Cedi Osman Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavs Notes: Thomas, Osman, LeBron, Gilbert

February 8th, 2018 at 8:06am CST by Luke Adams

Since returning from the hip injury that sidelined him for most of the first half of the 2017/18 season, Isaiah Thomas hasn’t looked like his old self. His .361 FG% and .253 3PT% are easily career lows, and his average of 14.7 PPG is way down from the 28.9 PPG he put up last season in Boston.

Thomas’ play – as well as his expiring contract – has Cleveland writers like Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com openly wondering if the Cavs should trade the veteran point guard. At the very least, the team needs to consider it, Pluto argues. For his part, Thomas said after Wednesday’s game that he hopes the Cavs don’t consider it too seriously, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details.

“I’m tired of being traded,” Thomas said. “That’s not a good thing, but, I just want to be where I’m wanted. I like it here. It hasn’t been as planned, but I definitely want to be here. We definitely have a real chance to win an NBA championship and I want to be a part of that.”

Here’s more out of Cleveland:

After a bad loss to the Magic earlier this week, Isaiah Thomas told reporters that “when we hit adversity, we go our separate ways.” It’s fair to question whether Thomas – who has played all of 15 games with the Cavs – should be the one to say it, but he’s right, opines Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has been given some freedom to give more minutes to certain players after the trade deadline, and Cedi Osman looks like a candidate to be one of those players, according to Joe Vardon.
A report earlier this week stated that the relationship between LeBron James and owner Dan Gilbert is essentially non-existent. According to Terry Pluto, the two men really need to sit down and talk to make an effort to help stabilize the Cavaliers.
Speaking of LeBron, he had to come out earlier this week and publicly declare that he won’t waive his no-trade clause. Even in the unlikely event that he’d been willing to do so, it would have been very difficult for the Cavaliers to find a deal that worked for James and both teams involved, says Bobby Marks of ESPN. In a fun exercise, Marks runs through the various possibilities in search of an ideal LeBron trade.
As we relayed in a separate story, the Cavaliers remain engaged in discussions with the Clippers about a possible DeAndre Jordan trade.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Altman, Gilbert, Irving

February 6th, 2018 at 10:04pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers have struggled for the better part of 2017/18 and while they do, tensions continue to mount between LeBron James and the franchise’s management, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic writes.

Even before the club’s moribund loss to the Magic on Tuesday, Lloyd pulled the curtain back on the NBA’s most dysfunctional family in the days leading up to the trade deadline.

Here are some highlights lowlights from the worthwhile read:

The root of the Cavs’ problems, Lloyd says, can be traced back to two key issues that unfolded during the offseason. First and foremost, the club’s decision to part ways with woefully underpaid general manager David Griffin, and secondly, the Kyrie Irving trade that shook the foundation of the roster.
While James was vocal about his support for Griffin, team owner Dan Gilbert ultimately gave the job to young, in-house executive Koby Altman. Altman, Lloyd claims, is widely regarded as not ready for the task ahead of him.
The Griffin decision wasn’t the only time the Cavs went against James’ wishes during the offseason. They opted to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman rather than pursue James’ preferred target, veteran Jamal Crawford.
One of the most substantial moves the Cavs made was to deal Irving after his trade request, fearing that his value would decrease if they waited closer to when he hit free agency (in the summer of 2019). James was convinced that he could mend his relationship with the young point guard if only the club held on to him long enough to go through training camp with the team.
According to Lloyd, James essentially has no relationship with either Gilbert or Altman. Griffin would often consult with LeBron and keep him apprised of major roster decisions, but that’s no longer happening — James was informed of the Irving trade about 20 minutes before word of the agreement leaked.
Multiple sources confirmed to Lloyd that James “cursed toward at least two team executives” during the now-infamous team meeting that began with players questioning Kevin Love‘s absence from a practice.

Central Notes: LeBron, Oladipo, Osman

December 17th, 2017 at 4:35pm CST by clarkcrum

LeBron James is well on his way to another First Team All-NBA selection and perhaps a fifth MVP Award. And while the Cavaliers star will be the first to tell you that that he plays for team accomplishments, even he was able to admit how sweet it would be to add more personal hardware to his trophy case, reports Nick Friedell of ESPN. James also elaborated on what his continued excellence over time could mean for future NBA generations.

