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Cavaliers Fire Tyronn Lue

October 28th, 2018 at 11:49am CST by Arthur Hill

1:44pm: The Cavaliers have made the firing of Tyronn Lue official, confirming the news in a press release. The team also confirmed Larry Drew will take over as interim head coach.

“This was a very difficult decision. It is especially so, considering Coach Lue’s time with us over the last four years, including four straight trips to the NBA Finals,” general manager Koby Altman said. “We have respect and great admiration for Ty, not only as a coach, but a person. We thank him for the many ways he has contributed to our success, wish him the best and he will always be remembered for leading a very special Cavs team back against the odds to win the title in 2016. This is a different team equation, though, and one that we felt needed a different voice and approach that required this change.”

10:14am: After an 0-6 start, Tyronn Lue has been dismissed as head coach of the Cavaliers, tweets Joe Vardon of The Athletic. The decision was announced following a meeting this morning between Lue and GM Koby Altman (Twitter link). Assistant Larry Drew will serve as interim coach while the team looks for a replacement, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Drew will run practice today, and Altman and owner Dan Gilbert are hoping he will accept the interim job with a chance to earn a full-time head coaching position, Wojnarowski tweets. However, Drew is hoping for a longer commitment right away.

Lue compiled a 128-83 record after replacing David Blatt midway through the 2015/16 season. He led the organization to its only championship and took the Cavs back to the NBA Finals the past two seasons. Lue received a five-year, $35MM contract extension after winning the title in 2016 and is still owed about $15MM (Twitter link).

Of course, that was with LeBron James, who departed for the Lakers in free agency over the summer. Cleveland was expected to have a difficult transition with James gone, but the front office had hoped enough veteran talent was still in place to contend for the playoffs. The organization gave a four-year extension to Kevin Love over the offseason as a sign that it wasn’t ready to start rebuilding.

However, the Cavaliers got off to a miserable start, not only losing their first six games, but struggling to remain competitive. The team hasn’t held a lead after halftime all season and has trailed by at least 16 points in every game, Vardon noted in a recap of Saturday’s loss to the Pacers. The Cavs have been especially bad at home, where they have dropped three games by a combined 50 points.

Lue urged patience after the latest defeat, contending there’s more to building success than just the team’s record.

“I don’t think you define culture off of wins and losses,” he said. “I think you define culture on how the organization is a class-A organization, and with Dan Gilbert at the helm, it’s always going to be that way. I think it’s about the players you bring in. It’s about your coaching staff and who you surround the people with, so, culture is not defined by wins and losses.”

Cavaliers players are angry about the decision to replace Lue and some are reacting on social media, Vardon relays in a full story on the move. Love posted a photo of him with Lue on Instagram along with a message thanking his former coach for all his help. Lue and Altman have been clashing on the direction of the team since training camp, Vardon adds.

Altman wanted to devote more playing time to younger players such as Cedi Osman and first-round pick Collin Sexton, and after two early losses Lue and Altman told veterans J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and Channing Frye that their minutes were being reduced. However, after being embarrassed by the Hawks in their home opener, Lue decided to put Korver and Smith back in the rotation.

The Cavs have also dismissed assistant coach Damon Jones, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cavaliers Notes: Leonard, Hood, Calderon, Drew

April 4th, 2018 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers will be among the teams reaching out to the Spurs this offseason about Kawhi Leonard, sources tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. There have been reports that teams around the league believe Leonard may be available because of the season-long drama surrounding his quad injury.

