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Cavs' Luxury Tax Bill Could Hit $75M In 15-16
JUN 17, 2015 5:08 AM
The Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an exploding payroll in 15-16 that could be between $100 million and $110 million.
Kyrie Irving's five-year, $90 million extension represents a huge increase and Tristan Thompson is expected to sign a max or near max contract in restricted free agency.
Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova will also be restricted free agents, while LeBron James, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith will all also become free agents.
With that type of salary, Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers could face $75 million in luxury tax payments.
JUN 17, 2015 5:08 AM
The Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an exploding payroll in 15-16 that could be between $100 million and $110 million.
Kyrie Irving's five-year, $90 million extension represents a huge increase and Tristan Thompson is expected to sign a max or near max contract in restricted free agency.
Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova will also be restricted free agents, while LeBron James, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith will all also become free agents.
With that type of salary, Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers could face $75 million in luxury tax payments.
No on Mo Williams. Been there, done that. All we was left with was a t-shirt.
Unless it's THIS Mo Williams!
Well what do we have here...
Mo Williams Interested In Return To Cavaliers
JUN 19, 2015 5:42 PM
Mo Williams has interest in returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason.
Williams will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Williams is seeking a multi-year deal, and the Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets are two of the teams at the top of his wish list, a source revealed.
Interesting...Seems like the Cavs are on his wish list.
Fuck it, if he wants to come join the fun for a reasonable sum, it's nice insurance. If .....when...Kyrie gets hurt, backcourt help with the Aussie. Shit, Marion is gone why not.
That's was my think from jump backup, actually a starter, truth be told Kyrie probably needs a season off.
That's would be two combo type pg with a defensive pg...that's nice depth (vet and youth)
Mo cried like a bitch not to be traded from the Cavs last time. 
And yea Mask, Kyrie will be out much longer than most think.
And yea Mask, Kyrie will be out much longer than most think.
At the minimum, he shouldn't play until December.
I'm now convinced. I'd roll into the season with the Aussie, Kyrie, and Mo if the price were right.
Man...his camp felt the team was rushing him back anyways...so I suspect him to say for a minute, after All Star break...that's what I'm thinking, I would
Jerred hymel
Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
What he meant to #Cavs: LeBron took one glance at Timofey Mozgov in a SF hotel lobby and had a new belief
Addition of Timofey Mozgov ended Cleveland Cavaliers' tireless search for a rim protector
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first time LeBron James saw Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was in a San Francisco hotel lobby, hours before a regular-season game against the Golden State Warriors. Mozgov has just arrived in a trade from the Denver Nuggets and was set to make his debut later that night. Even with James still sidelined because of nagging injuries, that moment was important.
It was a few weeks earlier, after a loss in Miami on Christmas Day, shortly after Anderson Varejao suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, when James said of his team, "We're not that good right now."
James, a two-time champion, could tell. He learned in Miami what it took to win a championship and knew there were fatal flaws with the Cavs roster that couldn't be corrected internally. They weren't big enough. They weren't tough enough. They didn't have a player capable of protecting the paint.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin heard his star and went to work.
After acquiring Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, he called the Nuggets, hoping to pry away Mozgov, the underutilized center.
The Cavs had been working tirelessly, trying to find a rim protector since the summer. Griffin had made earlier inquiries about Mozgov, a player David Blatt coached during his time with the Russian National Team when Blatt helped lead it to a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but couldn't come to an agreement.
He tried again, but it was costly. Denver wanted two first-round picks for the promising 28-year-old 7-footer. Griffin and the Cavs were desperate. They needed Mozgov's combination of size and athleticism and Blatt, a stranger in his own locker room, needed an ally. So they made the deal.
James took one glance at Mozgov's size in that hotel lobby, and his attitude changed. He had a new belief.
At that point, the team, beaten down early in the season, stood tall, and finished the second half of the season on a flurry. And nobody played bigger than Mozgov, swatting shots and smothering opposing guards when they entered the paint.
Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor
What he meant to #Cavs: LeBron took one glance at Timofey Mozgov in a SF hotel lobby and had a new belief
Addition of Timofey Mozgov ended Cleveland Cavaliers' tireless search for a rim protector
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first time LeBron James saw Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov was in a San Francisco hotel lobby, hours before a regular-season game against the Golden State Warriors. Mozgov has just arrived in a trade from the Denver Nuggets and was set to make his debut later that night. Even with James still sidelined because of nagging injuries, that moment was important.
It was a few weeks earlier, after a loss in Miami on Christmas Day, shortly after Anderson Varejao suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, when James said of his team, "We're not that good right now."
James, a two-time champion, could tell. He learned in Miami what it took to win a championship and knew there were fatal flaws with the Cavs roster that couldn't be corrected internally. They weren't big enough. They weren't tough enough. They didn't have a player capable of protecting the paint.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin heard his star and went to work.
After acquiring Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, he called the Nuggets, hoping to pry away Mozgov, the underutilized center.
The Cavs had been working tirelessly, trying to find a rim protector since the summer. Griffin had made earlier inquiries about Mozgov, a player David Blatt coached during his time with the Russian National Team when Blatt helped lead it to a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but couldn't come to an agreement.
He tried again, but it was costly. Denver wanted two first-round picks for the promising 28-year-old 7-footer. Griffin and the Cavs were desperate. They needed Mozgov's combination of size and athleticism and Blatt, a stranger in his own locker room, needed an ally. So they made the deal.
James took one glance at Mozgov's size in that hotel lobby, and his attitude changed. He had a new belief.
At that point, the team, beaten down early in the season, stood tall, and finished the second half of the season on a flurry. And nobody played bigger than Mozgov, swatting shots and smothering opposing guards when they entered the paint.
Well, one of the best doctor's did say there wasn't any risk of further injury. The good doctor forgot to include one variable in his diagnoses: He was dealing with a man made out of fucking glass.
Speaking of injuries, I wonder what's really good with Love's back.
Don't know much about K Love, I'll see if I can find something. This a really good piece in Shum...
The lengths Iman Shumpert went to stay on court for Cleveland Cavaliers and what he could expect in free agency
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Iman Shumpert, a restricted free agent come July 1, gave the Cavaliers all he had as he essentially played the last four games of the postseason with one arm.
He was shot up with painkillers before Game 4 of the NBA Finals in order to continue playing through the excruciating pain of a bruised shoulder, a source revealed and he may have been injected more than once during the Finals.
He will not need offseason surgery, just rest and treatment.
In Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors, Shumpert was blindsided by a Draymond Green screen in the first quarter, re-injuring the left shoulder he dislocated at the beginning of the year when he was a member of the New York Knicks.
The initial fear was that he separated his shoulder again, but a thorough evaluation disclosed he suffered a deep bruise.
Though he was still in agonizing discomfort, he returned to the game in the second quarter. An MRI exam the next morning confirmed the bruise. Had it been the regular season, I'm told he would have been sidelined 2-3 weeks.
He was also battling a sore left groin, but Shumpert wanted to play. This was the NBA Finals. They needed two more wins. The roster was depleted enough already, so he did what he had to do. He stuck it out and fought through the pain. His offensive game was limited due to his ailments, but he continued to play his patented tenacious style of defense.
His relentlessness, his toughness and willingness to lay it on the line characterized the Cavaliers' persona. General Manager David Griffin is extremely fond of Shumpert and plans to retain him. He loves his work ethic and competitive edge, but so do others.
The Cavaliers will have the right to match any offer sheets Shumpert receives on the open market. At 24 years of age and following a rejuvenated season, he will be in store for a lucrative pay raise from the $2.6 million he collected this past season.
Half a dozen teams have expressed interest in the quick-handed, defensive-oriented guard with upside, a source says. League executives believe he'll command north of $8 million per.
LeBron James was asked during the Eastern Conference Finals as to why their defense was clicking so well, and he praised his backcourt mate for the improvement.
"It starts with this guy," James said in reference to Shumpert. "He will be on the all-defensive team in this league really soon."
Shumpert's grit and determination is going to pay off. The Cavaliers just hope they'll remain his employer.
The lengths Iman Shumpert went to stay on court for Cleveland Cavaliers and what he could expect in free agency
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Iman Shumpert, a restricted free agent come July 1, gave the Cavaliers all he had as he essentially played the last four games of the postseason with one arm.
He was shot up with painkillers before Game 4 of the NBA Finals in order to continue playing through the excruciating pain of a bruised shoulder, a source revealed and he may have been injected more than once during the Finals.
He will not need offseason surgery, just rest and treatment.
In Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors, Shumpert was blindsided by a Draymond Green screen in the first quarter, re-injuring the left shoulder he dislocated at the beginning of the year when he was a member of the New York Knicks.
The initial fear was that he separated his shoulder again, but a thorough evaluation disclosed he suffered a deep bruise.
Though he was still in agonizing discomfort, he returned to the game in the second quarter. An MRI exam the next morning confirmed the bruise. Had it been the regular season, I'm told he would have been sidelined 2-3 weeks.
He was also battling a sore left groin, but Shumpert wanted to play. This was the NBA Finals. They needed two more wins. The roster was depleted enough already, so he did what he had to do. He stuck it out and fought through the pain. His offensive game was limited due to his ailments, but he continued to play his patented tenacious style of defense.
His relentlessness, his toughness and willingness to lay it on the line characterized the Cavaliers' persona. General Manager David Griffin is extremely fond of Shumpert and plans to retain him. He loves his work ethic and competitive edge, but so do others.
The Cavaliers will have the right to match any offer sheets Shumpert receives on the open market. At 24 years of age and following a rejuvenated season, he will be in store for a lucrative pay raise from the $2.6 million he collected this past season.
Half a dozen teams have expressed interest in the quick-handed, defensive-oriented guard with upside, a source says. League executives believe he'll command north of $8 million per.
LeBron James was asked during the Eastern Conference Finals as to why their defense was clicking so well, and he praised his backcourt mate for the improvement.
"It starts with this guy," James said in reference to Shumpert. "He will be on the all-defensive team in this league really soon."
Shumpert's grit and determination is going to pay off. The Cavaliers just hope they'll remain his employer.
Yeah, Shump was fucked up. Groin and shoulder. Gilbert got him. 
The cats who hate Gilbert will have their bow ties spinning and bean pies melting after they see the new payroll.
The cats who hate Gilbert will have their bow ties spinning and bean pies melting after they see the new payroll.
Execs Predict Cavs Will Do Kevin Love Sign-And-Trade
JUN 23, 2015 3:56 PM
The Cleveland Cavaliers have repeatedly said they plan on re-signing Kevin Love this offseason.
But executives around the NBA predict the Cavaliers will eventually agree upon a sign-and-trade involving Love. The Cavaliers would be able to recoup rotation players and picks by dealing Love, while also making their big man rotation make more sense.
For Love to be worthy of a max contract, Love needs to be a higher usage player as he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“LeBron (James) needs to have the ball so much for you to be as good as you can be, and you need to be very selective about the guys who get to have it when he doesn’t,” David Griffin said. “You cannot have too much ball dominance around him.”
The Cavaliers are fairly certain to keep Tristan Thompson over Love given the fact that Thompson has the same agent as James.
JUN 23, 2015 3:56 PM
The Cleveland Cavaliers have repeatedly said they plan on re-signing Kevin Love this offseason.
But executives around the NBA predict the Cavaliers will eventually agree upon a sign-and-trade involving Love. The Cavaliers would be able to recoup rotation players and picks by dealing Love, while also making their big man rotation make more sense.
For Love to be worthy of a max contract, Love needs to be a higher usage player as he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“LeBron (James) needs to have the ball so much for you to be as good as you can be, and you need to be very selective about the guys who get to have it when he doesn’t,” David Griffin said. “You cannot have too much ball dominance around him.”
The Cavaliers are fairly certain to keep Tristan Thompson over Love given the fact that Thompson has the same agent as James.