“Team success is always the No. 1, but along the way if you’re able accomplish some individual awards, individual achievements, it would mean a lot,” James said. “I feel good. This is my 15th year, but this is one of the best years I’ve had as far as how I feel, and I want to continue that. I want to kind of try to break the mold for the next generation.”

“Hopefully I can break the mold, so when the next guy comes, he can still get $200 or $300 million and be 33 years old. I’m serious. You guys are laughing, I’m serious. This is the mold I’m trying to break. It’s not just about me, it’s for the next crew, as well … I’ll be 33 in 15 days. This is my 15th season, and this is the best I’ve felt in my career.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Despite the recent narrative that being traded to Indiana from Oklahoma City (and particularly away from Russell Westbrook) has generated a career season for Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, the opposite is actually true, reports Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Oladipo himself specifically references how Westbrook’s level of play made him realize how much work it takes to become a star. “Going there and seeing (Westbrook) do that, just seeing his year overall last year definitely helped me realize that I gotta put in a lot of work to get on that level,” Oladipo said. “So, he definitely helped influence my growth both on and off the court. He was an amazing resource, especially last year, to learn from him. And I apply it to everyday life today.”
In a piece for the The Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto opines that this season’s Cavaliers team has so far had a much more encouraging regular season than last year’s team. Among other topics, Pluto analyzes the surprising fit of Jose Calderon and general manager Koby Altman’s decision to give him a fully-guaranteed contract, head coach Tyronn Lue’s relationship with newcomer Jeff Green, and how potential All-Star Kevin Love seems to be thriving in an environment without Kyrie Irving.
After being traded to Cleveland from Minnesota on draft night in 2015, Cavaliers swingman Cedi Osman had spent the last two seasons playing overseas in Turkey, waiting for his NBA break to come. And now that he’s in the NBA, Osman is looking to make the most of his opportunity, writes Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. In last night’s win against Utah, Osman scored a career high 10 points in 23 minutes (also a career high), with Lue opting to keep Osman in during crunch time in the fourth quarter.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/26/17

November 26th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Grizzlies recalled forwards Jarell Martin and Ivan Rabb from their Memphis Hustle affiliate, the team announced on its website. Martin, who was sent down Saturday, has played 17 games for the Grizzlies and two for the Hustle. Rabb has appeared in six G League games this season and just one in the NBA.
The Cavaliers have recalled Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic from the Canton Charge one day after they were assigned to the G League team. Both played in Saturday’s game against Long Island, with Osman posting 21 points and eight rebounds and Zizic adding 14 points and seven boards.
The Hawks assigned rookie guard Tyler Dorsey to their Erie affiliate, tweets Michael Cunningham of The Journal Constitution. Dorsey has played seven games for Atlanta and is averaging 2.3 points per night.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/25/17

November 25th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Cavaliers sent forward Cedi Osman and center Ante Zizic to their affiliate in Canton, the team announced on its website. This is Osman’s first trip to the G League, while Zizic has played one game for the Charge. Osman is averaging 1.5 points in 11 games with Cleveland, while Zizic is scoring 1.2 points in six games.
The Grizzlies assigned forward Jarell Martin to their Memphis Hustle affiliate, according to an email from the team. Martin has played 17 games for the Grizzlies, starting 12, and is averaging 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Anthony, Cousins, Wade

September 24th, 2017 at 4:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t expect a firm answer from LeBron James tomorrow when Media Day questions turn to his future, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Monday will mark the first time the Cavaliers star has spoken to reporters since Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the first time since rumors emerged that he has plans to join the Lakers as a free agent next July. LeBron will probably tell the media that he hasn’t made up his mind, which Vardon believes is true.

