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Cavs Notes: Irving, Love, Bennett

September 22nd, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers are poised to enter the season ahead as favorites to return to the Finals, though that status comes at a cost. They already have about $95MM in guaranteed salary for the season ahead, and a new deal for Tristan Thompson would send that figure, and the tax bill that comes with it, even higher. Thompson on the qualifying offer would give the Cavs a tax bill of roughly $34MM. A max offer, one that Thompson is reportedly insisting upon, would push Cleveland’s tax bill to about $70MM. That would be on top of about $111MM in payroll, bringing the team within hailing distance of Brooklyn’s record outlay of some $190MM in 2013/14. While the Cavs ponder those figures, see the latest from Cleveland:

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Anderson Varejao will all be ready for Cavs training camp when it begins a week from today, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It had previously appeared that Irving, on his way back from the left kneecap fracture he suffered in the Finals, was likely to miss the start of the regular season, with a distinct possibility he’d be out until January. Love said 11 days ago that he was about a month to a month and a half away from returning from shoulder surgery. Mozgov and Varejao are also recovering from surgery.
The Cavs will likely carry the maximum 20 players for camp, Haynes writes in the same piece. That would mean four more deals are on the way, since the Cavs are carrying 16 players, as our roster count shows. Presumably, one of them will be Thompson, whether it’s on the qualifying offer or a new deal, and the Cavs are also reportedly expected to sign former Duke point guard Quinn Cook, though they’ve yet to reach a deal with him as of last check.
No one beyond the Cavaliers considered Anthony Bennett a top-10 pick before the 2013 draft, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Bennett was the No. 6 prospect in that draft a few days before the event took place, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had them ranked, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com listed Bennett fourth in his predraft rankings, so the notion that most teams didn’t have him in the top 10 on their boards is surprising.

Central Notes: Kaun, Irving, Baynes, Pistons

September 6th, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

The first season of Sasha Kaun’s two-year deal with the Cavaliers will be valued at $1.2MM, according to Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. That’ll come out of the taxpayer’s mid-level exception, since the rookie minimum is only $525,093. The Cavs had been carrying a $1.276MM portion of the mid-level after signing Mo Williams, so it appears they’re using most of the rest on Kaun. Cleveland believes it’s important to sign the 30-year-old center for two seasons because of uncertainty among its centers and power forwards, Pluto writes. Tristan Thompson remains unsigned and is rumored to be considering a one-year deal. Timofey Mozgov will become an unrestricted free agent next summer and could get an offer in excess of $100MM. Anderson Varejao and Kevin Love are both coming off serious injuries, and the Cavaliers may want to limit their playing time early in the season, so they may need Kaun to contribute right away.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Despite the decent chance that Kyrie Irving is out until January, the Cavs expect he’ll be ready to play before then, Pluto writes in the same story. The star guard, who is recovering from a fractured kneecap suffered during the NBA Finals, can also expect to see a minutes restriction once he returns to action. The signing of Williams allows the team to take some of the strain off Irving.
Aron Baynes could be an important addition for the Pistons as a backup to Andre Drummond, writes David Mayo of MLive. Responding to a question in his mailbag column, Mayo said he expects Baynes, who signed with Detroit as a free agent this summer, to outperform the numbers he put up in San Antonio. Mayo mentions Spencer Dinwiddie, who will be the backup point guard to start the season with Brandon Jennings still recovering from an Achilles injury, as another player who could surprise.
In the same piece, Mayo picks Reggie Bullock and Adonis Thomas as the most likely “on the bubble” players to earn a spot on Detroit’s roster. The Pistons currently have 17 players with fully guaranteed contracts.

Kyrie Irving Likely To Miss Start Of Season

August 27th, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

The distinct possibility exists that Kyrie Irving won’t play until January because of the left kneecap fracture he suffered in Game 1 of the Finals, a source told Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. He’s unlikely to be ready for opening night even though his rehab remains on track, Haynes hears from multiple sources.

