The Jason Kidd-to-the-Cavs stories are certainly sexy, at least in a basketball sense. And after Kidd’s comments to Sports Illustrated last week, there’s some rationale. There’s his contract issues and the weird headache. All the elements are there, which is why my inbox has been blowing up. But now comes this blog’s trademark…realism.
First of all, after talking to some NBA executives today, the word Nets president Rod Thorn is putting out there is that he’s not interested in trading Kidd right now. Obviously that’s fluid and things would change if Kidd came out and demanded to be traded. That hasn’t happened yet.
Secondly, the Cavs probably don’t have the assets to pull this deal off. The Nets will want a star (which the Cavs don’t have to trade) or a package of young talent (they have some there) instant expiring contracts (which they don’t have enough of) and draft picks (they have next year’s No. 1). It would’ve been interesting if this happened last week, because maybe there could’ve been a sign-and-trade with Anderson Varejao to help.
Anyway, someone will need about $15 million in contracts to make a Kidd trade work under the rules. In addition, the Nets have 14 contracts so doing a 3-for-1 or 4-for-2 deal doesn’t work without them cutting someone. All their expirings next year don’t make sense in a deal because Kidd’s deal expires next year. Plus if the Nets trade him, they’ll want to trade him West. Never say never, but this just isn’t likely.
If you want to start talking about a point guard — and with Varejao now signed, the Cavs are starting to think trades — look at Andre Miller. The Sixers just made a change at the top, firing general manager Billy King, and they are headed nowhere fast this season. King was not crazy about moving Miller, who Danny Ferry really likes, in the past. The Sixers are also in position to have a lot of salary cap space next summer and the Cavs could get them some more by involving Ira Newble and Shannon Brown in a deal.
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Brian
Welcome back. Missed ya lots. Between your blogs and being able to hear Joe Tait on webcasts, I feel as much in the loop as anyone, even from here in Japan.
Anyway, I was a big Miller fan the first time he was here. I think he’d be a great pick-up. He’s an assists man. I’d rather have him than Bibby.
But Newble and Shannon… That’s hardly enough to pry him, even with expiring contracts, no? Who else could get tossed in?
And are you aware through sources of even low-level contacts on this? Or just pure speculation on your part?
The “Cavs are starting to think trades?” Odd, but I could have sworn that I’ve been reading for the past 2 1/2 years that the Cavs have been thinking trades. Lots and lots and lots of thinking.
Anyway, if it means that Ferry will finally have to come out of his Rip Van Winkle stupor, the Varejao signing means Gooden is gone. I won’t miss him.
Brian,
Certainly its a stretch to think the Cavs would have the assets to pull off a straight up trade for Kidd. But, would there be more of a possibility if a 3 team trade happened?
Over the summer I read rumors of a trade w/ Indiana that would send Jermaine Oneal to NJ and Richard Jefferson to IND.
If we took Kidd, the Nets got Oneal, Gooden, and draft picks, and Indiana got Jefferson (plus the necessary extras to match salaries) would that be more plausible?
This way, each team lands a new star player.
Lots of good information and stuff on this new Forbes page, including information on the new estimated valuation of the Cavaliers. I thought some people might find it interesting. If not, oh, well.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/12/06/business-basketball-nba-biz-07nba-cz_kb_mo_cs_1206nbaintro.html
The only page many of us will find interesting comaguy is your obit.
now rick, that was not nice, a.t. is a lot of things, but you should not wish death on anyone, any way we do not need kidd, the only reachable pg’s are miller, or boykin, plain and simple, boykin would be the least expensive. what hotdog head is waiting for i do not know… oh, maybe he is waiting for tony parker to become a free agent and then he would sign him.
HEY ALAN T, OR A.T. are you still laughing at beno udrih, i recall last year when hotdog head mention him you joked about it, and now beno is playing with the kings, and doing all the little things that we need to be done on this team, right now it look like he would be the perfect compliment to the “king” i bet u kinda wish that “hotdog head” would of got him.