Sign-and-trade deal wouldn't surprise me at all.
And so it begins. Love opted out.
And so it begins. Love opted out.
imo a sign and trade is better if possible...cavs were just 2 wins shy of chips w/o love and kyrie...no need to waste max $$$ on someone they knew was injury-prone and proved it...why spend all that $$$ to possibly be in the same position next year...if anything lebron has learned this lesson twice now...big 3 w/ no bench don't mean shit if one major player gets hurt
And so it begins. Love opted out.
No plea coppin b
Oh yeah JR Starks just opted out too
Smith and Love hoping Lebron gives the green light to Gilbert for
Bet Smith stays; Love leaves.
Cavs Nation @CavsNationNet
Kevin Love is more important to the Cavs than people may realize.
5 Reasons Why The Cavs Need Kevin Love
Kevin Love hasn’t had the easiest time fitting in with the Cavaliers this season. It was his first time in a winning atmosphere, so it was overlooked at times because its always team success over individual success. Throughout the season, Love has never once mentioned himself in another destination, saying he plans to remain a Cavalier beyond this year. The Cavs and fans better hope he sticks to his words, because Cleveland will need Love if they plan to win a championship.
5. Relieves pressure off of LeBron
When Love and Kyrie were not on the floor for the 2015 playoffs, LeBron James was feeling the defensive pressure from other teams especially in the finals vs the Warriors. Andre Igoudala and sometimes Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli would double team LeBron. If Kevin Love is on the court for the Cavaliers next year, opposing big men will be forced to respect Love’s down low presence and it will in turn relieve some of that defensive pressure the King has to deal with
4. Spacing the floor
When the Cavaliers went with the line-up in the finals that consisted of Delly, Iman Shumpert, LeBron, Tristan Thompson and Mozgov they found it difficult to spread the floor. Kevin Love gives the Cavaliers that ability to space the floor with one of their big men creating more space for Tristan and Mozgov to work offensively on the low block, and it also creates more space for the likes of LeBron and Shumpert who are excellent at slashing towards the basket for 2 points. Without Love next season, his ability to space the floor will make the low block very congested for the Cavaliers
3. Three Point Threat
It’s no secret that Kevin Love is a top caliber three point shooter in the NBA. He won the three point shooting contest in 2012, and is consistently amongst the top 5 big men in the NBA when it comes to three point percentage. Pundits and critics alike will say that the Cavaliers already have Kyrie Irving, JR Smith, James Jones, and Mike Miller as their 3 point players, but the futures of Smith, Jones, and Miller are all being put into question because of the Cavaliers cap struggles for the next season. If the Cavaliers lose Love and even 1 or 2 of those 3 point specialists, their 3 point game will severely suffer.
2. Top Flight Rebounding
Kevin Love is one of the best rebounders in the entire game and he would be an asset on every team. Now, the emergence of Tristan Thompson has put Love’s future with the Cavs into question but I can assure you that Love is a more valuable piece than Tristan right now. Tristan made opposing teams suffer on the glass but his offensive drawbacks are too much of a question mark for the Cavaliers to seriously consider paying Thompson over Love. Thompson is a good player in the NBA, but Love is elite and just because one postseason showcases Tristan’s rebounding skills does not mean that an All-Star and Elite player like Love should be criticized when he only played in 4 postseason games.
1. All Star capability
Kevin Love is an NBA All-Star caliber player. The Cavs have the big three for a reason, because when Miami went into the finals with Bosh, Wade, and LeBron they came out champions, and when the Spurs old trio of Parker, Duncan, and Manu were put to the test vs the Heat they were victorious. The Cavaliers should learn from their predecessors and understand that their big 3 can achieve great things in time and when LeBron, Love, and Kyrie are healthy that they are the best triple threat in the league. Kevin Love’s numbers may have been down this season, but playing with 2 other elite players will always mean a sacrifice in numbers. If the Cavs let go of Kevin Love this offseason, they will be letting go of one of the elite premier players in the NBA.
Kevin Love is more important to the Cavs than people may realize.
5 Reasons Why The Cavs Need Kevin Love
Kevin Love hasn’t had the easiest time fitting in with the Cavaliers this season. It was his first time in a winning atmosphere, so it was overlooked at times because its always team success over individual success. Throughout the season, Love has never once mentioned himself in another destination, saying he plans to remain a Cavalier beyond this year. The Cavs and fans better hope he sticks to his words, because Cleveland will need Love if they plan to win a championship.
5. Relieves pressure off of LeBron
When Love and Kyrie were not on the floor for the 2015 playoffs, LeBron James was feeling the defensive pressure from other teams especially in the finals vs the Warriors. Andre Igoudala and sometimes Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli would double team LeBron. If Kevin Love is on the court for the Cavaliers next year, opposing big men will be forced to respect Love’s down low presence and it will in turn relieve some of that defensive pressure the King has to deal with
4. Spacing the floor
When the Cavaliers went with the line-up in the finals that consisted of Delly, Iman Shumpert, LeBron, Tristan Thompson and Mozgov they found it difficult to spread the floor. Kevin Love gives the Cavaliers that ability to space the floor with one of their big men creating more space for Tristan and Mozgov to work offensively on the low block, and it also creates more space for the likes of LeBron and Shumpert who are excellent at slashing towards the basket for 2 points. Without Love next season, his ability to space the floor will make the low block very congested for the Cavaliers
3. Three Point Threat
It’s no secret that Kevin Love is a top caliber three point shooter in the NBA. He won the three point shooting contest in 2012, and is consistently amongst the top 5 big men in the NBA when it comes to three point percentage. Pundits and critics alike will say that the Cavaliers already have Kyrie Irving, JR Smith, James Jones, and Mike Miller as their 3 point players, but the futures of Smith, Jones, and Miller are all being put into question because of the Cavaliers cap struggles for the next season. If the Cavaliers lose Love and even 1 or 2 of those 3 point specialists, their 3 point game will severely suffer.
2. Top Flight Rebounding
Kevin Love is one of the best rebounders in the entire game and he would be an asset on every team. Now, the emergence of Tristan Thompson has put Love’s future with the Cavs into question but I can assure you that Love is a more valuable piece than Tristan right now. Tristan made opposing teams suffer on the glass but his offensive drawbacks are too much of a question mark for the Cavaliers to seriously consider paying Thompson over Love. Thompson is a good player in the NBA, but Love is elite and just because one postseason showcases Tristan’s rebounding skills does not mean that an All-Star and Elite player like Love should be criticized when he only played in 4 postseason games.
1. All Star capability
Kevin Love is an NBA All-Star caliber player. The Cavs have the big three for a reason, because when Miami went into the finals with Bosh, Wade, and LeBron they came out champions, and when the Spurs old trio of Parker, Duncan, and Manu were put to the test vs the Heat they were victorious. The Cavaliers should learn from their predecessors and understand that their big 3 can achieve great things in time and when LeBron, Love, and Kyrie are healthy that they are the best triple threat in the league. Kevin Love’s numbers may have been down this season, but playing with 2 other elite players will always mean a sacrifice in numbers. If the Cavs let go of Kevin Love this offseason, they will be letting go of one of the elite premier players in the NBA.
LeBron James Reveals What He Believes Cleveland Should Do This Summer
LeBron James should almost be a lock as a Cavalier for life, from now until his retirement. He didn’t get the respect or help he deserved in his first stint, but the Cleveland organization has patched things up over the past couple of years and they’re not ready to move together in the right direction.
Now with the 2015 free agency upon us starting July 1, LeBron James is fully engaged and ready to help the team with any roster movements or signings. As the best player in the world, all of the power is in his hands in terms of what kind of contract he wants to sign. Instead however, James is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to his signing. Chris Haynes of NEOMG reported on James:
“The belief is James wants to observe how management goes about retaining and accumulating assets keep the organization in win-now mode and improve the roster.
“The chance of James bolting the city of Cleveland for a second time is slim, but his approach will allow him to assess the Cavaliers’ moves before re-signing. It also applies pressure on the organization to do whatever is necessary to strengthen the team.”
The Cavs want to bring in another playmaker this offseason, and it’s believed they’ll be using Brendan Haywood’s trade value to do so. His contract is worth $10.5 million for the next season, but because it’s not guaranteed, he can be traded for a player making around $14 million without it negatively affecting the Cavs or the team that traded for him financially as they can simply waive him and his contract.
Everyone on the Cavaliers’ roster knows that they have a chance to do something special. According to Chris Haynes of NEOMG, one person who doesn’t feel Love needs convincing is LeBron James.
LeBron James won't be re-recruiting Kevin Love, I'm told. He believes Love understands he can be a part of something special. It's his call.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 24, 2015
Cleveland would love to resign Thompson, Love, Shumpert, and Smith, but only if everything falls into place. Dan Gilbert doesn’t mind going over the salary cap to get some good players, but the players themselves know they have a very good chance at a championship.
LeBron James should almost be a lock as a Cavalier for life, from now until his retirement. He didn’t get the respect or help he deserved in his first stint, but the Cleveland organization has patched things up over the past couple of years and they’re not ready to move together in the right direction.
Now with the 2015 free agency upon us starting July 1, LeBron James is fully engaged and ready to help the team with any roster movements or signings. As the best player in the world, all of the power is in his hands in terms of what kind of contract he wants to sign. Instead however, James is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to his signing. Chris Haynes of NEOMG reported on James:
“The belief is James wants to observe how management goes about retaining and accumulating assets keep the organization in win-now mode and improve the roster.
“The chance of James bolting the city of Cleveland for a second time is slim, but his approach will allow him to assess the Cavaliers’ moves before re-signing. It also applies pressure on the organization to do whatever is necessary to strengthen the team.”
The Cavs want to bring in another playmaker this offseason, and it’s believed they’ll be using Brendan Haywood’s trade value to do so. His contract is worth $10.5 million for the next season, but because it’s not guaranteed, he can be traded for a player making around $14 million without it negatively affecting the Cavs or the team that traded for him financially as they can simply waive him and his contract.
Everyone on the Cavaliers’ roster knows that they have a chance to do something special. According to Chris Haynes of NEOMG, one person who doesn’t feel Love needs convincing is LeBron James.
LeBron James won't be re-recruiting Kevin Love, I'm told. He believes Love understands he can be a part of something special. It's his call.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 24, 2015
Cleveland would love to resign Thompson, Love, Shumpert, and Smith, but only if everything falls into place. Dan Gilbert doesn’t mind going over the salary cap to get some good players, but the players themselves know they have a very good chance at a championship.
Top 10 Trade Targets For Cavs This Offseason
Posted By: Tomer AzarlyPosted
June 28, 2015
This offseason is expected to be a very interesting period for the Wine and Gold. The main focus obviously is making sure that they retain their own free agents. However, there are still viable options in the trade market. Most of these do not necessarily have to be blockbuster trades but rather low-key yet solid deals. With the Cavaliers’ need and probable assets already considered along with which players other teams might be willing to part with, we listed down ten of the most realistic hypothetical trade options that David Griffin and company could cook up this summer.
10 – Perry Jones III (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Perry Jones never lived up to the hype when he was in high school but the physical tools are still there and he is still very young. Why would OKC trade him though? Because they’ve pretty much filled up their wing and they are set to pay Enes Kanter good cash so a small dump involving PJ3’s contract should give the Thunder some room. Jones could transform into a versatile defender given some time under James Posey should such trade happen.
9 – Mirza Teletovic (Brooklyn Nets)
Teletovic is a restricted free agent, yes, and the Nets are not going to contend for some time so a productive player in his prime especially on a decent salary shouldn’t be in their roster. The Cavs could use him though as a stretch four off the bench because outside of Kevin Love Cleveland no longer has a floor spacing big. The Nets and Cavs may connive to do a sign-and-trade centered on Teletovic.
