Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Mavs, Thybulle, J. Allen, Maxey, D. Powell

July 2nd, 2023 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to their previously reported interest in Grant Williams, the Mavericks have their eye on another restricted free agent, Matisse Thybulle of the Trail Blazers, league sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack story).

It’s unclear if Dallas has a real shot at either player — according to Stein, the Celtics and Blazers have been sending “behind-the-scenes signals” that they plan to match any offer sheet on their respective RFAs, and the over-the-cap Mavericks will be limited to the mid-level exception.

Besides pursuing another wing, the Mavericks would still like to upgrade their center spot. They explored trades for Clint Capela and Deandre Ayton and would have been interested in Naz Reid if he had reached free agency, Stein writes. For now, Dwight Powell and Richaun Holmes appears poised to vie for the starting job as lottery pick Dereck Lively adjusts to the NBA.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest look around the league:

There have been some “whispers” this week that Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen may be more available via trade than the team is letting on, says Stein. Allen was an All-Star in 2021/22 and had another solid season in ’22/23, but struggled to make an impact during Cleveland’s first-round playoff loss to New York.
Stein, like some other reporters, has heard that the Sixers have essentially made Tyrese Maxey untouchable in trade discussions. A team source tells Stein that Philadelphia views Maxey as an integral part of the club’s future and is adamant that he won’t be available in any trade.
According to Stein, Dwight Powell received “serious” interest from the Rockets before deciding to remain with the Mavericks. Houston pivoted to Jock Landale after Powell chose Dallas, Stein explains.

Ty Jerome Joins Cavaliers On Two-Year Deal

July 1st, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 6: The Cavaliers have officially signed Jerome, the team announced today in a press release.

Golden State withdrew its qualifying offer to Jerome, making him an unrestricted free agent and clearing the way for him to sign with Cleveland.

JULY 1: The Cavaliers will sign shooting guard Ty Jerome to a two-year, $5MM contract, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Jerome received a minimum-salary qualifying offer from the Warriors this week, making him a restricted free agent. However, Cleveland was able to put together a package that Golden State doesn’t plan to match, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jerome spent one season with Golden State after signing a two-way contract last October. He appeared in 45 games, averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per night.

The former Virginia standout was the 24th overall selection in the 2019 draft and started his career with the Suns. He also played two seasons with the Thunder, but spent much of his time in the G League.

There were rumors late in the season that the Warriors might convert Jerome to a standard deal so he could be eligible for the playoffs, but Golden State opted to make that move with Anthony Lamb instead.

Jerome will add depth to a Cleveland backcourt that features Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio and the newly acquired Max Strus.

Free Agent Rumors: Lopez, Banton, T. Davis, Strus

June 30th, 2023 at 10:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Multiple NBA clubs are awaiting word on the future of unrestricted free agent center Brook Lopez, who has spent his past five seasons with the Bucks, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Fischer reports that “increasing word” on Friday suggests the Rockets may bid in excess of the two-year, $40MM deal that has been floated as a possibility.

Lopez, 35, has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Milwaukee. The seven-footer has been named to two All-Defensive Teams and won his first championship during his Bucks tenure, while totally transforming his game, from being a fringe All-Star post scorer while with the Nets to the gritty 3-and-D role player he is now.

In 78 regular season games for the 58-24 Bucks last season, the former Stanford big man posted averages of 15.9 PPG on .531/.374/.784 shooting splits, in addition to 6.7 RPG, 2.5 BPG and 1.3 APG. He was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Here are further free agent rumors:

Free agent point guard Dalano Banton met with the Celtics on Friday, according to Rafael Barlowe of NBA Big Board (via Twitter). The 6’9″ vet out of Nebraska had spent both of his NBA seasons to date with the Raptors. In 31 contests, last year, he averaged 4.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG and 1.2 APG.
The Celtics, Suns, Bucks, Mavericks and Raptors are among the teams with some level of interest in free agent former Kings shooting guard Terence Davis, according to Mark Jones of ESPN and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links).
According to Fischer (Twitter link), the Spurs have emerged as a possible third team in a rumored sign-and-trade deal that would send Heat free agent shooting guard Max Strus to the Cavaliers. Sources tell Fischer that Cleveland has been looking to offload the contract of swingman Cedi Osman, whom Miami presumably has no interest in taking on. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports (via Twitter) that the Heat are aiming to create a trade exception and a future second-round draft selection in any sign-and-trade involving Strus.

Cavaliers Sign Georges Niang To Three-Year Contract

June 30th, 2023 at 5:46pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: Niang is officially a Cavalier, having formally signed his new contract with the team, per a press release.

JUNE 30: The Cavaliers and forward Georges Niang have agreed to a three-year contract worth $26MM, agents Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal will be fully guaranteed, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Niang is one of the NBA’s best shooters, having made at least 40% of his three-point attempts in each of the last five seasons. While he’s not a great defender or rebounder, the 30-year-old will help space the floor for the Cavaliers, who had been in the market for frontcourt shooting.

