DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cavs offseason for the week of 6/21

my advice to anyone who wants to follow this is to follow windy on twitter, as well as adrian wojnarowski. i'm not a huge woj fan but his reporting has been top notch since all this started. i'm not big on yahoo sports writers as a whole but the fact that he's not blurting out these bogus rumors but rather doing what he can to debunk them and kinda show you what's real has give me a little bit more respect for him and yahoo sports.

i'm hearing another thing on the coaching forefront, i don't know if i have a reputable link yet. but if anyone wants the scoop, pm me.

Is it Shaw? I just read that he really impressed and perhaps is the frontrunner in the coaching search.

gotta hold off on it, windy as well as tom withers (AP) shot it down. but we may know more today.

Found something we can use.

Quote:

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Shaw Close To Accepting Cleveland Job


Jun 29, 2010 12:34 PM EST
Brian Shaw is close to accepting the head coaching job of the Cavaliers, according to his agent Jerome Stanley.

Shaw has been an assistant with the Lakers for several seasons.

RealGM Note: Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer reports that an agreement to bring Shaw aboard is "not close."

A source close to Byron Scott said discussions for him to take over the job have not moved forward.

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Brian Windhorst via the Cleveland Plain Dealer

LeBron James source says Cleveland Cavaliers still have the edge
Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 12:02 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 12:19 PM

Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With rumors popping up and then being shot down routinely, one thing remains clear though all of the chaos surrounding LeBron James' free agency: the Cavaliers are still the frontrunner.


A source close to James told The Plain Dealer Tuesday morning that James still considers the Cavs to have the edge in re-signing the two-time Most Valuable Player. This is based not only on the fact that the Cavs can pay him $30 million more than another team over the next six years, but also that it is James' home.

James will host a series of meetings in the Akron area starting Thursday at 10 a.m. when the New Jersey Nets are scheduled to make the first presentation, a source said. Nets new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov is flying to the U.S. just for the meeting before immediately flying back out. Then the New York Knicks are expected to present their case followed by a series of other suitors that could last much of Thursday and Friday.

The Cavs and likely a new head coach, which the team hopes to hire in the next two days, might also meet with James. While there have been reports that the Cavs are close to hiring Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, a team source said Tuesday morning that the Cavs have not made an offer to Shaw or other leading candidate Byron Scott.

After all the meetings, according to sources, James is expected to make his decision over a period of several days. Until then, James does not plan on committing to anything.

Over the last several days there have been a series of stories from newspaper and websites that have linked James to the Knicks, Bulls and Heat. Various denials then followed. Late Monday, ESPN reported that James met with fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade over the weekend in Miami.

But sources close to James have told The Plain Dealer that James was in New York over the weekend and did not travel to Miami. It is possible that Wade, James and Bosh all spoke on the telephone about their options and plans as they hit free agency. All three are represented by the same agency.

Wade and Bosh's agent, Henry Thomas, told the Miami Herald that the three did not meet in Miami.

and on the coaching landscape...

PD

Brian Shaw poised to be Cleveland Cavs coach, but deal not done yet
Published: Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 12:25 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 12:33 PM

Brian Windhorst, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brian Shaw may be close to becoming the Cavaliers next head coach but it is not done yet.

According to sources, Shaw had a positive interview with the team Monday and early Tuesday and he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Mike Brown. Shaw has impressed the Cavs with not only his focus on defense and knowledge of how the triangle offense would work with LeBron James, but also his confidence in dealing with players because of his 14-year history in the league.

But Cavs sources said Tuesday morning that Shaw had not been formally offered the job and was not close to finalizing a contract with the team.

AOL Fanhouse and the Los Angeles Times reported that Shaw was close to accepting the job. The Times quoted Shaw's agent, L.A.-based attorney Jerome Stanley, as saying Shaw was close to an agreement.

The Cavs do want to have a coach in place by Thursday, the start of free agency, and it is likely they want to make the decision today. The signs point to Shaw being that man.




sounds like windy is saying these other outlets are jumping the gun, but he may be named the coach by the end of the day.

just my gut feeling, but i think he's right and this is a done deal by the end of the day.

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We had a top 10 offense, and the largest scoring difference. What else you want?

Sure seems like it is headed that direction. I hope we have something settled soon.

Candy isn't happy unless we're putting up Playstation stats.

The triangle offense is perfect for a guy like Mo. However we'll really NEED a big guy now to make it work. I'm praying we get Bosh

it's funny that like 3 weeks ago, shaq endorsed shaw to be the next cavs coach.

nets get 30m below cap by trading Yi to wiz.

per adrian wojnarowski

Some of these teams are going to be hurting big time with fan bases sorely disappointed. Also LBJ has said its all about winning, not sure why he'd go to miami/NY where they throw the towel in for 2 straight seasons. Doesn't make sense to me.