8 – Chase Budinger (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Budinger is a decent shooter with pretty good athleticism which makes for a good fit within a LeBron James-led team. The Wolves are undoubtedly eyeing on the future already and the Cavs could offer a future second rounder in place of Budinger to give Minny more options going forward.
7 – Jerryd Bayless (Milwaukee Bucks)
The Bucks are already teeming with point guards, even Giannis can play the position, and it makes Bayless sort of the odd man out. The Cavaliers could use his talent as he’s a proven scorer who can help Cleveland’s woeful (on offense) second unit. Bayless could be had for a future second rounder if the Bucks feel the need to stash some more picks.
6 – Moe Harkless (Orlando Magic)
Once considered to be one of the more promising young wingmen in the league, Moe Harkless now see himself underneath the pile up in Orlando’s wing rotation. Cleveland could see this as an opportunity to scoop up Harkless for a future pick and a scrub. He’s still on a very cheap contract for a couple more seasons and still holds value as a capable wing defender with a developing offensive game.
5 – P.J. Tucker (Phoenix Suns)
Tucker is an old school hard nosed guard who’s capable of occasionally hitting those three balls. He isn’t necessarily someone whom the Suns would give away for peanuts but it is possible that they could shift their focus on developing their young wings instead. The Cavs should keep their eye on him as his contract and the value that he could bring to the team are both very pleasing.
4 – Channing Frye (Orlando Magic)
Every big man who can stretch the floor is welcome in a LeBron James-led team. Frye’s floor spacing ability is a great factor that would open up the lanes for James and Kyrie Irving. Orlando no longer have the use for him and although his contract is a bit tricky, Cleveland could always involve another team to join in the talks and help facilitate Frye’s flight to Northeast Ohio.
3 – Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets)
This is only an option if the Tristan Thompson talks fall out, although unlikely. But in case Thompson walks out, Faried would give just the same amount of energy off the boards and on defense as TT does. His salary is also relatively friendly considering the expected cap increase after this season and the Nuggets are just about ready to blow up their roster.
2 – Jeff Green (Memphis Grizzlies)
Memphis will make a huge push to retain Marc Gasol and that will involve a large sum of money. With the acquisition of Matt Barnes, the Grizzlies have gotten themselves a solid wing who comes at a cheaper price than Green. Cleveland should be in play if Memphis follows this frame of thinking as they could very well get themselves a versatile wing player who’s still in his prime.
1 – Danilo Gallinari (Denver Nuggets)
The Nuggets have basically made everyone in their roster available for trade and Gallo might be someone who could see himself in a Cavalier jersey sooner than later. Gallinari is set to earn over $11 million next season and Denver has no place to go, hence, a cap saving piece in Brendan Haywood plus a future first or a couple of second rounders might entice the Nuggets to send the sharp shooting Italian to the Cavs. Gallinari would obviously provide scoring off the bench while also taking James Jones’ role as the team’s stretch four outside of Kevin Love.
Posted By: Tomer AzarlyPosted
June 28, 2015
This offseason is expected to be a very interesting period for the Wine and Gold. The main focus obviously is making sure that they retain their own free agents. However, there are still viable options in the trade market. Most of these do not necessarily have to be blockbuster trades but rather low-key yet solid deals. With the Cavaliers’ need and probable assets already considered along with which players other teams might be willing to part with, we listed down ten of the most realistic hypothetical trade options that David Griffin and company could cook up this summer.
10 – Perry Jones III (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Perry Jones never lived up to the hype when he was in high school but the physical tools are still there and he is still very young. Why would OKC trade him though? Because they’ve pretty much filled up their wing and they are set to pay Enes Kanter good cash so a small dump involving PJ3’s contract should give the Thunder some room. Jones could transform into a versatile defender given some time under James Posey should such trade happen.
9 – Mirza Teletovic (Brooklyn Nets)
Teletovic is a restricted free agent, yes, and the Nets are not going to contend for some time so a productive player in his prime especially on a decent salary shouldn’t be in their roster. The Cavs could use him though as a stretch four off the bench because outside of Kevin Love Cleveland no longer has a floor spacing big. The Nets and Cavs may connive to do a sign-and-trade centered on Teletovic.
8 – Chase Budinger (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Budinger is a decent shooter with pretty good athleticism which makes for a good fit within a LeBron James-led team. The Wolves are undoubtedly eyeing on the future already and the Cavs could offer a future second rounder in place of Budinger to give Minny more options going forward.
7 – Jerryd Bayless (Milwaukee Bucks)
The Bucks are already teeming with point guards, even Giannis can play the position, and it makes Bayless sort of the odd man out. The Cavaliers could use his talent as he’s a proven scorer who can help Cleveland’s woeful (on offense) second unit. Bayless could be had for a future second rounder if the Bucks feel the need to stash some more picks.
6 – Moe Harkless (Orlando Magic)
Once considered to be one of the more promising young wingmen in the league, Moe Harkless now see himself underneath the pile up in Orlando’s wing rotation. Cleveland could see this as an opportunity to scoop up Harkless for a future pick and a scrub. He’s still on a very cheap contract for a couple more seasons and still holds value as a capable wing defender with a developing offensive game.
5 – P.J. Tucker (Phoenix Suns)
Tucker is an old school hard nosed guard who’s capable of occasionally hitting those three balls. He isn’t necessarily someone whom the Suns would give away for peanuts but it is possible that they could shift their focus on developing their young wings instead. The Cavs should keep their eye on him as his contract and the value that he could bring to the team are both very pleasing.
4 – Channing Frye (Orlando Magic)
Every big man who can stretch the floor is welcome in a LeBron James-led team. Frye’s floor spacing ability is a great factor that would open up the lanes for James and Kyrie Irving. Orlando no longer have the use for him and although his contract is a bit tricky, Cleveland could always involve another team to join in the talks and help facilitate Frye’s flight to Northeast Ohio.
3 – Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets)
This is only an option if the Tristan Thompson talks fall out, although unlikely. But in case Thompson walks out, Faried would give just the same amount of energy off the boards and on defense as TT does. His salary is also relatively friendly considering the expected cap increase after this season and the Nuggets are just about ready to blow up their roster.
2 – Jeff Green (Memphis Grizzlies)
Memphis will make a huge push to retain Marc Gasol and that will involve a large sum of money. With the acquisition of Matt Barnes, the Grizzlies have gotten themselves a solid wing who comes at a cheaper price than Green. Cleveland should be in play if Memphis follows this frame of thinking as they could very well get themselves a versatile wing player who’s still in his prime.
1 – Danilo Gallinari (Denver Nuggets)
The Nuggets have basically made everyone in their roster available for trade and Gallo might be someone who could see himself in a Cavalier jersey sooner than later. Gallinari is set to earn over $11 million next season and Denver has no place to go, hence, a cap saving piece in Brendan Haywood plus a future first or a couple of second rounders might entice the Nuggets to send the sharp shooting Italian to the Cavs. Gallinari would obviously provide scoring off the bench while also taking James Jones’ role as the team’s stretch four outside of Kevin Love.
Cleveland Cavaliers notes: Second-rounder Rakeem Christmas relishes chance
By: Bob Finnan (rfinnan@news-herald.com)
Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 9:01 p.m.
Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas (25) slam-dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland)
Syracuse forward/center Rakeem Christmas put up very pedestrian numbers in his first three seasons in college.
Then came his senior year when his numbers blossomed to 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Orangemen.
"I had a lot of people ahead of me during my freshman, sophomore and junior years: C.J. Fair, Michael Carter Williams, Jerami Grant," Christmas said July 2 at All-Star Sports in Summit Mall in Akron. "They brought me in before my senior season and told me this was going to be my season. `Go into the gym and get ready.' So that's what I did."
He was one of 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as a senior. Christmas earned third-team All-American honors and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He was also Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the ACC.
"I was just out there having fun, doing what I normally do - rebounding, blocking shots, scoring as much as I can and trying to help my team win," Christmas said.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pounder said he takes a lot of pride in his defense and in blocking shots. He has a 7-5 wingspan.
He was the No. 36 overall pick by the Cavs in the 2015 draft. The selection was acquired in the trade with Minnesota for Duke point guard Tyus Jones.
"We were really lucky that a kid we had considerably higher on the board than 36 was there," General Manager David Griffin said recently. "He can pick-and-pop. He can finish in the paint.
"His growth and improvement curve were incredible. The trajectory his career is on right now is exciting to be a part of. We know he's excited to be here, as well, which is awesome."
He will wear No. 52 with the Cavs. Christmas wore No. 25 at Syracuse, but that number is retired in Cleveland (Mark Price).
Christmas, who prepped at the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pa., said the workout with the Cavs was his final one before the draft.
"I had a good feeling when I came here," he said.
He'll likely make the team and serve as the fifth big on the roster behind starters Timofey Mozgov and Kevin Love, and backups Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson.
"I'll just come in and rebound and try to play my game," he said. "If I go the D-League, I'll do my best.
"I'll just wait for my time. I'll wait for my name to be called."
He thought he had a chance to be drafted in the first round, possibly to the Lakers at No. 27. They took Wyoming's Larry Nance Jr. instead.
"Things happen for a reason," Christmas said. "I'm in a good situation right now.
"There are a lot of veterans here. I want to learn as much as I can and try to produce."
Christmas, 23, had a strong showing at the Chicago draft combine.
"Before I got there, they were saying I could go undrafted," he said. "I boosted up to the 30s in the second round."
He said he'd use the fact he wasn't a first-round pick as motivation.
Christmas is excited to play with LeBron James.
"It will be an honor," he said. "He's the greatest player right now."
Christmas said he's been at Cleveland Clinic Courts since June 29. He said he leaves for the Las Vegas summer league July 7.
He played against second-round pick Sir'Dominic Pointer of St. John's in high school. Pointer was the 53rd overall pick in the draft.
Other college players at the Cavs' practice facility this week were Wisconsin-Green Bay guard Keifer Sykes and NC State guard Trevor Lacey.
By: Bob Finnan (rfinnan@news-herald.com)
Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 9:01 p.m.
Syracuse forward Rakeem Christmas (25) slam-dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland)
Syracuse forward/center Rakeem Christmas put up very pedestrian numbers in his first three seasons in college.
Then came his senior year when his numbers blossomed to 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks for the Orangemen.
"I had a lot of people ahead of me during my freshman, sophomore and junior years: C.J. Fair, Michael Carter Williams, Jerami Grant," Christmas said July 2 at All-Star Sports in Summit Mall in Akron. "They brought me in before my senior season and told me this was going to be my season. `Go into the gym and get ready.' So that's what I did."
He was one of 15 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as a senior. Christmas earned third-team All-American honors and first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. He was also Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the ACC.
"I was just out there having fun, doing what I normally do - rebounding, blocking shots, scoring as much as I can and trying to help my team win," Christmas said.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pounder said he takes a lot of pride in his defense and in blocking shots. He has a 7-5 wingspan.
He was the No. 36 overall pick by the Cavs in the 2015 draft. The selection was acquired in the trade with Minnesota for Duke point guard Tyus Jones.
"We were really lucky that a kid we had considerably higher on the board than 36 was there," General Manager David Griffin said recently. "He can pick-and-pop. He can finish in the paint.
"His growth and improvement curve were incredible. The trajectory his career is on right now is exciting to be a part of. We know he's excited to be here, as well, which is awesome."
He will wear No. 52 with the Cavs. Christmas wore No. 25 at Syracuse, but that number is retired in Cleveland (Mark Price).
Christmas, who prepped at the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, Pa., said the workout with the Cavs was his final one before the draft.
"I had a good feeling when I came here," he said.
He'll likely make the team and serve as the fifth big on the roster behind starters Timofey Mozgov and Kevin Love, and backups Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson.
"I'll just come in and rebound and try to play my game," he said. "If I go the D-League, I'll do my best.
"I'll just wait for my time. I'll wait for my name to be called."
He thought he had a chance to be drafted in the first round, possibly to the Lakers at No. 27. They took Wyoming's Larry Nance Jr. instead.