The Cavs have a valuable asset to offer in the unprotected Nets pick, and although it’s not certain they would part with the selection, Amico writes that it will probably be the first thing the Spurs ask for. Brooklyn is seventh in our latest Reverse Standings, but is only one loss away from moving into a tie for fourth.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Shooting guard Rodney Hood has a big fan in teammate LeBron James, Amico adds in a separate story. James is counting on Hood to be an important contributor in the playoffs and believes he has a bright future with the team. Acquired from the Jazz at the trade deadline, Hood is averaging 11.2 points in 19 games with Cleveland. He will be eligible for an extension this summer.
The Cavaliers have been through a lot of point guards this season, but veteran Jose Calderon continues to stand out, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 36-year-old had a season-high 19 points to go with four assists and just one turnover in Tuesday’s win against the East-leading Raptors. “Jose is just a guy, he just knows his position,” interim coach Larry Drew said. “He knows how to play his position. He’s not quick. He’s not fast. He doesn’t do a lot of things out on the court that are very sexy, but he just gets things done and little things like that, big men have an appreciation for. Kevin [Love] knows that if he sets a good screen on Jose’s guy, chances are he’s going to be open. The two of them out on the floor, they really mesh real well.”
Drew deserves credit for helping to save the Cavs’ season when head coach Tyronn Lue was sidelined by health problems, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The team is 8-1 since Drew took over on March 19 and appears to be playing its best basketball heading into the postseason. Lue plans to resume head coaching duties Thursday.

Cavaliers Notes: Lue, Drew, Injuries, Zizic

March 20th, 2018 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Tyronn Lue announced on Monday morning that the head coach would be taking a leave of absence for health reasons, and that was just the start of another eventful day in the life of the 2017/18 Cavs. Later, Cleveland confirmed that Kevin Love would be making his long-awaited return from a hand injury on Monday night. The team later went out and grabbed a dramatic 124-117 win over the Bucks, with LeBron James posting a rare 40-point triple-double.

As Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post writes, the day was emblematic of the Cavaliers’ season as a whole, which has been filled with ups and downs, with one thing happening after another all year long. While the roster appears to be getting healthy as the regular season nears an end, the same can’t be said for its head coach, whose health will be the franchise’s top concern in the coming weeks. Lue hopes to return well before the playoffs get underway, according to Bontemps.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

Before Lue’s leave of absence was announced, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com wrote in a mailbag that he doesn’t think the Cavs’ head coach is on the hot seat. As long as Lue is healthy, Vardon assumes that he’ll continue to be the coach in Cleveland next season.
Interim head coach Larry Drew found out at 1:30 on Monday morning that he’d be taking over for Lue for the time being, Vardon writes in another Cleveland.com article. Vardon notes that the process of having Lue step down temporarily was initiated by GM Koby Altman, adding that it’s expected to take about a week for Lue’s body to become accustomed to the new medication he’s on.
With so many players set to return from injuries for the Cavs, Drew plans to give Lue a call to get his input on some lineup decisions, per Vardon. “We’ll talk about it,” Drew said. “He’s got the final say-so. Whatever he wants, then that’s what we’re going to go with. But if he tells me to make a decision, then I’ll have to make a decision.” Although Love is back, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance, Tristan Thompson, and Cedi Osman are all still dealing with various injuries.
Speaking of Thompson, given the way Ante Zizic has been playing during the veteran’s absence, the Cavs will soon have to figure out how to balance the frontcourt minutes, says Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Zizic posted 13 points and six boards during Cleveland’s win on Monday, and has been making a case for a more regular role.

Tyronn Lue Taking Leave Of Absence For Health Reasons

March 19th, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

10:31am: Lue will be on a one-week plan to address his health issues, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). For now, the hope is that Lue will be able to return to coaching next week.

10:04am: Tyronn Lue is taking a leave of absence from his job as the Cavaliers’ head coach for health reasons, he announced today in a statement. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Lue had been considering this option for several weeks, but had resisted until now. Associate head coach Larry Drew will take over for Lue on an interim basis, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“After many conversations with our doctors and [GM] Koby [Altman] and much thought given to what is best for the team and my health, I need to step back from coaching for the time being and focus on trying to establish a stronger and healthier foundation from which to coach for the rest of the season,” Lue said in a statement. “I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year. Despite a battery of tests, there have been no conclusions as to what the exact issue is.

“While I have tried to work through it, the last thing I want is for it to affect the team,” Lue continued. “I am going to use this time to focus on a prescribed routine and medication, which has previously been difficult to start in the midst of a season. My goal is to come out of it a stronger and healthier version of myself so I can continue to lead this team to the Championship we are all working towards.”

