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Cavs Notes: Hudson, Draft, Varejao

April 15th, 2012 at 10:46am CST by Daniel Seco

The struggling Cavs host the Dwight Howard-less Magic this afternoon as another season of struggles winds down for Byron Scott's club. One of the few bright spots has been rookie Kyrie Irving, who has shown flashes of brilliance after being selected with the top pick in last year's draft. Let's head to Cleveland to check up on the latest news and happenings with the Cavs.

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald thinks the Cavs may have found another D-League success story in Lester Hudson, who has been a strong contributor of late and may find himself on the roster next season. With his ability to play both guard positions even with his limited size (slightly taller than six feet), the former Tennessee-Martin star has provided a spark for the Cavs and even had team owner Dan Gilbert calling his success, "Lesanity" on Twitter. In 10 games with the Cavs, Hudson has averaged an eye-opening 19.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.7 APG.
Look for the Cavs to add an offensively-minded wing player and another shooting guard either through the draft or free agency this offseason, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer.
Reed p onders what it would take for the Cavs to deal Anderson Varejao considering how his level of play will likely diminish once the team's core of young players is ready to contend. The Blazers could be a good match as a trade partner as they currently hold two 2012 lottery picks. Giving up one of them would be enough to send the former first-round pick to Portland as the deal would provide the Cavs yet another young player to add to their youth movement.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Lewis, Heat, Varejao

March 7th, 2012 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics look to catch the 76ers in the Atlantic standings, and the Bobcats aim for their first winning streak of the season in tonight's slate of games. But before the evening action gets underway, let's round up the latest odds and ends from around the NBA:

One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that there's no way Celtics GM Danny Ainge will get equal value in a trade for Rajon Rondo: "There’s a perception that if Doc Rivers, who’s such a player’s coach, has had a hard time with him, my coach is going to have a worse time with him."
Because he reached certain incentives, Wizards forward Rashard Lewis is now owed a guaranteed $13.7MM (of $22.7MM) next season, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and other potential targets for the Heat in today's mailbag.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger presents some under-the-radar trade candidates that he'd target, including Robin Lopez, Austin Daye, and Jordan Farmar.
The lack of production the Cavaliers have received in Anderson Varejao's place while he's been injured shows why the team has been unwilling to trade him, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
In addition to sharing some Jamal Crawford rumors, Chad Ford of ESPN.com addressed a number of other trade topics in his latest chat.
The Nets have no interest in a reunion with John Calipari, as had been suggested, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
Jerome Jordan will rejoin the Knicks after last week's D-League assignment, tweets Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News.

Injuries That Could Affect The Trade Deadline

March 5th, 2012 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Deron Williams may have scored a franchise-record 57 points en route to a Sunday victory over the Bobcats, but the news out of Charlotte wasn't all good for the Nets. In just his fifth game back from a foot injury, Brook Lopez rolled his ankle badly and left the arena on crutches. There's still no official word from the team on the severity of the injury, but as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes, it could deal a serious blow to the Nets' hopes of trading for Dwight Howard in the next ten days.

Lopez isn't the only trade candidate who could be on the shelf as the March 15th deadline approaches. Here are a few more players whose injury statuses may affect the deals their respective teams can make in the next week and a half:

Jermaine O'Neal: The Celtics would need to include salary to make any deal of substance, so O'Neal's $6.23MM expiring contract made him a prime candidate to be included in a trade to ensure salaries match. Unfortunately for Boston, O'Neal recently suffered a wrist injury and may undergo season-ending surgery. If he elects for the surgery, there's a chance O'Neal could be waived by the Celtics.
Al Horford: Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reported last week that the Hawks were still interested in Dwight Howard, perhaps in a deal involving Horford. While such a trade would be a long shot to begin with, Horford's torn pectoral makes it even trickier. Already reluctant to deal Howard, the Magic would probably be even more wary about doing so for a player who is just recently out of a sling.
Anderson Varejao: Varejao will be re-evaluated this week, but it looks like he won't return to the Cavs' lineup until after March 15th. Before the injury, the Cavs said they didn't intend to trade Varejao, though there was some speculation that stance could change by the deadline. With Varejao still out, he'll definitely be remaining in Cleveland.
Jordan Hill: Among the Rockets' numerous former lottery picks on expiring contracts, Hill is the most attractive asset. While that may be faint praise, Hill has been the most productive of the group of four 2009 draftees that also includes Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams, and his salary ($2.86MM) is very reasonable. However, a sprained MCL has kept Hill out of action for the last couple weeks, and even though he expects to return within the next week, he won't have much time to showcase his health before the deadline.
J.J. Hickson: The Kings are reportedly quite interested in moving Hickson, but they've stumbled upon a roadblock besides his disappointing production this season — he'll miss his third straight game tonight with a hip pointer.
Thabo Sefolosha: Having missed 18 games with a foot injury, Sefolosha is shooting jump shots again, but it doesn't appear he's ready for game action yet. Steve Kyler wrote this morning that the Thunder could try to acquire a replacement if the team feels Sefolosha will miss much more time. The 6'7" wing also represented a potential trade asset for the Thunder, but questions about his health will hurt his value.
Andrea Bargnani: Bargnani seems to be getting closer to returning from a calf injury, and could be back in plenty of time for the trade deadline, but it may not matter either way. As Kyler reported today, the Raptors are getting inquiries on Bargnani, but don't seem interested in dealing him.

