Short an Not So Sweet – The Game and This Tribe Recap
July 1, 2009Should I Stay or Should I Go? Jackets and Rick Nash Can Now Talk Extension
July 1, 2009While we anxiously await the addition of a “stretch” power forward, a defensive stopper on the wing or anything of that ilk, I thought it would be best to update you all on the most recent grumblings around the league regarding the top-billed free agents.
Listening to WKNR last night, “J-Fed” kept mentioning the 12:01 call, and who it would be if said listener was in charge. Well, it turns out that Hedo Turkoglu did receive a call at 12:01, and it was from the Portland Trailblazers. Shortly thereafter, he was contacted by the names you will likely see a lot of given their ability to spend: Detroit, Memphis, Sacramento, and Toronto. Noticeably missing is Orlando, but many of us saw this coming with the addition of Vince Carter coupled with the fact that the forward is looking for about $10 million per season. There were talks of a sign-and-trade with the Raptors, which may not be out of the question, but for now, it looks like Turk will be out west next season. Not necessarily a bad thing given that we’ll see a lot less of his smirk thanks to 10PM starts.
David Lee
The Knicks are most definitely hoping to re-sign their rebound-happy power forward, but appear to be low-balling at this point. Lee is looking for five years at $50 million; the team came in with a deal for a reported four years, $34 million. The problem here is that the team knows that Lee wants to stay in New York, tipping things a bit in their favor. However, they will likely be dealing with offers from Memphis and Oklahoma City as both teams have cash and could definitely use some help in the front court. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in the Wine and Gold, but he’ll be too expensive and may very well just be a product of the system given all of the opportunities for rebounds out in New York.
Marcin Gortat
Talk about capitalizing on a little national attention. Gortat went from Dwight Howard’s back-up to one of the top big free agents in the matter of weeks. The Polish Hammer is being wooed heavily by the Houston Rockets, a team that is pondering their future without Yao Ming given the recent news that he will miss all of next season. Aside from Rasheed Wallace, there is not much out there in terms of centers, so Gortat could be in for a fairly huge pay day – deserved or not. But again, we have another former member of the Magic that appears to be heading west. I condone this. The Mavericks, Knicks and Pacers are also said to be on the market for a seven-foot tall polish man. They should check Craigslist…
Paul Millsap
In a move that was surprising to many, both Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur decided to pick up their option for the upcoming season. Being that the team was likely not anticipating this, it makes re-singing the young Paul Millsap that much more difficult given the luxury tax situation. However, Utah was the first team to contact Millsap – a move that was much appreciated by his agent. The team fully expects to lose Boozer after this season, so losing both power forwards in back-to-back years would be tough to endure. Millsap is currently looking to cash in around $10 million per season; don’t count out Memphis or Detroit here. However, don’t count out a re-sign, and then a trading of Boozer for some salary relief.
Jason Kidd
A lot of the latest talk (mostly due to ESPN and the New York Post) was about Jason Kidd entering talks with the Knicks as they’re looking for an upgrade over Chris Duhon. Now comes the news that the team may not be able to offer Kidd more than a one-year deal – something that he has said he would not accept. The veteran point guard has already spoken with Dallas GM Mark Cuban, who is fully prepared to not only offer more than one year, but likely at a higher salary per season. There were also talks that the Trailblazers will make a shot for Kidd, but one has to wonder if the salary required for Turkoglu puts a damper on that plan. The Knicks will still likely make a hard push, especially given the LeBron James angle, but it will be a tough pull. He’s also listed as a possible target for Danny Ferry, but I’ll be pretty surprised if Kidd doesn’t wind up in Dallas next season.
Rasheed Wallace
Mark Stein from ESPN is reporting that Kevin Garnett has become the lead lobbyist for Rasheed Wallace in Boston. Apparently, the Mikki Moore experience did not go as planned. Who would’ve guessed. I assume that the Cavaliers are interested in Wallace as well, and there have been recent grumblings that the veteran forward would be willing to play for one season. San Antonio is also in the mix for ‘Sheed, but it looks like the former Tar Heel will be staying in the East for now.
And the man you’ve likely all been waiting for.
With the Pistons moving on without the abovementioned Wallace, and Carlos Boozer re-singing with the Jazz, the man that is coveted by quite a few Cavaliers fans may get a little more attention than would be preferred. CV31 appears to be on Joe Dumars’ list, along with Chicago guard Ben Gordon. Thankfully, for Cavs fans that would like to see him here, the Pistons do not even have a coach at this point. Some players prefer to know who they’ll be playing for, so the Michael Curry firing may not help their cause. Brian Windhorst listed Villaunueva as one of the top options for the Cavs, along with Wallace and Antonio McDyess. Detroit can offer more money at this stage, so it may depend on timing.