"Things happen for a reason," Christmas said. "I'm in a good situation right now.
"There are a lot of veterans here. I want to learn as much as I can and try to produce."
Christmas, 23, had a strong showing at the Chicago draft combine.
"Before I got there, they were saying I could go undrafted," he said. "I boosted up to the 30s in the second round."
He said he'd use the fact he wasn't a first-round pick as motivation.
Christmas is excited to play with LeBron James.
"It will be an honor," he said. "He's the greatest player right now."
Christmas said he's been at Cleveland Clinic Courts since June 29. He said he leaves for the Las Vegas summer league July 7.
He played against second-round pick Sir'Dominic Pointer of St. John's in high school. Pointer was the 53rd overall pick in the draft.
Other college players at the Cavs' practice facility this week were Wisconsin-Green Bay guard Keifer Sykes and NC State guard Trevor Lacey.
Cavaliers agree to terms with free agents Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert; owner Dan Gilbert shows willingness to spend
By Jason Lloyd
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: July 1, 2015 - 05:35 PM | Updated: July 2, 2015 -
The Cavaliers’ approach last summer when they were trying to recruit LeBron James was twofold: They wanted to play to the idea that this was his home and, perhaps more importantly, that owner Dan Gilbert would spend whatever it takes to deliver a winner.
Now 12 months later, Gilbert has delivered on that promise.
The Cavaliers were the biggest spenders on the first day of free agency Wednesday, agreeing to terms on contracts with Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert that could total $240 million. Gilbert paid $375 million to buy the franchise 10 years ago.
Love announced his decision to return in an article on the Players Tribune and multiple outlets reported he will sign a max contract worth about $110 million over five years.
ESPN reported Thompson is nearing an agreement on a deal that will pay him more than $80 million over five years and Iman Shumpert agreed to terms on a contract that will pay him $40 million over four years.
Add it all up and Wednesday will easily go down as a landmark day in Cleveland sports history.
And the Cavs aren’t done yet.
The Cavs still have to sign James for roughly $22 million, they have two more free agents in J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova and they have Brendan Haywood’s nonguaranteed contract worth $10.5 million. With every dollar spent, the Cavs are inching toward becoming the first team in NBA history to spend $200 million in payroll and luxury taxes.
Since it is a max deal, the exact value of Love’s contract won’t be known until the new salary-cap figures are released next week. By locking in long term now, Love will bypass the cap explosion next summer and take his guaranteed dollars now.
A photo snapped over the weekend of Love and James meeting at a Los Angeles hotel pool quickly went viral. For all the speculation over Love’s future, his new deal — just as Kyrie Irving’s last year — was completed on the first day of free agency.
“Of course I’ve heard the free agency rumors,” Love wrote in his brief essay. “But at the end of the day, and after meeting with my teammates [it turns out pools are great meeting places] and with the front office, it was clear Cleveland was the place for me. We’re all on the same page and we’re all in. We have unfinished business and now it’s time to get back to work.”
The deals for Love and Thompson, once completed, means the Cavaliers will be paying two power forwards nearly $40 million next season — or more than half of the projected salary cap for next year.
Shumpert’s extension was exactly what he was seeking. Part of the reason the New York Knicks dealt him in January, according to one league executive who researched Shumpert in recent years, was their unwillingness to pay him an annual salary of $10 million. The Cavs clearly thought otherwise.
“You don’t buy jewelry in this league, you earn it,” Shumpert wrote on his Instagram account Wednesday after the deal was reached. “Be back soon Cleveland.”
Love’s future was a point of debate throughout the season. League executives speculated for months he would take a free-agent meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer and at least two national outlets reported Love indeed would meet with the Lakers this week.
The Cavs, however, never wavered in their belief Love was committed long term to the franchise. They were right.
Love averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in his first season in Cleveland. He produced some of the lowest numbers of his career and didn’t always seem to fit with the system, but the length of this contract eases the burden off all parties and takes so much of the focus off Love.
His commitment also allows everyone to exhale after the Cavs surrendered top overall pick Andrew Wiggins to acquire him last summer. With Irving’s max contract beginning, along with James’ return, the Cavs could return a lineup that outscored opponents by more than 6 points per game last season — third best in the league.
One potential free-agent target they were watching moved off the market when Mike Dunleavy re-signed with the Chicago Bulls. Dunleavy agreed to a three-year deal to remain with the Bulls after he was reportedly someone the Cavs were interested in because James wanted him.
Dunleavy, however, was never considered likely to leave Chicago. The Cavs, incidentally, aggressively pursued Dunleavy two years ago and offered him considerably more money than the Bulls did. But he ultimately chose Chicago two years ago and elected to stay there this time.
None of the deals agreed to Wednesday can be signed until the league’s moratorium period ends next week.
By Jason Lloyd
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: July 1, 2015 - 05:35 PM | Updated: July 2, 2015 -
The Cavaliers’ approach last summer when they were trying to recruit LeBron James was twofold: They wanted to play to the idea that this was his home and, perhaps more importantly, that owner Dan Gilbert would spend whatever it takes to deliver a winner.
Now 12 months later, Gilbert has delivered on that promise.
The Cavaliers were the biggest spenders on the first day of free agency Wednesday, agreeing to terms on contracts with Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert that could total $240 million. Gilbert paid $375 million to buy the franchise 10 years ago.
Love announced his decision to return in an article on the Players Tribune and multiple outlets reported he will sign a max contract worth about $110 million over five years.
ESPN reported Thompson is nearing an agreement on a deal that will pay him more than $80 million over five years and Iman Shumpert agreed to terms on a contract that will pay him $40 million over four years.
Add it all up and Wednesday will easily go down as a landmark day in Cleveland sports history.
And the Cavs aren’t done yet.
The Cavs still have to sign James for roughly $22 million, they have two more free agents in J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova and they have Brendan Haywood’s nonguaranteed contract worth $10.5 million. With every dollar spent, the Cavs are inching toward becoming the first team in NBA history to spend $200 million in payroll and luxury taxes.
Since it is a max deal, the exact value of Love’s contract won’t be known until the new salary-cap figures are released next week. By locking in long term now, Love will bypass the cap explosion next summer and take his guaranteed dollars now.
A photo snapped over the weekend of Love and James meeting at a Los Angeles hotel pool quickly went viral. For all the speculation over Love’s future, his new deal — just as Kyrie Irving’s last year — was completed on the first day of free agency.
“Of course I’ve heard the free agency rumors,” Love wrote in his brief essay. “But at the end of the day, and after meeting with my teammates [it turns out pools are great meeting places] and with the front office, it was clear Cleveland was the place for me. We’re all on the same page and we’re all in. We have unfinished business and now it’s time to get back to work.”
The deals for Love and Thompson, once completed, means the Cavaliers will be paying two power forwards nearly $40 million next season — or more than half of the projected salary cap for next year.
Shumpert’s extension was exactly what he was seeking. Part of the reason the New York Knicks dealt him in January, according to one league executive who researched Shumpert in recent years, was their unwillingness to pay him an annual salary of $10 million. The Cavs clearly thought otherwise.
“You don’t buy jewelry in this league, you earn it,” Shumpert wrote on his Instagram account Wednesday after the deal was reached. “Be back soon Cleveland.”
Love’s future was a point of debate throughout the season. League executives speculated for months he would take a free-agent meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer and at least two national outlets reported Love indeed would meet with the Lakers this week.
The Cavs, however, never wavered in their belief Love was committed long term to the franchise. They were right.
Love averaged 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in his first season in Cleveland. He produced some of the lowest numbers of his career and didn’t always seem to fit with the system, but the length of this contract eases the burden off all parties and takes so much of the focus off Love.
His commitment also allows everyone to exhale after the Cavs surrendered top overall pick Andrew Wiggins to acquire him last summer. With Irving’s max contract beginning, along with James’ return, the Cavs could return a lineup that outscored opponents by more than 6 points per game last season — third best in the league.
One potential free-agent target they were watching moved off the market when Mike Dunleavy re-signed with the Chicago Bulls. Dunleavy agreed to a three-year deal to remain with the Bulls after he was reportedly someone the Cavs were interested in because James wanted him.
Dunleavy, however, was never considered likely to leave Chicago. The Cavs, incidentally, aggressively pursued Dunleavy two years ago and offered him considerably more money than the Bulls did. But he ultimately chose Chicago two years ago and elected to stay there this time.
None of the deals agreed to Wednesday can be signed until the league’s moratorium period ends next week.
Cavaliers’ Kevin Love: ‘I always felt Cleveland came out on top’
By: Bob Finnan (rfinnan@news-herald.com)
Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 4:09 p.m.
Michael Allen Blair/MBlair@News-Herald.com
The Cavs Kevin Love dunks over the Celtics Tyler Zeller during the third quarter April 21 in Cleveland
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was looking for three main ingredients from perspective teams in free agency.
He wanted to find happiness. He wanted to win at the highest level. He wanted to make money - and lots of it.
Love, 26, was able to check all three boxes with the Cavaliers.
"I'd already gone through the (recruiting) process in my head," he said on The Players' Tribune on Mad Dog Radio on Sirius XM radio. "For me, I wanted to hash out everything on my own and follow my heart. I always felt Cleveland came out on top."
Love agreed on a five-year, $110 million contract with the Cavaliers on the first day of free agency on July 1. He can sign the contract July 9.
The 6-foot-10, 243-pounder said LeBron James played a big role in his decision. When James and Love were spotted in a poolside cabana June 30, that meeting had a bearing on the latter's decision.
"There were several things that went into my decision-making process," Love said. "I did want to meet with LeBron and lay everything out on the table. It just so happened, we were both in (Los Angeles) at the same time.
"We laid it all out there, hung out, and had a leisurely conversation. We ended up in the same place."
The three-time All-Star said he's on the same page with James, an unrestricted free agent.
"We're ready to go," Love said. "It will take a lot of work. You have to have luck and not be bit by the injury bug. It's the hardest thing in the world to get to the mountain top. We'll continue to work for something special in Cleveland."
Love is still recovering from a dislocated left shoulder.
"It's going to take a little bit more time," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be ready for the start of the season."
He admits he was intrigued by several other teams.
"When I opted out, I thought, `Wow, I can literally go wherever I want,' " Love said. " `I can pick the coach I want to play for.' There were a lot of options, but none were as attractive as Cleveland."
The Cavs are highly favored to get back to the NBA Finals next season.
They are still waiting on the Tristan Thompson contract to be finalized. Also, James has yet to agree to his expected two-year deal (with an option for 2016-17).
By: Bob Finnan (rfinnan@news-herald.com)
Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 4:09 p.m.
Michael Allen Blair/MBlair@News-Herald.com
The Cavs Kevin Love dunks over the Celtics Tyler Zeller during the third quarter April 21 in Cleveland
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was looking for three main ingredients from perspective teams in free agency.
He wanted to find happiness. He wanted to win at the highest level. He wanted to make money - and lots of it.
Love, 26, was able to check all three boxes with the Cavaliers.
"I'd already gone through the (recruiting) process in my head," he said on The Players' Tribune on Mad Dog Radio on Sirius XM radio. "For me, I wanted to hash out everything on my own and follow my heart. I always felt Cleveland came out on top."
Love agreed on a five-year, $110 million contract with the Cavaliers on the first day of free agency on July 1. He can sign the contract July 9.
The 6-foot-10, 243-pounder said LeBron James played a big role in his decision. When James and Love were spotted in a poolside cabana June 30, that meeting had a bearing on the latter's decision.
"There were several things that went into my decision-making process," Love said. "I did want to meet with LeBron and lay everything out on the table. It just so happened, we were both in (Los Angeles) at the same time.
"We laid it all out there, hung out, and had a leisurely conversation. We ended up in the same place."
The three-time All-Star said he's on the same page with James, an unrestricted free agent.