Cavs Notes: Sessions, Varejao, Jamison

February 26th, 2012 at 11:36am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavs hit the All-Star break in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, at 13-18 and a game and a half back of the slumping Celtics. Here's what's buzzing with the team as it chases its first post-LeBron James playoff berth:

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald said the Cavs would prefer to get a first-round draft pick in a trade instead of veteran talent. Nonetheless, Marvin Williams' name has come up as a potential target, as he was drafted by former Hawks executive and current Cavs GM Chris Grant. A straight-up swap of Williams for Ramon Sessions, a rumor Finnan has been hearing, wouldn't work under the salary cap, but another deal is within the realm of possibility.
Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto believes the Cavs are better off trading Sessions for a first-round pick rather than risking that he'll turn down a $4.55MM option for next season and seek a starting job as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer answered reader questions and said that even though Anderson Varejao is likely off the table for this year's trade discussions, the high energy big man will likely be back in trade talks next season.
While trade candidate Antawn Jamison could remain in Cleveland the rest of the season, Reed doubts Jamison, who's a free agent this summer, will return to the team in 2012/13.
Finnan has another story on top-pick Kyrie Irving, who's reminding coach Byron Scott of a young Chris Paul. Scott, who also coached Jason Kidd during his prime in New Jersey, was Paul's first coach with the Hornets.

Cavs Notes: LeBron, Varejao, Jamison

February 16th, 2012 at 10:15pm CST by Alex Lee

With LeBron James stirring up a hornet's nest with his surprising comments about potentially wanting to return to play for the Cavaliers, let us take a look at some other recent news in Cleveland:

The announcement that Anderson Varejao will officially miss 4 to 6 weeks while he recovers from a broken wrist likely ends any lingering trade talk involving the Cleveland center. With Varejao out for at least a month the Cavs are unlikely to make a run at the 8-seed in East, and may be more likely to be active at the trade deadline.
Luke Adams examined Antawn Jamison as a trade candidate yesterday, concluding they won't get an offer more valuable than having Jamison's $15MM come off the books in the offseason. John Hollinger agreed in an ESPN.com chat today, saying that a post-deadline buyout is looking more and more likely.

Cavs Notes: Erden, Irving, Parker, Varejao

February 15th, 2012 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Three-day rests don't come along often in this lockout-shortened season, so the Cavaliers likely took full advantage of the time off they received this week. As the Cavs prepare to host Indiana tonight in their first game since Saturday, let's round up a few items out of Cleveland…

Anderson Varejao's injury has given Semih Erden a "golden opportunity" to show what he can do, coach Byron Scott tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Erden will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
Scott doesn't understand why people think Cleveland should lose games, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. The Cavs' coach would prefer to earn a postseason berth, even if it meant a quick first-round exit, because he feels his young players would benefit from the playoff experience.
Amico fielded Cavs-related questions, including plenty on possible trades, in a chat earlier today.
Kyrie Irving has been cleared by the team to return to action tonight after missing three games with a concussion, tweets Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. Anthony Parker is also progressing and could return next week, but there's still no timetable for Varejao (Beacon Journal link).

Assessing Stocks: Cleveland Cavaliers

February 12th, 2012 at 8:17pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Portfolio Review: The Cleveland Cavaliers were dealt a blow to their season with news that center Anderson Varejao is out indefinitely with a broken wrist. While the injury probably drops the Cavaliers out of contention for the Eastern Conference’s 8th playoff seed, it likely is in their best long-term interest for that very reason.

The Cavaliers are a rebuilding project. And a much better one than originally thought due to rookie Kyrie Irving outplaying all expectations. But building around a point guard like Irving can be a double-edged sword.

Point guards like Irving (see Paul, Chris) are good enough to get a team into playoff contention fairly quickly because they mask so many deficiencies. However, those deficiencies still exist and pushing forward too fast (see the New Orleans Hornets with Chris Paul) without addressing them can have serious repercussions as the team begins to reach its potential. In a way, this was part of the problem the Cavaliers had when building around LeBron James.

Instead, this team should be stockpiling as many assets as possible while developing young players to try and acquire the type of elite talent that is generally only found with top-ten draft picks.

Prime Assets: Previously the Cavaliers were not attempting to trade Varejao, though his injury might make them more willing. Varejao is the type of player that is desirable for a number of contenders and those sitting in the bottom half of playoff brackets looking to take a step up.