To top it all off, Yahoo! is reporting that both players will visit with the Pistons today. For all of the Mo Williams-LeBron-Charlie V talk, they’re taking the angle that both Villanueva and Gordon played at UConn. There are reports that Gordon will require $10-11 million, leaving $9-10 max for Villaueva; and this assumes that the two players tie up the $20 million that the Pistons currently have in available cash. Either way, that is a bit more than the $5.6 million that the Cavs can reportedly give the power forward. We’ll soon find out if all of that Twitter talk was simply for show, or if the big guy really wants to win.
Remember last year when we were all abuzz about guys like Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Elton Brand, etc? And then when they all signed for more money than we had to offer, we had the “what now?” look on our collective faces? We may want to brace ourselves for that sort of moment once again and hope that there’s another Mo Williams-like trade later on in the summer.
So, given all of this… Who wants our MLE?
Other Notables:
Grant Hill – Reportedly on the radar of the Nuggets, Suns and Cavaliers. Will likely accept the most money he is offered at this stage in his career.
Chris Andersen – Has reportedly given a verbal commitment to the Nuggets. The Cavaliers could use someone of his skill set and popularity with the fans, but it appears that he will continue to block shots out west.
Ike Diogu – I’m putting him here simply because I love his game and think he hasn’t had a fair shake since being drafted. He’s a big man that blocks shots, gets rebounds, and can hit free throws. Once the Kings were reallyout of it, he averaged 20 points and eight boards over the last five games. If he doesn’t re-sign with the Kings, I hope the Cavs give him a look.
Now, it’s just a waiting game…
50 Comments
Yeah, what I figured, 500k-1mill is one thing, but Detroit being able to effectively double our offer of the MLE pretty much guarantees that we won’t land CV. Sucks.
Don’t get Lee. He will struggle outside D’Antoni. He’s like the Coors Field of the NBA.
good call on ike. ive liked his game for awhile. he seems like one of those guys that keeps getting lost in the shuffle (like hakim warrick maybe?)
Unfortunately I think you definately hit the nail on the head regarding CV. Money always talks louder than winning. I don’t see him turning down 3 to 5 million more a year for a shot at a title. Detroit at least can say they made the playoffs last year, so its not like they’re a bottom feeder like OKC. I wonder if Boston offered Sheed the MLE like we would which one he’d chose to come to? Has anyone heard if Garnett’s knees are even close to working again yet?
boooo! oh well – now Danny has to earn it like he did last year with Mo.
That was an awesome trade, so hopefully he can pull another one out!!
one more thing – there was no mention of Artest in this post……while i prefer CV (simply cause he’s younger) Artest on a 1-year deal would be interesting….
Why does Detroit want Charlie V? They’ll have the skinniest forwards in the league. They should be going after Milsap.
There’s a rumor that the Cavs will give Wally a 1-year $12 million contract and use it in a sign-and-trade for someone with a big contract like Boozer. As part of the deal Wally must agree to take an immediate buyout for a significantly less amount (say $1 million). It would save a team like Utah $11 million in actual payment to players ($1 million to Wally vs. $12 million to Boozer). The only problem I see is that the $12 million would still count towards Utah’s salary cap and the luxury tax, so they could still end up paying the tax and not saving as much. The Cavs could throw in an additional $3 million to cover the buyout and tax.
Even with CV and Gordon – that is a 48 win team at best.
I dig Diogu . . . saw him play for ASU while living in the Bay Area and totally agree that he just needs a chance to get minutes. A little undersized but quick and works hard.
Boozer screws us, again. Thanks, Carlos.
@2 D. Lee played well under Isiah Thomas as well. Not sure what field he would be, Riverfront Stadium?
@#8 – is that legal??
It would seem that the part about agreeing to a significantly lower buyout wouldn’t be allowed?
Yes 8 is legal.
I think it would be similar to what Dallas and New Jersey did with Keith Van Horn last year.
On ESPN i heard that the Cavs main focus is getting AV back. Apparently they are willing to pay 8 mil per… in perhaps a 5 year deal. If this is true, I really don’t understand it, since it seems like theres a common understanding that he should be a bench player. The Cavs need to focus on getting a starting PF.
i thought Van Horn got paid the entire agreed upon salary though…
well, if that works, why settle for Boozer? let’s bring Yao here a year early…oh, wait, seems like i read something about him recently…
Either Ferry has some crazy deal in the works, or maybe they are, ummm, Waiting For Next Year.
If we don’t land CV, McDyess (for one year), would be awesome. Is there something wrong with him because no one is talking about it. It’d rather have him than sheed.
#11, nice
We get our hopes up again only to have crushing inevitably of heartbreak strike again.
Hey, if CV is stopping by Detroit today…it’s not like a drive over to the Cleve is too hard to do.
I am begging Ferry to forget Varejao and go after a big name. Varejao is a bench player at best.
@20 Relax.
I’d like to see Barnes over any of them…
Also factor in re: Detroit and CV, how much does Detroit really value CV? If they manage to get Gordon for $10M, it’s true that they COULD offer the remainder to CV but do they think he’s worth $9M? Also, if the Cavs tender an offer on the first day they can, would Charlie V wait it out or would he sign?
