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Windhorst On Cavs: Thompson, Hawes, Griffin

April 4th, 2014 at 9:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Robert Attenweiler of Cavs:The Blog.com chatted with ESPN’s Brian WIndhorst about the Cavs. The entire article is worth a read, but here are some of the highlights from their Q & A session:

Windhorst believes re-signing Tristan Thompson is very dangerous. He thinks the team shouldn’t extend him this summer and let him test his market in free agency. Thompson is looking for a salary in the $10MM range, and Windhorst doesn’t think the team should pay more than $8MM.
He believes Spencer Hawes has a future with the Cavs, but only at a salary similar to his current $6.5MM. Windhorst mentions that Cleveland will need to overpay to attract unrestricted free agents, but long-term deals to players like Hawes and Luol Deng carry big risks.
The team most likely won’t keep David Griffin as GM beyond this season, Windhorst opines. He believes that team owner Dan Gilbert will “swing for the moon” and go out and make a big name hire.
One of those names might be Isiah Thomas. Windhorst says that, “Thomas wants the job really bad. He’s pretty much out in New York. His influence is over. He’s met with Gilbert a couple of times – they had lunch or dinner together – and he really wants it. I think Gilbert is charmed by him, as everyone else is.“
Windhorst believes that Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland. He says, “The truth is [Kyrie’s] camp has been putting out there for years – years – that he doesn’t want to be in Cleveland. That they don’t want him in Cleveland. He doesn’t like Mike Brown. He didn’t like Chris Grant. He doesn’t like Dion Waiters. He’s already gotten a General Manager fired. He might get Mike Brown fired. This is the last time – once he signs he loses all of his leverage – so this is the last time he gets to enact leverage. I know he’s said all the right things so, fine, on July 1, when they offer a max contract – which they will – and I don’t even know if he’s a max player, but you have to sign him – sign a five-year, no out. That’s what a max contract is. A max contract is five years, no out. If you want out or you want three years, that’s not a max contract. You want three years? Okay, we’ll give you $12MM a year. We’re not giving you the full thing.”
He doesn’t think Irving leaving would have a negative effect on their chances to lure LeBron James back to town. Windhorst believes the team would have to trade Irving to accommodate LeBron, and said, “LeBron and Kyrie have drifted apart in the last few years, even to the point that if the Cavs wanted to get LeBron they would maybe trade Kyrie for someone who would fit better with LeBron.”

Kennedy Notes: Draft, Gasol, Sixers

April 4th, 2014 at 8:34pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders held his weekly chat. He touched on a number of topics, and some of the highlights are listed below:

Kennedy believes the biggest sleeper pick in the upcoming NBA Draft is Wichita State’s Cleanthony Early. He also believes the player most likely to be taken too high is Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein.
Pau Gasol is most likely done with the Lakers after this season, opines Kennedy. He cites the Lakers’ desire to have cap flexibility heading into the summer of 2015, as well as Gasol’s reluctance to be part of a rebuild.
On who the Sixers will take in the draft, Kennedy believes the team will simply select the best two players available. His draft scenario has the team selecting Andrew Wiggins and Dario Saric.
He doesn’t believe that Victor Oladipo is the long term answer for the Magic at point guard. Kennedy believes the team should look at drafting Dante Exum and keeping Oladipo at shooting guard.
Kennedy also believes the rumors that Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland. He opines that Irving might sign an extension and then demand a trade from the Cavs.

Eastern Notes: Irving, Bayless, Hoiberg

March 31st, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics coach Brad Stevens would like to see Jerryd Bayless return to the team next season, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Stevens said, “You don’t know how all the numbers are going to work themselves out and all the different people, but he’s a good guy to have on your team. He’s bright, he thinks about the game on both ends of the floor, he’s physical, and he can score the ball in a flurry. I like him and I’d like to have him. At the same time, I don’t know how all that stuff is going to work itself out. I’m a big fan of Jerryd Bayless; I like him.” In 35 appearances for Boston, Bayless is averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG in 24.7 minutes per contest.

Kyrie Irving Done For Season?

March 17th, 2014 at 6:03pm CST by Zachary Links

6:03pm: Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a biceps strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As of right now the Cavs have no plans to shut him down for the season tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.

8:00am: The Cavs’ 102-80 loss to the Clippers last night is the least of their worries. Cleveland might have also lost star guard Kyrie Irving for the season, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer.

Irving exited the game with a left biceps injury late in the first quarter and left the arena with his left arm in a sling. While he is scheduled to have an MRI today in Cleveland, two NBA sources indicated the injury could be severe enough to end his season in the worst case scenario. That could turn out to be a death blow for the Cavs who are 4.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Hawks with 15 games to go.