Unless the Cavs work out a sign-and-trade agreement with Philadelphia, Niang’s former team, this signing will come out of Cleveland’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception and will hard-cap them at $172.3MM for the 2023/24 season.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Cavs – who also reached a contract agreement with Caris LeVert, are still projected to be about $13.5MM below the tax and $20.5MM below the first apron, so they have some flexibility to continue making moves. They’re still looking into the possibility of acquiring free agent swingman Max Strus via sign-and-trade, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Cavaliers Re-Sign Caris LeVert To Two-Year Deal

June 30th, 2023 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: LeVert’s new deal with the Cavaliers is now official, the team confirmed (via Twitter).

JUNE 30: The Cavaliers have reached an agreement to re-sign free agent swingman Caris LeVert, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Agent Austin Brown tells Wojnarowski that it’ll be a two-year, $32MM deal.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com had reported in the days leading up to free agency that LeVert would be offered a contract in the range of $15-18MM annually, so the terms come as no surprise. At that price, Cleveland still has the flexibility to continue adding to to its roster while remaining below the luxury tax line.

When the Cavaliers first traded for LeVert in 2021, they envisioned him as a scorer and play-maker who would frequently have the ball in his hands. Following the emergence of Darius Garland and the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland asked him to play off the ball more in 2022/23, an adjustment which was reflected in his statistics — LeVert’s 18.7% usage rate was easily his lowest since his rookie year, and his 12.1 points per game were well below the 18.5 PPG he averaged across the three previous seasons.

However, LeVert adjusted to his new role without complaint and expanded his game. His .392 3PT% last season was a career high and he took on more challenging defensive assignments to alleviate the pressure on Garland and Mitchell.

LeVert’s new deal puts him on track to return to unrestricted free agency in 2025 at age 30.

Pre-FA Updates: Toppin, Cavs, Niang, Strus, Draymond, Warriors, More

June 30th, 2023 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With just minutes before free agency begins and a flurry of contract agreements are reported, we have a few items to pass along:

The Pacers have emerged as the leading candidate to trade for Knicks forward Obi Toppin, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link). Ian Begley of SNY.tv, who confirms that the two sides have recently been in contact about a potential Toppin deal, says New York is seeking draft compensation and notes that Indiana could potentially acquire the forward and his $6.8MM expiring contract using cap room, so the Knicks wouldn’t have to take a player back.
A scenario in which the Cavaliers sign Georges Niang and acquire Max Strus – either via sign-and-trade or by signing him outright – is being viewed as “increasingly likely,” according to Stein (Twitter link).
The latest whispers Stein from has heard from his sources suggest Draymond Green may get a four-year, $100MM deal to re-up with the Warriors (Twitter link).
Former No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker is back with the team that drafted him, at least for a few games in July. The Bucks announced today that Parker is on their Las Vegas Summer League roster.
The Timberwolves have hired former NBA forward Corliss Williamson as an assistant coach, they announced today in a press release. Williams was previously a member of coaching staffs in Sacramento, Orlando, and Phoenix.

Trade Rumors: Harden, Bulls, Zubac, Brogdon, Osman, Morris

June 30th, 2023 at 2:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s no urgency for the Sixers to complete a James Harden trade, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Friday in an appearance on “Get Up” (video link). Even though Harden has asked to be dealt and seems to prefer the Clippers, Wojnarowski notes that the track record of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey suggests he’ll explore all available possibilities before committing to a deal.

“You may let free agency settle,” Wojnarowski said, “see where players land, see where needs arise for different teams that might not be interested today but could be in a few days. I don’t anticipate necessarily that this is going to be quick because it doesn’t have to.”

Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times also hears that a Harden trade may not happen right away. He cites league sources who said they’ll be watching how patient the Sixers decide to be and what they’ll be seeking in return. Greif names Terance Mann as a player the Clippers might be reluctant to include in a Harden deal.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

The Bulls may be an option for Harden, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Chicago has already explored trade scenarios regarding Zach LaVine and might be willing to part with DeMar DeRozan to acquire Harden. Fischer also cautions that Morey has a lot of options to consider before deciding how to handle Harden’s trade request.
The Clippers, who would like to re-sign Mason Plumlee have let teams know that Ivica Zubac is available in a trade, Fischer adds. L.A. may also have interest in acquiring P.J. Tucker in a Harden deal, as Fischer notes that the Clippers previously reached out to him when he was a free agent.
The Clippers pulled out of an original version of the three-team Kristaps Porzingis trade because of medical concerns regarding Malcolm Brogdon, but they recently contacted the Celtics about Brogdon again, according to Fischer. L.A. was also willing to offer Norman Powell to the Wizards for Chris Paul before the Warriors landed him in exchange for Jordan Poole, Fischer states.
Fischer hears that the Cavaliers are engaged in trade talks regarding Cedi Osman and offered him to the Nets in a deal for Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O’Neale.
Numerous teams have reached out to the Wizards about point guard Monte Morris, Fischer adds. The Timberwolves, Bulls, Pelicans, Jazz and Nets are all considered possibilities for Morris, and Fischer believes the Heat could be added to the list if they lose Gabe Vincent in free agency.

