The search for that stretch-the-floor forward continues on. Charlie Villanueva now calls Detroit home. Channing Frye returned to his roots in Phoenix. So who does this leave for the Cavaliers?
The casual fan may be asking themselves, “Who??”
Similar to the situation with Sean May, Kurz is looking to use his skill set in the Las Vegas summer league with hopes of landing a gig with an NBA franchise for the 2009 season. But not similar to May, Kurz (formerly of Notre Dame fame) is a 6’9″ forward that hit 40 percent of his three-point field goals last season with Golden State.
His per-game numbers will not turn any heads. In fact, some fans may just consider him a younger version of Wally Szczerbiak, as Kurz is currently 24 years of age. But if we want to get crazy and extrapolate his statistics over 36 minutes, you have a guy that puts up 13 points, seven boards, a steal, a block and a three while converting 80 percent of his free throws.
Don Nelson once said that Kurz “shoots, rebounds and is always in the right spot.” Who can argue with strong fundamentals?
And let’s be honest here – the Cavaliers are not exactly in position to spend a ton of money. If the team feels that his sharp-shooting and length can be used at certain points during the season, it may be worth offering him a bargain basement type offer. The team still has some spots left on the roster, so Kurz would not necessarily have to bump one of the current players.
An unrestricted free agent, Kurz is currently playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves summer league team. He is only averaging 7.5 points per game, but continues to show some flashes of potential from downtown.
Would it be a sexy signing? Not a chance. In fact, it may be one that is met with a heavy groan. But if a signing of a guy like Kurz forces some match-up problems for other teams (for a change), it is definitely something I could get behind.
As it stands right now, the Cavaliers have $3.2 million left of their MLE and $2 million thanks to the bi-annual. These figures cannot be combined in a future signing.



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