I’ve gotten lots of e-mails over the last week asking me about players the Cavs may want to trade for this offseason. Nobody asked about the draft, which I wrote about in Sunday’s paper. I guess LeBron’s comments at the end of the season are the reason for that. Anyway, let me go over some things to answer some questions I’ve been getting.
A couple of things before we start.
1. The Cavs probably aren’t going to be signing anybody to a significant contract straight up this summer. All they have is their exceptions ($5.5 million mid-level and $1.8 million bi-annual). Neither of those are likely going to attract impact players. Considering the staggering size of their payroll, I don’t expect the Cavs to use all or maybe any of this money.
2. The Cavs have plenty of trade assets, but there are circumstances. Most of them are expiring contracts, especially Wally Szczerbiak’s $13 million Teams who are looking to clear cap space and rebuild want these deals. Not everybody wants to rebuild in the summer, usually that decision happens mid-season. So, in general, expiring contracts tend to become more valuable as the season progresses. That means a major move might well not happen until during next season. Not that it is impossible. Last season the SuperSonics broke down their team and the Celtics cashed in with Ray Allen. The Cavs also have two restricted free agents in Daniel Gibson and Delonte West they could use in sign-and-trades. However, the team likes the both and probably wants to keep them.
3. The season isn’t over yet, the draft hasn’t taken place, and not all coaches or general managers are in place. Which means there’s mostly just speculation at this point and all talk of roster movement would be by definition premature. From the Cavs perspective, I don’t even believe their coaches and front office have made certain decisions yet. So anything about the Cavs would be total conjecture. But I am paid to do it, so I will. As I did in Sunday’s story.
Ok, now…
–People are asking me a lot about Elton Brand, there is apparently some rumor that the Cavs want him. Well of course the Cavs would want him, so would almost every team in the league. He is going into the final year of his contract, which he has an option to terminate. But since he is coming off an Achilles tear nobody is 100 percent sure he will do that. Either way, the only way the Cavs would be able to get him is in a trade (straight up or in an sign-and-trade). The Clippers don’t like spending money, but they wouldn’t trade Brand just to clear cap space. He’s their franchise player right now and Corey Maggette may be leaving them soon. At this moment, I don’t think it is possible.
–Lots have e-mailed about Michael Redd. The Bucks have a new coach and a new general manager and may be looking to move numerous players as they look to rebuild. In time, this could be a legitimate scenario. The Bucks have not prospered with Redd as their centerpiece and his maximum contract ties them up. However, this is not the same Redd from three years ago. He’s suffered a knee injury since, his shooting percentage has dropped two straight seasons (he only shot 36 percent on 3s this year) and he’s coming off his lowest scoring average in four seasons. Now, he is a highly skilled shooter who has experience playing with LeBron on Team USA. We’ll have to see how things develop and what the Bucks do with the No. 8 overall pick.
–Baron Davis. Several have raised this one to me. Baron is another player who has an opt out in his contract that no one is sure he will use. The Warriors are at a bit of a crossroads, they have numerous free agents to deal with. It appears Davis wants an extension and probably a massive one and the Bay Area media has reported early talks have not gone well. So it makes sense that his name would be floated in rumors. No one has told me the Cavs would have interest and it is questionable as to whether his style would mesh with LeBron because he is a shoot first guard. But it is a situation that could be worth watching.
–Andre Iguodala, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor (I’ve gotten questions on all) or any other restricted free agent from the draft class of 2004. The Cavs do not have cap space required to give out an offer sheet that would scare anyone. As for sign-and-trades, the Cavs don’t have the young talent that would make such a deal possible. Teams don’t want to give up their young stars, just as the Cavs wouldn’t.
I’ll have more as things develop and more about the season as a little more time passes. People still aren’t talking much.
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Grampa Alan, did Ferry sleep with your granddaughter? I know you’re rooting and fist pumping every time something bad happens to the Cavs, and if LeBron were ever to leave Cleveland you’d die a happy, albeit still disillusioned, man. You couldnt be more hateful or biased, and I want to know why. Deep down, why do you hate Cleveland and the Cavs so much? Can you be honest with me, or would it ruin your schtick on Windy’s site?
But for God’s sake, 3 deep playoff runs, 1 trip to the Finals, and enough pieces in place to make a run at it for AT LEAST 2 more years. That cant be viewed a failure until the run is over. And it isnt over yet.