The All-Star guard has been tough all season long, having missed just three games this year with a left knee contusion and even playing through a broken nose suffered back in November. In 64 games this season, Irving has averaged 21.2 PPG and 6.2 APG in 35.5 minutes per night with a PER of 20.0, a small step below the previous two seasons.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Irving, Billups, Bucks

February 25th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kyrie Irving denies that he wants out of Cleveland, but those close to him have long made it known that he’d like to play elsewhere, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Some members of the Cavs organization aren’t sure that he’s deserving of a maximum-salary contract, though it’s likely that Cleveland will seek to extend Irving this summer and make him its Designated Player, Windhorst writes. The starting salary in such a deal would have to be for the max. Irving may prefer to sign a shorter deal that gives him the ability to opt out and hit unrestricted free agency more quickly, as Windhorst examines in a piece that looks forward to what promises to be one of the offseason’s marquee story lines. Here’s more from the Central Division:

Chauncey Billups hopes to make it back from a torn left meniscus this season, but he acknowledges the injury may prompt him to retire, MLive’s David Mayo observes. The Pistons hold a team option worth $2.5MM for the final season of their contract with Billups next year.
Former Bucks swingman Junior Bridgeman is interested in buying a minority stake in the team, reports Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel, who adds that the Bucks are high on the idea, too. Owner Herb Kohl has been seeking investors willing to buy minority shares of the team. Bridgeman owns a share of the Kings that he would have to divest before buying into the Bucks.
Mike D’Antoni spoke to Pacers assistant coach Nate McMillan about a gig on the Lakers staff before he took his job with Indiana, as McMillan tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Cavs Notes: Irving, Deng, Jack, Zeller

February 22nd, 2014 at 8:21pm CST by Cray Allred

Interim Cavs GM David Griffin tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald that no player in Cleveland is “untouchable,” including Kyrie Irving. “As a franchise, it is my philosophy that absolutely no one is untouchable in any area. Why would you ever do that? It doesn’t make any sense to me.” says Griffin. “That doesn’t mean anybody’s ever going to go away, either, because untouchable and tradable are different things. I don’t want to get into semantics, but untouchable is a ridiculous word.” Here are some more Cavs notes from Finnan’s article:

Griffin also told Finnan that it was “exhilarating” to be at the front of negotiations through the trade deadline for the first time. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “Running it and being the name of record are different. I’ve run the trade deadline and I’ve been the one to have to make sure all the i’s were dotted and the t’s were crossed. But I was never the one in the paper tomorrow that’s going to be a moron. That part for me was unique. That experience was different.”
Sources tell Finnan that the Cavs worked unsuccessfully to move Luol Deng, Jarrett Jack, and Tyler Zeller before the trade deadline. Griffin says that the Cavs didn’t come close to moving Deng.
Finnan says there were some talks of the Cavs trying to trade for Pierre Jackson, the unsigned Pelicans rookie who is headed to Turkey.

Central Rumors: Turner, Bulls, Pacers, Cavs

February 20th, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

NBA executives are praising the Pacers for their acquisition of Evan Turner because it improves their team, reduces payroll, and gives them leverage with Lance Stephenson when he’s a free agent next summer, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. This may prove to be just a short-term rental for the Pacers as they swapped one pending free agent for another, but it’s definitely an upgrade for their club in the here and now. Here’s more out of the Central..

Despite some rumors to the contrary, the Bulls showed no desire to move Mike Dunleavy because he’s an affordable rotation player who fits next season, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. For his part, Tom Thibodeau is satisfied with what was a quiet deadline for the Bulls.
The Cavs have a vacant roster spot and will fill it through free agency or a D-League signing, but GM David Griffin says that he’ll take his time to identify the club’s biggest need, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
With the Turner deal, the Pacers have sent a strong message to the Heat that they are ready to take it all this season, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Turner will allow the Pacers to play small at times, matching up with teams that use quick lineups. More importantly, he brings serious ball-handling skills to the table, which should help round out the Indiana offense nicely.
While the addition of Turner could be a boost on paper, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders fears that the Pacers could be making a mistake by messing with their chemistry.
With the smart (but painful) trade, the Pacers put themselves in great position for the remainder of the year, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
If Roger Mason Jr, clears waivers, he could be a candidate for the Bulls when Jarvis Varnado‘s 10-day pact expires, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
In today’s presser, a reporter asked Griffin if he considers Cavs star Kyrie Irving an untouchable. He explained that his philosophy is that no one is untouchable, tweets the Plain Dealer. Meanwhile, Griffin says that he wasn’t close to a deal for Luol Deng, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, but he added that if he didn’t listen, he wouldn’t be doing his job.
Amico gives Griffin a thumbs up for his first trade deadline as Cavs GM.

Odds & Ends: Anthony, Williams, Hardaway Jr.