I thought the Cavs had resigned to not ever getting a true point guard. They openly admit they don’t have a use for one. I strongly disagree with this, but that’s the Cavalier view Brian and others have reported in the past. They want a shooter who can defend… not an assist guy.
Brent you are right on! The way Mike Brown plays the game, he wouldn’t use a true point guard in any meaningful way. You can get excited about, Bibby, Miller or Kidd……but……they will be just like a duck out of water in Cleveland. It would be similar to what happened to Larry Hughes when he came to Cleveland. Mike Brown only allows one person to control the Cavaliers game. Now that he is on the bench, the Cavalieers have no idea how to play team basketball. Don’t worry about true ppoint guards.
Trade the whole damn team, except Lebron, for Deron Williams of Utah. I think those two together could make the playoffs by themselves.
Hey, Beno Udrih is no Rajon Rondo.
Billy, Udrih isn’t really a point guard. Kind of a white lefty tweener. If you’re playing over 35 minutes a game, you’re supposed to be a point guard, and you’re only averaging four assists a game, that’s not a point guard. Besides, Udrih is represented by Pavlovic’s agent, so Udrih was going to sign anywhere BUT Cleveland. I suppose he’d look better on the Cavaliers than Shannon Brown, but then again, who wouldn’t? His boss is now forcing the lineup change, but I think Mike Brown would rather see Rageaholic Rick on the Cavs roster than Shannon Brown.
I don’t understand the new Ferry. It’s like watching Drew Gooden, you never know which guy is going to show up on any given day. One day he’s spending like a drunken sailor at a whorehouse convention, the next day he won’t spend a penny for a kiss on the cheek. Now the purported goal is “flexibility” for 2009 to persuade James to stay. OK, fine. He foolishly blew his wad in 2005, so maybe he learned his lesson, don’t panic and spend money just because you have it to spend.
But here’s the problem with this supposed 2009 “strategy” and I don’t understand why Brian doesn’t point out the obvious: Teams that want expiring contracts are teams themselves looking to rebuild. They want to get rid of guys that are 30-something so they can start over. So assuming Ferry can trade and acquire a few guys with some skills still in their tanks in exchange for these expiring contracts, the guys he acquires will already be in their 30s and on the downsides of their careers. Never mind that Cleveland isn’t a media, marketing or endorsement center, why in the world would James’ advisors tell him to stick with a Miami Heat problem?
Mike B., with LeBron out, if Rondo was on the team instead of whoever else they’ve got, then you can bet that he’d find a way to get Ilgauskas the ball. Rondo has no outside shot yet, but he’s definitely a point guard. Ilgauskas is a black hole and you’ll never see the ball again, but I’d rather see him forcing up shots than Pavlovic & Co., wouldn’t you?
Any truth to the rumor that we are trying to trade Larry Hughes for Chicago’s 30th round pick in 2017?
I would trade Andy V. for Andre Miller at this point. What’s the use of having Andy back if we still don’t have a true point guard? He’s probably coming back with a chip on his shoulder, he’s got an opt-out after next year, so why not get some value for him now? All these people who want to trade Gooden and keep Andy should check how many power forwards outscore him outside 10 feet. BTW, Has anyone else noticed that Dwayne Jones pulled down 10+ rebounds in about 22 minutes the other night? And he hit 3 of 4 foul shouts. Some of our guards can’t do that.
As crazy as this might sound, I would actually like to see Snow playing more while LeBron is out. Last year the Cavs actually played pretty well without LeBron, completely unlike this year. Snow at least understands what the PG position is about, unlike the guys Brown is playing this year. Once the Cavs get LeBron back (and Hughes back to run the point), they’ll be fine.
