Davis Out With Bulging Disc, Cavalier Injuries Already Piling Up
December 14, 2011While We’re Waiting… Winter Brings More Cavaliers Talk, Your Move Browns
December 15, 2011The Cavaliers have confirmed tonight that Guard Baron Davis has been waived-
The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived guard Baron Davis and designated him as the team’s amnesty player, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. “We would like to thank Baron for his contributions to the team during his time in Cleveland,” said General Manager Chris Grant. “He has been an absolute professional since the day he joined the Cavs and we now wish him the best in the future.”
The Cavaliers will still be responsible for a large portion of the two years salary left on Davis’ deal (all of it if he never plays for another team) but that salary will not count against the Cavaliers cap. Meaning owner Dan Gilbert is paying a player not to be on the Cavs roster, but giving the team more flexibility to pursue free agents this year if they choose (they will be between $6 and $8 million under the cap depending on whose math you trust) and substantially more next year.
As Scott reported earlier, Davis has been battling a bulging disc and was considered to be out indefinitely. The move would seemingly increase the playing time for Kyrie Irving, and provide an assurance to Ramon Sessions that he is very much in the plans for the team this season. If nobody else is added to the roster, it could have saved Manny Harris from being the odd man out.
More on this move tomorrow, I’m sure.
12 Comments
Ha. I recall Windi on Rizzo saying 95% certain this not happening.
Assuming the Cavs don’t do anything stupid like signing Arron Afflalo with the cap space, they just got from Baron Davis. I’m taking the 20 million dollars in cap space, we will have next year and going HARD after Eric Gordon.
There will be a lot of talent in this draft. Cavs could be looking at a core of Irving/Thompson/Casspi/Varejao with a top 5? 10? draft pick and 30 million in cap room.
Flexibility.
Well, that took long enough
Do not like. It’s not like we were gonna be (or could be, or should be) signing any FAs anytime soon anyway, so what does this do for us except lose us a great veteran presence and mentor to Kyrie? All this accomplishes is possibly freeing up Baron to help the MIA heat get the piece they need for LeEvil to win a ring at worst, making the Cavs worse off at best.
I’d say he only got amnestied because he was hurt. I do think they were hoping he’d play some for them to help Kyrie out, but that’s not in the cards.
Best of luck to him, while he’s had obvious problems, he is fun to watch when things are clicking.
Not sure what to make of the amnesty with the injury. Gilbert will not be saving any money out of pocket (not that he necessarily cares), because nobody is going to pay much for an injured player.
I always hope the team helps a player out here with the injury rehab and not just kick them to the curb. But maybe they need the roster spot for a player who can take the court (and hopefully not a big $$ one)
I was worried about my squirrel, then realized I had miss-typed my email on my new puter. CRISIS AVERTED!
@Josh Stein – Well said, I agree.
Being under the cap will allow for the Cavs the flexibility to take on a bad contract at the trading deadline along with a draft pick. This wouldn’t have been an option if Davis was given a buyout or if he remained on the team on the injured list.
It would be great if the TPE could be used in this fashion before it expires, but it seems like there is a lot of uncertainty at the moment.
I predict that this will be a very strange compressed season where injuries will be abundant and a few teams will greatly disappoint in the win column and attendance.
Having the financial flexibility to exploit these teams at the trading deadline will be key for the Cavs.
It will be an interesting year…
The following contracts all freed up next year and roughly around 31.3 million freed up in cap space. Love it.
Baron Davis – 13.9 million
Antawn Jamison – 15 million
Ryan Hollins – 2.4 million
Good move to let the kids like Kyrie develop. Baron Davis wasn’t going to help us win that many more games, especially since we’re ticketed for the lottery again. Might as well increase our odds and hope we can get that pick from Sacramento to help the 12-13 season.