Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Bring Back RJ Nembhard On Two-Way Deal

April 10th, 2022 at 11:49am CST by Arthur Hill

Shooting guard RJ Nembhard has returned to the Cavaliers on a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.

Nembhard originally signed a two-way deal with Cleveland in October and was converted to a standard contract on March 31. He was waived Thursday to give the Cavs a roster opening to convert Moses Brown‘s contract, a move that was confirmed in today’s press release.

A rookie out of TCU, the 23-year-old Nembhard appeared in 13 games this season, playing just 4.6 minutes per night. He had a much bigger role with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, averaging 24.5 points, 8.1 rebounds an 5.5 assists in 23 games.

It’s unclear if Nembhard’s new contract is for one or two years. If it’s a one-year deal, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. A two-year deal would give Cleveland the option of keeping Nembhard in one of the team’s two-way slots next season.

Cavaliers Convert Moses Brown To Standard Contract

April 10th, 2022 at 8:29am CST by Arthur Hill

Moses Brown, who signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers in late March, now has a standard deal with the team, according to the NBA.com transactions log. Cleveland had an open roster spot available, so the club was able to convert Brown without any other move.

Although no details were provided, it’s likely a minimum-salary arrangement that covers the final day of the regular season. Brown will now be eligible for the play-in tournament and playoffs, which two-way players cannot participate in.

The 22-year-old center joined the Cavs in March on a pair of 10-day contracts to provide center depth with Jarrett Allen injured and signed a two-way deal at the end of the month. He has appeared in 13 games, starting five, and has averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per night while shooting 62.3% from the floor.

Brown also played 23 games for the Mavericks this season before being waived on February 10 when Dallas needed to open a roster spot to complete a trade with Washington.

Cavaliers Notes: Allen, Garland, Mobley, Love

April 9th, 2022 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are still hoping injured center Jarrett Allen can return at some point, but he will miss Sunday’s regular season finale against the Bucks, tweets Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. Allen, who hasn’t played since fracturing his left middle finger on March 6, is listed as “out” on Cleveland’s official injury report.

Allen went through a 15-minute workout before Friday’s game at Brooklyn, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. He wore a splint over the injured finger and did nearly everything one-handed as he simulated a variety of game situations. Every shot he took was with his right hand, Fedor adds.

A source told Fedor that a major concern involves Allen’s pain tolerance, particularly when he catches passes. Allen and the team remain hopeful that he’ll be ready for the Cavs’ first play-in tournament game, which will take place Tuesday if they’re in the 7-8 matchup or Wednesday if they fall to the 9-10 contest.

There’s more from Cleveland:

The Cavaliers have slumped lately amid a series of injuries, but Darius Garland believes they’re still a “scary” postseason opponent for anyone, whether or not Allen is able to play, Fedor writes in a separate story. “We’re scary with him or without him,” Garland said. “There’s a lot of teams that don’t want to see us with him or without him. We get him back, great. If we don’t, great. We still got basketball games to play.”
Although Cleveland lost its third straight game Friday, there was some good news, Fedor adds. Rookie star Evan Mobley returned from a five-game absence with a sprained left ankle and contributed 17 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes.
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Kevin Love said this season is the most fun he’s had since winning the NBA title six years ago. Love, who has been through disputes with management in recent years, credits the trust that coach J.B. Bickerstaff has shown in him. “J.B., he’s like, ‘I want you to play free,’” Love said. “You have the green light … so for me, there was no pushback. And from then on, it took me about, I’d say four to six weeks to really feel right and secure and find how I was going to play within our group and different matchups and who I was going to be playing with. I’d say around December is where I found myself within that sixth man role. And then it just grew from there.”

Pacers Notes: Taylor, Washington, York, Hinton, Cavs’ Pick

April 8th, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers rookie Terry Taylor got a total of $1.225MM in guaranteed money in his new three-year contract with the Pacers, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Having been promoted from a two-way deal, Taylor got a $600K rest-of-season salary, with a $625K partial guarantee for 2022/23.

Duane Washington, who was also promoted to the standard roster from his two-way contract, received $950K in rest-of-season money, but won’t have any of his salary for ’22/23 guaranteed, Marks notes.

The Pacers used their mid-level exception to sign both Taylor and Washington, which permitted the team to give them three-year contracts and salaries above the minimum in 2021/22. Their second and third seasons will be worth the minimum.

