NBA News: Kyrie Irving practices, might play on Monday
March 3, 2013While We’re Waiting… What’s gotten into that Cavalier bench?
March 4, 2013And the Cavs have sent out one more media release this afternoon:
“CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived forward Josh Selby, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. The Cavaliers roster now stands at 14.
Selby played in 11 games for the Canton Charge this season, averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 32.9 minutes per games. He also appeared in 10 games for the Memphis Grizzlies this year, averaging 2.0 points in 5.9 minutes per game. Selby was acquired by the Cavs from the Grizzlies via a trade on January 22nd, 2013.”
Selby, a one-and-done prospect from Kansas, will turn 22 years old later this month and stands only at 6-foot-2. He had shown some promise in a few games with the Charge, tantalizing some Cleveland fans, but obviously it wasn’t enough for him to be in the long-term organizational plans. With the success of Wayne Ellington and the rest of the current bench, there likely wasn’t any current space on the roster for him as well.
Many maintain that Selby — who averaged only 7.9 points, 2.2 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 46.1% efficiency field goal shooting in 20.9 minutes per game in his lone season for the Jayhawks — should have stayed at school at least another year. He was then the 49th pick overall in the 2011 draft by the Grizzlies. He played sparingly in Memphis, totaling just 38 games in 1.5 seasons before the trade to Cleveland. He never appeared in an official game for the Cavaliers.
This move now gives the Cavaliers a bit of roster flexibility — such as a possible Greg Oden signing that might not occur until the summer, or something else. The trading deadline has since passed, and disgruntled Omri Casspi also could be bought out/waived/released any day now, so we’ll see if Chris Grant and Co. actually do have any additions in their plans over the final month or so of the season.
[Related: Chris Grant and the Cavaliers sit this trade deadline out]