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Kyler On Hawks, Jazz, Calderon, Rockets, Varejao

November 19th, 2012 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

With this season's deadline still three months away, the trade market likely won't be too active for at least a few more weeks. However, as Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes, things could start to pick up on December 15th, when most players who signed over the summer are eligible to be dealt. Kyler looks at a few specific trade candidates in his latest piece, so let's round up the highlights….

Josh Smith, Paul Millsap, and Al Jefferson are a few players in the final year of their contracts whose respective teams aren't planning to deal. However, the Hawks and Jazz could reconsider their stances as the deadline approaches, if there's an increasing concern that those players will leave in free agency.
While there's no urgency in Toronto to move Jose Calderon, the Raptors are expected to explore deals. Kyler suggests that small forwards like Omri Casspi and Wilson Chandler are worth keeping an eye on as potential Raptors targets, adding that Chandler isn't in the Nuggets' long-term plan.
The Rockets likely aren't done dealing, with players like Daequan Cook, Toney Douglas, and Marcus Morris among the team's possible trade candidates.
DeJuan Blair continues to be available, but the Spurs are still seeking a first-round pick, and it's unclear if any team would pay that price for a player that could sign elsewhere at season's end.
Anderson Varejao isn't likely to be moved, but if the Cavaliers were to consider a deal, it would have to include Luke Walton and his $6.09MM salary.
Similarly, if the Kings explored a Tyreke Evans trade, Sacramento would want to include either John Salmons or Francisco Garcia.
The Timberwolves would be open to moving Derrick Williams if they could land a good veteran player for him.
Kyler also names Hedo Turkoglu, Tayshaun Prince, Tyrus Thomas, and Wesley Johnson as trade candidates, though all those players could be tough to move due to their salaries.

Cavs Notes: Thompson, Leuer, Roster Cuts

October 11th, 2012 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard earlier today, the NCAA is investigating agent Rich Paul and Myck Kabongo regarding a trip the Texas guard took to Cleveland this summer. Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, who is represented by Paul, was involved in Kabongo's trip, but doesn't think any NCAA rules were violated, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes (on Sulia).

"I had to pay for it, but then his brother reimbursed me, which is totally fine with the NCAA," Thompson said. "I think everything will work out. I don't see no eligibility issues, but that's for the NCAA to figure out."

Here are a few more Thursday notes related to the Cavs:

Jon Leuer doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of not making Cleveland's regular season roster, though he may face an uphill battle for minutes, says Bob Finnan of the News Herald.
Leuer was traded by the Bucks this summer, waived by the Rockets, and eventually claimed by the Cavs on waivers, and says he was caught off guard by all the movement: "I didn't see that coming at all. Milwaukee needed a center and Houston had a million things going on. It was a pretty crazy offseason, kind of a welcome to the free-agency frenzy for a young player."
The Cavs have 18 players on their roster and will need to cut three more before the season begins. Finnan expects the team to cut one of Donald Sloan or Jeremy Pargo, and one of Luke Harangody, Luke Walton, and Kevin Jones. It's unclear who the last cut could be — perhaps Kelenna Azubuike or Micheal Eric. Finnan suggests that Cleveland may also be willing to move Daniel Gibson for a second-round pick.
As our list of non-guaranteed deals shows, Sloan, who appears to have a leg up on Pargo, is the only Cav under contract without any sort of guarantee. So Cleveland may end up releasing three players who are all owed guaranteed money.

Central Rumors: Walton, Jaric, Pistons

October 7th, 2012 at 7:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have had the best record in the NBA for two consecutive seasons, but with Derrick Rose out, they could have a tough time simply recording the best record in the Central Division this year, with the Pacers waiting to pounce. The Bucks, Cavs and Pistons probably aren't division title contenders this year, but they're all arguably improved from last season, meaning the Central figures to be more competitive than it has been in recent years. We'll round up the latest from the division here:

