Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Pursuing Paul George, Carmelo Anthony?

June 28th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets’ acquisition of Chris Paul is now official, but the team may not be done dealing yet. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), a source tells him that the Rockets “think they are getting” Paul George or Carmelo Anthony.

Houston has been mentioned several times as a possible landing spot for George, who has made it clear he wants to leave Indiana. However, it remains to be seen whether the Rockets have enough assets to outbid rival suitors for George. Houston parted with young players (Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell), affordable veterans (Lou Williams, Patrick Beverley), and their 2018 first-round pick in today’s Paul trade. That doesn’t leave a ton of trade chips to offer the Pacers — a team like the Celtics would certainly be able to outbid Houston if they go all-in for George.

Still, the Rockets have shown in the past that they’re willing to be aggressive in trade talks for stars, even without a long-term commitment from that player. And according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, Houston would have “no qualms” about trading for George with one season left on his contract.

Although George’s preference is to sign with the Lakers in 2018, Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the Pacers forward “won’t close a window of opportunity.” According to Amick, if George were traded to the Cavaliers, he’d be open to the idea of re-signing with Cleveland in ’18 if LeBron James sticks around. If the Rockets were to acquire George, perhaps the team could pitch him on a multiyear run with Paul and James Harden.

As for Anthony, Ian Begley of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that Paul was telling people a few days ago he’d like to play with Carmelo. Anthony’s situation is up in the air, particularly with Phil Jackson no longer in the picture in New York, but sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link) that if the Knicks do decide to part with the standout forward, they still intend to trade him rather than buy him out.

If the Rockets were to trade for George or Anthony, they’d have to send out a sizable contract in the deal. Ryan Anderson ($19,578,455 salary in 2017/18) is the most obvious trade candidate on the roster, but Indiana native Eric Gordon ($12,943,020 salary in ’17/18) could be an interesting option in talks with the Pacers.

Knicks Resisting Engaging In Buyout Talks With Carmelo Anthony

June 27th, 2017 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony seemingly at a stand-off when it comes to a potential trade, there has been increased speculation in recent weeks that the two sides could explore a buyout. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links), Anthony’s camp has indeed attempted to engage the Knicks in buyout discussions, but the Knicks have thus far been resistant to going down that road.

Anthony has stated all year that his preference is to remain in New York, and Stein notes that Carmelo’s camp has acknowledged that preference even as they attempt to engage the Knicks in potential buyout talks. Since he holds a no-trade clause, Anthony has plenty of leverage in the situation — even if Phil Jackson wants to move his leading scorer, Carmelo has to give his approval in order for a deal to be finalized.

If the Knicks were to buy out Anthony, Carmelo would have the opportunity to join the team of his choice without that club giving the Knicks any assets in a trade. Stein’s report says that a buyout would clear the way for the veteran forward to sign with the Cavs, so it’s possible that joining LeBron James in Cleveland would be Anthony’s preferred option, should he reach free agency.

As Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets, the Knicks would obviously prefer to trade Anthony and view releasing him or buying him out as “unfavorable” options. If Anthony remains unwilling to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal though, New York will have to seriously consider whether it makes more sense to buy out the 33-year-old or to hang onto him during the club’s rebuild.

Cavs Rumors: Trade Talks, Shumpert, Frye, Billups

June 27th, 2017 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Although an ESPN report classified pre-draft trade talks between the Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Pacers regarding Paul George and Kevin Love as “serious,” Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com spoke to a source who downplayed the rumor, suggesting a deal was never close and is unlikely to happen now.

Vardon suggests that the Pacers “obviously weren’t interested” in their end of the potential trade, which is corroborated by Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. According to Amico, the Cavaliers and Nuggets both wanted to get something done, but the Pacers were hesitant. Amico notes that the exact details of the proposed offer aren’t known, but Indiana likely would’ve received one player from Cleveland and at least two from Denver, including Kenneth Faried.

Here’s more from out of Cleveland:

The Cavs are having trouble finding teams willing to take on the contracts of Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye, according to Amico, who says Cleveland would like to move both players before training camp. One GM of a lottery team tells Amico that his club may be willing to trade for Frye later, but only after waiting to see how his roster takes shape in free agency. Amico adds that Shumpert may have been discussed in talks with the Pacers.
The Cavaliers have discussed a possible three-way trade with the Knicks, but Carmelo Anthony‘s stand-off with Phil Jackson appears to be complicating New York’s chances of getting anything major done, says Amico.
In a piece for Basketball Insiders, James Blancarte wonders if Love is being undervalued by NBA fans and observers. If that’s the case, NBA execs may be guilty of it too — Amico writes that teams have thus far been unwilling to offer a ton for Love since it’s widely known the Cavs are looking to move him.
The Cavs still have no resolution on their front office situation. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported on Sunday evening (via Twitter) that talks between the team and Chauncey Billups were ongoing, with no immediate resolution anticipated. Nearly two full days later, there have been no real updates. Cleveland reportedly offered Billups a five-year deal to become the team’s new president of basketball operations.

