench.

The addition of Calderon may be a sign that free agent Deron Williams won’t return to Cleveland after signing with the team in late February.

Calderon split last season between the Lakers and Hawks and put up career lows in scoring, assists and field goal percentage.