The Cavs spent more on Mo Williams than any other outside free agent this summer, signing him to a two-year deal that will pay him $2.1MM this season. He’ll ostensibly become the starter in Irving’s place, though Cleveland retained Matthew Dellavedova, who stepped in and performed admirably for Irving during the Finals, at the value of his qualifying offer. Iman Shumpert, who re-signed for four years and $40MM, has also seen time at the point, and LeBron James has plenty of experience as a ball-distributor, too.

Still, the Cavs face a challenge to replace Irving’s elite all-around offensive game, one that earned him a max extension that kicks in for this coming season. Cleveland has 13 fully guaranteed deals, leaving two openings for the regular season, though one of those is likely earmarked for Tristan Thompson, who lingers in restricted free agency. They have only $1.276MM on the taxpayer’s mid-level exception to give free agents more than the minimum salary, and because Irving’s injury isn’t thought to be season-ending, they don’t qualify for a disabled player exception. They do have a trade exception worth more than $10.5MM as a vestige of Brendan Haywood‘s contract. The team is encouraging a slow approach for Irving’s rehab, with the goal that he be 100% come the postseason, Haynes writes.

What do you think the Cavs should do, if anything, to offset the loss of Irving for the start of the season?

Eastern Rumors: James, Wells, Pistons

August 3rd, 2015 at 10:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

LeBron James will attend the USA Basketball minicamp meeting next week but will not attend the workouts, the team’s executive director Jerry Colangelo told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Colangelo is uncertain of whether James wants to pursue another Olympic gold medal, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. “One thing I need to find out: is he desirous, is he committed,” Colangelo told Vardon. “I don’t know that right now, and I need to find out at some point. An indicator will come next week when we see who shows up.” Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are expected to attend, though neither Cavs star will participate in the workouts or a scheduled scrimmage because they are still on the mend from their playoff injuries, Colangelo added to Vardon.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Dez Wells has been extended a training camp invite by the Wizards but he’s likely to turn it down, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reports. The rookie guard from the University of Maryland was on Washington’s summer league roster but dislocated his right thumb prior to the Las Vegas summer league and did not play. Wells has five other training camp offers and feels his prospects with the Wizards are dim because they already have 15 players with guaranteed contracts, the story adds.
Adonis Thomas is guaranteed $60K of his $845,059 contract with the Pistons, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 6’7” shooting guard will be battling second-round pick Darrun Hilliard, among others, for a roster spot in training camp.

Central Notes: Middleton, Pistons, Cavaliers

June 6th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks‘ Khris Middleton can expect a huge jump in salary when he hits restricted free agency next month, according to Gene Sapakoff of The Post and Courier. The versatile 24-year-old, who made $915K last season, could command an annual salary in the range of $13M to $15M, Sapakoff writes. After seeing limited playing time as a rookie in 2012/13, Middleton blossomed into a valuable player the past two seasons, ranking among the top 10 this year in ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus ratings. “I didn’t play too many games my first year,” Middleton said. “I was a little nervous. Well, I wouldn’t say nervous but I just wasn’t comfortable I guess. Now I feel like I know what I’m doing out there and I know my style and the game comes to be a lot easier.” Milwaukee is hoping to keep Middleton as part of a young foundation that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams and Jabari Parker.

There’s more news from the Central Division:

The Pistons aren’t counting on signing Golden State’s Draymond Green in free agency this summer, tweets Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Although Detroit would love to add Green to its roster, the front office believes the Warriors will match any offer the restricted free agent receives.
Tristan Thompson has eased the Cavaliers’ pain after losing Kevin Love to injury in the first round of the playoffs, according to Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News. Love, who can opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1, tore his shoulder while chasing a loose ball in an April 26 game against Boston. Thompson stepped into the starting lineup and has averaged a double-double in his place. “It’s my job to be a little nasty, bring the energy, protect the paint and protect our guys,” he said. Thompson will be a restricted free agent this summer.
The Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving had successful surgery this morning on his fractured left kneecap, the team announced. He is not expected to resume basketball activity for three to four months.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Wade, Woods

June 6th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Eddie Scarito

With the sale of the Hawks nearly completed, the situation regarding embattled GM Danny Ferry is still waiting a definitive resolution, Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Schultz predicts the most likely outcome is that Ferry simply resigns and Atlanta gives coach Mike Budenholzer a new contract and more autonomy, and places assistant GM Wes Wilcox in charge of the basketball operations department, at least for the 2015/16 campaign.