Stein’s Latest: George, Rockets, Spurs, Nuggets

June 25th, 2017 at 7:31pm CST by Austin Kent

News broke Sunday that the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Pacers had discussed a three-way deal that would have sent Paul George to the Cavs and Kevin Love to Denver ahead of the draft. As we wrote about earlie, one variation of the potential deal would have sent Kenneth Faried to Cleveland as well.

In an article published at ESPN shortly thereafter, Marc Stein – who sent the initial tweet Sunday night – goes into more details, sharing information about the pre-draft conversations that took place surrounding the Pacers forward.

Here are some highlights from Stein’s latest piece, co-written with Haynes:

While the conversations between the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Pacers didn’t amount to anything before the draft, Cleveland haven’t abandoned its pursuit of the two-way All-Star. The Cavs legitimately believe that they could convince George to abandon his dreams of playing for his hometown Lakers, something he is expected to pursue when he hits free agency in 2018.
In addition to Cleveland’s ongoing pursuit and the Celtics discussions that came to light on draft day, Stein and Haynes note that the Rockets and Spurs both aggressively pursued George deals before the draft as well.
The Nuggets are looking to upgrade at power forward and it’s the reason why Love was included in the possible three-team deal. Denver similarly intends to make plays for pending free agents Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap.
All of Faried, Wilson Chandler and Emmanuel Mudiay are said to be available. Big man Nikola Jokic and second-year guard Jamal Murray are supposedly untouchable.
The pair also confirm what we wrote about on Friday following a Joe Vardon column at Cleveland.com; the Cavs are expected to pursue Carmelo Anthony should he be bought out by the Knicks.

Cavs, Pacers, Nuggets Discussed George, Love

June 25th, 2017 at 7:12pm CST by Austin Kent

7:32pm: Nothing appears imminent, as the aforementioned Vardon tweet implied, but Stein and Haynes have published an article with more information about what went down and some of the underlying motives. We’ve recapped it here.

7:12pm: An article published by Haynes and Stein over at ESPN specifies that the Cavs, Nuggets and Pacers discussed Love and George leading up to last Thursday’s draft. The Nuggets, the article states, were brought in to supply Indiana with young assets.

Stein and Haynes note that while this particular discussion didn’t end in a deal, the Cavs won’t abandon their pursuit of the Pacers All-Star.

6:48pm: The clubs are said to have had discussions involving Denver on draft night, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com tweets. Vardon also adds that his source said it was “nothing serious”.

6:31pm: The Cavaliers, Pacers and Nuggets are in the midst of trade discussions involving Paul George and Kevin Love, Marc Stein of ESPN tweets. The three clubs have discussed a deal that would land George in Cleveland and Love in Denver.

Per Stein and ESPN’s Chris Haynes, the Cavs have “continued to pursue” George, something they were initially reported to be doing prior to the draft.

In one version of the potential deal, the Cavaliers could land forward Kenneth Faried, Haynes tweets.

News of the ongoing discussion comes after a week of speculation following George’s declaration that he would not be returning to the Pacers when he hits free agency next summer. When he informed Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard of his intentions, he revealed that he’d like to sign with his hometown Lakers in 2018.

Unless the Lakers make a move for him before then, however, a number of other clubs – including the Cavaliers – will eagerly look to acquire him as a one-year rental, the Celtics being a notable example that has already made an aggressive push to land him.

Pluto’s Latest: George, Love, Ingram, Butler

June 25th, 2017 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers want to make a Paul George deal while they can still get value, but they aren’t interested in taking back Kevin Love from the Cavaliers, according to Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Indiana is focused on getting young players and draft picks in return for its star forward, who has announced that he will opt out of his contract next offseason and has expressed a desire to return to his hometown of Los Angeles and play for the Lakers.

The Pacers proposed a deal to the Lakers involving Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft. However, Magic Johnson, L.A.’s president of basketball operations, doesn’t want to part with Ingram, who averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 79 games as a rookie.