My God, even worse Alan, I looked it up and the Cavs traded Andre Miller to the Clippers for Miles, who had 3 years and nearly 30 million left on his deal at the time. Good grief, isnt that almost WORSE? I say yes…
Josh, what in the world are you talking about? Never mind your horrible case of fan-initis, which apparently has as great a chance of permanently disappearing as a 152nd outbreak of genital herpes. Miles was on his rookie contract, his very first contract. They stopped giving insane contracts to unproven rookies effective with Glenn Robinson’s agent’s insane demands, and they made it part and parcel of the next CBA. In Miles’ first year, and I’m rounding off numbers here, he made $2.8 million; his second year he made $3.1 million; his third year he made $3.3 million; and his fourth year he made $4.1 million. I honestly haven’t the foggiest clue what you’re talking about.
If there’s rose-colored glasses, then you’re wearing rose-colored LASIK surgery, and it’s laser-beam focused. The Cleveland Cavaliers can do no wrong. But getting back to my point, and speaking of rose-colored, Rose Garden, or whatever, in 2004, Steve Patterson and Paul Allen completely lost their respective minds, were enchanted by Miles’ substantial improvement after they got him from Cleveland, pulled a major Ferry by bidding against themselves, and signed him to an estimated $48 million, six-year deal. Then Miles started moping, complaining, got a bad attitude, got hurt, and tanked his career.
And all your nonsense is dopey anyway. If they hadn’t gotten rid of Miller, then they would have been better. If they would have been better, then Ilgauskas & Co. would have never been in position to bumble and stumble their way to a 17-65 record, and more likely than not, Cleveland would be without an NBA franchise right now. Indeed, this blog wouldn’t exist and we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
And “deep playoff runs?” Well, “the runs” is one way to look at it. Although, I prefer calling it “the Hershey squirts.” It’s funnier.
It is just astonishing that anybody with a pair of eyes, let alone a pair of eyes far greater than Stevie Wonder’s will ever be, still insists that the Cavaliers have been anything more than the strict by-product of LeBron James’ exponential improvement from a good teenage player to a great player who’s nothing less than a man. His stinkfest restaurant tipping practices notwithstanding. Other than that, the only realistic difference between his rookie season and now is the increased bloated payroll and Gilbert’s correspondingly increased bloated ticket prices.
Can’t wait to see those latest jacked-up increases for 2008-2009 while Windhorst is forced by Gilbert to watch the games while hanging from a bungee jumping rope from the arena rooftop instead of sitting his keister in the media seats Gilbert tore out to bring in an additional $1.5 million a year. Gilbert. Whatta guy. And yet you need to read independent alternative local papers in order to read anything negative concerning his business practices. Gosh, I wonder why that is.
You’re right Alan, you win. Silas and Paxson were great, Danny Ferry might as well hang himself and Gilbert should be shot right in the middle of downtown for all to see. LeBron should leave, if for no other reason than to appease a bunch of ticked off waitresses, the Cavs franchise should be disbanded followed by a public apology from the front office for ever having been a part of the NBA, and Windhorst should get a new job at the Winking Lizard serving lousy beer and getting stiffed by a bunch of LeBron look-alikes.
In fact, screw it, let’s abolish all professional sports in Cleveland, and campaign like hell to make sure that other cities follow suit. And when we’re done, let’s work as hard as we can to keep village idiot/mayor Frank Jackson in office. NO, better yet, let’s find someone even dumber and less qualified to run this city into the ground. Our goal should be to turn the great city of Cleveland into a giant wasteland, somewhere between a landfill and downtown Bagdad.
Why do all of that? Because Alan Tucker hates Cleveland, Cleveland fans, and everyone in Northeast Ohio deserves to be miserable and hate their lives as much as he hates his.
Seriously Alan, if you could be any more of a bitter, miserable old man, I’d love to see you try. You really, truly suck at life. Quit wasting all of our time and just go root for Boston or Detroit.
Which, of course, Josh, has absolutely nothing to do with what I just wrote in any way, shape or form. Not one single word. Although, that Winking Lizard thing really provoked some very disturbing images. I only went there once, with my late father about 15 years ago, maybe more, if memory serves, it was a prefab dive somewhere near Solon. I can’t recall, the Winking Lizard servers aren’t required to wear revealing tops and bottoms, are they?
This is a basketball blog, and your posts rarely, if ever, have anything to do with basketball. What’s your point?
The Cavs need major moves as well as cavs fans know.Here is one to ponder how about Wally and Andy for Redd and Villanueva?Redd would def be a upgrade at shooting guard and Villanueva is really good at rebounding and a better upgrade over Andy.I also hope that they get either a point guad or big man in the draft id love D J Augustine if he fell that low.
Augustine, Lawson, Brooks… all would be major upgrades. I think they should look at the ‘2′ guard position also. This team just needs more scoring punch, period.