February 14th, 2014 at 11:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It was reported earlier that Carmelo Anthony might be willing to take a pay cut to remain with the Knicks if it would help the team contend for a championship. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examines what that would mean for the team going forward. According to Begley, it would be of no help to the team in 2014/2015 no matter how much money Anthony left on the table. If Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani remain on the roster by exercising their player options, the Knicks’ payroll would be over the projected salary-cap line of $62.9MM even without ‘Melo on the team. It is during the 2015/2016 season where the team could reap the benefits. If Anthony signs a max deal, his salary that season will be $24,142,789, and the team would have five players under contract at a total of $39,492,533. This is barring any high-priced additions between now and then with contracts that run through 2015/2016. If Anthony takes a pay cut, it would leave the Knicks enough room to pursue Kevin Love and Rajon Rondo, and would allow the team to add more depth to the roster, a necessary element to contend for a title.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Jackson, Gordon, Ennis

February 12th, 2014 at 11:41pm CST by Cray Allred

The Cavs have won four straight since firing former GM Chris Grant. One of interim GM David Griffin‘s priorities was to improve the rumored chaos in the Cleveland locker room according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). Amico says that Griffin told both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters they would not be traded, and urged the team to have fun and avoid stress (Twitter link), which could explain some of the team’s sudden positivity. Here are the rest of the notes from around the league:

Mark Jackson took some critical comments made earlier by Warriors owner Joe Lacob in stride, per Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group. Jackson said he “understands” why the owner is disappointed with the team’s performance, adding, with a laugh: “I stopped reading [Lacob’s comments]. I was getting depressed.”
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders said he wouldn’t be surprised if Ben Gordon wound up on the Suns before the upcoming trade deadline, in response to a tweeted question he received (Twitter link). This would fall in line with the Suns’ reported preference of landing a perimeter player.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim doesn’t think consensus top-10 draft prospect Tyler Ennis will enter the draft this summer, per Seth Davis of SI.com. “I think he knows and his father knows that he’s a really good college player. He has to become a better shooter and get stronger to go to the next level,” said Boeheim. “He’d go in the first round, but look at the number of first-round picks who are already out of the league in the last two years. It’s a huge number.” (hat tip to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv)
Representatives from the Bulls attended a Eurobasket game to get a look at Nolan Smith, per David Pick of Eurobasket.com. The 25-year-old point guard spent two years with the Blazers, and was expected to join the Celtics for training camp this summer before heading overseas. Smith has averaged 9.9 minutes per game in his NBA career, and declined in nearly every statistical category last year.
Free agent Brian Cook is attempting to make an NBA return, according to a source for Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). The 33-year-old has nine years of NBA experience, but he hasn’t played in the NBA since splitting time with the Clippers and Wizards in the 2011/12 season.

Eastern Notes: Magic, Cavs, Knicks

February 11th, 2014 at 6:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Magic GM Rob Hennigan tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that he’s not actively looking to pursue deals right now: “We’re exploring all options that may improve our team…But in terms of aggressively, actively trying to do something? I would say no [we’re not].”

In that same piece however, Robbins adds that Orlando could make at least one move before the deadline, and much of the trade speculation has revolved around Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Glen Davis. Afflalo – whose 19.6 PPG and 5.0 FTA this season represent career bests – is likely drawing the most interest at this point.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference this evening:

Looking at what he calls a “mess” in Cleveland, Ric Bucher of the Bleacher Report revisits some of the Cavaliers’ roster decisions since Kyrie Irving‘s arrival in order to describe how they got to this point, including their decision to bypass Jonas Valanciunas in the 2011 draft, hiring Mike Brown, and failing to provide a veteran mentor for Irving. In spite of this, he believes there’s still time to right the ship, especially if the front office- led by interim GM David Griffin – can piece together a roster that compliments rather than saddles Irving.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News doesn’t buy speculation about Knicks owner James Dolan considering a Carmelo Anthony trade to the Bulls, and thinks that the seven-time All-Star will ultimately stay in New York beyond this summer. Even if Anthony were to bolt, Isola doesn’t believe it’d be the end of the world; with Andrea Bargnani, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler coming off the books in 2015, New York could target a star like Kevin Durant with their ample cap space (All Twitter links).
ESPN New York’s Ian Begley weighs in on the rumblings surrounding Iman Shumpert and Kenneth Faried from the Knicks’ persepctive, saying that acquiring Faried – though he’d be a plus – doesn’t address their backcourt needs and cuts into their 2015 cap flexibility.
As for the Wizards’ reported interest in Beno Udrih, Begley notes that a one-for-one swap for either Glen Rice Jr. or Al Harrington is feasible, but only from a salary-matching standpoint. Regardless, I think Begley would agree that Washington probably wouldn’t be open to giving up a 23-year-old prospect like Rice Jr. in order to solely acquire a 31-year-old backup point guard.