Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Okoro, Horford, Matthews, P. Williams, Raptors

October 25th, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Isaac Okoro‘s representatives had “productive” talks ahead of Monday’s rookie scale extension deadline, but the two sides decided it was best to wait until next summer to address the forward’s contract situation, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Sources tell Fedor that the conversations about a new deal for Okoro were in the neighborhood of the deal signed by Mavericks wing Josh Green (three years, $41MM). However, the Cavaliers want to wait and see how the former lottery pick fits with this year’s roster following the offseason additions of Max Strus and Georges Niang, since he no longer projects to be a starter.

Speaking to Fedor on Wednesday, Okoro said he felt like he “should have gotten an extension” but that playing out his contract year won’t affect the way he approaches the season.

“Of course, I wanted an extension, but it happened the way it happened,” he said. “I love Cleveland. I love being here. I love being around the players, coaches, front office staff, trainers. Built great relationships. I don’t take it as a big deal.”

Here are a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:

Celtics big man Al Horford told reporters on Wednesday that he won’t be in the starting lineup when the team’s season tips off in New York tonight, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). That suggests Derrick White and Jrue Holiday will both start alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis. For what it’s worth, head coach Joe Mazzulla said over the weekend that the Celtics will use multiple starting lineups this season, while Tatum said today that the team essentially has “six starters” (Twitter links via Jared Weiss of The Athletic and Bontemps).
Hawks swingman Wesley Matthews underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a mild right calf strain, the team announced today (Twitter link). According to the Hawks, Matthews will be reevaluated in two weeks, so he’ll miss at least Atlanta’s first seven games of the regular season.
While Bulls forward Patrick Williams admitted on Monday that he would “obviously” like to have “a big contract,” he vowed that his lack of rookie scale extension won’t be a distraction at all this season, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Anything personal in my life that I’ve been going through, any time I step between those four lines, it’s gone,” Williams said.
Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at the Raptors‘ roster, exploring the team’s cap and tax situation as well as potential next steps for Jeff Dowtin, who didn’t make the regular season cut.

Cavaliers Hiring Dave Joerger As Consultant

October 24th, 2023 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime NBA coach Dave Joerger is signing on with the Cavaliers as a coaching consultant, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania adds that, next February, Joerger will also coach Team USA during the club’s upcoming FIBA AmeriCup qualifiers.

Joerger has worked in the NBA proper since 2007, when he joined the Grizzlies as an assistant coach under Marc Iavaroni. He was promoted to a head coaching role ahead of the 2013/14 season. Memphis fired Joerger in 2016, and he quickly moved on to a head gig with the Kings, where he served from 2016-19. Over his six seasons as a head coach, Joerger owns a 245-247 regular season record and a 9-13 playoff mark.

Most recently, Joerger was an assistant coach on the 76ers under Doc Rivers, from 2020-23.

Current Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff led the Cavs to a 51-31 record and the fourth seed in the East last season. The club was quickly excommunicated from the 2023 playoffs by the lower-seeded Knicks in a five-game first-round series.

Sixers Rumors: Embiid, Knicks, Harden, Morey, Smart

October 24th, 2023 at 4:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NBA are paying close attention to how James Harden‘s stalemate with the Sixers gets resolved, since failing to extract a fair return for the former MVP could adversely affect the franchise’s relationship with its other former MVP, Joel Embiid. As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details (subscription required), the division-rival Knicks are one team keeping an eye on the situation in Philadelphia.

Sources tell Pompey that acquiring Embiid would be the top priority for Knicks president Leon Rose if the star center becomes available and that New York would be willing to offer three of Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and Evan Fournier, along with two or three first-round picks.

Pompey himself acknowledges that the Sixers would likely get stronger offers than that for Embiid and wouldn’t want to trade him to another Atlantic team anyway. It’s a moot point for now, since there’s no indication Embiid will be available for trade anytime soon.

Still, Pompey stresses that the way the 76ers settle the Harden standoff could have a ripple effect on their superstar center, and the Knicks aren’t the only team monitoring the situation to see what happens. Meanwhile, sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Embiid is one of at least three potential star trade targets the Knicks are surveilling, along with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

As of Monday afternoon, it remained unclear “when and if” Harden plans to return to Philadelphia, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (Twitter video link). “The organization has taken him at his word that he’s away on a personal matter, that there is something he has to attend to,” Wojnarowski said. “But how long will they do that is certainly a question.”
Wojnarowski suggests that if Harden still hasn’t reported back to the team by its regular season opener on Thursday, it’s possible the 76ers will seek ” more clarity and a timetable” for his return. They’d would be within their rights to fine him $390K for each missed game if they’re not satisfied with his answer, Woj adds.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that he has been in touch with Harden during his absence, Pompey writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I did reach out to him the other day … just to text like I would with anybody,” Nurse said. “See how he’s doing. See if he’s all right. He did text me back.” Nurse added that he didn’t get into the specifics of Harden’s potential return during his text exchange with the guard, since he “was just making sure he’s OK.”
Some people around the league who spoke to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com don’t envy the spot the Sixers and Daryl Morey are in with Harden. One front office source speculated that Morey is “not going to survive this.” Another source who has been in contact with the Clippers and other teams told Bulpett, “Daryl’s trying to steal people in trades, and nobody’s going for it. First thing, Harden’s not the same guy he was three or four years ago, so his market’s not that great. And Morey’s trying to get so much, but he’s not going to get it.”
Javonte Smart, who had his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way deal over the weekend, spoke to reporters on Monday about getting a regular season opportunity with the team (Twitter video link via Pompey). Smart indicated that if the Sixers want him to play primarily with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, he’ll view that as a chance to get regular playing time and to “get better.”