I have not heard that rumor. But I am going to tell you right now that there is absolutely no truth to it. There isn’t a single team in the league who would take larry hughes without giving up something worse in return, and I don’t know if such a player exists. Also, Chicago does not have any cap room to take on Hughes contract without giving up something in return. Whoever told you that rumor is a dumbass.
And I think our offense would change totally with a pg that would allow Lebron to do stuff away from the ball. Lebron can’t just drive to the hole every possession, eventually he will breakdown. Miller would allow Lebron to work off the ball, and he would even create on his own a little bit. Miller would also know to feed Z, which apparently only Lebron knows how to do.
you can’t trade andy v now for another 3 months because we just signed him
Dan, because the Cavs matched the Bobcats offer, they are not allowed under NBA rules to trade Andy for 3 months. I agree that I would rather have Drew on the team than Andy (yes, Andy is more consistent, but those nights when Drew is on his game, he is a good deal better than Varejao), but the Cavs just cannot trade Andy right now. So if a deal is going to be made, Drew will likely be the one to have to go.
How come the only guys that have heart since LeBron went down are: Shannon Brown, Boobie, Drew, and Dwayne Jones?
They need more paint scoring and paint defense.
Not only can they not trade AV for 3 months, 3 months comes after the trading deadline. So, they can’t trade him till next year.
MIKE, did you say we will be fine when larry come back to run the point, dude put down the crack, open up your window and let some air in.
brian,
you’re right the kidd thing can’t happen…and a trade for miller would be a great move for our cav’s.but there is a very good point guard on the market and his name is earl boykins!has this option been considered?
On the Cavs’ struggles without Lebron, we can place some blame on the injuries. But isn’t this what happens when you play Lebron 40+ minutes a game? You can see the Cavs are lost without Lebron the floor, healthy or not. They squander leads or lose more ground when Lebron’s resting. Shame on the coaching staff for not using the bench more efficiently.
Andre Miller and Jason Kidd would be nice additions, but I expect the Cavs would have to trade Gibson. That would be a lousy loss, because he’s one of the few Cavs who plays better with Lebron.
Earl Boykins is not good. He is short, a ball hog, and he can’t play defense. It should be telling that no team in the NBA wants him on their team.
And they play Lebron so much because they have to play Lebron as much as possible to have a chance to win. The Cavs look lost without him because they are BAD. Who on the bench deserves more playing time? Shannon Brown? Ira Newble? I don’t think so
According to Terry Pluto, Boykins is asking for $17 million a year, and none of this prorated stuff.
The tiny bastard.
Anyone else noticed that Earl Boykins has become Reverend Pluto’s new Charlie Frye local boy to senselessly promote? Every sunday I have to read Talkin Terry practically beg for Boatshoes to sign him. I mean, what’s not to like? 5′4″ shooting guards who never pass and aren’t aware of the concept of “defense” don’t exactly grow on trees. Given the chance, how do you not sign him? Just wait until Romeo Travis has a couple decent years in the Turkish league; the old Reverend will be comparing him to Charles Oakley before you know it.
One more thing thing; someone help us settle a minor debate. Mark Shapiro’s wife: hottie or a little too uncomfortably suggestive of a transvestite?
doc, do you have a photo or a link to Mark Shapiro’s wife so I may have something to evaluate? Lacking this framework, I am currently unable to provide an informed opinion. To the best of my present knowledge, the only sports spouse who is uncomfortably suggestive of a transvestite is the wife of Kurt Warner. Thank you in advance.
With respect to that Boykins thing, I still vividly recall Pluto’s very first Boykins column back in mid 1998, before the Nets and the Cavaliers finally gave him a shot in the league. Nearly 10 years later, and he’s still begging for the exact same thing. I give the man credit, he doesn’t flip-flop when it comes to homerish material.
Doc, are you crazy? Shapiro’s wife is hot as hell. If you want transvestite look at that New York “lady” on VH1.
TPH, is that really you? I can’t believe that you would actually ever voice any dissent againt the ignoble Alan T. after you’re lemming-like support of him in the past.