@ #21 – Right, an NBA player is going to DRIVE from Detroit to Cleveland.
Cant the Cavs put up an offer now?
the raptors are pushing for Charlie also
Well, we’ve been patient since 64. What’s another few hours, or days, or year….
First off, Scott – great piece, saves me from having to look all over the place for this stuff.
Everyone needs to chill out a bit here. We’re talking about phone calls and visits. Of course CV is going to go meet with Detroit – they’ve got the most money to spend of everyone. If I were him, I’d also want to see what they’re willing to offer. If Detroit’s offering a $9 mil. contract, I wouldn’t blame him for going there over taking our MLE. But maybe Detroit has other priorities, and their offer is closer to $7mil. Then, I think it’s a real choice.
I’ll tell you this much – Ferry isn’t panicking. He’s settling in for a long ride. We shouldn’t panic either.
If CV gets $3M more a year in Detroit, let’s stop wasting our energy talking about him, he’s 24, looking to score his first big contract so he ain’t coming here. Pistons might additionally offer CV one of Sheed’s two humongous eyebrows, which equipment manager can fashion into two normal-sized ones for CV. (Must … stop … CV … eyebrow … jokes …)
let Varajao walk and sign Milsap
can you imagine the irony if the cavs can sign millsap? the only reason they would be able to is because utah would be screwed due to boozer coming back rather than opting out. utah of course screwed over Cleveland by signing boozer in the first place.
No way we’re getting Millsap. He’s restricted and the most we can offer is the MLE. Even if it means luxury tax, there’s no way Utah doesn’t match $5.6mil.
i realize its next to impossible – just saying it would be great karma. oh well.
You would think that the Cavs would have Lebron and Shaq here for a tour of the facilities when potential free agents visit.
Has anyone brought up the unknown status of Lebron and Shaq after this season being possible barriers to signing anyone to a longer term deal?
Why all the Varejao hate?
indeed cribbage
I don’t think it’s so much hate for Sideshow (though personally I know I don’t like him much), I think it’s more the idea of having to pay the guy big starter money when it’s pretty clear he’s not starter quality. Maybe he works in that role in short bursts, but the idea of sending Andy out there night in and night out as a first-teamer does not inspire confidence in my mind. You can’t hate the energy he brings (even if it means he burns himself out), and he has occasional “breakout” nights at both ends, but overall I just don’t think he’s worth what he and his agent will likely be looking for. AV is a nice complementary piece off the bench, but relying on him as one of your top 5 is a big risk, in my opinion.
I hate Turkoglu
B-bo, I totally agree. AV would not start on any of the other elite teams, so why pay him starter money?
The thought of moving LeBron to the 4 and grabbing Artest with the full MLE is intriguing. It would have to be a 1 year deal, in my mind. But they could also then use the $2 mil. BAE on a longer guard like Von Wafer. Wafer would actually push D-West for the starting 2 guard spot and certainly can score off the bench. Solid perimeter D too, but nobody is talking about him. Houston is in turmoil and it might be possible to grab a couple of their players who gave L.A. all they could handle last year. Doing so would mean letting AV walk, but I think it might be worth it.
Lot’s of variables to consider though.
[…] all of the NBA Free Agency talk that is surrounding us, there are so many scenarios out there involving the Cleveland Cavaliers. […]
@ Kevin the MLE is a 2 year deal.
Rick – You sure? I think it can be up to a 5 year contract.
Artest is a black hole on offense. No thank you.
Rick – Regarding #43, see:
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q19
Minimum 1 year, up to 5 for a MLE.
Varejao isn’t a star, but he’s a starting-quality player on a Championship-caliber team, depending on who you have around him.
The Lakers had a bad Derek Fisher starting. The Magic started a rookie and Rafer Alston. The Celtics start Kendrick Freakin’ Perkins. These players are not as good as Anderson Varejao. You can’t have All-Stars at every position, and Varejao remains a quality big man who hustles, rebounds and draws offensive fouls. That’s very valuable, even if it doesn’t show up in the stat sheet.
On more than a few occasions, Anderson Varejao was the second best Cavalier on the court. I have more reservations about paying Mo Williams $9.3M next year than I do giving Anderson Varejao $8M.
But if you can get Milsap for 8M (and I’m not saying you can, but it appears that you might), then why not let Varejao walk? While AV is certainly an asset, Milsap is an upgrade to AV.
Given the choice between AV and Perkins, you can give me Perkins any day. Courtney Lee showed himself to be more than capable (when SVG bothered to play him–can anyone honestly say they wouldn’t have wanted the kid on our roster), and Alston routinely put up big numbers against the Cavs in the ECF before getting shafted by SVG in the Finals. Heck, even Fisher has the experience card to play come playoff time. There may have been times Sideshow was the second best Cav on the floor, but I take that more as an indictment of an underperforming rest of the team, not AV being a great player deserving $8-9 million per. And yes, Milsap would be a clear upgrade
The Cavs do not have 7-8 to spend on Milsap. They would have to get him with the MLE.