I like your trade, but Milwaukee is likely to try to push a monster contract on us (Bell, Simmons, Gazurich) along with asking for more on our end. It’s going to be very difficult to pull off a trade of that magnitude without severely hampering the franchise, long-term. What makes me nervous about Redd is the knee. I dont want another Larry Hughes type guy who cant stay healthy and/or make a shot.
I think the best approach is going to be taking the best player they possibly can at 19 (Rush, Douglas-Roberts, or a PG listed above), perhaps trying to buy into the 2nd round for a project big man, and hope that our cap space brings in a marquee guy next summer. We’ll see how it plays out…
Josh, my point was your weren’t even in the same solar system with your ridiculous statements regarding Miles’ contract, that all of Paxson’s foibles directly led to James and keeping the Cavaliers in Cleveland as opposed to wherever Gund would have pawned the franchise, and that it’s absolutely incredible that you still sincerely maintain and believe that the team is far greater than James plus 14 stooges. That’s my point.
And my point, grampa Alan, is that the Cavs could trot out a starting lineup of your boy Rondo, Kobe, James, Duncan, and Shaq and you would still rip, hate and try to verbally disparage them. You’re a negative person, probably a very difficult individual to be in the same room with, and I’m not just going to sit by and not call you on it.
You’re like the old man who lost his mind sitting in the wooden rocking chair on your porch, surrounded by cats and constantly cleaning out your shotgun in case someone dares step on your lawn. Unreasonable and completely nuts.
I made a mistake (it happens) with the Miles contract. I do not, however, feel it is a mistake to support the Cavs, and I do not feel that LeBron James, by himself and on his own, can drag a completely horrible team to the NBA Finals, or past the Wizards for that matter. I realize how good he is, but he’s still not THAT good. There are pieces in place, and we’ll see where this team is in a couple of years.
I choose to focus on reality, Alan. You focus on conspiracy theories, borderline factoids you make up, and your blind hatred for all things Cavs. It’s to the point where you dont even talk about basketball unless it’s an opportunity to blast Ferry.
Did you know that the Cavs could have picked up Antonio Daniels but traded Miles’ corpse for Jeff McInnis instead? Did you know that instead of Darius Miles, the Cavs could have gotten Lamar Odom and 2 #1 picks for Andre Miller had they traded him to the Lakers? Did you know that one of those picks was Caron Butler? OUCH…. I’ll take Danny Ferry over Jim Paxson any day.
Well guys how about do a fantasy draft or fantasy gm or something to that extent to see who would draft a NBA baseketball team.Sort of like fantasy sports here.Also Id rather take Rush from Kansas than Roberts from Memphis.But then again id love to take Augustine at the 11 pick if those Jermaine O Neal rumors would be true.Imagine Augustine
Well i hope that the Jermaine O Neal rumors are true.Id love the 11th pick and a healthy O Neal.The Cavs could get Augustine at the 11th pick.And you guys need to settle your differneces with like a fantasy make your own NBA team with like a salary cap and gm thing.And everyone can get involved or do fantasy basketball on yahoo.
I’d do that in a heartbeat, but I fear Alan may need a nap halfway through. Senior citizens need those naps to function.
What about Gerald “G-Force” Wallace? I’ve heard he’s on the block but can the cavs acquire him, do they have the assets to acquire him and Felton?
I was thinking maybe:
Felton and Wallace for Gibson OR Delonte, 2 future firsts and Ben Wallace since he played with Larry Brown in Detroit. Thoughts?
I personally think that they should just let Wally go then trade Wallace or Z for the rights to Beidrins to free up cap space to be able to sign Brand or Davis. Beidrins is a young player who can help the Cavs a lot and both Wallace’s and Z’s salary is just too much for them. Wallace is not that great a defender like before and Z just lack the intensity to play right now if you watch both of them carefully. I also agree in trading for Felton/Mo Williams, if they could not get Baron Davis, however, I think Felton would be a better choice for the Cavs then Mo Williams.
They also should keep Gibson and West because Gibson is a great spot-up shooter just like Kerr was during Chicago’s 2nd championship run and West is a great defender especially during the 2008 playoffs.
BTW, they also have players like Snow, Smith, Pavlovic who I think could be traded. Arenas, Josh Smith, Childress, Okafor, Duhon, Gordon, JR smith are also a Free Agents.
If they, however, instead sign Magette, they could just let LBJ play at point then place Gibson at 2 and Magette at 3.
In my opinion, Wally is very much overrated and if the Cavs should only sign him if they could not get a PG or SG better than him.
If the Cavs doesn’t make any roster changes or good trades this pre-season, I believe that would not win this year’s championship and LBJ is just waiting his career playing with an old team.
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