Injury Updates: Alvarado, Booker, Beal, Mann, J. Allen

October 24th, 2023 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado suffered a setback in his rehab program following an offseason ankle sprain, the team announced in a press release on Tuesday.

According to the Pelicans, Alvarado – who was hoping to be back for the start of the regular season – felt discomfort in his injured right ankle and was reassessed on Monday. The plan is for him to continue his rehab and to be reevaluated again in two weeks, per the club.

Finding ways to keep their players healthy was reportedly something the Pelicans focused on this offseason, but the team is already banged up before the regular season tips off. In addition to missing Alvarado, New Orleans will be without Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy when the season gets underway in Memphis on Wednesday.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Ahead of the Suns‘ regular season opener on Tuesday night in Golden State, Devin Booker (left big toe soreness) tells Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link) that he’ll play after initially being listed as questionable. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Bradley Beal (lower back tightness) is unlikely to be available as Phoenix plays it safe with its major offseason addition.
Terance Mann earned a spot in the Clippers‘ starting lineup with a strong camp and preseason, but he won’t be available when the team opens its season on Wednesday vs. Portland, having sprained his left ankle in Monday’s practice (Twitter link via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda). Mann is considered day-to-day, per head coach Tyronn Lue, who didn’t reveal who will start in his place (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).
Jarrett Allen‘s status for the Cavaliers‘ regular season opener on Wednesday in Brooklyn remains up in the air. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that on Monday that Allen didn’t practice and that he’ll need to go through at least one full practice before playing a game. Asked on Tuesday if Allen practiced today, Bickerstaff replied, “I don’t know. Good question” (Twitter link via Fedor).

Three Players On Exhibit 9 Contracts Make Opening Night Rosters

October 24th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

As we explain in a glossary entry, Exhibit 9 contracts are generally handed out by NBA teams to players who will only be with the team during training camp and/or the preseason.

The Exhibit 9 clause protects the team in case the player suffers an injury before the season begins. In that scenario, the club wouldn’t have to pay him his full salary until he gets healthy enough to play — it would only have to pay a maximum lump sum of $15K when it waives the player.

While most Exhibit 9 signees were released in advance of the regular season, three NBA veterans who signed Exhibit 9 contracts survived the cut and made their respective teams’ regular season rosters. Here are those three players:

Ryan Arcidiacono (Knicks)
Harry Giles (Nets)
Lamar Stevens (Celtics)

Note: Hornets guard Edmond Sumner was initially included in this list, but Charlotte waived him on Tuesday ahead of its season opener.

These three players will now be on one-year, minimum-salary contracts that will remain non-guaranteed until January 10. In order to secure their full-season salaries, they’ll have to stay under contract beyond January 7 (a player cut on Jan. 8 or 9 wouldn’t clear waivers prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date of Jan. 10).

As our list of non-guaranteed contracts by team shows, Arcidiacono, Giles, and Stevens are three of the 31 players on standard deals whose salaries for the 2023/24 season aren’t fully guaranteed.

Several of these players will receive partial guarantees by remaining on rosters through the start of the regular season, and a few more have November or December trigger dates that will increase their guarantees. However, none of those 31 players will lock in their full salary until Jan. 10.

Here are a few more items of interest about the NBA’s opening night rosters for ’23/24, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link):

The Spurs have the NBA’s youngest roster, while the Clippers have the oldest.
Players are earning a combined total salary of $4.8 billion for the 2023/24 season. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are the biggest contributors to that pool, as they’re all currently over the luxury tax line.
As our roster counts page shows, there are 12 open spots on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA. Those openings belong to the Celtics, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors (two), Lakers, Heat, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Kings.
The Nets and the Suns are the only two teams that haven’t filled all three of their two-way slots, as our tracker shows. They’re each carrying a pair of two-way players, meaning 88 of the 90 spots around the league are occupied.

Maxey, Quickley, Williams Among Players Who Didn’t Sign Extensions

October 23rd, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

An unusual number of players who were eligible to sign rookie scale extensions prior to Monday’s deadline inked new deals. A total of 14 players received rookie scale extensions in 2023, blowing away the previous single-year record of 11.

However, nearly half of the 27 eligible players didn’t sign a contract and thus will head to restricted free agency, if they are extended qualifying offers by their respective teams after the season. Otherwise, they’ll be unrestricted free agents next summer.

Perhaps the biggest name on the list is Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey, though that comes with an asterisk. The Sixers front office and Maxey mutually agreed to put off an extension so that Philadelphia could maximize its cap room next summer.

