Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Sign Justin Powell

September 13th, 2023 at 6:59am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: Powell’s deal with the Cavaliers is official, according to the transaction log at RealGM.com.

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign undrafted rookie free agent Justin Powell, agent George Langberg tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Powell played for Auburn as a freshman, Tennessee as a sophomore, and Washington State as a junior before declaring for the NBA draft as an early entrant this spring. The 6’6″ wing was a full-time starter for the Cougars last season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest (34 games), with a shooting line of .408/.379/.811.

After going undrafted, Powell suited up for the Heat‘s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas. A June report indicated that he had agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami, but it appears that agreement either fell through or was reported erroneously.

While Scotto’s report today doesn’t include any additional details on Powell’s deal with Cleveland, it seems likely end up signing an Exhibit 10 contract. That would put him on track to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate.

The Cavaliers currently have four open spots on their 21-man offseason roster, so no one would need to be cut to make room for Powell.

Cavaliers Sign Tristan Thompson

September 12th, 2023 at 2:25pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 12: The Cavaliers have officially signed Thompson, per NBA.com’s transaction log. His deal includes a partial guarantee, tweets John Hollinger of The Athletic.

SEPTEMBER 11: The Cavaliers are finalizing a contract with free agent big man Tristan Thompson, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It will be a reunion between the two sides, as Thompson spent his first nine NBA seasons in Cleveland after the team selected him fourth overall in the 2011 draft. The 32-year-old was a key member of the Cavs’ championship run in 2016, starting all 21 playoff games and averaging 6.7 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing solid defense.

It would be shocking if Thompson received anything but a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum, considering he barely played at all in 2022/23. He signed with the Lakers on the final day of the regular season, appearing in six of the team’s 16 playoff games for 32 total minutes.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms Charania’s report (via Twitter), noting that the Cavs currently only have 13 players on standard contracts. Teams are required to carry at least 14 players for the majority of the season, so it seems Thompson will hold that spot for now.

Thompson averaged 9.4 points and 8.7 boards over his 619 regular season games with Cleveland. He signed a two-year deal Boston as a free agent in 2020, but only lasted one year, having been traded in August 2021. He played for three different teams — Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago — in ’21/22.

We’ll have to wait and see if Thompson receives any guaranteed money from the Cavaliers. His level of play has certainly dropped off in recent years, but he had some good moments during his brief stint with the Lakers, and he’ll provide frontcourt depth and veteran leadership for Cleveland.

Once Thompson’s deal is complete, the Cavs will have 17 players under contract, with all three two-way slots filled.

Teams With 13 Standard Contracts; Logical Fits To Fill Out Rosters

September 9th, 2023 at 12:13pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Teams are inching toward the start of training camp at the end of September and, as we noted, there are several teams with full offseason rosters of 21 players. However, on the other side of things, there are three teams with only 13 players on standard contracts.

CBA rules state that teams cannot have fewer than 14 players on a standard roster for more than 28 total days during the course of the entire season, or for two consecutive weeks. That means teams can dip to 13 or fewer players on standard deals temporarily, but are mandated to keep at least 14 players for the majority of the season.

Based on those guidelines, these teams are likely to make moves before the start of the season to get up to at least 14 players on standard deals.

It is important to note that there are other teams could dip below 14 players on the standard roster before the season begins. For example, the Celtics currently have 14 players signed to standard deals but three, including the recently signed Svi Mykhailiuk, are owed little to no guaranteed money. The Heat and Rockets are among the other teams who could have standard roster openings in the future, as both clubs have several players signed to Exhibit 10 deals ahead of training camp.

Let’s take a look at the three teams who have two or more openings on their 15-man roster and who could logically fill those spots.

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have 16 total players signed to deals — 13 on standard deals and three on two-way contracts. Sam Merrill, one of their 13 players, is signed to a deal that is fully non-guaranteed. The Cavs are a bit difficult to predict, though they had rumored interest in signing P.J. Washington before he re-signed with Charlotte.

The Cavs could either convert a player to a standard contract, such as Isaiah Mobley, or could be looking for veteran scoring off the bench. If the latter is the case, Kelly Oubre could be a natural fit in a bench role on a one-year prove-it deal. Rudy Gay is another name who may hold appeal as a veteran presence off the bench. Javonte Green or T.J. Warren also make some sense as bench options.

Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers are almost certainly waiting on clarity from Damian Lillard‘s trade request before proceeding with their roster. The Blazers have 13 players signed to standard deals, though Moses Brown is guaranteed for only $250K, so it’s feasible they end up having to fill out more of their roster. It makes sense for Portland to maintain this flexibility, as they’d almost certainly have to take in more players than they send out in any deal involving Lillard.

If a Lillard trade doesn’t happen before the season, the Blazers could look to sign younger pieces who fit their timeline. Portland could also consider bringing back some players who had flashes over the past two seasons, such as Justise Winslow or Skylar Mays, the latter of whom impressed on a 10-day deal with the Blazers last year.

Warriors

The Warriors have two open standard roster spots and a pair of two-way openings. It’s no secret that Golden State is seeking size, and they were reportedly in on bringing JaVale McGee back before he signed with Sacramento.

Golden State invited a handful of players to work out last month, including now-Brooklyn Net Harry Giles. Juan Toscano-Anderson was a participant at that workout, and could provide depth in the power rotation. Bismack Biyombo is one option at center. The Warriors could opt to bring back JaMychal Green. Outside of that, converting Lester Quinones from his two-way deal is anotehr potential path for Golden State.

And-Ones: Ignite, 2024 Draft, Unsuccessful Pairings, Eddy Curry

September 7th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

The G League Ignite’s impressive collection of talent was on display Wednesday night in Nevada, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Six players who may be selected in next year’s draft were on the court for the Ignite, and a seventh, Thierry Darlan of France, missed the game against Perth, Australia, with an ankle injury.

The biggest attraction was guard Ron Holland, whom Hollinger considers the “betting favorite” to be the top pick in 2024. Hollinger adds that Holland isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 choice like Victor Wembanyama was this year, but he looked good in his first pro game, using a mix of explosiveness and ferocity to put up 23 points.

“Ron is very, very competitive” Ignite coach Jason Hart said. “So now I’m wanting to channel it to where the opposition doesn’t know if you’re mad or you’re happy. I just told him to relax, calm down … I think he heard me. But that’s going to be a process because he’s so competitive, and I don’t want to take that from him. That’s his thing; he’s just has to learn how to use it.”

Matas Buzelis and Izan Almansa, who are projected to be top-10 picks, also showed off their skills, Hollinger adds, along with Tyler Smith, London Johnson and Perth prospects Alex Sarr and Ben Henshall. The teams will meet again on Friday.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Buzelis tops the first mock draft posted by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. O’Connor sees the 6’9″ point forward as a comfortable fit for any team because he’s capable of running the offense and reliably hitting mid-range jumpers. Buzelis will have to get stronger and improve his defense throughout the season to keep his No. 1 ranking, O’Connor adds. Rounding out O’Connor’s top five are Holland, Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter, UConn’s Stephon Castle and Almansa.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looks at NBA combinations that haven’t worked out, starting with the Timberwolves‘ pairing of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. He also mentions Trae Young and Dejounte Murray in the Hawks‘ backcourt, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the Clippers, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland with the Cavaliers, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with the Mavericks and Joel Embiid and James Harden with the Sixers.
Former No. 4 overall pick Eddy Curry talks to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic about how he was able to find peace by helping others after a tumultuous playing career. At age 40, Curry is working as a consultant in Texas, advising young players as they deal with the challenges of basketball stardom.

Pelicans Notes: Valanciunas, Lewis, Ingram, Zion

September 2nd, 2023 at 8:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pelicans explored changes at center during the offseason, but it appears Jonas Valanciunas has the starting job locked up heading into training camp, William Guillory of The Athletic writes in a mailbag column. Although defensive issues kept him off the court in late-game situations last season, Valanciunas still provides a reliable presence in the middle with only 11 total missed games over the past two years.

New Orleans reportedly reached out to the Cavaliers this summer about trading for Jarrett Allen, but there’s currently “little traction” on a deal between the teams, according to Guillory. The Pelicans also inquired about Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, but also to no avail.

Valanciunas has an expiring $15.4MM contract, so he’s likely to be the subject of trade rumors until the February deadline. Guillory expects New Orleans to continue to seek upgrades at center by offering a package of Valanciunas, point guard Kira Lewis and draft picks.