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

The Cavaliers announced that point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a fractured left kneecap during the first game of the NBA Finals, and he will require surgery to repair the damage that will keep him out of action for a minimum of three to four months.
In his weekly mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel if he felt that the Heat‘s personnel mistakes have fueled Dwyane Wade‘s concern moving forward. Winderman believes that Wade has lost a good amount of trust in the front office and if the team was winning now, salary might not be such a sticking point for him. The question is whether the Heat are “all in” for 2015/16 and, at present, Winderman isn’t sure that’s the case.
The Magic have expressed interest in Butler big man Kameron Woods, who is not projected to be picked in the upcoming NBA Draft, David Woods of The Indianapolis Star writes. The team interviewed Woods last week, and could be looking to sign the forward as a free agent after the draft, the Indy Star scribe adds.
The Pistons are holding workouts today for Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Kevon Looney (UCLA), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), D.J. Newbill (Penn State), Will Cummings (Temple), and Juwan Howard Jr. (Detroit), Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Cavs Rumors: Thompson, Irving, Dellavedova

May 25th, 2015 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson is flattered that LeBron James thinks so highly of him but offered no insights regarding his future, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. James expressed hope on Monday that Thompson, a restricted free agent, would remain with the club throughout his career. That was welcome news to Thompson. “I appreciate the compliment, if that’s a compliment, from LeBron,” Thompson said to reporters covering the Eastern Conference Finals. “I’m just here to work, to just come into work and do what the team asks of me — whether it’s on the court, off the court, in the community — and just be a professional.” Thompson turned down a four-year, $52MM offer prior to the season and could get max deal in free agency, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. The Cavs will have some serious competition to retain Thompson since teams have quietly expressed interest in signing Thompson to an offer sheet, league sources told Haynes. `

In other news regarding the Cavaliers:

Some of Kyrie Irving‘s teammates may be privately questioning his ability to play with pain after Irving sat out the last two playoff games, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Irving has been sidelined by left knee tendinitis. Iman Shumpert, while not overtly targeting Irving, spoke of how players need to push through their pain, Vardon continues. James indicated that Irving’s absence has sapped his energy because he must handle the ball more often. “That takes the wear on your legs throughout the course of the game,” James said during a press conference. Coach David Blatt said Irving’s teammates were not frustrated with him for missing games but just anxious to have him return to action, Vardon adds.
The league needs to take a harsher stance against Matthew Dellavedova, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun opines. Dellavedova plays too recklessly, according to Ganter, which leads to too many altercations with opponents. Taj Gibson and Al Horford were ejected from playoff games after incidents involving Dellavedova and Kyle Korver suffered a severely sprained ankle when Dellavedova rolled up on his leg diving for a loose ball. If the NBA fails to crack down on Dellavedova, it could lead to a more serious altercation, Ganter believes.

James, Curry, Harden Lead All-NBA Teams

May 21st, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Chuck Myron

LeBron James and Stephen Curry finished atop the voting for the All-NBA Teams, with James Harden, Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol joining them on the first team, the league announced via press release. Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins comprise the second team. Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Tim Duncan, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving make up the third team.

Curry, the league’s MVP, and James each received 645 points through a system in which five points are awarded a first team vote, three points go for a second team vote and one point is given for a third team vote. The duo garnered 129 first team votes each, making them unanimous first team selections. They were followed closely by Harden, with 125 first team votes and 637 points, and Davis, who had 119 first team votes and 625 points. Marc Gasol, who’s heading into free agency, wasn’t as widely seen as a first-teamer by the media members who cast their ballots, rounding out the squad with 65 first-team votes and 453.