Ideally Varejao would return a younger, legitimate rotation player to grow with Irving and Tristan Thompson–a player who mirrors some of the same strengths and weaknesses of Varejao–or a first round pick in the 15-20 range.

Barring a Varejao trade, point guard Ramon Sessions has been a steady backup point guard for most of his career and remains the only other player on the Cavaliers likely to return a viable rotation player. For a team like the Cavaliers that needs help everywhere, they cannot afford the luxury of redundant skill sets among their best players.

Worthless stock: Tempting as it is to throw Antawn Jamison‘s name into this slot, there is always a team out there somewhere willing to take a shot at a scorer off the bench on an expiring contract. These contracts are ultimately movable, however, generally only bring back other bad or expiring contracts. Still, there is value for moving a contributing veteran to free up developmental minutes for players that might have a future with the team.

The rest: The rest of the teams is young enough to have some redeeming value (i.e. potential), but too young and too unproven to bring back anything in return. This should be an evaluation season for the young guys, and to do so they need as many minutes as possible.

Central Notes: Varejao, West, Pistons

February 11th, 2012 at 4:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Despite inquiries from a few teams, the Cavs insisted earlier this week they're not trying to trade Anderson Varejao, and a right wrist fracture reduces the chances of a deal even further. There's no official timetable, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports tweets that he'll be gone at least a week, and he could be out for longer, tweets Bob Finnan of The News-Herald of northern Ohio. Reed Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said he doubts the Cavs will sign anyone to replace Varejao while he's out. (Twitter link)

Here's what going on elsewhere in the Central Division:

Free-agent signee David West enjoys playing with a post threat like Roy Hibbert and has been surprised by the Pacers' commitment to defense, he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld in this video.
Rookie Brandon Knight has fueled the transformation of the Pistons, who've won four straight, from a plodding pace to an up-tempo attack, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Anderson Shows Off For Potential Suitors

February 10th, 2012 at 9:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's plenty going on in Orlando this winter, with the All-Star game coming to town and the daily Dwight Howard rumors. Much less attention has been paid to power forward Ryan Anderson, whose 16.5 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 43% three-point shooting are all career highs. His 74 three-pointers made coming into Friday led the league. He'll be a restricted free agent at season's end.

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the development of the 6-foot-10 power forward in his fourth season.

He'll be showing off his long-distance shooting in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend, but Schmitz notes how he, at the behest of coach Stan Van Gundy, has become more of an all-around player.

Van Gundy laments not playing him more last season, when Anderson split time with Brandon Bass.

"We didn't have any doubts that he could do what he's doing offensively. He's exceptional," the coach said. "The only other guy in the league that can stretch a defense and grab offensive rebounds like that is Kevin Love. Ryan has some unique abilities."

Anderson, making $2.24MM this season, would be unlikely to accept a qualifying offer of $3.23 million from the Magic this summer. It's more likely the Magic, who opted against signing Anderson to an extension before last month's deadline, will have to shell out significantly more to keep him. According to Basketball Reference, his career numbers coming into the season (which exclude his hot start this year) were similar to those of Al Jefferson, who's making $14MM this year, and Anderson Varejao, who's earning $7.7MM. Love, to whom Van Gundy compared Anderson, recently signed a four-year extension worth a total of more than $60MM.

Regardless of his precise market value, it's clear Anderson will be at or near the top of the list of free-agent power forwards come July.

Cavaliers Not Trying To Trade Varejao

February 9th, 2012 at 7:24pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Terry Pluto of the Plains Dealer writes that multiple sources report the Cleveland Cavaliers are not seeking trades for veteran big man Anderson Varejao and will not make a deal unless another teams wows them with an offer.

Varejao, 29, is off to a fantastic start this season averaging a double-double at 11 PPG and 11.8 RPG. He is one of the better defensive big men in the NBA, provides value on offense without a high usage or plays being called for him, and at $7.7MM this season is on a reasonable contract.

In short, he is a perfect fit on a near contender looking to for a piece to put them over the top.

The reports could be typical posturing, Varejao has enough value for the Cavaliers to be patient and holdout for the best deal possible, but it would also make sense in the long term for the Cavaliers to deal their best trade asset.

Tristan Thompson, this past summer's no. 4 overall pick, shares similar strengths and weakness with Varejao, making their skill sets redundant and hampering their time together on the court.

Varejao is only 29, but plays a reckless, energetic style of basketball that leaves him susceptible to injury. He is at his peak right now and holding onto him is a gamble that he will still be at or near this level when rookies Thompson and Kyrie Irving enter the beginning of their primes.

Trading Varejao would hurt this season, all but ending the Cavaliers unlikely bid for the Eastern Conference's 8th playoff seed, but in the long run freeing minutes for Thompson and securing another top-10 pick in a deep draft–on top of whatever assets a trade would return–might be in the Cavaliers best long-term interests.