DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Cavs/Finals/NBA thread continued...

I'm just going off the report from the link provided. I know reports are just speculation; but in the NBA if you're trying to shed cap you almost have to take pennies on the dollar. If the raptors want to blow up the team to save a buck then no way will they get equal value back.

Either way, it fits into the idea that we should try to improve our 2 guard spot.

are we still gonna be over the cap knowing guys like Marion, Miller, and big Perk aren't coming back?

We have enough to get him, the salary's between he and haywood match. If Toronto does indeed want to move him we could do it. He'd be a huge upgrade over what we have and another guy that can create his own shot

Miller has a player option which he most certainly will pick up. Most expensive cheerleader ever

Miller is coming back, plus Perk and Marion were making league minimum contracts. The only way we get under the cap is if Lebron and Love opt-out and re-sign with somebody else.

The Cavs would be at the cap if they had only Irving, LeBron, and Love on the roster.

J/C ......

NBA Draft 2015: Utah's Delon Wright headlines top 5 players for Cleveland Cavaliers to consider at pick No. 24 | cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/..._social_feature

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For four straight years the NBA draft was the most important date on the Cleveland Cavaliers' schedule. But that changed when LeBron James returned and helped lead the Cavs to the Finals for the second time in franchise history. It wasn't about losing streaks or ping pong ball combinations anymore.

The Cavs fell two wins short of their new goal, but they will have a chance to build on the season's success during what is expected to be another important off-season.

Free agency will provide the best route to improve, and it will be needed after the flaws popped up in the face of injuries. The NBA Draft, however, is another avenue.

The Cavs hold the 24th overall pick, which provides an opportunity to grab a role player to boost a thin and inconsistent bench.

The need for point guard depth was obvious back in January when general manager David Griffin first mentioned it during an impromptu press conference. The flaw became more apparent during the postseason run when Kyrie Irving dealt with injuries, forcing Matthew Dellavedova's role to expand.

The Cavs could also use more wing depth as Shawn Marion is set to retire, Mike Miller's best years are behind him and James Jones will be a free agent.

Here are five players that could fit the Cavs:

Delon Wright, point guard, Utah

2014-15 stats: 14.7 points 5.0 rebounds 5.0 assists.

The Cavs playoff slogan was "All In," showing their organizational philosophy. Given their roster composition, upside might take a backseat to readiness and few are more prepared than Wright.

Already 23 years old, Wright spent two years as a JUCO player before taking over as Utah's starting point guard, averaging 15.5 points, 5.3 assists and 6.8 rebounds in his first year after making a big step up in competition.

While his shot is still inconsistent, Wright's three-point percentage improved to 35 percent after connecting on only 22 percent in his first year with the Utes. He also improved his free throw percentage.

Blessed with unique size (6-foot-5) and length, Wright is a ready-made defender. He uses his quickness to shut off penetration and his length to disrupt passing angles. In the Eastern Conference, dominated by perimeter players, Wright's versatility to defend both guard spots would be an enormous asset for the Cavs.

Wright's bloodlines (his brother Dorell plays for Portland) will be appealing. And being mentored by an NBA coach (Larry Krystowiak) at Utah as well as playing three games on the NCAA Tournament stage make him an immediate plug-n-play option.

Jerian Grant, point guard/shooting guard, Notre Dame

2014-15 stats: 16.5 points, 6.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds

When I spoke to Griffin following his end-of-season press conference, he used the word "versatility" a few different times, an important trait seen first-hand with Golden State in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors were able to use their size, length, athleticism and depth to switch on defense and suffocate the Cavs. They also overwhelmed the Cavs at the other end, whipping the ball around and using a variety of playmakers to attack. As plays were breaking down, Golden State had myriad weapons as a bailout option.

The Cavs had one: James.

Enter Grant, a tough and experienced combo guard with the versatility and athleticism to play either guard spot effectively.