As Lue noted in his statement, he has been battling health problems for several months. The Cavs’ head coach didn’t return to Cleveland’s bench during the second half of Saturday’s game against the Bulls — he has now missed multiple shootarounds, parts of multiple games, and at least one practice this season due to his illness, per Cleveland.com.

It’s not clear at this point how much time Lue will have to miss. We wish him the best during his recovery.

Cavaliers Notes: Lue, Smith, Defense, Blatt

January 21st, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are in their worst position since LeBron James returned and nobody is sure what’s coming next, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Dan Gilbert is known as an emotional and reactionary owner, and giving up 148 points to the Thunder on Saturday may push him to make a move. That could be a trade, alterations to the lineup or changes on the coaching staff.

Head coach Tyronn Lue is probably safe because there is no obvious choice to replace him. If Lue is dismissed, assistants Larry Drew and Mike Longabardi would probably follow, and Jim Boylan isn’t viewed as a potential head coach, according to Lloyd. The other assistants, James Posey, Phil Handy and Damon Jones, don’t have the experience to handle a high-profile team like the Cavaliers. Someone outside the organization would be put in a difficult position trying to install a new system in the middle of a season, Lloyd adds.

There’s more news out of Cleveand:

The Cavs aren’t getting much production from J.R. Smith, but they don’t have a good option to replace him until Iman Shumpert returns from knee surgery, Lloyd adds in the same story. Kyle Korver isn’t an option to start at age 36, and Cedi Osman isn’t a long-term solution. Dwyane Wade began the season as a starter, but has settled into his role as the leader of the second unit. Another problem is the poor play of Jae Crowder, Lloyd writes, which could force Lue to reinsert Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup and put Channing Frye back in the rotation.
Personnel changes are the only thing that can fix the mess in Cleveland, contends Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. The Cavaliers aren’t as good as they appear on offense, he writes, with poor ball movement and too much one-on-one play that leads to too many 3-pointers. They’re even worse at the other end of the court, with no rim protectors and no strong defenders on the perimeter. “I think it’s tough for us one-on-one [to defend],” Lue said Saturday when asked whether the issue was personnel or effort. “Look at the final score — you score 124 and still lose by 24, that’s tough to swallow.”
The Cavaliers’ problems haven’t escaped the notice of former coach David Blatt, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. “I hope we don’t give up as many points as Cleveland did last night,” Blatt said before the Turkish All-Star Game.

Heat Notes: Wade, Hammons, Mickey

September 8th, 2017 at 8:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dwyane Wade may soon find himself on the free agent market if he and the Bulls can agree to a buyout. It was recently reported that a reunion with the Heat remains a realistic option, as the 35-year-old recently moved his children back to the Miami area.

The Heat appear to already have a starting shooting guard in place after inking Dion Waiters to a four-year, $52MM deal this summer, though the former No. 4 overall pick is open to playing alongside the future Hall of Famer. Waiter previously told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he admires Wade and would like to learn from the experienced veteran.

Miami brought back Waiters along with other pieces from its 2016/17 lottery campaign after failing to land a star in free agency yet again. While Wade can no longer be categorized as a star, adding him to the unit should only help the team to climb higher in the standings. Regardless of whether or not the franchise adds Wade, it has a decent chance of avoiding the lottery this season, as ESPN statistician Kevin Pelton projects Miami to end up with the No. 7 seed in the conference.

As we wait to see where Wade ends up playing, check out some notes from Miami:

Assuming the Heat don’t land Wade, A.J. Hammons and Jordan Mickey are the front-runners for the team’s final two roster spots, Jackson writes in a full-length piece. The scribe adds that Matt Williams is a legitimate candidate for one of the spots should the team decide to waive one of its big men.
Jackson hears (same piece) that two separate scouts have concerns about Hammons’ maturity level and he identifies one of the scouts as a member of the Mavericks’ staff. Hammons was selected by Dallas in the 2016 draft, though he was traded to the Heat this summer.
Larry Drew II, who will go to training camp with the Heat, doesn’t appear to have a realistic chance at making the team, Ira Winderman on the Sun-Sentinel contends. The team currently has 18 invites for camp and with only 15 roster spots and a pair of two-way contracts, the point guard could be the odd man out.