There’s more from New Orleans:

An extension for Trey Murphy won’t take effect until the 2025/26 season, so Pelicans management has two more years to determine if the current core can contend for a title, Guillory observes in the same piece. That group, which also includes Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Herbert Jones, showed promised in 2021/22 but fell short of the playoffs last season. The front office will likely try to avoid the luxury tax again this year, Guillory states, but there’s a belief that this is the most talented group the franchise has ever assembled.
Pelicans fans shouldn’t be concerned about Ingram’s struggles with Team USA, Guillory adds. Ingram was recently replaced in the starting lineup because he has failed to mesh with the first unit. Guillory notes that Ingram has already proven his status as an elite player, but says it would help if he could show an ability to adjust to a complementary role because he may be in that position more often on a fully healthy Pelicans team.
Guillory tweeted workout photos of Williamson along with the statement, “Been hearing good things about the work Zion’s putting in this summer.” Guillory added that Williamson is “really focused” on getting ready for a long season and wrote, “Think he’s gonna come in with a chip on his shoulder.” Injuries limited the 23-year-old forward to 29 games last season, and his health is obviously crucial to the Pelicans’ playoff hopes.

And-Ones: Executives, Value Deals, Super-Max, Milestones

September 1st, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Rory Maher

Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports recently ranked 25 of the NBA’s top decision-makers in terms of how successful they’ve been at drafting, making trades, and signing free agents over the course of their respective careers. The other five lead executives were not evaluated due to a small sample size.

As Rohrbach writes, with how his system is set up, having a high score over a long career is more impressive than an executive who performed similarly with fewer years of experience. Still, there’s an obvious caveat: his evaluation process is subjective.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is ranked No. 25, followed by Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak and Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas. The top three executives in Rohrbach’s system are Jazz CEO Danny Ainge (No. 1), Raptors president Masai Ujiri, and Spurs GM Brian Wright.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype created three all-contract-value teams comprised of players at each of the five positions. Players on rookie deals and those with maximum salaries were excluded from consideration. Gozlan’s first team features four members of the United States’ World Cup roster — Jalen Brunson, Austin Reaves, Mikal Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen takes the final spot.
Signing players to a Designated Veteran contract, also known as the “super-max,” is a polarizing topic among NBA executives, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “Super-max isn’t a guarantee of the result you’re looking for,” one general manager told Heavy Sports. “Just because you qualify doesn’t make you that guy. Inflated contracts are even harder to move. The additional penalties in the new CBA should slow the roll of everybody giving out a super-max deal the first time a guy qualifies for it. Just because a guy qualifies for it doesn’t necessarily make him entitled to it. That’s become the issue in the league. If you’re going to call yourself a franchise-level player, which is what I think the super-max number says, you’ve got to have more than just putting up numbers.”
ESPN.com lists some noteworthy milestones and anniversaries to watch for the 2023/24 season, noting that Lakers superstar LeBron James is on track to surpass 40,000 career points if he maintains his stellar production and stays healthy. James became the league’s all-time leading scorer last season.

Pelicans’ Valanciunas Talks Trade Rumors, Zion, More

August 29th, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas had his name pop up in trade rumors multiple times this offseason. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, New Orleans explored the possibility of acquiring a more switchable center, inquiring on players like Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen and Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart. But with training camps just a few weeks away, Valanciunas remains on the roster.

Speaking to Fischer, Valanciunas expressed interest in staying in New Orleans beyond his current deal. And head of basketball operations David Griffin and head coach Willie Green were in Manila on Tuesday to watch the veteran big man play for Lithuania against Montenegro, tweets Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com (Griffin and Green will also visit with Team USA’s Brandon Ingram during their trip, Fischer notes).

But with lucrative new contracts for young frontcourt players like Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones on the team’s books beginning this season, extending Valanciunas at a rate anywhere near his current $15.4MM salary might be a long shot, Fischer writes.

If the 31-year-old doesn’t sign an extension with the Pelicans, he’ll likely remain a trade candidate throughout the 2023/24 season, since he’s on an expiring contract. However, he tells Fischer he’s not bothered by the fact that his future is uncertain.

“You can’t be safe all the time and sitting and know where you’re going to be the next day,” Valanciunas said. “You have to expect everything. There’s no hard feelings. Trades happen. It’s not like an unusual thing.”

Here are a few more highlights from Valanciunas’ conversation with Fischer:

On his attempts to develop a three-point shot:

“I don’t want to be stretching out. I want to be a down-low player. My main game is going to be in the paint, always. Set screens, roll hard. Do damage inside on the low post. But when they’re plugging the paint, when they’re rotating, when they’re leaving you alone, being able to knock down a three-point shot, this is what I’m still working on.”