I guess the Wizards only role in the league is to make every other team better?

so like there's only one lebron, one bosh, one wade

are all these other teams gonna spend? what if the knicks lose out on lbj, bosh, and wade. do they still shell out money and create more bad nba contracts?

wow, what if wade stays, which seems done, lebron stays which seems about 51/49, and bosh, well that doesn't really matter, but assuming he went to the cavs with lbj. there are going to be a bunch of teams with boatloads of cash in their hands, and some decent middle-level players to throw money at? the mega stars would all be gone but they'd have megastar money to throw around. could be horrible.

JoeJ, Boozer, Amare, Gay, and possibly even David Lee want you to be quite now.

The only teams in my mind that can throw mega star money at these megastars IMO are Miami, Cleveland and Toronto. The rest are throwing nice contracts worth $30 million less. Money talks/wins in 98% of cases. If the teams were smart, imo they would be gearing packages that would entice a team like Toronto to do a sign and trade. I think LBJ and Wade stay and Bosh goes in a S&T. So now teams like NY, NJ, Miami have ZERO tradable assets. What could they give Toronto? Not only that but Bosh plus some good young players = The Toronto Raptors/Miami Heat. You need other players around to be successful.

I dont see how anyone walks away from a $30 million. Amare included. I think a lot of these teams are going to be left sitting saying, "well now what?" and a lot of unhappy fan bases.

The whole idea of getting rid of good young players for cap space is illogical in the NBA. Ryen Rassilo always says that cap space in the NBA gets you Rashard Lewis and Charlie Villanueva. Trading pieces gets you Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol. I agree with this thought process.

So now what, NY has to resign David Lee at an extra cost and return to form like they were last season. AWESOME! Or perhaps they get a Joe Johnson, hes aways awesome in the playoffs. Now they have Joe Johnson (aka Tracy McGrady) to pair with David Lee and nothing and get man handled by Howard. Does anyone think Carlos UserLooser is the answer to their prayers? I dont think think he even makes a difference on the Cavs last season. Hes an often injured soft 4 that puts up meaningless solid numbers.

great points.

i still think amare ends up in miami either by leaving on his own or a sign and trade where maybe they get beasley in return. if i am phoenix i'll take a chance on beasley if i knew our guy was gone.

if bosh gets s&t'd, you gotta think the cavs are in that mix. the package the cavs could offer would be enticing to toronto. i'd rather have delonte and his contract, a young big like hickson, possibly andy varejao, and your choice of mo williams/tawn, ESPECIALLY if the cavs agree to take on hedo or caulderon.

if i'm toronto and bosh says trade me to chi or ny, what exactly do they have to offer? luol deng? would you rather have luol deng or just let bosh walk? maybe chicago throws in taj gibson? maybe new york throws in galinari? would they? wilson chandler? decent player, but it really depends on what bosh wants. if he wants to go to cleveland and play with lbj, it's a done deal. i can't see them saying, nah, we'd rather let you walk and go to chi or new york. the assets the cavs can offer would be too much NOT to take. it's on bosh.

if lbj calls bosh and says, hey, i'm sticking around, we'd love to have you, and i think we can get it done. what do you do if your bosh. do you go and play with rose in chi, with maybe johnson? do you go to new york and play with god knows who? do you take the safe route and play in miami? but with the cavs, he'd get his max money.

Who out there is even worth a max contract? I'd probably say Lebron, Wade, Bosh and Amar'e. The big joke this past season was people telling all the delerious Knicks fans who thought they'd land Bosh and Lebron no problem, that they'll probably wind up with Rudy Gay and Carlos Boozer at the max ... looking more like a reality now.

I really hope that Gilbert DOESN'T go that route, just to prove he's not some sort of Larry Dolan. As much as people bich and moan about Dolan, I'd much rather NOT lock myself down to a bunch of bad contracts just for the sake of spending money ... and have the flexibility to sign guys down the road as well as the opportunity to draft some up-and-coming stars. It's much better than being mired in mediocrity, where your cap is full, you can't get out of the first round in the playoffs, and you aren't drafting high enough to get anyone who can turn things around.

I agree ... I think the best moves for all parties involved would be Wade and Amar'e to Miami, and Bosh and Lebron to Cleveland. All four of those guys would get max contracts they deserve and be on instant contenders ... Toronto and Phoenix would also get some compensation back in the process.

Meanwhile, New York, New Jersey and Chicago can all hand out max contracts to the poopoo that's left over, and everyone can fax a picture of their middle finger to ESPN.

i think they learned from larry hughes that you just can't do that anymore. sometimes you will have to overpay, but i think if lbj leaves they won't feel that kinda pressure anymore. and maybe even if lbj stays, they'll start doing it right.

who's worth a max deal?

lbj, bosh, wade.

amare? probably, but i wouldn't. love the guy, but he is gonna need another surgery on that knee in 2 years. he has issues. i'd be worried. but he will def. get the max.

rudy gay? eh, maybe, probably not.

boozer? no. joe johnson? no.

dirk? probably, but again, i would not give him big $

Thats what I am thinking and the talking heads in the media dont say this because it upsets the NY market and isnt going to generate as much interest.