The talk about LeBron’s next decision will overshadow other issues surrounding the team heading into training camp, such as the condition of Isaiah Thomas‘ hip, the new personnel on hand, the chances of Dwyane Wade coming aboard after a buyout from the Bulls and whether the organization plans to keep or trade the unprotected first-rounder it got from Brooklyn. But Cavaliers fans had better get used to it because LeBron’s future is going to eclipse everything all season.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The Knicks were demanding a first-round pick from the Cavaliers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, Vardon writes in a separate story. Anthony included Cleveland among the three teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join, but the Cavs felt the price was too high.
The Cavaliers are listening to offers for the Brooklyn pick, but it’s unlikely a deal will involve either of the Pelicans’ big men, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops. Rumors have been circulating about DeMarcus Cousins, who will be a free agent next summer, but Amico says the teams haven’t discussed a Cousins trade and the Cavs may not even be interested. Also, Amico hears that New Orleans won’t trade Anthony Davis under any circumstances.
Amico believes Wade is headed to Cleveland, possibly before the season begins. He and the Bulls are ready to part ways, and Amico sees no reason why the buyout should be a lengthy process. He passes along a few other roster details in the same piece, stating that it’s unlikely that Kay Felder or Edy Tavares earns a spot, although both could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Canton; most scouts like Ante Zizic, who was acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, more than Cedi Osman; and the Cavs and Rockets “were at the one-yard line, ready to punch it in” on an Iman Shumpert trade this summer.

Central Notes: Osman, Payne, Crowder

September 1st, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers are in win now mode, in case you haven’t heard, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have a handful of young players who will be hard at work this season trying to carve out long-term roles for themselves.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently broke down some of the team’s young talent, including draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman who signed with the Cavaliers ready to suit up for 2017/18. Likened to a 6’8″ Matthew Dellavedova, Osman could hustle his way into a role in Cleveland’s rotation.

The feature also sheds light on big men Edy Tavares and Ante Zizic. The former, he writes, could be the first cut should the Cavaliers need to free up a roster spot. Zizic, on the other hand, could establish himself as a high-motor rebounder in the mold of Steven Adams.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls may have changed their outlook on Cameron Payne‘s role with the franchise, and not for the better. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that one source close to the team seemed particularly bearish. “We knew the second practice [after he was acquired] that he couldn’t play at [an NBA] level,” the source told Cowley. “The only reason it took two practices was because we thought maybe it was nerves in the first one.”
The Bulls have named Shawn Respert their new Director of Player Development among various other executive-level changes, a press release on the team’s official site states.
While Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas were the big names trading places, the fate of the blockbuster trade between the Cavaliers and Celtics could come down to how well Jae Crowder fares in Cleveland, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.

Cavaliers Sign Cedi Osman

July 18th, 2017 at 11:30am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 18: The Cavaliers have officially announced their new deal with Osman, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.

JULY 12: The Cavaliers have agreed to sign draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman to a three-year contract worth $8.3MM, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link). Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that there are no options in the deal.

Osman’s contract, which was first reported by Turkish outlet beIN Sports, will be finalized using a portion of the Cavaliers’ mid-level exception. With no cap room available, Cleveland had the ability to sign Osman using either the MLE or the minimum salary exception. The mid-level will allow the club to give him more than two years and more than the minimum salary.

A 22-year-old wing, Osman was the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft but has remained overseas since then, playing for Anadolu Efes in Istanbul. In 2016/17, Osman was the club’s leading scorer in Turkish League play, averaging 13.4 PPG and shooting 38.7% on three-pointers in 34 games.

While it remains to be seen whether Osman will be able to contribute immediately in Cleveland, his arrival provides a much-needed injection of youth to an aging Cavaliers roster. With only the $5.192MM taxpayer mid-level exception available to add free agents, few valuable trade chips in hand, and no 2017 draft picks, the Cavs’ ability to add young talent this offseason was very limited.

Of course, while Osman’s new deal looks modest on the surface, the Cavs’ tax position makes it exponentially more expensive. As a repeater taxpaying team that’s already way over the tax threshold, the Cavs would pay more than $4.25 per dollar in tax penalties on Osman’s 2017/18 salary, as things stand.

Current projections have the Cavs on the hook for a $70MM+ tax bill and more than $210MM+ in total salary and taxes, per Bobby Marks of ESPN. The club could reduce its projected tax bill by dumping salary at some point, but that won’t be easy.