And-Ones: Pressey, Cavs, Rose, Bulls

September 15th, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors have acquired the D-League rights to training camp invitee Phil Pressey via a trade with the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, according to a press release from the Salt Lake City Stars. The Santa Cruz Warriors secured the returning player rights of Pressey in exchange for the same rights to point guard Aaron Craft and a 2017 D-League second-round pick. Pressey, a 25-year-old point guard, signed what is believed to be a non-guaranteed, one-year contract with Golden State, which already has 16 other players under contract. By acquiring his D-League rights, the Warriors can not only ship him to their affiliate if he makes the 15-man roster but also keep him in the organization even if he doesn’t secure a spot.

In other news around the league:

The Cavs are renegotiating the contract of assistant coach Larry Drew, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports. The former head coach of the Hawks and Bucks will be head coach Tyronn Lue’s chief assistant and associate head coach this season. Drew, who is entering his third season with Cleveland, will get a raise but the two sides are still working out the details, Vardon adds.
Attorneys for the woman who has accused Knicks point guard Derrick Rose of sexual assault are demanding an NBA investigation into the 2013 incident, Julia Marsh of the New York Post relays. Waukeen McCoy, one of those lawyers, suggested that the league and team should enforce the morality clause in Rose’s contract and suspend him, Marsh adds. A lawsuit filed in California is scheduled for trial on October 4.
Nate Loenser has been the named the head coach of the Bulls’ new D-League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, the team announced via press release. Loenser was the Chicago Bulls’ video coordinator last season. He’s also coached at Southern Mississippi and Iowa State. Bulls assistant GM Brian Hagen will also serve as Windy City’s GM.
Guard Langston Galloway signed a two-year, $10MM contract with the Pelicans but he still doesn’t think he’s established himself in the league, as he told Jake Rauchbach of Basketball Insiders in an exclusive interview. “I’ve got a lot to prove,” Galloway told Rauchbach. “I want to be one of those top guys one day and I gotta go out and prove it to each of the guys that I play against every night. Like, ‘Hey, I am trying to be at that level.’ That’s what I gotta go out there and do.”

Southeast Notes: Ferry, Budenholzer, Dragic

October 6th, 2015 at 10:19am CST by Chuck Myron

Mike Budenholzer and former Hawks GM Danny Ferry are close, but Budenholzer encouraged Ferry to resign in September 2014 so that the Hawks could more easily put their racism scandal behind them before the opening of training camp last season, report Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Their piece goes deep into the downfall of Ferry, who instead went on a leave of absence that extended until he took a buyout this past summer, and the team’s previous ownership group, one that had lost money each year since it purchased the franchise in 2004, Arnovitz and Windhorst reveal. Former controlling owner Bruce Levenson had nonetheless structured a long-term deal for Ferry when he hired the executive, one that other GMs called the “Golden Ticket” for its favorability to the former Spurs and Cavs executive, Arnovitz and Windhorst write. Prominent co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. opposed that deal and never saw eye-to-eye with Ferry, who upset him on several occasions, such as when Ferry had harsh words for former coach Larry Drew, according to Arnovitz and Windhorst.

See more on the Hawks amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

Gearon didn’t initially take issue with the tenor of Levenson’s racially charged 2012 email — the one that ultimately led to his decision to sell the team, as Arnovitz and Windhorst detail in the same piece. Gearon instead put pressure on Levenson when the email again came up amid an internal investigation that Ferry’s racial comments touched off, and when a reporter was coming close to breaking the story of the scandal, Levenson decided to take a proactive step and announce his intention to sell, the ESPN scribes recount. Levenson remained a fan of Ferry and nearly brought him back before the sale took place, but the team’s renaissance worked against that, as Levenson decided too much was going right to risk disruption.
Goran Dragic is wistful about no longer playing with his brother, but he re-signed with the Heat without assurances they would keep Zoran Dragic and was on board when the team traded him, as he explains to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “I was sad, of course,” Goran said of the trade. “I know how much he wants to be part of a team in the NBA, but I understand this is a business. That’s a better situation for him right now. He’s gonna get playing time. He signed a good deal in Russia. He’s happy. That’s a good thing. Sometimes, for me, when you play with your brother, sometimes it’s a little bit stressful because if he’s not getting playing time, it affects you too. But everything’s good now.”
Jaleel Roberts didn’t think he would end up in training camp with the Wizards after he failed to wow them with his summer league performance, but he’s grateful for the opportunity after an overseas offer didn’t pan out as he expected it to, writes J. Michael of CSNWashington.com.