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that playing without Rose will not be an unprecedented situation for the Bulls. The 2011 MVP missed 27 games in the 2011/12 season.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets that there is a 50-50 chance Cavs coach Byron Scott will begin to cut players from the training camp roster after Cleveland's Tuesday preseason game.
Luke Walton said this week the Cavs haven't approached him about a buyout, but Bob Finnan of the News-Herald believes it isn't out of the question that the team would let him go. Walton is due $6.091MM this year in the final season of a six-year, $30MM contract.
Scott is impressed with Walton's conditioning, and the 32-year-old forward says he's in better shape than he's been in the past four years, reports Schmitt Boyer. "Can he make the team? Yeah, I think he can make the team, to be honest with you," Scott said. "We’ve got some other tough decisions that I have to make in the next couple of weeks, but right now I’m enjoying the fact that these guys are making it hard on me, which is good."
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune checks in with Marko Jaric as he tries to return to the NBA with the Bulls. Chicago doesn't have enough money under its $70.307MM hard cap to put Jaric on the regular season roster for opening day, but the Bulls would be able to add him in late November, when the veteran's minimum pro-rates down to a figure that will fit.
MLive's David Mayo chronicles the struggles that Pistons rookies are having in camp, and says big man Slava Kravtsov appears to be the farthest along of any of them right now.

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Walton, D12, Jazz, Wright

October 3rd, 2012 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

As NBA training camps continue, the big stories around the league today involved the Association's new anti-flopping policy and the Knicks finally making Rasheed Wallace's signing official. In spite of the buzz surrounding Wallace's return to the NBA, Knicks coach Mike Woodson tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that he views 'Sheed as an insurance policy, rather than someone who will play big minutes. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:

There's still a chance Josh Howard ends up on the Knicks, but the team would have to cut someone to make room for him, tweets Zwerling. For now, New York is in "wait-and-see mode" while the team evaluates its current players, a source tells Zwerling (Twitter link).
If the Cavaliers have made Luke Walton a buyout offer, he isn't aware of it, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). According to Amico, Walton leaves such matters to his agent, and is expecting to play out the final year of his contract with the Cavs.
The timetable for Dwight Howard's potential return keeps moving up, if you ask Howard, who tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he could play in the preseason.
While Jazz players like Chris Quinn, Brian Butch, Darnell Jackson, and Trey Gilder are long shots to make the club's roster, coach Tyrone Corbin says everyone has a chance, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.
Israeli team Maccabi Rishon LeZion has announced the signing of 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's David Thorpe explores the impact it would have if the D-League evolved into a full minor league system for the NBA.

Cavs Not Looking To Buy Out Walton, Casspi

August 19th, 2012 at 5:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cavaliers aren't expected to buy out Luke Walton or Omri Casspi, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer and Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer (Twitter links). The Cavs also have yet to reach agreement on a deal with Alonzo Gee, though the two sides are reportedly closing in on a three-year deal worth about $10MM.

A report earlier today indicated that the Cavs were considering a buyout for Casspi. The Israeli forward is set to earn $2.277MM next season and can be retained with a $3.313MM qualifying offer in 2013/14.

Walton, 32, played in just 21 games for the Cavs last season and has been used out of position at power forward rather than his natural three spot. The former Laker is under contract for one more season where he'll make a sizable $6.091MM. As it stands, Walton is set to be the third-highest paid Cavalier next season behind Baron Davis and Anderson Varejao.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

July 9th, 2012 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

It may not be many more days until our long national Dwightmare is over. Yesterday's reports on Howard suggested talks involving the Magic, Nets, and Cavaliers were getting serious, and that Orlando plans to make "one last sweep" around the league before deciding whether to accept the Nets' offer. While we wait to see if anything is agreed upon today, here are the latest rumblings on the Howard front:

Chad Ford's ESPN.com report includes some more slight tweaks to the framework described below. Ford adds Chris Duhon to the list of players headed to the Nets, suggests the Magic would receive one fewer first-rounder (a total of three instead of four), and says the Cavs would receive $3MM in cash.
Ford's report, along with tweets from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, suggest that the Cavs and Clippers still aren't entirely on board. The Plain Dealer tweets that talk of a deal getting close is premature, while Berger says the Clips haven't agreed to anything yet and are one of several potential fourth-team facilitators in the mix (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Finnan On Walton, Free Agency, Draft

April 8th, 2012 at 10:04am CST by Daniel Seco

The Cavs take on the Nets as they head to Newark today in a battle between two non-playoff contenders. Tristan Thompson should be looking forward to the matchup as the rookie out of Texas went off for a career-high 27 points along with 12 rebounds on March 19 against the Nets. Let's check in with Bob Finnan of The News-Herald to get the latest scoop on what's happening with the Cavs.