Pluto passes on several other tidbits in his latest column:

The Celtics could have as many as 10 first-rounders over the next three years and seem like a natural facilitator to take on Love and get George to Cleveland in a three-team trade. But an unidentified NBA executive tells Pluto the Celtics also want George and are more likely to deal with the Pacers directly.
The Bulls weren’t interested in Love either, which is why the Cavaliers had little chance of trading for Jimmy Butler. Chicago has gotten tired of being mediocre and is looking for young talent to start rebuilding around. However, Pluto says most of the league iwas “stunned” that the Bulls couldn’t get more than Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and a swap of first-rounders in return for Butler. The Celtics reportedly offered a better package that included several future draft picks.
The Cavaliers are still waiting to hear if Chauncey Billups will accept their GM offer. Sources tell Pluto that Billups has been pursuing a GM job for more than a year, so it’s not clear why there’s a delay. Billups has never worked in an NBA front office, Pluto notes, so he would need to hire an experienced executive as an assistant. A top candidate is George David, a former assistant GM with the Pistons who has a background in scouting.

Five Key Offseason Questions: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 24th, 2017 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Coming off their third consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers are in a very unusual spot. Cleveland went 12-1 against Eastern Conference foes in the playoffs, asserting its dominance in the conference once again, but there’s still a sense that the team has to shake things up and make major moves this offseason in order to be able to truly compete with the Warriors.

For a team led by LeBron James, who has appeared in seven consecutive Finals, anything short of a championship has become a letdown. With LeBron once again just a year from potential free agency, there will be tremendous pressure on the Cavaliers’ front office this summer to make tangible upgrades to a roster that’s already extremely talented — not to mention capped out.

Here are five key questions facing the Cavs this offseason:

1. Who’s running the show?

The lucrative contracts received by the likes of Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith in recent years make it easy to joke that LeBron is the general manager in Cleveland. But the Cavs were actually fairly adept at adding talent in creative ways under David Griffin, generating and making use of trade exceptions, and finessing the cap despite being well over the tax line. Griffin and the front office deserve credit for that.

Heading into the 2017 free agent period though, Griffin is no longer making the team’s basketball decisions, having been unable to reach a new deal with owner Dan Gilbert. Senior VP Trent Redden is out as well, leaving assistant GM Koby Altman and perhaps Gilbert himself as the ones reportedly burning up the phone lines in search of a blockbuster trade.

Not every one of Griffin’s decisions as GM was optimal, and the Cavs are in a tough spot with the salary cap heading into 2017/18. But he’s a smart guy who was intimately familiar with the Cavs’ roster and knew what sort of moves were possible. It’s not clear yet if the same can be said for Chauncey Billups, who is reportedly the frontrunner to become the club’s new president of basketball operations.

Billups has no front office experience, and would likely need to be paired with an experienced executive who could step into the GM role. It’s possible that could work in the long-term, but the fact that it remains up in the air at this point in the summer – Billups is reportedly still considering an offer from Cleveland – isn’t a great sign.

2. How can the Cavaliers add an impact player in a trade?

The Cavs’ ideal scenario would be to add a fourth impact player to their core of James, Kevin Love, and Kyrie Irving, using complementary pieces in a trade. That’s a nice thought, but probably an unrealistic one.

Beyond their three stars, the Cavs’ top contracts include Thompson ($16.4MM in 2017/18), Smith ($13.76MM), Iman Shumpert ($10.34MM), and Channing Frye ($7.42MM). Outside of Frye’s deal, those contracts all have multiple years left on them, and they’re not exactly bargains. Thompson, Smith, and Shumpert are all effective players when they’re playing well, but they’ve has consistency issues. And at those prices, teams might be better off just signing a free agent instead.

The Cavs will still look to include those guys – particularly Shumpert and Frye – in potential trades, but if they want to make a major move, their most logical trade candidate is Love. The former Timberwolf looked more at home in Cleveland in 2016/17 than he had during his first couple years with the team, but he’s the most expendable piece of the Cavs’ “big three,” especially if he could be turned into a top-tier, two-way player like Paul George.

There have been no indications that the rebuilding Pacers want to acquire a pricey veteran like Love, which is why we heard so many rumors last week about the Cavs exploring a potential three-way deal. In such a scenario, Love would be sent to that third team, which in turn would send young players and/or picks to Indiana. It’s an interesting idea, and I believe George would make the Cavs a more versatile and more dangerous team. At this point though, it doesn’t seem like there’s a ton of traction on that front.

3. If the Cavs trade one of their big three, will it definitely be Love and not Irving?

It certainly looks that way. Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reported on Thursday that the Pacers and Bulls tried to insist on Irving rather than Love in a possible deal for George or Jimmy Butler, at which point the Cavs “quickly lost interest.” It’s hard to blame them for that.