Amico On Nets, Lawson, Williams, Kings

February 3rd, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, many GMs from around the league are certain to be burning up their phone plan minutes while trying to improve their teams for a playoff run, or for others, trying to clear as much cap space as possible for the summer’s free agent signing period. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio ran down a number of rumors from around the league. Here are some of the highlights:

The Nets have been seeking trade partners for Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams, but they are looking to receive assets in return, and not to just dump salary in the deal, Amico notes. “I’ve talked to Brook about it, I’ve talked to Joe, I’ve talked to Deron,” Brooklyn GM Billy King said. “The players all know it’s part of the business, but we’re not looking just to get rid of these guys just because they’re saying they’re gonna do that. We’re exploring things that make sense as people call, but we’re not going to be making a trade to make a trade. That’s foolish.“
Brooklyn had originally spoken with the Kings regarding a possible deal for Williams over a month ago, but those discussions have since died out, Amico adds. The Nets had also discussed a trade with the Hornets involving Johnson and Lance Stephenson.
The Nuggets appear to be willing to trade point guard Ty Lawson, but Denver’s asking price is currently high enough that it is scaring away inquiring teams, the FOX Sports scribe notes.
The Timberwolves are willing to deal Mo Williams, and the Kings are interested, Amico hears. Other teams reportedly interested in the veteran guard are the Pistons, Heat, Cavs, and Clippers.
Barring a sudden turnaround in Sacramento, the odds are against Tyrone Corbin being retained as coach for next season, Amico notes. In addition to Kings executive Chris Mullin being a potential replacement, both Tyronn Lue and Larry Drew will be considered candidates as well, Amico adds.

Central Notes: Monroe, Parker, Hansbrough

December 16th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Greg Monroe is growing weary of the trade rumors surrounding him and the Pistons, Vince Ellis of USA Today reports. “The same thing happened this summer,” Monroe said. “They put that stuff out there, say somebody said it, and then I got to answer for it. I really don’t have time for that. Especially right now. After losing 13 straight and finally getting a couple of games, and then you got to come in here and hear this when you getting ready for a game. At this point, it’s definitely annoying. We’re trying to turn things around here right now, and I gotta come in here and answer to stuff that I absolutely have nothing to do with. It is annoying, yes.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

After being drafted by the Bucks with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, Jabari Parker said that he would like to remain in Milwaukee for his entire career, a statement Parker still stands by, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “I want to be here as much as possible, I want to stay as long as possible,” Parker said. “I want to just grind it out and see what happens. Even if I were to slump and they wanted to trade me, I would probably want to try and get better so I could stay here.”
The primary reason for Parker’s comfort level with the Bucks is how team owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens have sold their vision for the future of the franchise to the young player, Deveney notes. “I feel very comfortable with them [Lasry and Edens],” Parker said. “A lot of times, when you think of ownership, it is almost like you think of slavery. You’re a piece of property. But with them, it is a partnership.”
Ben Hansbrough will have his D-League rights rescinded by the Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons‘ affiliate, to accommodate an overseas deal, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). Hansbrough was in training camp with the Bulls this season.
Larry Drew doesn’t harbor any resentment toward the Bucks after being fired as head coach so that Milwaukee could replace him with Jason Kidd, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “I’ve seen stranger things happen,” Drew said. “Whether you think it’s fair or not, I don’t really dwell on that. I look back at guys who have been in similar situations and had stuff happen to them. I’ve learned to move on. I don’t any hard feelings about how things happened. Certainly, I wish it could have been handled a little differently [in Milwaukee] but it wasn’t.”