Finnan suggests Luke Walton's future with the Cavs remains a bit unclear given the fact that he is being used out of position as a power forward (he's more of a small forward) and that his playing ability has rapidly deteriorated from his heyday with the Lakers. The former Arizona star, 32, hasn't averaged more than 2.4 PPG since the 2008/2009 season where he scored 5.0 PPG.
Expect the Cavs to explore adding quality free agents given their financial flexibility heading into the offseason, writes Finnan. The team will be over $20MM under the cap this summer allowing for Cavs general manager Chris Grant to explore the free-agent market. Names such as Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon and Pacers center Roy Hibbert have been tossed around, but the team's general philosophy toward rebuilding the roster stems from maximizing their return from the draft.
Finnan believes the Cavs will focus their attention on adding a scoring wing, center, backup point guard and general depth when the team heads to Secaucus, NJ in June for the draft. Regardless of who the team selects, the ultimate focus will be on building a roster with the most talented athletes available.

Finnan On Sessions, Kapono, Walton, Boykins

March 18th, 2012 at 9:44am CST by Daniel Seco

Three games behind the surging Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Cavaliers have a vastly different roster than they did a week ago heading into the final stretch of the season. They'll play host Sunday afternoon to the Hawks amidst a full slate of NBA action. Let's take a look at what The News-Herald's Bob Finnan has to say about the current state of the Cavaliers in the wake of what was a busy trade deadline for the club.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is very pleased to have been able to acquire Ramon Sessions from the Cavaliers for a first-round pick projected in the mid-20s. "In terms of the draft picks, I don't think we could've found a Ramon Sessions if he were available in the 20s this year in the draft," Kupchak said.
The Cavs' decision to cut Jason Kapono wasn't a premeditated move by the team but rather a numbers game given that the Cavs needed to find a roster spot for Manny Harris. As part of the Sessions trade, the Lakers provided the Cavs with enough money to cover the cost of waiving Kapono.
Much of the criticism surrounding what the Cavaliers received from the Lakers stems from Luke Walton's $6.1MM contract for next year. The hefty price tag for adding a first-round pick hasn't deterred Cavs head coach Byron Scott from feeling optimistic about the team's standing heading into the draft. "I'm very excited about what we did as far as getting another first-round pick, which is very exciting for us to go along with the one we have and our two second-round picks," Scott said. "So, like I said in the short term and in the long term, it was the best thing for us to do and we feel pretty good about it."
If the Cavs didn't resign Harris, they would have seriously considered adding Earl Boykins to the mix. Boykins, 35, was serviceable last season with the Bucks where he averaged 7.2 PPG in limited action.

Reactions To The Ramon Sessions Trade

March 15th, 2012 at 9:52pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier today, the Lakers traded Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a first-round pick to the Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga. Here's a roundup of reactions to the deal from around the web:

CBS Sports' Royce Young thinks both teams made out well, with the Lakers getting a major upgrade at point guard and the rebuilding Cavs adding a first-round pick and flexibility for free agency in 2013.
Kurt Helin of NBC's ProBasketballTalk blog thinks the Lakers got better at point guard but cautions that Sessions isn't the slam-dunk the fans were hoping for.
The Los Angeles Times' Mark Medina points to Sessions' efficiency in the pick-and-roll as another way of creating offense to take pressure off Kobe Bryant.
ESPNLosAngeles.com's Brian Kamenetzky echoes the view that Sessions is a significant upgrade at point guard, while also pointing out that the Lakers didn't burn their trade exception from the Lamar Odom trade.
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Tom Reed praises the Cavs' accumulation of draft picks in the deal, which he believes sets them up well for the future.

Hollinger On Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 8:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:

The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.