"We're ready to go," Love said. "It will take a lot of work. You have to have luck and not be bit by the injury bug. It's the hardest thing in the world to get to the mountain top. We'll continue to work for something special in Cleveland."
Love is still recovering from a dislocated left shoulder.
"It's going to take a little bit more time," he said. "Hopefully, I'll be ready for the start of the season."
He admits he was intrigued by several other teams.
"When I opted out, I thought, `Wow, I can literally go wherever I want,' " Love said. " `I can pick the coach I want to play for.' There were a lot of options, but none were as attractive as Cleveland."
The Cavs are highly favored to get back to the NBA Finals next season.
They are still waiting on the Tristan Thompson contract to be finalized. Also, James has yet to agree to his expected two-year deal (with an option for 2016-17).
13 Things You Didn’t Know About Iman Shumpert
Iman Shumpert was a part of a three-team trade that shocked NBA fans everywhere. Transitioning from the New York Knicks to the Cleveland Cavaliers was a big deal, literally! So what do we know about the 24 year old who stands at 6 ft. 5 inch, 220 lb. shooting guard/small forward with the funky 90’s retro style? Let’s take a look at some of the little known and fun facts about the new Cavalier you may not have known about:
13. New Contract, New Do
Iman Shumpert has had some crazy hairdos, but this one after signing his first ever NBA contract via free agency is a little mind boggling, isn’t it. Shumpert had his flat top all season, and no decide it to…whatever that is. Cavs Nation still loves you, Shump!
12. Before the NBA
Even before getting drafted in the NBA in 2011, Iman was playing ball on the court with the future pros. He was teammates with Boston Celtics Guard/ Forward Evan Turner while attending Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois his eighth grade year. Turner, who’s a year older than Shumpert, went on to play Ohio State University where he played three years and was drafted by the Philadelhia 76ers with the second pick. Shumpert went a different route playing in Georgia Tech University, but also played three years before being drafted by the New York Knicks in 2011 at pick 17.
11. Care for a joke?
Although Iman maintained good grades in school, averaging mostly A’s and B’s, his parents were informed by teachers that they had a class clown on their hands! Iman was noted to be disruptive and often held his fellow classmates attention during class. Hmm, wonder if he had that high top back hair back then as well…?
10. Misinformed
Did you know that Shumpert was actually born in Berlin, Ireland? It’s on his birth certificate as his official place of birth despite many notable sites indicating Oak Park, Illinois as his place of birth. Go figure! He’s not the only Cavalier whose place of birth might have surprised you. Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia.
9. Winin’ and Dinin’
These days you can catch Iman Shumpert with his girlfriend, Teyana Taylor sitting courtside at a basketball game or eating well at a five star restaurant, but he wasn’t always so smooth when it came to the ladies. His first date consisted of him and his girlfriend kickin’ it at her house after school their sophomore year! To this day, he also isn’t big on fancy dining.
8. First Take Theme
We all know about Iman Shumpert’s prowess on the basketball court. Cavs fans have come to know about Shumpert’s rapping ability in his short time with in Cleveland. The first song by Shumpert, the Cavs Anthem, came at the start of the playoffs and you can see it below.
Shumpert, who is an avid watcher of ESPN’s First Take along with J.R. Smith, made a song for the show’s introduction that aired Tuesday morning. The song fell in line with Cleveland’s first Finals home game of the series and the third Finals home game in the franchise’s history.
Here’s the video below, which starts out with Shumpert watching First Take with his dad.
7. M.O.B (munchies over buying)
When asked about a holiday preference, Shump says he prefers Thanksgiving over Christmas because as he got older, the responsibility of buying presents was always on him. His other reason for liking Thankgiving over Christmas is that he would rather sit at home and eat with his family instead of be out shopping in anticipation of the big day.
6. Swag Champ!
Growing up, Iman wasn’t interested in sports cars or any car for that matter, but was a major sneakerhead as he was able to spot and identify any pair of sneaker. When he was younger, he didn’t have the means to afford brand name sneakers that he always wanted, but now that he does, he spoils himself with any brand he likes. That would explain why he balled out on a $6,000 pair of kicks!
5. Say what?
Having more than just skills on the court, Iman’s other talent and passion is in his music! He released a mix tape titled Th3 #Post90s featuring R&B croon Chrisette Michelle as well as a few others. You can check out tracks from the mix tape on Datpiff.com. Here’s a sample:
4. Change Clothes And Go
Inspired by his mother who is an adjunct professor of art and design, Iman hopes to release his own fashion line revealing more of his retro 90’s style. He’s already designed a Post 90s sweatshirt. Check out his designs on
3. FOX’s Empire Resemblance
During the season, NEOMG’s Chris Haynes asked Iman Shumpert about the striking resemblance to himself and his girlfriend, Teyana Taylor. to the characters portrayed on Fox’s hit music television series “Empire.” Hakeem, who Shumpert claims is based off of his character, is dating a character named Tiana. Here’s a piece from Cleveland.com:
Hakeem has the mannerisms, as well as the look and, strangely, the sound of Shumpert. He’s even rocking Shumpert’s patented high-top fade hairstyle.
“I don’t watch that stuff, man,” Shumpert told Northeast Ohio Media Group, an annoyed expression on his face.
“They’re using my girl’s character, her style, her look and she’s not getting anything for it,” Shumpert said of Teyana Taylor, a real-life R&B singer, dancer and actress who is Shumpert’s girlfriend. “They didn’t even change her name. They could have at least let my girl audition for the part instead of stealing her character completely.”
Shumpert, the defensive specialists coming off of the Cavs bench, mentioned that despite not watching the show, he’s heard that his stolen character also has a faded high-top like himself, and the character Tiana also has a similar hairstyle along with the fact that she’s an R&B singer.
“I don’t see how they can deny it,” he said. “Everybody knows.”
2. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
Growing up, Iman looked up to and admired former NBA champion and now current head coach, Jason Kidd, citing him to be a big influence in his life. What better player to look up to than the influential Kidd and one of the best point guards to play in NBA history? In his second year with the Knicks, Shump got the opportunity of a lifetime when he played alongside Kidd in what would be his final season in the NBA.
1. When It’s All Said and Done…
Like many who play the game of basketball at their respective levels, winning a championship is a top priority and goal for Shumpert. In an interview on his website imanshumpert.com, he expressed what he wanted to be remembered as. He wants fellow teammates and players to remember him as the guy who always wanted to win, who gave his all in every game. With that type of attitude, he fits right in with the men who don the Wine and Gold. Once again, welcome to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Iman Shumpert!
Iman Shumpert was a part of a three-team trade that shocked NBA fans everywhere. Transitioning from the New York Knicks to the Cleveland Cavaliers was a big deal, literally! So what do we know about the 24 year old who stands at 6 ft. 5 inch, 220 lb. shooting guard/small forward with the funky 90’s retro style? Let’s take a look at some of the little known and fun facts about the new Cavalier you may not have known about:
13. New Contract, New Do
Iman Shumpert has had some crazy hairdos, but this one after signing his first ever NBA contract via free agency is a little mind boggling, isn’t it. Shumpert had his flat top all season, and no decide it to…whatever that is. Cavs Nation still loves you, Shump!
12. Before the NBA
Even before getting drafted in the NBA in 2011, Iman was playing ball on the court with the future pros. He was teammates with Boston Celtics Guard/ Forward Evan Turner while attending Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Oak Park, Illinois his eighth grade year. Turner, who’s a year older than Shumpert, went on to play Ohio State University where he played three years and was drafted by the Philadelhia 76ers with the second pick. Shumpert went a different route playing in Georgia Tech University, but also played three years before being drafted by the New York Knicks in 2011 at pick 17.
11. Care for a joke?
Although Iman maintained good grades in school, averaging mostly A’s and B’s, his parents were informed by teachers that they had a class clown on their hands! Iman was noted to be disruptive and often held his fellow classmates attention during class. Hmm, wonder if he had that high top back hair back then as well…?
10. Misinformed
Did you know that Shumpert was actually born in Berlin, Ireland? It’s on his birth certificate as his official place of birth despite many notable sites indicating Oak Park, Illinois as his place of birth. Go figure! He’s not the only Cavalier whose place of birth might have surprised you. Kyrie Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia.
9. Winin’ and Dinin’
These days you can catch Iman Shumpert with his girlfriend, Teyana Taylor sitting courtside at a basketball game or eating well at a five star restaurant, but he wasn’t always so smooth when it came to the ladies. His first date consisted of him and his girlfriend kickin’ it at her house after school their sophomore year! To this day, he also isn’t big on fancy dining.
8. First Take Theme
We all know about Iman Shumpert’s prowess on the basketball court. Cavs fans have come to know about Shumpert’s rapping ability in his short time with in Cleveland. The first song by Shumpert, the Cavs Anthem, came at the start of the playoffs and you can see it below.
Shumpert, who is an avid watcher of ESPN’s First Take along with J.R. Smith, made a song for the show’s introduction that aired Tuesday morning. The song fell in line with Cleveland’s first Finals home game of the series and the third Finals home game in the franchise’s history.
Here’s the video below, which starts out with Shumpert watching First Take with his dad.
7. M.O.B (munchies over buying)
When asked about a holiday preference, Shump says he prefers Thanksgiving over Christmas because as he got older, the responsibility of buying presents was always on him. His other reason for liking Thankgiving over Christmas is that he would rather sit at home and eat with his family instead of be out shopping in anticipation of the big day.
6. Swag Champ!
Growing up, Iman wasn’t interested in sports cars or any car for that matter, but was a major sneakerhead as he was able to spot and identify any pair of sneaker. When he was younger, he didn’t have the means to afford brand name sneakers that he always wanted, but now that he does, he spoils himself with any brand he likes. That would explain why he balled out on a $6,000 pair of kicks!
5. Say what?
Having more than just skills on the court, Iman’s other talent and passion is in his music! He released a mix tape titled Th3 #Post90s featuring R&B croon Chrisette Michelle as well as a few others. You can check out tracks from the mix tape on Datpiff.com. Here’s a sample:
4. Change Clothes And Go
Inspired by his mother who is an adjunct professor of art and design, Iman hopes to release his own fashion line revealing more of his retro 90’s style. He’s already designed a Post 90s sweatshirt. Check out his designs on
3. FOX’s Empire Resemblance
During the season, NEOMG’s Chris Haynes asked Iman Shumpert about the striking resemblance to himself and his girlfriend, Teyana Taylor. to the characters portrayed on Fox’s hit music television series “Empire.” Hakeem, who Shumpert claims is based off of his character, is dating a character named Tiana. Here’s a piece from Cleveland.com:
Hakeem has the mannerisms, as well as the look and, strangely, the sound of Shumpert. He’s even rocking Shumpert’s patented high-top fade hairstyle.
“I don’t watch that stuff, man,” Shumpert told Northeast Ohio Media Group, an annoyed expression on his face.
“They’re using my girl’s character, her style, her look and she’s not getting anything for it,” Shumpert said of Teyana Taylor, a real-life R&B singer, dancer and actress who is Shumpert’s girlfriend. “They didn’t even change her name. They could have at least let my girl audition for the part instead of stealing her character completely.”
Shumpert, the defensive specialists coming off of the Cavs bench, mentioned that despite not watching the show, he’s heard that his stolen character also has a faded high-top like himself, and the character Tiana also has a similar hairstyle along with the fact that she’s an R&B singer.
“I don’t see how they can deny it,” he said. “Everybody knows.”
2. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
Growing up, Iman looked up to and admired former NBA champion and now current head coach, Jason Kidd, citing him to be a big influence in his life. What better player to look up to than the influential Kidd and one of the best point guards to play in NBA history? In his second year with the Knicks, Shump got the opportunity of a lifetime when he played alongside Kidd in what would be his final season in the NBA.