Immanuel Quickley and Patrick Williams are two of the other big-time names on the list who didn’t reach agreements with their teams. While the Knicks and Quickley’s reps — as well as the Bulls and Williams’ reps — held extension talks as the deadline neared, they couldn’t come to terms on the numbers.

Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn (Raptors), Saddiq Bey (Hawks), James Wiseman and Killian Hayes (Pistons), Kira Lewis (Pelicans), Chuma Okeke (Magic), Isaac Okoro (Cavaliers), Aleksej Pokusevski (Thunder) and Obi Toppin (Pacers) are the other eligible players who didn’t sign extensions.

A full list of the players who did, or did not, sign rookie scale extensions this offseason can be found here.

Cavaliers Waive Seven Players

October 21st, 2023 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have released seven players, including three who were just signed, according to the NBA.com transactions log.

Point guard Sharife Cooper, forward Pete Nance, guard Justin Powell and swingman Zhaire Smith all have Exhibit 10 contracts, so they’re likely headed to the Cleveland Charge, the organization’s G League affiliate. They can earn bonuses of up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the team.

Also placed on waivers were shooting guard Rob Edwards, small forward Aleem Ford and guard Devontae Shuler, who hadn’t been listed on the Cavs’ roster prior to today. They were likely all signed and waived with Exhibit 10 deals and will be eligible for the same $75K bonus.

Two of the players have brief NBA experience, as Edwards played two games for the Thunder and Ford appeared in five games with the Magic, both during the 2021/22 season.

The moves leave Cleveland with 12 fully guaranteed salaries and all three of its two-way slots filled. Veteran center Tristan Thompson and shooting guard Sam Merrill remain with the team on non-guaranteed deals.

Allen Showing Progress From Ankle Ailment

October 19th, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rookie second-round pick Emoni Bates has led the Cavaliers in scoring during the preseason. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that he’s thrilled Bates dropped to the No. 49 overall pick. “I believe if Emoni had gone in the lottery he’d have been the type of player who’d have been in the Rookie of the Year conversation,” Bickerstaff said. “We are extremely fortunate that he’s here with us and we look forward to working with him.”
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is showing progress from the right ankle injury that has sidelined him during much of training camp. On Thursday afternoon, he went through post-practice shooting drills and then went through an individual workout, according to Fedor. He is set for re-evaluation this weekend and there’s hope he can return for Cleveland’s regular-season opener on Wednesday night.

Cavaliers Exercise 2024/25 Option On Evan Mobley

October 18th, 2023 at 9:08pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers have exercised their fourth-year option on Evan Mobley, a source tells Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

The move guarantees Mobley’s $11,227,657 salary for the 2024/25 season. He will become eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer and could be a restricted free agent in 2025 if he doesn’t reach a new deal before then.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mobley became an immediate starter in Cleveland and helped transform the Cavs into a playoff team. At age 22, he is one of the building blocks of an organization that hopes to take the next step after last year’s first-round ouster.

Mobley averaged 16.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season while shooting 55.4% from the floor. He also blocked 1.5 shots per night and is already considered one of the best defensive big men in the league.

As our rookie scale option decision tracker shows, Mobley’s option is the only one the Cavaliers have to address this fall.

Central Notes: Bulls, Cavs, Thompson, Pacers

October 17th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Luke Adams

The starting lineup has received more attention this fall, but the Bulls are also still determining which players will make up their closing lineup, as Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. While it seems safe to assume that Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, at least, will be part of those groups, head coach Billy Donovan suggested that different end-of-game scenarios might call for different looks.

“We have a lot of guys that can finish in certain situations,” Donovan said. “Theoretically, you’re up by five points with maybe 20 seconds to go, maybe you decide to go all defense in that situation. The last five minutes of the game, based on who the other team has out there, maybe we feel we have guys that have guarded a guy particularly well. So I do feel we have some versatility certainly defensively, to play a number of guys closing a game.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers‘ starting lineup on Monday – in a game its five regular starters sat – could provide a glimpse at what the team’s second unit will look like when the season begins, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Damian Jones made up the team’s replacement starting five, with Georges Niang and Emoni Bates as the first two players off the bench.
Pistons rookie Ausar Thompson, whose defensive ability may earn him a starting job, relishes the idea of becoming the club’s perimeter stopper, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s the most exciting thing for me, that they trust me to go out and guard those guys,” Thompson said after matching up with Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Detroit’s first two preseason games. “I’ve always believed those are the guys I want and now those are the guys who are going to make me better and learn more.”
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle pushed back on Monday against the idea that his starting lineup is settled, telling reporters that Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin need reps alongside Tyrese Haliburton before any final decisions are made, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton missed the Pacers’ first two preseason games, but looked good as part of the new-look starting five on Monday vs. Atlanta, expressing enthusiasm about the pace that Indiana’s tentative starters can play with. “With Obi and Benn and Bruce, those are guys that can really get up and down the floor,” Haliburton said. “… As long as we get stops and rebound, not many people are going to beat us up and down the floor.”