Washington will have his minimum salary for ’22/23 guaranteed if he remains under contract through July 6, while Taylor will need to remain on his deal through July 10 to earn a full guarantee for next season.

Here’s more out of Indiana:

Gabe York, a 28-year-old rookie who signed a two-way contract with the Pacers on Thursday, is thrilled to finally get the opportunity to make his NBA debut this weekend, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. “It’s been seven years, long time since I’ve been trying for this dream to kind of happen,” York said. “Five years overseas, played one stint in the G League with the Lakeland Magic. Seven years of just blood, sweat and tears finally getting this opportunity, so I’m definitely excited and ready for this moment for sure.”
York added that his mother was “crying all on the phone” when he told her about his deal with Indiana and said he’d “try not to cry” himself when he makes his NBA debut. “Got the NBA contract for a little bit,” he said. “Now next season is to try to stay in the NBA for a full season and get my mom to stop working.”
Nate Hinton, the other player who signed a two-way deal with Indiana on Thursday, has entered the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, as Boyd relays (via Twitter).
The Pacers are far removed from the playoff picture, but they’ll have a rooting interest in the play-in tournament next week, Boyd observes in a separate article for The Star. If the Cavaliers earn a playoff berth, Indiana will get Cleveland’s 2022 first-round pick. If the Cavs are eliminated in the play-in, they’ll keep that pick and would instead owe the Pacers their 2023 first-rounder (also lottery-protected).

Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley Will Play Friday Against Nets

April 8th, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley will return for Friday’s crucial matchup against the Nets, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Mobley will start the game at center, moving Moses Brown back to the bench, and is expected to play around 30 minutes, Fedor reports.

Mobley has missed Cleveland’s last five games with a sprained left ankle; the team went just 1-4 in his absence. Mobley had previously been listed as questionable for Friday’s game, but was able to do “everything” at practice on Thursday.

The 7’0″ big man is one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year this season, posting averages of 14.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 blocks on .506/.253/.664 shooting through 67 games (33.9 minutes per night).

Cleveland’s road game at Brooklyn will have a major effect on the seedings for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Cavaliers are currently the No. 7 seed at 43-37, but only hold a one-game lead over Brooklyn and Atlanta (both are 42-38). Charlotte, the current No. 10 seed, trails by two games at 41-39.

The Cavs have dealt with a number of injuries to key players this season, so Mobley’s return will be a welcome boost for the struggling club. All-Star center Jarrett Allen (broken finger) remains sidelined, and Cleveland is also playing without Dean Wade (knee) and Collin Sexton (knee), who are both out for the rest of the season.

Mobley Listed As Questionable To Play Friday

April 7th, 2022 at 6:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley is questionable to play against Brooklyn on Friday, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets. Mobley hasn’t played since March 28 due to an ankle injury but he was able to do “everything” at practice in Orlando on Thursday, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. Jarrett Allen is listed as out, although he went through an individual workout.
Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski is stepping down from his post at the end of the season, according to a team press release. Komoroski’s career with the Cavaliers began in 2003 as a team president. He took on the CEO title in 2013. He will remain affiliated with Rock Entertainment Group.

Cavaliers Waive RJ Nembhard

April 7th, 2022 at 11:31am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have waived guard RJ Nembhard, who was recently promoted to a standard contract from a two-way deal, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

As Fedor observes, waiving Nembhard creates an opening for Moses Brown or Brandon Goodwin to be promoted from their two-way contracts, but Cleveland hasn’t decided which route to take with the standard spot available. Both players were ahead of Nembhard in the team’s rotation.

Nembhard, 23, signed with Cleveland last summer after going undrafted out of TCU and was given a two-way deal before the start of the season. He has played in just 13 NBA games, averaging 4.6 minutes per night, and spent much of his time in the G League, where he put up 24.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 22 games.

Although Nembhard was only on a standard contract with the Cavs for a week, the deal will pay him $58,493.

At 43-37, the Cavs are currently the No. 7 seed in the East with two games remaining. Their last two games are in Brooklyn on Friday and at home against Milwaukee on Sunday. Cleveland has been playing poorly recently, going 2-7 over the last nine games.