1. When It’s All Said and Done…
Like many who play the game of basketball at their respective levels, winning a championship is a top priority and goal for Shumpert. In an interview on his website imanshumpert.com, he expressed what he wanted to be remembered as. He wants fellow teammates and players to remember him as the guy who always wanted to win, who gave his all in every game. With that type of attitude, he fits right in with the men who don the Wine and Gold. Once again, welcome to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Iman Shumpert!
Could The Cavs Lose Tristan
Early during the opening day of free agency, the Cavs and Tristan Thompson had reportedly come to an agreement on a contract that would keep Thompson in Cleveland for the next four-to-five years.
The 6’9” Canadian, who also shares the same agent as LeBron James, reportedly turned down a four year deal worth $52 million early last season to take his chance in restricted free agency. It turned out that he and Rich Paul were either geniuses or just tremendously lucky as Thompson made the most of the unexpected opportunity presented to him in the recently concluded postseason which helped elevate his value in the market.
Both camps were expected to finalize the deal soon, until Draymond Green signed his contract with the Golden State Warriors for 5 years at around $85 million. Soon after, reports surfaced that Thompson and the Cavs were still apart in the contract figures, Chris Haynes of NEOMG
The good news is that both sides are not that far apart in their talks and they are expected to come to an agreement by the end of the weekend. It doesn’t seem like there’s any chance Thompson will be leaving the Cavs, especially since he’s a restricted free agent. The restricted tag means that the Cavs can match any offer sheet that he signs, but it doesn’t seem likely that teams will offer him more than what the Cavs have.
Early during the opening day of free agency, the Cavs and Tristan Thompson had reportedly come to an agreement on a contract that would keep Thompson in Cleveland for the next four-to-five years.
The 6’9” Canadian, who also shares the same agent as LeBron James, reportedly turned down a four year deal worth $52 million early last season to take his chance in restricted free agency. It turned out that he and Rich Paul were either geniuses or just tremendously lucky as Thompson made the most of the unexpected opportunity presented to him in the recently concluded postseason which helped elevate his value in the market.
Both camps were expected to finalize the deal soon, until Draymond Green signed his contract with the Golden State Warriors for 5 years at around $85 million. Soon after, reports surfaced that Thompson and the Cavs were still apart in the contract figures, Chris Haynes of NEOMG
The good news is that both sides are not that far apart in their talks and they are expected to come to an agreement by the end of the weekend. It doesn’t seem like there’s any chance Thompson will be leaving the Cavs, especially since he’s a restricted free agent. The restricted tag means that the Cavs can match any offer sheet that he signs, but it doesn’t seem likely that teams will offer him more than what the Cavs have.
Tristan Thompson Is Cleveland’s New Dennis Rodman
Posted By: Tomer Azarly
Posted date: May 15, 2015
Every team needs a rebounder. The Lakers had Shaq, the Rockets had Hakeem and the Spurs had Robinson. Rebounding is an area in which every coach focuses on. Defensively, it prevents second chance points, and offensively it allows you to restart your play and gives you 24 more seconds. Since his selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Tristan Thompson has been a tremendous rebounder who averages about nine rebounds per game in just over 25 minutes per game. Tristan is an undersized power forward/center who has developed into a a terrific rebounder. He has become one of the best sixth men in the league, and is proving how valuable he is with the Kevin Love injury.
Specifically, in an interview with Basketball Insiders he referred to Dennis Rodman as his key player to watch.
“I watch a lot of Dennis Rodman film, see how he impacted the game, see how he impacted the team when he was playing. Especially for this team, I feel like I can do that and bring it to the table. That’s what I try to do every night”.
Throughout his four first years of his career, Tristan has been averaging 10 PPG and 8.4 RPG. On the other hand, Dennis was averaging nine points and eight rebounds in his first four years in the league. Dennis was also an undersized forward/center who was focusing on rebounding more that scoring. At the peak of his career, Rodman ended up averaging 18 rebounds in the 1991-1992 NBA season with the Detroit Pistons and he also led the league in rebounding seven times in his career. “I like his energy and passion”, Thompson said of Rodman, “He didn’t let any possessions off and that’s what changes a game.
Although there is a dichotomy between mild-mannered Thompson and his eccentric idol Rodman he replied: “Never judge a book by its cover. I’m all over the place. If you watch film or how I approach rebounding, if I’ve got to hit a guy or knock him off balance, I’ll do whatever it takes to get that board. I’m greedy.
With the injury of Kevin Love, more will be expected out of Tristan. We shall wait and see if he will continue to thrive or he will get exposed when asked to do more on the court. In Game 6, Tristan grabbed six offensive rebounds and 17 total rebounds while also keeping Pau Gasol, an all-star, from going off. The future looks bright for the 24 year old Canadian and the Cavaliers should they be able to retain him.
Posted By: Tomer Azarly
Posted date: May 15, 2015
Every team needs a rebounder. The Lakers had Shaq, the Rockets had Hakeem and the Spurs had Robinson. Rebounding is an area in which every coach focuses on. Defensively, it prevents second chance points, and offensively it allows you to restart your play and gives you 24 more seconds. Since his selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Tristan Thompson has been a tremendous rebounder who averages about nine rebounds per game in just over 25 minutes per game. Tristan is an undersized power forward/center who has developed into a a terrific rebounder. He has become one of the best sixth men in the league, and is proving how valuable he is with the Kevin Love injury.
Specifically, in an interview with Basketball Insiders he referred to Dennis Rodman as his key player to watch.
“I watch a lot of Dennis Rodman film, see how he impacted the game, see how he impacted the team when he was playing. Especially for this team, I feel like I can do that and bring it to the table. That’s what I try to do every night”.
Throughout his four first years of his career, Tristan has been averaging 10 PPG and 8.4 RPG. On the other hand, Dennis was averaging nine points and eight rebounds in his first four years in the league. Dennis was also an undersized forward/center who was focusing on rebounding more that scoring. At the peak of his career, Rodman ended up averaging 18 rebounds in the 1991-1992 NBA season with the Detroit Pistons and he also led the league in rebounding seven times in his career. “I like his energy and passion”, Thompson said of Rodman, “He didn’t let any possessions off and that’s what changes a game.
Although there is a dichotomy between mild-mannered Thompson and his eccentric idol Rodman he replied: “Never judge a book by its cover. I’m all over the place. If you watch film or how I approach rebounding, if I’ve got to hit a guy or knock him off balance, I’ll do whatever it takes to get that board. I’m greedy.
With the injury of Kevin Love, more will be expected out of Tristan. We shall wait and see if he will continue to thrive or he will get exposed when asked to do more on the court. In Game 6, Tristan grabbed six offensive rebounds and 17 total rebounds while also keeping Pau Gasol, an all-star, from going off. The future looks bright for the 24 year old Canadian and the Cavaliers should they be able to retain him.
Cavaliers Banking on Iman Shumpert's Development as Role Player Extraordinaire
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Favale
Jul 3, 2015
12
Iman Shumpert's new contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers has nothing to do with the player he is now.
It has everything to do with the player Cleveland is banking on him to become later.
Shumpert and the Cavaliers came to terms on a four-year, $40 million deal not even a full day into free agency, according to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy. The agreement includes a player option after the third year and was confirmed by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Contracts with an average annual salary of $10 million aren't typically handed out willy nilly. Not to injury-prone guards shooting under 40 percent from the floor for their career with a sub-11 player efficiency rating.
But every lucrative contract signed this summer comes with a disclaimer—one that applies to everyone, superstars and role players, DeAndre Jordan and Khris Middleton, Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert. So before freaking out, heed Kennedy's words:
When the salary cap explodes in 2016 and 2017, Shumpert's salary won't look so gaudy. It's that simple.
Assuming standard raises, the second year of his deal, in 2016-17, will be worth around $9.6 million. That's just 10.8 percent of next season's projected $89 million cap. And that's the equivalent of earning less than $7.3 million against next season's salary cap.
In the third year of his deal, when the cap hits $107 million, he'll earn roughly $10.3 million, or 9.6 percent percent of the league's salary ceiling. And that's the same as making around $6.5 million next season.
Now, as a fan of another team, feel free to freak out. The idea of paying Shumpert, a career enigma, 10 percent of any cap isn't too savory from the outside. But that's because it's the outside, and Shumpert's value is tied specifically to inside Cleveland.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Shumpert's value is specific to Cleveland and Cleveland alone.
The Cavaliers aren't able to funnel that $40 million elsewhere—except, of course, onto J.R. Smith's prepaid Green Dot card.
Shelling out contracts to LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova, Love and perhaps Smith will cost them a fortune. Brooklyn Nets owner and luxury-tax-paying aficionado Mikhail Prokhorov will be jealous.
Jacob Rosen of WFNY provides a nice estimate of the player-salary bill Cleveland will be footing (via Scott Sargent of WFNY):
Essentially unable to acquire other players outside of trading for them, the Cavaliers have no choice but to invest in whom they already employ. That includes Shumpert, who is still only 25 years old and capable of improving.
Mostly, though, Shumpert is the exact kind of player any James-led team needs: a non-ball-dominant wing who can score off the catch on drive-and-kicks and offers a sliver of upside on the defensive end.
Never mind his poor showing close to the basket. His athleticism never fully returned after he tore his ACL as a rookie, and he shot well under 60 percent near the rim last season, per Deadspin's Kevin Draper—which, for the record, is gross:
But the Cavaliers aren't paying him for his rim assaults. They don't have enough touches to go around anyway.
Between James', Love's and Irving's volume usages and Smith's fill of ill-advised off-the-dribble long twos, the Cavaliers are set. They need those who can thrive away from the action.
And while Shumpert didn't tear it up from three-point range last season (34.2 percent), he performed nicely as a standalone shooter, finding nylon on 38.7 percent of his spot-up treys. His field-goal percentage also skyrocketed to 44.8 percent when sharing the floor with James.
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
Shumpert fits as a LeBron complement.
Shumpert's defense is even more valuable from a sheer logistics standpoint. As Dan Feldman wrote for NBC Sports: "He’s the only strong wing defender on the roster. LeBron James isn’t interested in that role over a full season anymore."
Opposing shooting guards and small forwards mustered just a 12.9 PER when being defended by Shumpert last season, per 82games.com. Rival scorers also shot under 33 percent from deep against him.
Theoretically, Shumpert is someone the Cavaliers can stick on the opposition's best perimeter scorer, even if it's a dice roll. He prevents a 30-year-old James from chasing around athletic wings and slippery point guards all night while simultaneously shouldering a ridiculously demanding burden on the offensive end.
That's what the Cavaliers are paying $40 million for.
That's who they're hoping Shumpert becomes.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Will Shumpert ever be worth his contract? The Cavaliers are banking on it.
It's fitting, then, that Shumpert addressed his signing with the Instagram caption: "You don't buy jewelry in this league, you earn it."
After everything he's shown, Shumpert hasn't earned his new contract. He is not worth $40 million. Not under the 2015-16 salary cap, not under the 2016-17 salary cap, not under any salary cap. And the Cavaliers know this.
It's just that they're not paying Shumpert for what he's done, or in spite of what he hasn't done, or because they're not in any position to cut him loose.
They're paying him because of his three-and-D skill set and the hope that his ceiling in a three-and-D NBA will make it worthwhile later.
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Favale
Jul 3, 2015
12
Iman Shumpert's new contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers has nothing to do with the player he is now.
It has everything to do with the player Cleveland is banking on him to become later.
Shumpert and the Cavaliers came to terms on a four-year, $40 million deal not even a full day into free agency, according to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy. The agreement includes a player option after the third year and was confirmed by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Contracts with an average annual salary of $10 million aren't typically handed out willy nilly. Not to injury-prone guards shooting under 40 percent from the floor for their career with a sub-11 player efficiency rating.
But every lucrative contract signed this summer comes with a disclaimer—one that applies to everyone, superstars and role players, DeAndre Jordan and Khris Middleton, Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert. So before freaking out, heed Kennedy's words:
When the salary cap explodes in 2016 and 2017, Shumpert's salary won't look so gaudy. It's that simple.