All indications are that the Cavs view Irving as a cornerstone piece who can become the team’s franchise player as LeBron enters the tail end of his career. For Cleveland to consider moving its standout point guard, it would have to be a deal for a star who meets that same criteria, and there simply aren’t that many possible franchise players out there. Ones who are as young as Irving (25) and on favorable long-term contracts are even rarer.

4. Will the Cavs be able to use free agency to add any useful pieces?

One advantage of being a perennial title contender is that the Cavs may have a chance to sign solid free agents at a reduced rate. While that has been more common for teams like the Spurs and Warriors in the last couple years (we see you, David West), there may be productive free agents willing to sign on with the Cavs for the minimum to pursue a potential title.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, the club won’t have much more than the minimum to use on free agents this summer. Assuming they don’t shed salary to get out of tax territory, which would be a long shot, the Cavs will lose their full mid-level exception and their bi-annual exception, as well as their ability to acquire a free agent via sign-and-trade, leaving them with the taxpayer mid-level exception. That MLE will be worth $5.192MM and can be used to sign contracts up to three years.

That’s a useful little piece, and should be enough to add a solid rotation player, but there’s no guarantee that team ownership is prepared to use it. With the Cavaliers poised to face repeater tax penalties in 2017/18, a $5.192MM contract would cost the club exponentially more in taxes — the exact amount depends on how far over the tax the Cavs are, but repeater penalties start at $2.50 per dollar spent over the tax, and only increase from there. If the Cavs intend to use that MLE, they’ll have to be very confident that the player they’re signing is worth it, because he’ll be extremely expensive.

5. Is it time to start worrying about LeBron’s long-term future in Cleveland?

In the wake of the Cavs’ Finals loss, rumblings about James possibly bolting Cleveland again in 2018 have grown louder. And it’s not just idle speculation from pundits — reliable reporters like Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical have said the Cavs aren’t just assuming LeBron will remain in Cleveland beyond his current deal, and that a move to an L.A. team is “very much in play.”

It may be time for the Cavs to start worrying, but it’s not time for them to start panicking. Forcing win-now moves to appease LeBron could backfire, as they did during his first stint in Cleveland. By the time James left the Cavs in 2010, the team’s roster was stocked with overpaid, underperforming veterans, leaving little flexibility to acquire real help.

While it may seem like the Cavs are nearing that territory this time around too, Irving and Love are far more effective than any player on the 2009/10 roster was, and none of the team’s current contracts is nearly as bad as Shaquille O’Neal‘s (a 38-year-old Shaq earned $20MM in ’09/10, when the cap was $57.7MM).

Still, it won’t be easy for the Cavs to strike the right balance this offseason — their goal is to add immediate help to give LeBron a chance to knock off the Warriors next summer, without taking on the sort of long-term commitments that will compromise their ability to be flexible in two or three years. And, oh yeah, Gilbert probably wouldn’t mind reducing his tax bill a little going forward.

Good luck to the next Cavs’ next head of basketball operations, who figures to have one of the toughest jobs in the NBA.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Cavaliers financially:

Guaranteed Salary

LeBron James ($33,285,709)
Kevin Love ($22,642,350)
Kyrie Irving ($18,868,626)
Tristan Thompson ($16,400,000)
J.R. Smith ($13,760,000)
Iman Shumpert ($10,337,079)
Channing Frye ($7,420,912)
Richard Jefferson ($2,500,000)
Kay Felder ($456,529) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below.¹
Total: $125,671,205

Player Options

None

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Edy Tavares ($1,471,382)
Kay Felder ($856,082) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.¹
Total: $2,327,464

Restricted Free Agents

None

Cap Holds

Kyle Korver ($9,954,930)
Dahntay Jones ($1,471,382)
James Jones ($1,471,382)
Deron Williams ($1,471,382)
Derrick Williams ($1,471,382)
Total: $15,840,458

Trade Exceptions

Mike Dunleavy TPE ($4,837,500) — Expires 1/17/18
Mo Williams TPE ($2,194,500) — Expires 1/7/18
Sasha Kaun TPE ($1,333,420) — Expires 7/15/17
Chris Andersen TPE ($980,431) — Expires 2/13/18

Projected Salary Cap: $99,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: –$29,933,665

The Cavaliers’ eight guaranteed contracts, plus four cap charges for empty roster spots, bring the total team salary to $128,933,665. Considering the luxury tax line is currently projected to be around $119MM, the Cavs have virtually no way to get below the cap this summer unless they gut their roster, and will likely end up well into the tax again.