Health Updates: D. Murray, Hayward, Mobley, Zion, More

April 6th, 2022 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Dejounte Murray, who missed a third straight game on Tuesday due to an upper respiratory illness, may not accompany the Spurs on their trip to Minnesota for Thursday’s game, head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters, including Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

As it turned out, the Spurs didn’t need their All-Star guard available in order to clinch a play-in spot with a victory in Denver on Tuesday. The Spurs are just one game behind the Pelicans in the standings for the No. 9 spot and hold the tiebreaker over New Orleans, so if the two teams finish with identical records, their play-in game would take place in San Antonio.

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

After making his return from a foot injury on Saturday, Hornets forward Gordon Hayward missed Tuesday’s contest against the Heat. According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), head coach James Borrego referred to it as a precautionary move and said the team doesn’t want to push Hayward too hard following a lengthy absence.
Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley did a lot of on-court work on Tuesday and is making progress in his recovery from a sprained ankle, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. A source tells Fedor there’s a chance Mobley will play in Brooklyn on Friday. The team will know more after Thursday’s practice.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green didn’t provide an official update on Zion Williamson‘s injury rehab on Tuesday, but sources tell Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter links) that the star forward has progressed to more on-court work. He remains out indefinitely.
The Clippers upgraded Norman Powell (foot) from out to doubtful for Wednesday’s game vs. Phoenix, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. It still sounds like Powell probably won’t play tonight, but it’s a good sign that he’s moving closer to a return.
Heat power forward P.J. Tucker left Tuesday’s win early due to what the team has initially diagnosed as a right calf strain, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Acting head coach Chris Quinn said Tucker will get looked at more extensively on Wednesday.

Central Notes: Bickerstaff, Nembhard, P. Williams, Key, Vildoza

April 5th, 2022 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fined $15K on Monday for his public criticism of the league’s officiating, the NBA announced in a press release. Bickerstaff griped about the foul calls on Sunday following a 112-108 loss to Philadelphia in which James Harden and Joel Embiid combined to attempt 32 free throws.

“We deserved to win that game. That game was taken from us,” Bickerstaff said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “We did a great job defensively, making their two best players have a difficult time from the field. But one thing you can’t defend is the free throw line. That’s absurd. That’s absurd. Our guys deserve way better than what they got tonight.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

RJ Nembhard‘s new contract with the Cavaliers is a straight-up conversion from his two-way deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Nembhard, who will earn $58,493 on the prorated minimum-salary contract, remains on track for restricted free agency this offseason.
Having returned from a wrist injury on March 21, Patrick Williams is playing increasingly well for the Bulls as the postseason nears, according to Cole Huff of The Athletic, who says the second-year forward has been “efficient and opportunistic” on offense while showcasing his usual versatility on the defensive end. Having already displayed the potential to be a long-term cornerstone in Chicago, Williams could help in the short term too and be an asset in the playoffs if he keeps progressing, Huff writes.
Braxton Key‘s new two-way contract with the Pistons is a two-year agreement, covering 2022/23 as well as the rest of this season, league sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link).
Luca Vildoza‘s two-year deal with the Bucks will be non-guaranteed for next season, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Injury Notes: Allen, Mobley, McDaniels, Powell, Fox, Sabonis

April 4th, 2022 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

Discussions about Jarrett Allen‘s potential return for the Cavaliers have gravitated toward “if” rather than “when,” according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The team has said Allen is making progress in his recovery from a broken finger and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of him returning before the regular season ends on Sunday, but his finger was still in a splint this weekend, says Vardon.

Even if Allen is able to play soon, it’s “highly unlikely” that he’ll be 100% effective, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). In Fedor’s view, Evan Mobley – who has missed four games with a sprained ankle and wasn’t walking with a limp after Sunday’s game – is a better bet to be fully effective, or at least close to it, when he returns.

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

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who has been out since March 14 due to a high left ankle sprain, “looks really good” in his scrimmages, head coach Chris Finch said on Sunday (link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). The Wolves will formally reevaluate McDaniels on Monday. Finch expects him to be on a minutes limit when he returns, per Hine.
Clippers forwards Paul George and Marcus Morris hinted after Sunday’s game that Norman Powell could be close to returning from his left foot injury, according to Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group, who notes that the injured swingman took part in an on-court pregame workout. “It’ll be great for Norm if he could get back out there in the next game or two, just to get a good feel back,” Morris said.
With the Kings officially eliminated from playoff contention, head coach Alvin Gentry acknowledged that shutting down De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will likely be “something we’ll talk about” (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee). Fox has missed Sacramento’s last eight games due to a hand injury, while Sabonis has been out for six games due to a knee issue.