Assuming standard raises, the second year of his deal, in 2016-17, will be worth around $9.6 million. That's just 10.8 percent of next season's projected $89 million cap. And that's the equivalent of earning less than $7.3 million against next season's salary cap.
In the third year of his deal, when the cap hits $107 million, he'll earn roughly $10.3 million, or 9.6 percent percent of the league's salary ceiling. And that's the same as making around $6.5 million next season.
Now, as a fan of another team, feel free to freak out. The idea of paying Shumpert, a career enigma, 10 percent of any cap isn't too savory from the outside. But that's because it's the outside, and Shumpert's value is tied specifically to inside Cleveland.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Shumpert's value is specific to Cleveland and Cleveland alone.
The Cavaliers aren't able to funnel that $40 million elsewhere—except, of course, onto J.R. Smith's prepaid Green Dot card.
Shelling out contracts to LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova, Love and perhaps Smith will cost them a fortune. Brooklyn Nets owner and luxury-tax-paying aficionado Mikhail Prokhorov will be jealous.
Jacob Rosen of WFNY provides a nice estimate of the player-salary bill Cleveland will be footing (via Scott Sargent of WFNY):
Essentially unable to acquire other players outside of trading for them, the Cavaliers have no choice but to invest in whom they already employ. That includes Shumpert, who is still only 25 years old and capable of improving.
Mostly, though, Shumpert is the exact kind of player any James-led team needs: a non-ball-dominant wing who can score off the catch on drive-and-kicks and offers a sliver of upside on the defensive end.
Never mind his poor showing close to the basket. His athleticism never fully returned after he tore his ACL as a rookie, and he shot well under 60 percent near the rim last season, per Deadspin's Kevin Draper—which, for the record, is gross:
But the Cavaliers aren't paying him for his rim assaults. They don't have enough touches to go around anyway.
Between James', Love's and Irving's volume usages and Smith's fill of ill-advised off-the-dribble long twos, the Cavaliers are set. They need those who can thrive away from the action.
And while Shumpert didn't tear it up from three-point range last season (34.2 percent), he performed nicely as a standalone shooter, finding nylon on 38.7 percent of his spot-up treys. His field-goal percentage also skyrocketed to 44.8 percent when sharing the floor with James.
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
Shumpert fits as a LeBron complement.
Shumpert's defense is even more valuable from a sheer logistics standpoint. As Dan Feldman wrote for NBC Sports: "He’s the only strong wing defender on the roster. LeBron James isn’t interested in that role over a full season anymore."
Opposing shooting guards and small forwards mustered just a 12.9 PER when being defended by Shumpert last season, per 82games.com. Rival scorers also shot under 33 percent from deep against him.
Theoretically, Shumpert is someone the Cavaliers can stick on the opposition's best perimeter scorer, even if it's a dice roll. He prevents a 30-year-old James from chasing around athletic wings and slippery point guards all night while simultaneously shouldering a ridiculously demanding burden on the offensive end.
That's what the Cavaliers are paying $40 million for.
That's who they're hoping Shumpert becomes.
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Will Shumpert ever be worth his contract? The Cavaliers are banking on it.
It's fitting, then, that Shumpert addressed his signing with the Instagram caption: "You don't buy jewelry in this league, you earn it."
After everything he's shown, Shumpert hasn't earned his new contract. He is not worth $40 million. Not under the 2015-16 salary cap, not under the 2016-17 salary cap, not under any salary cap. And the Cavaliers know this.
It's just that they're not paying Shumpert for what he's done, or in spite of what he hasn't done, or because they're not in any position to cut him loose.
They're paying him because of his three-and-D skill set and the hope that his ceiling in a three-and-D NBA will make it worthwhile later.
LeBron James wants Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith back with the Cleveland Cavaliers
AKRON, Ohio – The Cavaliers have LeBron James' signature and his approval on their offseason moves to date, but also a demand to continue adding to a roster that won two games in the NBA Finals.
"We definitely don't want to come back the same team," James said Friday on the red carpet for his Akron premiere of his first feature length move, "Trainwreck."
"We want to come back better."
James signed his one-year, $23 million contract with a $24 million player's option for 2016-17 with the Cavs earlier Friday. Mo Williams, a former teammate of his in Cleveland from 2008-2010, signed his one-year, $2.1 million free agent contract with a player's option for 2016-17 with the Cavs and then attended James' movie premiere.
Cleveland general manager David Griffin – another attendee of the "Trainwreck" screening – has also inked Kevin Love (five years, $113 million) and Iman Shumpert (four years, $40 million).
"It's been good so far, but we have a lot of work to do," James said. "We still got to re-sign Tristan (Thompson). Hopefully we can bring back J.R. (Smith) as well and see if there's some other free agents out there that'd love to come here and play if we're able to do that.
"Right now, we've been doing so far, so good," he said.
James was stumping for Thompson, the power forward who is represented by James' agent Rich Paul, and for Smith, a friend of James before the Cavs acquired Shumpert and Smith in a trade on Jan. 5.
In Thompson's case, James' team of advisers made it known that James wasn't going to negotiate until Thompson had an agreement in hand. That lasted until Thursday, the first day free agents could sign contracts, when James told the Cavs he would sign.
The Cavs and Thompson were reportedly close on a five-year, $80 million deal, but negotiations stalled when Thompson sought the $85 million salary (or more) Golden State agreed to pay Draymond Green.
It appeared James and Paul were prepared to use the leverage of James' free agency to force a contract for Thompson. That leverage is gone, but James can be a free agent again next summer and obviously wants Thompson back for the long haul.
Smith, a shooting guard, declined a $6.4 million option for next season and has generated little interest among teams thus far as a free agent. The Cavs don't want to pay Smith significantly more money or sign him to a long-term contract – two items Smith is seeking – after Smith struggled in the Finals and was suspended for two games earlier in the playoffs for punching Jae Crowder.
But for the right price, Cleveland could potentially bring Smith back on a short-term contract. The Cavs also have the $10.5 million contract of Brendan Haywood to trade, which could bring a shooter into the fold to replace Smith.
The Cavs have some of their $3.4 million taxpayer's salary cap exception it can use along with the veteran's minimum $1.5 million salary to fill out their bench.
When the Cavs announced James' signing, Griffin said "LeBron's re-signing today is a reflection and continuation of his strong, personal commitment to help deliver championships to northeast Ohio and Cavs fans everywhere.
"We share this deep level of commitment with him," Griffin said. "His impact upon this team, his community and the game are impossible to overstate and we look forward to continuing on our mission together.
AKRON, Ohio – The Cavaliers have LeBron James' signature and his approval on their offseason moves to date, but also a demand to continue adding to a roster that won two games in the NBA Finals.
"We definitely don't want to come back the same team," James said Friday on the red carpet for his Akron premiere of his first feature length move, "Trainwreck."
"We want to come back better."
James signed his one-year, $23 million contract with a $24 million player's option for 2016-17 with the Cavs earlier Friday. Mo Williams, a former teammate of his in Cleveland from 2008-2010, signed his one-year, $2.1 million free agent contract with a player's option for 2016-17 with the Cavs and then attended James' movie premiere.
Cleveland general manager David Griffin – another attendee of the "Trainwreck" screening – has also inked Kevin Love (five years, $113 million) and Iman Shumpert (four years, $40 million).
"It's been good so far, but we have a lot of work to do," James said. "We still got to re-sign Tristan (Thompson). Hopefully we can bring back J.R. (Smith) as well and see if there's some other free agents out there that'd love to come here and play if we're able to do that.
"Right now, we've been doing so far, so good," he said.
James was stumping for Thompson, the power forward who is represented by James' agent Rich Paul, and for Smith, a friend of James before the Cavs acquired Shumpert and Smith in a trade on Jan. 5.
In Thompson's case, James' team of advisers made it known that James wasn't going to negotiate until Thompson had an agreement in hand. That lasted until Thursday, the first day free agents could sign contracts, when James told the Cavs he would sign.
The Cavs and Thompson were reportedly close on a five-year, $80 million deal, but negotiations stalled when Thompson sought the $85 million salary (or more) Golden State agreed to pay Draymond Green.
It appeared James and Paul were prepared to use the leverage of James' free agency to force a contract for Thompson. That leverage is gone, but James can be a free agent again next summer and obviously wants Thompson back for the long haul.
Smith, a shooting guard, declined a $6.4 million option for next season and has generated little interest among teams thus far as a free agent. The Cavs don't want to pay Smith significantly more money or sign him to a long-term contract – two items Smith is seeking – after Smith struggled in the Finals and was suspended for two games earlier in the playoffs for punching Jae Crowder.
But for the right price, Cleveland could potentially bring Smith back on a short-term contract. The Cavs also have the $10.5 million contract of Brendan Haywood to trade, which could bring a shooter into the fold to replace Smith.
The Cavs have some of their $3.4 million taxpayer's salary cap exception it can use along with the veteran's minimum $1.5 million salary to fill out their bench.
When the Cavs announced James' signing, Griffin said "LeBron's re-signing today is a reflection and continuation of his strong, personal commitment to help deliver championships to northeast Ohio and Cavs fans everywhere.
"We share this deep level of commitment with him," Griffin said. "His impact upon this team, his community and the game are impossible to overstate and we look forward to continuing on our mission together.
J.R. SMITH IS #ALLINCLE
J.R. Smith should be re-signed.
There, I said it. Unrelented ribbing may commence.
Yes, he declined his $6.5 million player option. Yes, he was an abysmal 24-for-77 in the Finals. Yes, he was suspended for whacking Jae Crowder in the first round. Yes, he committed countless other ignorant fouls throughout the regular season and in the playoffs. And yes, he may still have the court vision of a young Kobe Bryant.
But @teamswish deserves another chance in Cleveland, and the Cavs need to pay him.
J.R. Smith is not a bigger priority than Tristan Thompson. However, I’m certain that Thompson’s continued lobbying for a max deal is drawing attention away from another important cog on last year’s Eastern Conference champions, and it’s not Delly.
Now, let’s get this out of the way. J.R. Smith is not changing any time soon. He will always be a high-volume scorer. At his best, he’s the 2012-2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, knocking down contested threes and electrifying the rest of his team with instant energy off the bench.
At his worst, well, you saw him at his worst in the Finals, complete with all the negative attention that a longtime media punching bag commands.
I’m not naive enough to think that a half-season playing alongside LeBron has changed J.R. But I know for a fact that a half-season playing with Smith has changed the Cavs — for the better.
First off, he had some of the best 46 games of his regular season career as a Cav. He averaged 12.7 points, a 1.8-point increase from his 24 games with the Knicks, and he shot his best percentage from the field since 2010. His assists went down to 2.5 a game, but the figure is deceiving because he was largely camped out beyond the arc in the Cavs’ spacing-oriented offense, waiting for the pass that would lead to an open three.
Speaking of playing beyond the arc, Smith excelled for the Cavs as a knockdown shooter. For the season, he shot 40.5 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, and that number soars to 45.8 percent after the All-Star break, once he finally settled into the Cavs’ offense. This may come as a surprise, but he was at his best in the fourth quarter, splashing 47.6 percent of assisted threes.
As far as his contributions to the team are concerned, J.R. proved to be one of the most valuable players on the Cavs roster. With Smith on the court, they put up an offensive efficiency rating of 113.0, better than the marks of Kevin Love (112.7) and Tristan Thompson (112.6). Meanwhile, on the defensive end, opponents posted a 104.9 offensive rating with Smith on the court and a 107.3 mark with him off of it. He accumulated a 1.8 value over replacement player (VORP) in 46 games, a figure he reached just twice in his career during full seasons.