Billy, you sermonizing little troglodyte you, you bring up a good point about Udrih, but don’t expect Tucker to acknowledge it. He’s too busy pointing out that Z isn’t putting up all-star caliber assist numbers, something every NBA analyst was of course expecting Z to do this season. Sports Illustrated’s website had an article today about the 5 most improved NBA players this season, and Udrih was number 3. Here’s what they had to say about him:
Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings — Udrih has gone from a 5.2-point scorer over three in-and-out years with San Antonio to a 14.3-point starter in his brief time with the Kings. The 25-year-old point guard has added 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his 35.2 minutes as the Kings have gone 6-5 since his Nov. 10 debut (though the return of Ron Artest from a season-opening suspension of seven games has a lot to do with it, too).
While sidelined with a broken finger in the preseason, Udrih was traded by San Antonio and waived by Minnesota before arriving in Sacramento for the minimum $826,046 as a replacement for Mike Bibby, who underwent preseason thumb surgery. The 6-3 Udrih showed he had recovered from the loss of Gregg Popovich’s confidence in him by haunting San Antonio with a career-high 27 points in a 112-99 Kings’ win last week. If Udrih keeps this up, he’ll make it easier for the Kings to eventually trade Bibby and further hasten their rebuilding.
Brian,
With all the sucess the Spurs have been seeing minus TD (2-0 and a W against DAL and UTAH), does it seem reasonable that he is not the piece that makes that team go? Believe me, I know he is one of best players at his position, but as an avid NBA watcher, is he THE player that makes that team special? I really don’t find that to be the case. They just seem to have a great system with other really good players. Please, let me know your take. Thanks
What’s your point,and why are you cutting and pasting? Artest is a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year. And the Cavaliers already have a shooting point guard who’s not really a point guard, and his name is Gibson. Ferry already spent the summer and autumn telling Udrih’s agent to go to hell. Or, if Windy is correct, Ferry’s method of operation is not telling a guy’s agent anything at all, so it’s a fantasy league moot point. Udrih is the typical borderline vagabond, a Dan Dickau with longer range. Give a guy enough minutes, and eventually anyone can become Bubbles Hawkins for a week. Give Shannon Brown 35 minutes a game, and watch what happens to his stat line.
http://www.survivinggrady.com/uploaded_images/trophywife-752270.jpg
Aren’t those cheekbones just a little too “developed”?
From the quotes I’ve seen: Jason Kidd wants to play for a contender. Jason Kidd wants to play with LeBron. Jason Kidd does not want to play for the Cavaliers.
What’s wrong with this picture?
Mike B., until they start playing garbage teams like last year, there is no comparison to last year’s success without James. This year, without James, they have played good teams and they are absolutely getting blown out and look like jokes. Last year they played absolute garbage and at least had Hughes and marshall and AV and barely won. The judge has made up his mind and come back with a judgement of “This team really is not very good without James. He is THAT good”.
Wow. doc, I think you’re right. In fact, put that photo and these photos side-by-side, and tell me what you think. If those two guys traded hair, with the exception of wig color, I wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference. http://www.paulstanley.com
And there you have it…anything related to Cleveland sports automatically gets a putdown and a negative comment. How do you even live with yourself dude? What’s the point of living a life when the only thing you look forward to on a daily basis is the attention you get here for your incessant negativism? Yah, unfortunately we feed into that because of your daily quota of 100 posts can’t be overlooked.
And only you would be able to see the likeness to Paul Stanley but I guess next to your 400 pound wife, anything thin with long hair would begin to look good to you I suppose. And if someone has it better, the jealousy and anger seeps out? How many teeth does the old bag have and is she going bald? Perhaps that is why you have the issue with Ferry’s bald spot – reminds you of the wife and the life rut you are stuck in with no way out so instead of taking it out on the wife, lets hit Ferry huh? Starting to see the correlation to the hostility here and the home life.
Toodles.