A penetrating guard, Grant can attack defenses off the bounce, looking to score, but also has excellent vision to set up shots for teammates. The Notre Dame floor leader excelled in the pick-and-roll game, a necessity in today's NBA, and was productive in isolation.

The look of a steady backup point guard, Grant could shift into a bigger role if his outside shot becomes a bit more reliable. There's a chance some team looking for a "safe" playmaker grabs him before the Cavs get a chance at No. 24. If not, he seems to be the right fit as another option behind Irving and insurance if Dellavedova, a restricted free agent, gets a rich offer.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, small forward, Arizona

2014-15 stats: 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds 1.6 assists.

If NBA teams are smart, Hollis-Jefferson won't make it to the 24th pick. But the pace-and-space style is en vogue and teams value three-point range, meaning they may get cold feet on Thursday.

Hollis-Jefferson can't shoot.

He shot 50 percent from the field as a sophomore at Arizona, but just 20 percent from three-point range and 70 percent from the free throw line.

Painful flashbacks of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist come to mind. There is, however, a big difference. Nobody is talking about using a top 5 pick on Hollis-Jefferson. This is a late first-round selection and he brings immense value at that point. The 20-year-old wing, with exceptional athleticism, is the best perimeter defender in the draft and gets joy out of shutting down the opponent's best.

He's long, strong, and fearless. He never stops hustling.

On offense, Hollis-Jefferson does his best work in transition where he can use his speed and athleticism. His craftiness, ball handling and strength help him score in the halfcourt as he has shown the ability to finish in the paint, especially when he goes to his dominant left hand.

He enters the draft after a decorated sophomore season, highlighted by first-team All-Pac-12 accolades and a selection to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Because of Hollis-Jefferson's shaky jumper, he will likely never be an All-Star. But don't be surprised to see him carve out a niche as a lockdown defender and guy who makes winning plays, ones that don't always show up on the stat sheet.

Remember, Kawhi Leonard slid on draft night in 2011 in part because he was a career 25 percent three-point shooter at San Diego State. Draymond Green fell to the second round because he didn't have a position.

It's not always about what a player can't do, but rather what he can. With Hollis-Jefferson there are too many positives to overlook.

Terry Rozier, point guard, Louisville

2014-15 stats: 17.1 points 5.6 rebounds 3.0 assists 2.0 steals

Sitting behind Russ Smith and Chris Jones, Rozier didn't get much playing time as a freshman. He averaged 7.0 points on 40 percent shooting, including 37 percent from three-point range. But Rozier was given a bigger opportunity as a sophomore and showed the playmaking ability of a late first-round pick.

Rozier is an ultra quick point guard, with an ability to get anywhere on the court. He also has excellent leaping ability for a player his size, allowing him to finish in the lane and get his shot off in front of defenders.

The Shaker Heights product and Plain Dealer All-Star is a feisty defender who plays with infectious energy, but will need to improve his decision-making (2.2 turnovers per game) before he becomes anything more than a second unit sparkplug.

Justin Anderson, small forward, Virginia

2014-15 stats: 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Anderson is a former teammate of last year's second-round pick, Joe Harris, and coming from the disciplined system at Virginia will help him make the transition to the NBA.

At 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds, Anderson has an NBA-ready body. He has the size, strength, length and athleticism to play his natural position, small forward.

Anderson, 21, came to Virginia with high expectations after being one of the top high school recruits in the state, but didn't show NBA potential until his final college season when he improved his shooting mechanics. In his first two years, he shot only 30 percent on three-pointers. Last season, that rose to 45 percent (47-of-104) while averaging 12.2 points.

He still struggles to create his own shot, but is a heady player, who understands how to move without the ball and torment defenses in catch-and-shoot situations.

Anderson will have to prove that his shooting leap wasn't a fluke and his defensive potential isn't only system-oriented. If that happens, Anderson will become a typical "3-and-D" guy and would be another shooter to help the Cavs space the floor.