3-and-D players have cashed in this summer as the concept of the “new NBA” permeates the league. J.R. isn’t competent enough on defense to be considered in that class, but he’s a great shooter and for the price, the Cavs won’t find a better deal.
Now, about the playoffs…
There’s absolutely no question that J.R.’s play in the Finals was atrocious and he may very well have cost the Cavs the chance to at least take the Warriors to seven games. However, with that said, it’s time to look at the facts:
1. In terms of the entirety of the playoffs, Smith was not terrible. He shot 40.3 percent from the field and a touch under 36 percent on his threes, on par with his career averages. And if you take away the Finals, Smith shot 45.7 percent on field goals and 39.6 percent on threes. At that rate, he would’ve been on pace for arguably his best playoffs ever.
2. For the three series’ in which he came off the bench, including the Finals, he shot 38.4 percent from downtown and averaged 13.7 points, an upgrade over his regular season mark.
3. Throughout the Finals, Smith was harassed by extremely long wing defenders on the NBA’s best defense. Shaun Livingston, Klay Thompson and others completely stonewalled his attempts to gain space one-on-one, and Draymond Green’s max-contract-worthy quick feet and solid frame prevented him from creating off the pick-and-roll. These are truths. There is no other way to explain it.
4. People forget Smith absolutely shamed the Bulls throughout an extremely physical Eastern Conference semifinal series. Not only did he shoot 44.4 percent from 3-point range against them, he also hit the game-tying 3-pointer in Game 3 to knot it all up at 96 before Derrick Rose’s good karma finally caught up to him.
5. Let’s be real about the Jae Crowder thing. The Cavs were playing a pesky Celtics team that knew they were about to get swept but kept playing handsy anyways, Kelly Olynyk had just cut the Cavs title hopes in half with one rip of a shoulder and quite frankly, J.R. had eaten some Subway that day and his tummy was bothering him. Give the guy a break.
Moving on. As far as the Cavs’ immediate needs go, J.R. is still the best option available to fill the void of wing shooter. Yes, Mo Williams is fine and dandy from range, but he’s at his best with the ball in his hands, coming off of the pick-and-roll and firing. The Cavs have indicated they’re interested in the Clippers Jamal Crawford, but again, he plays best with the ball in his hands and would be a major liability to “fit out” as LeBron so lovingly phrased the phenomenon.
The Cavs need another spot-up shooter to space the floor around the LeBron-Kyrie tandem. J.R. fits that role as has been established above, and already has familiarity with the offense. He also provides some pop off the bench and actually began to show some chemistry with Timofey Mozgov, especially on pick-and-rolls, towards the end of last season.
J.R. will probably be looking for a deal in the $5-6 million range. That’s much cheaper than rumored alternative Joe Johnson ($24 million). Even if Dan Gilbert continues to flip the bird at the luxury tax, the extra $18 million he would save by signing Smith instead of trading for Johnson would help lower his bill next year when the cap explodes.
The subtext behind all of this is that J.R. Smith is a Cav. He’s never stopped praising the Cavaliers organization for prying him out of NYC, making it very apparent in a letter he wrote on the Cauldron.
“With 45 games games in the rearview mirror since the trade, I’ve been able to reflect on things, and now see it as a blessing in disguise,” Smith wrote. “For me, being away from New York, my hometown, has led to far fewer distractions. In Cleveland, there just isn’t much to do after 9 p.m., so the days of fashion shows, shopping, and the nights out have been replaced by one thing and one thing only: Basketball.”
Aside from the slight Noah-esque dig, Smith wears his appreciation for the city of Cleveland and the Cavs on his sleeve. It’s much too laissez-faire to assume that Smith has suddenly put winning above himself, but going into his age-30 season and playing alongside the best player in the world may be the kick in the pants he needs to start getting introspective about his career.
One last argument.
Everyone remembers the fateful early January days when LeBron had finally grown weary of trying to bear the burden of an entire team’s worth of egos and had shown signs of disillusionment with the Cavs’ commitment to winning and their 19-20 record. Cavs GM David Griffin felt it was time to make a change and dealt Dion Waiters to the Thunder in a deal that netted him Smith and Iman Shumpert. Two days later, he added Mozgov and the makeover was complete.
But actually it wasn’t. What really keyed the Cavs’ midseason turnaround wasn’t the trades themselves, it was the new sense of chemistry the trades had created. And at the head of this new band of brothers was none other than J.R. Smith.
Don’t believe me? These Insta’s speak for themselves.
#JustSaying
A photo posted by JR Smith (@teamswish) on May 26, 2015 at 9:23pm PDT
LeBron has always relished playing alongside teammates who work hard and cherish winning. But another characteristic he looks for is “fun.” If we learned nothing else from his tenure from Miami, we learned that he loves to have fun with his crew. J.R. brings the fun factor and as long as he’s locked in, he brings the wins.
Will he be locked in?
Only time will tell.
J.R. Smith should be re-signed.
There, I said it. Unrelented ribbing may commence.
Yes, he declined his $6.5 million player option. Yes, he was an abysmal 24-for-77 in the Finals. Yes, he was suspended for whacking Jae Crowder in the first round. Yes, he committed countless other ignorant fouls throughout the regular season and in the playoffs. And yes, he may still have the court vision of a young Kobe Bryant.
But @teamswish deserves another chance in Cleveland, and the Cavs need to pay him.
J.R. Smith is not a bigger priority than Tristan Thompson. However, I’m certain that Thompson’s continued lobbying for a max deal is drawing attention away from another important cog on last year’s Eastern Conference champions, and it’s not Delly.
Now, let’s get this out of the way. J.R. Smith is not changing any time soon. He will always be a high-volume scorer. At his best, he’s the 2012-2013 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, knocking down contested threes and electrifying the rest of his team with instant energy off the bench.
At his worst, well, you saw him at his worst in the Finals, complete with all the negative attention that a longtime media punching bag commands.
I’m not naive enough to think that a half-season playing alongside LeBron has changed J.R. But I know for a fact that a half-season playing with Smith has changed the Cavs — for the better.
First off, he had some of the best 46 games of his regular season career as a Cav. He averaged 12.7 points, a 1.8-point increase from his 24 games with the Knicks, and he shot his best percentage from the field since 2010. His assists went down to 2.5 a game, but the figure is deceiving because he was largely camped out beyond the arc in the Cavs’ spacing-oriented offense, waiting for the pass that would lead to an open three.
Speaking of playing beyond the arc, Smith excelled for the Cavs as a knockdown shooter. For the season, he shot 40.5 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, and that number soars to 45.8 percent after the All-Star break, once he finally settled into the Cavs’ offense. This may come as a surprise, but he was at his best in the fourth quarter, splashing 47.6 percent of assisted threes.
As far as his contributions to the team are concerned, J.R. proved to be one of the most valuable players on the Cavs roster. With Smith on the court, they put up an offensive efficiency rating of 113.0, better than the marks of Kevin Love (112.7) and Tristan Thompson (112.6). Meanwhile, on the defensive end, opponents posted a 104.9 offensive rating with Smith on the court and a 107.3 mark with him off of it. He accumulated a 1.8 value over replacement player (VORP) in 46 games, a figure he reached just twice in his career during full seasons.
3-and-D players have cashed in this summer as the concept of the “new NBA” permeates the league. J.R. isn’t competent enough on defense to be considered in that class, but he’s a great shooter and for the price, the Cavs won’t find a better deal.
Now, about the playoffs…
There’s absolutely no question that J.R.’s play in the Finals was atrocious and he may very well have cost the Cavs the chance to at least take the Warriors to seven games. However, with that said, it’s time to look at the facts:
1. In terms of the entirety of the playoffs, Smith was not terrible. He shot 40.3 percent from the field and a touch under 36 percent on his threes, on par with his career averages. And if you take away the Finals, Smith shot 45.7 percent on field goals and 39.6 percent on threes. At that rate, he would’ve been on pace for arguably his best playoffs ever.
2. For the three series’ in which he came off the bench, including the Finals, he shot 38.4 percent from downtown and averaged 13.7 points, an upgrade over his regular season mark.
3. Throughout the Finals, Smith was harassed by extremely long wing defenders on the NBA’s best defense. Shaun Livingston, Klay Thompson and others completely stonewalled his attempts to gain space one-on-one, and Draymond Green’s max-contract-worthy quick feet and solid frame prevented him from creating off the pick-and-roll. These are truths. There is no other way to explain it.
4. People forget Smith absolutely shamed the Bulls throughout an extremely physical Eastern Conference semifinal series. Not only did he shoot 44.4 percent from 3-point range against them, he also hit the game-tying 3-pointer in Game 3 to knot it all up at 96 before Derrick Rose’s good karma finally caught up to him.
5. Let’s be real about the Jae Crowder thing. The Cavs were playing a pesky Celtics team that knew they were about to get swept but kept playing handsy anyways, Kelly Olynyk had just cut the Cavs title hopes in half with one rip of a shoulder and quite frankly, J.R. had eaten some Subway that day and his tummy was bothering him. Give the guy a break.
Moving on. As far as the Cavs’ immediate needs go, J.R. is still the best option available to fill the void of wing shooter. Yes, Mo Williams is fine and dandy from range, but he’s at his best with the ball in his hands, coming off of the pick-and-roll and firing. The Cavs have indicated they’re interested in the Clippers Jamal Crawford, but again, he plays best with the ball in his hands and would be a major liability to “fit out” as LeBron so lovingly phrased the phenomenon.
The Cavs need another spot-up shooter to space the floor around the LeBron-Kyrie tandem. J.R. fits that role as has been established above, and already has familiarity with the offense. He also provides some pop off the bench and actually began to show some chemistry with Timofey Mozgov, especially on pick-and-rolls, towards the end of last season.
J.R. will probably be looking for a deal in the $5-6 million range. That’s much cheaper than rumored alternative Joe Johnson ($24 million). Even if Dan Gilbert continues to flip the bird at the luxury tax, the extra $18 million he would save by signing Smith instead of trading for Johnson would help lower his bill next year when the cap explodes.
The subtext behind all of this is that J.R. Smith is a Cav. He’s never stopped praising the Cavaliers organization for prying him out of NYC, making it very apparent in a letter he wrote on the Cauldron.
“With 45 games games in the rearview mirror since the trade, I’ve been able to reflect on things, and now see it as a blessing in disguise,” Smith wrote. “For me, being away from New York, my hometown, has led to far fewer distractions. In Cleveland, there just isn’t much to do after 9 p.m., so the days of fashion shows, shopping, and the nights out have been replaced by one thing and one thing only: Basketball.”
Aside from the slight Noah-esque dig, Smith wears his appreciation for the city of Cleveland and the Cavs on his sleeve. It’s much too laissez-faire to assume that Smith has suddenly put winning above himself, but going into his age-30 season and playing alongside the best player in the world may be the kick in the pants he needs to start getting introspective about his career.
One last argument.
Everyone remembers the fateful early January days when LeBron had finally grown weary of trying to bear the burden of an entire team’s worth of egos and had shown signs of disillusionment with the Cavs’ commitment to winning and their 19-20 record. Cavs GM David Griffin felt it was time to make a change and dealt Dion Waiters to the Thunder in a deal that netted him Smith and Iman Shumpert. Two days later, he added Mozgov and the makeover was complete.
But actually it wasn’t. What really keyed the Cavs’ midseason turnaround wasn’t the trades themselves, it was the new sense of chemistry the trades had created. And at the head of this new band of brothers was none other than J.R. Smith.
Don’t believe me? These Insta’s speak for themselves.
#JustSaying
A photo posted by JR Smith (@teamswish) on May 26, 2015 at 9:23pm PDT
LeBron has always relished playing alongside teammates who work hard and cherish winning. But another characteristic he looks for is “fun.” If we learned nothing else from his tenure from Miami, we learned that he loves to have fun with his crew. J.R. brings the fun factor and as long as he’s locked in, he brings the wins.
Will he be locked in?
Only time will tell.
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