Footnotes:

Felder’s salary won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavaliers Notes: Griffin, Luxury Tax, Rabb

June 23rd, 2017 at 9:28pm CST by Austin Kent

Former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin wanted more autonomy when it came to managing his team’s roster, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com says. The scribe responded to a question about Griffin’s recent exit in a mailbag with readers.

Per Vardon, franchise owner Dan Gilbert had a tendency to get in the way of trades and contracts and the philosophical differences between the two parties were evident.

Vardon confirms that Griffin was also seeking a significant raise but doesn’t suspect that any negotiations even reached that far considering that they didn’t appear to be on the same page to begin with.

The $2MM reduction in payroll room the league hinted at with its latest salary cap projection could cost the Cavaliers as much as $10MM in luxury tax damage, Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today writes. The Cavs will be hit with the repeater tax in 2017/18.
The Cavaliers had a deal on the table to acquire the 34th pick in the draft last night with the intention of drafting Ivan Rabb, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Rabb ultimately went 35th overall.
The Cavaliers could look to add Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. While the scenario sounds, and probably is, farfetched, Vardon suggests that their personal ties to LeBron James could land them in Ohio if they are ultimately bought out by their respective clubs.

Draft Night Rumors: Holiday, Smith Jr., Butler, Cavs

June 22nd, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

9:14pm: In response to Amico’s note below, Channing Frye has posted an Instagram message dismissing the idea that he’s planning to retire.

Meanwhile, Mavs president Donnie Nelson also addresses an item below, telling reporters that he thinks the Dennis Smith Jr. pick means the Mavs likely won’t target a point guard in free agency (Twitter link via Damon R. Marx of The Dallas Morning News).

8:28pm: The Mavericks may not be ready to hand their offense over to No. 9 pick Dennis Smith Jr. The team still plans to make a run at Pelicans‘ point guard Jrue Holiday once free agency begins, tweets Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. A former All-Star in Philadelphia, Holiday will be seeking a significant raise after making less than $11.3MM this season. The 27-year-old averaged 15.4 points and 7.3 assists in 67 games.

There’s more news from an eventful draft night:

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle offered a different perspective, posts Tim MacMahon on ESPN Now. Before being asked, Carlisle told reporters that he sees Smith as an immediate starter, noting his blend of intelligence, maturity and athleticism. “We believe he’s going to be a tremendous player for us and right away,” he said.
Carlisle added that the Mavs definitely preferred Smith over French point guard Frank Ntilikina, who was taken by the Knicks at No. 8. The coach said there was “uproarious” applause in the Dallas draft room when New York’s pick was announced (Twitter link).
In negotiations for Jimmy Butler, the Celtics refused to part with their No. 3 pick this year or the Nets‘ pick for 2018, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Butler was shipped to Minnesota in a deal involving the No. 7 pick, and the Celtics may send Jayson Tatum, whom they drafted at No. 3, to Indiana in a trade for Paul George.
Cavaliers veterans Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson may retire this offseason, relays Sam Amico of AmicoHoops (Twitter link). If they do, it will reduce the salary commitment in Cleveland and open up two roster spots, giving the new GM some flexibility. Frye, 34, made more than $7.4MM this season, while Jefferson, who turned 37 yesterday, collected a little more than $2.6MM.

Cavs, Spurs Have Discussed Green, Aldridge

June 22nd, 2017 at 6:39pm CST by Luke Adams

6:39pm: The talks between the Cavs and Spurs have included the Suns as a possible third team, tweets Amico.

6:19pm: Discussions between the Cavs and Spurs, which were previously centered on Green, now include LaMarcus Aldridge as well, tweets Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net.

4:22pm: The Cavaliers and Spurs have engaged in trade discussions involving Danny Green, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Windhorst adds that San Antonio’s asking price has been high, suggesting nothing is close.

A Wednesday report indicated that the Spurs were open to the idea of trading Green, who is celebrating his 30th birthday today. The veteran wing continues to play a rotational role for the Spurs, averaging 7.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG last season while shooting 37.9% on three-point attempts. His ability to contribute on the defensive end as well would make him a nice fit for Cleveland.

However, it’s hard to see a match between the two clubs, who are both looking at win-now moves that would help them compete with the Warriors. The Spurs are believed to be seeking cap room for July, so if they send out Green’s $10MM salary, they likely wouldn’t want to take on one of the Cavs’ cumbersome contracts. However, Cleveland is so far over the cap that the team can’t take on Green without moving substantial salary.

Both the Spurs and Cavaliers have been actively exploring the trade market today. San Antonio is said to be exploring LaMarcus Aldridge trade scenarios, while Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net writes that the Cavs have been in discussions on “no less than eight possible deals.”