Oh phoenix

They had a choice between Eric Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas, and Goran Dragic, and Brandon Knight is the one they want to keep.

Soooooooooooooo many dumb teams.

The Kings are the king of the dumb teams though. With the Knicks a close second.

Denver is another horribly run team

That is a recent development. Their GM left for Toronto, he was/is one of the best in the league.

The problem in Denver is the same problem in Sacramento- George Karl

Most overrated basketball mind in the NBA.

Also, I don't understand why Knicks fans are freaking about picking 4th. Just take Justice Winslow. Him and Melo would be dynamic together.

George Karl, but he was not the problem in Denver. They were pretty good with no real All-Stars. Also, the problem with the Kings is their nutty owner.

1. George Karl wants to apparently trade DeMarcus Cousins for Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried.. But the owner won't let him..

2.

The owner has been through three GMs in one year, fired his coach for no reason, crowdsourced his draft pick, and he wanted to play defense four on five with a cherry picker. He's nutty.

The Cousins story is weird. The more details that come out, the less we know.

Like I said, this is the type of guy I want. I hope he makes it to our pick.

What happened to pairing that pick with Haywood?

I'm not even sure we can. I don't think Haywood's contract accelerates to $10 million until after July 1st. I suppose we could agree in principle and draft a guy for another team ... then make the trade a few days later.

Yes. That happens all the time in the NBA.

Surprised no one is talking about Love opting out of contract

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/131425...s?ex_cid=espnFB

Are people also talking about the sun rising in the east and setting in the west?

Clippers are trying to open up salary, Haywood and the first rounder for Jamal Crawford? That's about the best the Cavs could hope for.

Have a stat for player retention/turnover with small market teams in baseball? I'm sure the stats will tell the story.

It was completely expected. To get a maximum raise, he would have to opt out and sign a new deal ... probably another 1 year deal with a player option, so he can do the same thing next year. Although, it's possible he can sign a full Bird-Maximum contract too. Unlikely, since he'd probably leave money on the table by not waiting to do that next year.

I think the only way he leaves in Free Agency is if the Cavs balk at paying him absolute max or Lebron tells the FO he'd rather have TT at the max than Love.

Right, because we've NEVER talked about the obvious before...

then talked about it some more, then beaten it into the ground, then all agreed on it but found something to fight about anyway....

I think Love would be absolutely insane to even really consider signing with anybody but the Cavs... which means that's probably what will happen.

Let me elaborate.. he's going to be 27.. stay here, get your title in the next year or two, get that monkey off your back, then in a few years if you want to opt out at 30 and go get overpaid as a veteran with championship experience, go do it...

And it's not like he's getting underpaid here either. He's getting the max deal he can get anywhere.

Besides, his options are pretty much:
1) Sign with the Cavs and be the "#3" guy on a team that's likely favorites to win a title. Even if he has to deal with such a "terrible" teammate in Lebron.

2) Sign with the Lakers and be the "#2" guy on a team that was terrible even with Kobe playing. Not to mention he'd get to play with consummate ball-hog and the guy ex-teammates love to praise (sarcasm) in Kobe.

3) Sign with the Celtics, the team that pouted and maimed him in a meaningless first round elimination game, causing him to not be a part of a deep playoff run and potential miss out on a first championship. But hey, he'd get to be the #1 option again, and he really relished that roll in Minnesota right up until he begged them to trade him to a contender.

Most baseball teams (even small markets) now sign their best players to long extensions when they are very young.

The Brewers (the smallest market in baseball) signed Braun, Gomez, and Lucroy to extensions. The Royals (the second smallest market) signed many of their young guys. The same for guys like Longoria, Brantley, Tulo, McCutchen, etc.

Thanks for the article:



These are the two guys that interest me. We absolutely need to address the PG position. Both of these guys fit my criteria for helping us. They can drive, distribute, and defend. Those are the key ingredients that we need in our back-up PG and either might be able to fill in if Kyrie gets hurt yet again.