Every member of the second team received at least one first team vote, and Thompson and Irving were the only members of the third team not to get a first team vote. Al Horford also received a first team vote even though he didn’t make any of the teams. The NBA will soon display the votes of each media member on its website, but the league has already distributed the information via press release, so click here to check it out in PDF form.

Eastern Notes: LeBron, Irving, Stevens, Shved

March 31st, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The relationship between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving was “rocky” at points earlier this season, Irving admits, but it’s grown into a bond that appears much stronger than the one between James and Kevin Love, as Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group details. Love and James say it doesn’t matter whether they become as tight as Irving and James are as long as they can develop a greater on-court connection, Vardon writes.

“People get so infatuated with the best of friends, things of that nature,” James said. “First of all, I’ve got three very good friends in this league, and that’s Carmelo [Anthony], and that’s C.P. [Chris Paul], and that’s [Dwyane Wade] Wade. And after that I have a bunch of teammates. I have guys I ride for every day. But Kyrie is a guy I understand how important he is to this team, how important he is. And the same with Kev as well.”

James and Love can opt out to hit free agency this summer, while Irving will enter year one of his five-year extension next season. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS hears “some Brad Stevens chatter” in connection to the University of Texas coaching job (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether there’s interest on either side, though Texas athletics director Steve Patterson has spoken with NBA coaching agents of late, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Davis identifies Avery Johnson as a possible sleeper for the job. Stevens is just finishing up the second season of a six-year, $22MM deal and there have been no indications that he wants to leave the Celtics. Further, the Celtics would probably deny him permission to go, as Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com surmises (Twitter link).
Alexey Shved loves playing for coach Derek Fisher and is open to re-signing with New York after his contract expires this summer, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). The Knicks can make Shved a restricted free agent if they tender a qualifying offer of nearly $4.103MM.
The Cavs have assigned Joe Harris to the D-League, the team announced. It’s the eighth time Cleveland has sent last year’s 33rd overall pick to its affiliate, though none of the seven previous assignments have lasted as long as a week, as our leaguewide assignments/recalls log shows.

Eastern Notes: Irving, Heat, Scott, Perkins

March 16th, 2015 at 4:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reports last season that made claims of a rift between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters and alleged that Irving wanted to leave the Cavaliers put a strain on the point guard, as he tells Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Irving silenced much of the chatter when he agreed to a five-year extension with Cleveland on the first day he could this past July.

“It really got to me,” Irving said of the rumors. “I’m not a big Twitter person and I don’t tweet a lot of my emotions, but last year I was clarifying because there were so many sources. I’m dealing with people coming at my character. Saying I’m detrimental to my teammates and I’m like, ‘Man, that’s not even close to who I am at all.’ It started to get to me because once people start to question the things that you’re doing, and you know you’re not doing them, then it starts to get to you.”

There’s more on the Cavs amid the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

Dwyane Wade believes Goran Dragic is a fit for the Heat, but even if he re-signs and Chris Bosh and Josh McRoberts return healthy for next season, Wade thinks the team would still need to add more to return to contention, as he told Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post.
Mike Scott is expected to miss four to six weeks with his broken left big toe, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks signed Austin Daye on Saturday to a 10-day contract to help offset the loss. The regular season ends four weeks from this coming Wednesday.
Kendrick Perkins is enthusiastic about the way he’s fit in with the Cavs and the warm reception his new teammates have given him, as he tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). Perkins, who nonetheless added that he misses his former Thunder teammates, will once more hit free agency in the summer.
Public funding for pro sports facilities is coming under fire from President Obama, who’s proposed eliminating the ability for states and cities to use bonds that are exempt from federal taxes to raise money for construction, reports Elaine S. Povich of Stateline (USA Today link). It’s unclear whether that would affect the Bucks‘ plan, which is based on a “jock tax” that draws from players.