NBA Free Agency: Leon Powe Prefers Cleveland

And can you blame him?

But does Cleveland feel the same way about Powe?

David Aldridge’s latest over at NBA.com says that free agent forward Leon Powe would like to join the wine and gold for the upcoming season.

It may take Celtics restricted free agent forward Leon Powe months to return to the court after suffering a torn left ACL and damaging his meniscus in the playoffs, if he can come back at all. But several contending teams are interested in him, and the interest is mutual. In fact, Powe would like to join LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal in Cleveland next year in pursuit of another championship.

It’s always good to have a player who wants to be playing for your team.  However, what is not the best of news is that Powe is looking for a deal that would give him the option in the second year, essentially allowing him to become a free agent and use whomever he signs with this season as a stepping stone to a bigger pay day.  Something that Aldridge has referenced as being “completely unreasonable.”

Factor in that he is coming off of a surgery that will mark the third major injury to the same knee, and you can understand why some fans would throw up a flag of caution for Danny Ferry and Company as they look to add another front court name.

February is the reported target date for Powe to hit the hardwood once again.  Is this the type of player who would be worth the bi-annual $2 million?  Hakim Warrick is already out of the mix.  This appears to leave the Cavaliers with Powe, Joe Smith and the lanky, sharp-shooting tandem of Rob Kurz and Steve Novak.

Whatever the Cavs would choose to offer Powe, there appears to be zero chance that the Celtics would match.  This could be pretty telling given Powe’s age, or I could just be reading too much in to the situation.  Stay tuned…

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(Update: Windhorst reports that Cavs have offered Powe a contract.  No word on the details, but he is apparently ahead of schedule with his knee.)