George Hill may be available depending on who the Pacers get in the draft. He would be an interesting guy to target with the Haywood/1st round pick package. He would be a near perfect fit for the Cavs, in that he is a combo guard who can guard but doesn't need to have the ball.

That's interesting. He is a very good defender. Has a huge wing span.

Thanks.

Yea but LeBron didn't include him that selfie.. so there is that.

And seriously, I don't even look at him as the #3 option here, more like 2B. And if Kyrie goes down again for any length of time, he becomes the only #2... and if LeBron takes a couple weeks off again next year, he'll be #2 for a while...

Now this is funny:

Adrian Wojnarowski
@WojYahooNBA
Sources: If Kevin Love goes forward with visits in July, expect Boston to sell him on pursuing group of Love, Robin Lopez and...Paul Pierce.

Who can turn down that offer??

Report: LaMarcus Aldridge expected to leave Blazers
By James Herbert | NBA writer
June 25, 2015 8:30 am CT

The Portland Trail Blazers are on the verge of losing star forward LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein. It was only last July that Aldridge pledged he would sign a five-year deal and wanted to become the best Blazer ever, so things have changed a little bit. He could reportedly soon join the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks or even the Cleveland Cavaliers in a potential sign-and-trade for Kevin Love. From ESPN:

LaMarcus Aldridge is not expected to re-sign with the Portland Trail Blazers, several people close to the All-Star forward told ESPN's Chris Broussard.

And Wednesday's trade of forward Nicolas Batum was an indication, league sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein, of Portland's growing belief that Aldridge is poised to leave in free agency.

"He's gone," a source close to Aldridge said. "There's a 99.9 percent chance that he's out of Portland."

The sources listed several reasons Aldridge is expected to leave the Blazers, for whom he has played since entering the league in 2006. They said he doesn't believe the Blazers can attract top free agents to improve the team, that he feels somewhat underappreciated by the organization and that he simply is looking for a new environment to live in.

…

"He has tons of respect for coach [Gregg] Popovich," one source told Broussard. "And he thinks highly of their organization and front office."

Portland acquired Aldridge on draft night in 2006, and he's averaged 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game over his nine seasons there. He lived through the difficult times with the Blazers as Brandon Roy and Greg Oden's careers were derailed by injuries, and he emerged as a franchise player. It seemed like he might leave town a few years ago, but Damian Lillard's emergence changed for a while. It looks like Lillard was not enough.

The Spurs make a lot of sense for Aldridge as a first option, though they'll have to do some maneuvering with their salary-cap situation. Same with "Spurs East" in Atlanta. It's more than a little weird that the Lakers have reportedly become his second choice, but apparently they're in the running for everybody. The Knicks? The Cavs? Now we're getting crazy. Welcome to free agency.

Portland acquired project big man Noah Vonleh in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, and perhaps he will develop into a starting power forward in time. If the Blazers push for Love doesn't work out, though, losing Aldridge would obviously mean they'd take a huge step back next year.

I heard Dan Patrick suggest something similar this morning ... We trade Kevin Love for Aldridge and everyone is happy.

One problem though. WE CAN'T DO SIGN AND TRADES without evoking a hard-cap!

Details, details.

How about us maybe trading the rights to Sasha Kahn?

Try to contain your excitement, everyone ....

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Adrian WojnarowskiVerified account
‏@WojYahooNBA
Sources: Brooklyn, San Antonio among teams checking with Cavs on deal for rights to sign center Sasha Kaun. He's leaving Russia for NBA.

Isn't that one of the throwaway players we got last year for the LeBron salary dump?

Pretty sure he was our first round pick in 2008.

Not to be confused with his distant relative Shaka Kaun.

Late second round pick. We traded him for cash considerations according to the Wikipedia. Doubt we'd get too much back in return now.