on a whim my sister decided to drive to Cleveland this morning ... so now our sibling rivalry has escalated to another level
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 6/21/16
Coming off the first NBA title in franchise history, the Cleveland Cavaliers head into the summer months with some questions that need to be answered.
Will the team be able to retain J.R. Smith as a free agent? Is Kevin Love going to find himself traded out of Cleveland? If so, how will the Cavaliers decide to replace the under-performing big man?
What we do know is that Cleveland is currently over the cap, meaning that any moves on the free-agent market could have to be conducted in the bargain bin or after the team moves Love in a trade.
With that said, here’s a look at five players the Cavaliers could potentially target this summer.
1. Dwyane Wade, guard, Miami Heat
If the Heat decide to either move on from Wade or low-ball him on the open market, the Cavaliers will be ready to pounce. We don’t really need to get into the built-in relationship he has with LeBron James. That’s been covered in detail over and over again.
Instead, the focus here should be on how Wade would fit in with the defending NBA champions. He obviously wouldn’t be playing point guard here. Instead, any move by the Cavaliers to pursue Wade would be all about him replacing J.R. Smith at shooting guard.
That’s most definitely a situation that could work for both sides. Despite his advanced age (34), Wade is coming off a 2015-16 campaign that saw him average 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field.
Never really a three-point shooter (16 percent last year), Wade wouldn’t come in to fill the rifleman role that Smith existed under. Instead, it would be all about giving Cleveland another perimeter distributor and someone that can hit the mid-range shot.
The issue here is that Cleveland currently finds itself over the cap, meaning that it would need to trade Kevin Love without taking much money back in order to land any relevant free agent on the open market.
2. Pau Gasol, forward, Chicago Bulls
Again, the Cavaliers would need to rid themselves of Love’s contract in order for this to happen. Though, Gasol seems like more of a natural fit in this system. He’s a better interior defender and someone that can actually pack a punch inside.
At 35 years old and with only a couple years left in the tank, Gasol surely is going to want to join a contender. Talk of him heading out west to the San Antonio Spurs makes sense, but the Cavaliers will have a much easier road to the Finals moving forward.
If Gasol decides that money isn’t as important as getting a ring, he might very well find himself on the Cavaliers’ radar.
3. Jordan Clarkson, guard, Los Angeles Lakers
We covered this option when looking at Kevin Love trade scenarios during the spring (more on that here).
If the Lakers were to look at Love as an option to build around moving forward, they could very well take on his contract without yielding equal cash in return. That would be the ideal scenario for Cleveland.
Though, there’s no reason to believe the Cavaliers would give Love away for free. Instead, they might want to add this young restricted free agent as a back-court mate for Kyrie Irving.
Clarkson, a second-round pick two years ago, averaged 15.5 points last season. He did so after moving from the point to the two following the selection of D’Angelo Russell in the draft last June. He’d be a mighty fine short- and long-term answer for the Cavaliers at the two-guard.
4. Joakim Noah, center, Chicago Bulls
Defense, defense and more defense. There’s very little reason to believe that Noah will find himself earning big bucks on the free-agent market. He’s coming off an injury-plagued season that saw him miss 53 games. The former lottery pick also averaged just 4.3 points per game.
Though, any decision to target Noah would be based purely on his ability do defend the low post. He’s been among the best interior defenders in the Association over the past decade. Heck, here’s a dude that averaged nearly nine rebounds in 21 minutes of action this past season.
Cleveland might be able to even add Noah without having to trade Love. That would come in the form of a mid-level exception.
5. Evan Fournier, guard, Orlando Magic
If the Cavaliers were to find a way to move Love without bringing substantial cash back in return, Fournier could be a restricted free-agent target. The 23-year-old wing averaged 15.4 points while shooting 46 percent from the field, including 40 percent from distance in 2015-16.
Maybe not as electric of an outside shooter as Smith, this former top-20 pick could very well act as a long-term solution for Cleveland. Though, it’s really going to depend on how much he demands on the restricted market.
Everyone have a safe and great time at the parade. Wish I could be there with you, soaking up the vibes and emotions. My offices have the parade on every TV, and it already looks hopping.
Everyone have a safe and great time at the parade. Wish I could be there with you, soaking up the vibes and emotions. My offices have the parade on every TV, and it already looks hopping.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Jeudy is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Tillman is flanked out wide to the right. Judkins and Ford are split in the backfield as Flacco takes the snap ... Here we go."
Cavs vs Warriors, last game. In HD. About 10 minutes long. I posted it before and just watched it again. I even saved it to my computer. It STILL makes me nervous watching the last few minutes!!!
You want to watch awesomeness ... search Youtube for "Cavs Fan Reaction". Just video after video of people going nuts watching the Cavs finally win a Championship!
Anyone know if Sports Illustrated still does those commemorative issues/DVDs after a team wins a championship? I was a long time subscriber from when my dad had it through college and after for a bit but its been a few years since I have subscribed and I don't have cable anymore to see commercials. I have waited my entire life to be able to see my team get the SI commemorative treatment. Hoping they still do that.
He will probably be shirtless up until the season starts
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Still another hour before it officially starts, and the attendance looks CRAZY! This is so great for our city!!!
+1
they considered cancelling it because there was nowhere for the parade to go, so now they shortened the parade
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
Yep, RTA transit is complete overwhelmed too. They should've prepared better for this. They should've knew the attendance would've been astronomical! The city is alive right now. If we were an v8 engine, we'd have four turbos and four superchargers driving the life-force.
Again, I'm so damn proud of the Cavs and our city! Live it to the max, guys!!
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