Pacers May Offer Bruce Brown More Than $20MM Per Year

June 30th, 2023 at 1:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers may be prepared to offer Nuggets free agent Bruce Brown a contract worth more than $20MM per season, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Brown has become one of the hottest names on the free agent market, and several teams are hoping to land him with the $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Brown has reportedly scheduled meetings with five teams — the Knicks, Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers as well as Indiana. The Cavaliers and Timberwolves also consider Brown their top target, according to Fischer.

The Pacers have roughly $30MM in cap room, so signing Brown would account for most of that and would take them out of the running for other free agents, such as Heat shooting guard Max Strus.

Returning to Denver is also in play for Brown, according to Fischer, although the Nuggets can only pay him $7.8MM next season. Brown would be eligible to earn more than $50MM over four years from Denver next summer, which is still well short of the Pacers’ reported offer.

Latest On Gabe Vincent, Max Strus

June 30th, 2023 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent guard Gabe Vincent isn’t satisfied with the Heat‘s contract offer and will likely leave the team unless it improves, sources tell Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Jackson and Chiang report that Miami proposed a deal worth slightly more than the three-year, $20.6MM contract Caleb Martin signed last summer. Vincent was reportedly expecting a lot more after taking over as the Heat’s starting point guard and helping them reach the NBA Finals. Team president Pat Riley traveled to Los Angeles this week to meet with Vincent and urge him to re-sign, according to the authors.

Backcourt partner Max Strus seems certain to get a better deal that what the Heat can offer, according to Jackson and Chiang, who report that a three-team sign-and-trade swap has been discussed that would send Strus to the Cavaliers. They don’t identify who else would be involved, but Miami would receive a trade exception and a second-round pick in return. The Pacers, Pistons and Magic have also been identified as potential destinations for Strus.

Re-signing Vincent or Strus would be expensive for the Heat, who already have $179.3MM committed for next season, which is above the projected $165MM luxury tax line. The authors note that giving either player a new deal starting at $12MM would add more than $30MM to the team’s tax bill.

Marc Stein confirms in his latest Substack column that Cleveland is a legitimate threat to add Strus. Stein, who reported this week that Indiana was considering a three-year, $48MM offer for the 27-year-old shooting guard, has since been told that there are multiple suitors for Strus and that Indiana may not be his most likely destination. Cleveland is working to upgrade its outside shooting, Stein adds.

The Raptors could be an option for Vincent if Fred VanVleet signs with the Rockets, suggests Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Sources tell Grange that Vincent isn’t expected to return to the Heat and that an offer worth the full $12.4MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception should be enough to land him.

Stein’s Latest: Mavs, D. Powell, VanVleet, Schröder, D. Hall

June 30th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks “fully intend” to re-sign center Dwight Powell in free agency, Marc Stein reports in his latest rumor round-up at Substack. According to Stein, the Cavaliers and Rockets are also expected to show interest in Powell once he hits the open market, but the Mavs value him both on and off the court and are confident about their chances to retain him.

With Powell, Richaun Holmes, and lottery pick Dereck Lively II expected to be in the mix at center in Dallas, it didn’t make sense for Andre Drummond to turn down his player option with the Bulls in the hopes of signing with the Mavericks, Stein explains, following up on a previous rumor. If the Mavs had been able to trade Holmes, it might’ve been a different story, but Drummond opted for the guaranteed money and a clearer path to rotation minutes in Chicago.

Here’s more from Stein:

Fred VanVleet‘s current plan is to meet with both the Raptors and Rockets in person in Los Angeles when free agency opens on Friday, Stein tweets, reiterating in today’s article that Houston looks like a serious threat to sign the point guard away from Toronto.
The Lakers are “eager” to bring back point guard Dennis Schröder and would like to give him a raise, but will have a limited ability to do so with his Non-Bird rights. Echoing ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Stein says there’s a scenario in which Los Angeles commits a portion of its mid-level exception to Schröder and uses the rest on another player.
Former NBA big man Donta Hall, who is in the midst of a multiyear contract with AS Monaco in Europe, has an NBA opt-out in his deal and is attracting some interest from teams stateside, according to Stein, who names the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers as a couple of the clubs eyeing Hall.
One Western Conference front office executive was surprised by how many potential free agents exercised their player options. “I’ve never seen this many good players opt in,” the executive told Stein.