I've read that Atlanta is going to offer Joe Johnson the max as well, well, then again with the shotty reporting going on, could be nothing. I dont see how he gives that up especially since he left PHX, a better team to take slightly more money in Atlanta who at the time was the worst team in the NBA the past 5 seasons. Perhaps its his play in the playoffs, but the guys just comes across as not caring and about the money.

If LBJ stays, and calls Bosh, IMO its a done deal. I see no reason why the Cavs wouldnt take on a calderon either. Gilbert seems to me to not care one bit about the Lux tax and on the Pluto podcats today he stated that the Cavs have sold a ton of season tickets this offseason. He knows the money is there as long as the product on the court is good.

Dirk is also 32 years old and around the league think he will get a deal done with Dallas.

yeah, it's on bosh.

and what we have working for us is that we can pay him the max, are happy to pay him the max, and now seem to be in place to have this up and coming, highly respected coach in place.

so it's on bosh, and then it's on toronto.

and this whole thing is getting brushed away by the media. some reported any chance of bosh to cleveland as dead, but i can't see it as dead. i think it's being talked about. i have a feeling it is. brian windhorst has been so quiet about it that i think he knows but just can't say.

Granted I thought Artest or Ariza were coming here last offseason as well. Thus I am relunctant to think that any deal involving Bosh is going to happen. But I think it makes the most sense of all the scenarios I have heard/read.

I was reading about a week or so ago that Curry was working with NY on a buyout even though he picked up his option. I would be interested to see what transpire if that happens as reports are that him and LBJ work out together etc...He was very talented before h ate himself out of NBA play and the thought of him playing Center (assuming hes decent) with Bosh at the 4 is intriguing.

I wouldnt give Amare a max. He's a one way player with ZERO interest in playing defense that plays in a run and gun system. Bad knees, bad eyes, no thank you. Plus I think we have a younger version of him in JJ Hickson. Dirk is too old IMO for a max deal. He's a 32 yr old soft big man with limited defense skills. Wade I'm not sure about either, hes 29 (an OLD 29 at that) often injured etc...Bosh/LBJ without question I would give a max deal to. Kevin Durrant I would gladly max out. Rose/Rondo yes. Howard yes. CP3/Deron Williams. I would give Carmelo max money as well but I would be hesitant about it. Thats about the only "Max" deals I would give out in the NBA at this stage in the game.

Remember those reports of Bron Wade and Bosh meeting in Miami over the weekend? Well Wade says he was in Chi town the whole time

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/29/1706417/wade-reps-dispute-espn-report.html

Broussard says that Wade's people have to deny it to avoid any tampering allegations. He says even if the league knew that Wade, Bron and Bosh all met up it would be very hard to prove tampering, but it is something that is easily avoided by denying the rumors. Broussard had it confirmed by multiple people that the meeting did in fact happen.

windy reported earlier that his sources told him lbj was in ny over the weekend, said they all may have talked on the phone though.

my guess is they probably did that, seems a little premature to meet now, not 2 days before it all starts.

This might be good for us

WWW wasn't invited to meet with suitors:

When LeBron James starts listening to pitches on Thursday from the teams trying to lure him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers, one person who is not expected to be present is William Wesley, a prominent, behind-the-scenes adviser to various athletes and a longtime acquaintance of James.

Wesley, who straddles the worlds of college basketball and the N.B.A., is widely known by his nickname “Worldwide Wes.” In recent months, there has been speculation that he would play a significant role as James decides where he will be playing basketball next season.

There were reports that Wesley was trying to broker a deal in which the Bulls would sign James and hire Coach John Calipari away from the University of Kentucky. Other reports had Wesley trying to pair James with New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul. The accuracy of these reports was never clarified.

But Maverick Carter, James’s longtime business manager, said Tuesday that Wesley would not play a role in James’s deliberations and would not be present as various teams visit his client in Ohio.

“All the Wes rumors are untrue and he will not be at the meetings,” Carter said. “Wes has nothing to do with where he goes.”

James, Carter and James’s agent, Leon Rose, are scheduled to be at the meetings, which are expected to begin shortly after the free-agency period officially starts at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. James is expected to meet with the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and the Nets and Knicks.

The Cavaliers will continue talking to James in an effort to keep him in Cleveland, where he has played all of his previous seven N.B.A. seasons.



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/sports/basketball/30lebron.html?ref=sports

wojnarowski was talking earlier about how if leon rose will be there, so will wes. said basically rose is wes's you know what, because of the clientel he has brought him.

seems like there is definitely a rift between maverick carter and wordwide wes.

OK ... so we re-sign James ....

Sign and trade for Bosh .....

Then somehow also sign and trade for Chris Paul.


Just trying to counter the ridiculous ESPN stuff with some equally ridiculous stuff.

then trade for kevin durant.

We got lucky as hell Carter didn't buy a share with the clips