It’s also worth noting that the Cavs will contribute about $700K to Osman’s international buyout, according to Windhorst. Teams are permitted to pay up to $675K to a player’s international buyout this season without it counting against the cap (or having to pay tax on that contribution), so Cleveland likely chipped in that amount.

Cavaliers Notes: Crawford, Osman, Lue, Green

July 8th, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers weren’t able to get into a bidding war for Jamal Crawford because they need to keep enough money to sign Cedi Osman, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Cleveland is well over the cap for the upcoming season and wasn’t willing to give Crawford its entire $5.192MM taxpayer mid-level exception. The Cavs will need at least $816K to sign Osman, who has a $1MM buyout with his Turkish team. Crawford will reportedly sign a two-year, $8.9MM deal with the Timberwolves once he clears waivers. Vardon wrote on Friday that the Cavaliers were the favorites to land Crawford, but the Osman negotiations apparently changed that situation.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

Coach Tyronn Lue stayed out of negotiations involving former GM David Griffin and front office recruit Chauncey Billups, Vardon writes in a separate piece. “You know how it affects me, he gave me my job,” was Lue’s only response to a question about Griffin at Friday’s summer league game. It was Griffin’s decision to fire David Blatt and replace him with Lue midway through the 2015/16 championship season. A few months after that title, Griffin rewarded Lue with a five-year, $35MM contract. Griffin could have been replaced by Billups, a close friend of Lue, but he turned down a below-market offer reported at $2MM per year. “Any time you get the chance to advance, be the president and GM, it’s always something great,” Lue said. “I know it’s something he always wanted to do. But I just kind of stayed out of the situation because I was so close to Griff, so close to Chauncey, so I didn’t want anything to do with it.”
The Cavs don’t seem worried about Jeff Green‘s drop in production last season, writes Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal. They signed the 10-year veteran to a one-year, $2.3MM contract on Friday, with ESPN reporting that LeBron James had “active conversations” with Green before the deal was reached. Green has been with four teams in the past three seasons, and averaged just 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds with the Magic last year, the lowest figures of his career in both categories.
Cleveland is limited is what it can offer, but Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com put together a list of seven free agents who might be willing to take a little less to join a team that has been to three straight finals. He names Thabo Sefolosha, Tony Allen, Gerald Henderson, Luc Mbah a Moute, C.J. Miles, Rodney Stuckey and Dewayne Dedmon.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Randolph, Osman, Billups

July 1st, 2017 at 11:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

LeBron James doesn’t plan to do any recruiting for the Cavaliers this summer, reports Dave McMenamin 0f ESPN.com. The move may be a protest against the organization’s decision not to re-sign David Griffin, whom James supported. Regardless, it’s a change in behavior for the team’s most prominent player, who lobbied Kevin Love, Mike Miller and others to come to Cleveland in prior years.

The Cavaliers have been targeting two veterans to serve as backups: point guard Jose Calderon, who signed with the team today, and power forward Zach Randolph. Other teams chasing Randolph have more money to offer than Cleveland does, and McMenamin suggests that a call from James might tip the scales in the Cavs’ favor, but so far nothing has happened.

There’s more tonight out of Cleveland:

In the absence of a GM, assistant GM Koby Altman is handling free agency, McMenamin adds in the same story. The Cavaliers are still negotiating with Chauncey Billups to take over the front office, and he has been in touch with Altman and owner Dan Gilbert regarding the team’s strategy. However, Billups seems in no rush to accept the job and will make his BIG3 League debut on Sunday.
The Cavs are talking to draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman about joining the team next year, McMenamin relays in the same piece. The 6’8″ forward out of Macedonia was the 31st pick in the 2015 draft and was part of the deal that sent Tyus Jones to the Timberwolves.
Cleveland’s GM job has lost some of its appeal, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Cap concerns, front office turmoil and the possibility that James might leave next summer have created a difficult situation for whomever steps into the position.
The signing of Calderon displays the dangers of the repeater tax, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.com. Adding the veteran guard only counts $1.5MM against the cap, but it raises the Cavs’ tax bill from $16.4MM to $20.4MM.