On how good Williamson can be when he’s healthy:

“He has the skill set and the first step, which I feel bad for people who’s guarding him. It’s unbelievable things. When you’re just watching him play, you feel like, ‘Wow, what the f–k is going on?’ His power, his highlights, talk for himself.”

On his post-retirement plans:

“I want to have a feel of basketball, no matter what. Playing, doing some other jobs. Coaching, front office. No matter what, I want to be connected to basketball. So that’s what my next step is gonna be.”

And-Ones: Offseason Moves, Coach Contracts, Kerr, Hawaii

August 24th, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Rory Maher

In a three-part series for The Athletic, David Aldridge ranks the teams that he believes improved the most and least this offseason. Aldridge’s most improved team is unsurprisingly the Spurs, who won the draft lottery and selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Cavaliers and Suns rank Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

In the middle section, Aldridge has the Jazz at No. 11, the Pistons at No. 15, and the Warriors at No. 20. He gives the Trail Blazers an incomplete, since there’s no way to fairly evaluate their offseason until the Damian Lillard situation is resolved.

At the bottom end, the defending-champion Nuggets are No. 29 on Aldridge’s list after losing Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency; the No. 28 team is the Raptors, who lost Fred VanVleet to Houston.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The contracts signed by Monty Williams and Gregg Popovich will be used as benchmarks by top NBA coaches going forward. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes, a trio of accomplished head coaches — Steve Kerr (Warriors), Erik Spoelstra (Heat) and Tyronn Lue (Clippers), all of whom are members of Team USA — could be the primary beneficiaries of those deals. Kerr and Spoelstra are entering the final year of their respective contracts, while Lue has two years left on his deal, Windhorst notes.
Kerr has purchased a minority stake in European football (soccer) club Real Mallorca, according to Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez of ESPN. Kerr said he was offered the opportunity by longtime friend Andy Kohlberg, who is the team’s president and recently became majority owner, per ESPN. “Andy Kohlberg and I have been friends for many years,” Kerr said. “We were together this summer. He told me there was a shift in the ownership group and he offered me the chance to be part of the new investment group. I was so excited, having been in Mallorca last summer watching a game, following the team and becoming a fan. It was a really exciting opportunity and I jumped at it.” Mallorca competes in La Liga, Spain’s top league.
The Jazz and Clippers will be playing their first preseason game in Hawaii on October 8, with all proceeds going to the wildfire relief effort, Ryan Kostecka writes for Utah’s team website.

NBA Teams With Fewest Players On Guaranteed Contracts

August 23rd, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As of Wednesday, 11 of the NBA’s 30 teams are carrying at least 15 players on guaranteed contracts and are unlikely to have many additional offseason acquisitions in store. Another 11 teams are carrying either 13 or 14 players on guaranteed deals.

As our roster counts page shows, that leaves eight clubs carrying 12 or fewer players on fully guaranteed deals. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all eight of those teams will sign free agents to guaranteed contracts before the regular season begins, but it’s worth checking in on them to take a closer look at their roster situations.

Boston Celtics

The only team with just 11 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Celtics are also carrying Dalano Banton and Luke Kornet on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed deals. Banton and Kornet seem like good bets to make the 15-man regular season roster, but Boston would still have to add a 14th man for opening night.

Based on recent reports, it sounds like the Celtics are eyeing forwards and wings for that 14th spot, with T.J. Warren, Lamar Stevens, and Louis King among the free agents working out for the club.

Charlotte Hornets

Although they only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, the Hornets have no shortage of candidates for their final two or three roster spots. P.J. Washington is a restricted free agent and still seems more likely to return than to head elsewhere — he would take the 13th slot.

Charlotte also has Frank Ntilikina, Kobi Simmons, and JT Thor on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed salaries, with Theo Maledon still a two-way restricted free agent. So even if No. 31 overall pick James Nnaji becomes a draft-and-stash player and doesn’t sign an NBA contract immediately, the Hornets have plenty of options to fill out their roster without making outside additions.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have 12 guaranteed contracts on their books, with Sam Merrill on a non-guaranteed minimum deal as their 13th man. Cleveland is a safe bet to make at least one more free agent addition — the club is said to be on the lookout for solid veteran depth, without a specific position in mind. The Cavs will likely wait out the market and see which of the top remaining free agents are willing to accept minimum-salary offers.

Houston Rockets

Although the Rockets only have 12 players on fully guaranteed contracts, Aaron Holiday – whose partial guarantee exceeds $1MM – will likely make the roster as a 13th man. Houston still has a good deal of room to maneuver below the luxury tax line and could easily add two more players without any financial concerns.

Perhaps one of the team’s four Exhibit 10 players or three two-way players will earn a promotion with a strong preseason, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the Rockets to see if they have one more move up their sleeves in free agency or on the trade market.

Miami Heat

The Heat have a full 21-man offseason roster, but only 12 of those players have guaranteed standard contracts.

Orlando Robinson, who has a small partial guarantee, should make the 15-man roster, and two-way player Jamal Cain is a candidate to be converted to a standard deal, but Miami has more ambitious targets in mind. If the Heat make a trade for Damian Lillard, they’ll likely send out more players than they take back and could fill out their roster with veteran free agents.

New York Knicks

Even with Jericho Sims‘ salary for 2023/24 now fully guaranteed, the Knicks have just 12 players on guaranteed contracts. Isaiah Roby, DaQuan Jeffries, and Duane Washington are in the mix for 15-man roster spots on their non-guaranteed deals.

New York also has a pair of two-way players – Nathan Knight and Dylan Windler – with multiple years of NBA experience, so they may be candidates for promotions. The Knicks are likely keeping their options open for possible Evan Fournier trades too, recognizing that they could potentially use his pseudo-expiring $18.9MM contract to take back two or three players in a trade.

Portland Trail Blazers

Like the Heat, the Trail Blazers are in a bit of a holding pattern while they wait to see how the Lillard situation plays out. For now, they have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, with Moses Brown on a partially guaranteed deal. But if they end up acquiring, say, three players in exchange for Lillard, their projected 15-man roster will fill up in a hurry.

Utah Jazz

Of all the teams listed in this article, the Jazz may have the fewest roster decisions to make before the season. In addition to their 12 players on guaranteed salaries, they’re carrying Kris Dunn, Omer Yurtseven, and Luka Samanic on partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. Utah may simply hang onto those three players and set its 15-man regular season roster without any further tweaks.

Central Notes: Rubio, Washington, Cunningham, Thompson

August 14th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ricky Rubio‘s decision to take time away from basketball and focus on his mental health leaves the Cavaliers with an uncertain situation at backup point guard, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a mailbag column. Rubio didn’t offer any indication of how long he might be inactive, so there’s no way of knowing if he’ll be available when training camp opens in seven weeks or when the season starts in late October.

There’s no urgency for Cleveland to make a roster move, Fedor adds. The Cavs signed free agent Ty Jerome in the belief that he can handle a larger role than he had with Golden State, and Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and two-way player Craig Porter Jr. are all capable of running the offense for short stretches. Fedor points out that there aren’t any strong options remaining in free agency, but Kendrick Nunn, Michael Carter-Williams, George Hill, Ish Smith, and D.J. Augustin are among the players still available.

General manager Mike Gansey scheduled a trip to Malaga, Spain, this summer to visit with Rubio and watch the Spanish World Cup team in action, according to Fedor. However, Rubio left training camp before Gansey arrived, so he devoted the trip to scouting instead.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers have expressed interest in P.J. Washington and may be “lurking” as his standoff with the Hornets continues, Fedor adds. He notes that Cleveland was able to take advantage of a similar situation in a sign-and-trade with Lauri Markkanen two years ago by offering a contract beyond what the Bulls were willing to pay. Fedor states that Rubio and Dean Wade would be enough to match salary if Washington would accept about $15MM per year, but he’s not sure if that and a few second-round picks would satisfy Charlotte.
Cade Cunningham is the only untouchable player on the Pistons‘ roster, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes in his annual evaluation of the team’s most valuable assets. Even though he missed most of last season after shin surgery, Cunningham is still viewed around the league as a potential superstar, according to Edwards. Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and rookie Ausar Thompson follow Cunningham on Edwards’ list.
Overtime Elite general manager Gerald Wilkins believes Thompson has a bright NBA future, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Wilkins offered a glowing recommendation to Jarrett Jack, a new member of the Pistons‘ coaching staff under Monty Williams. “He would ask me things like what are his strengths, what are his weaknesses, how can I get him the ball,” Wilkins said. “I would just tell him, ‘Just put him on the floor. Just put him in the game. They are basketball players, Ausar and Amen. They’re basketball players. You put him on the floor and a lot of good things are going to happen.’”