With all of the NBA Free Agency talk that is surrounding us, there are so many scenarios out there involving the Cleveland Cavaliers. The one most talked about over the past couple of days involves “stretch” PF Charlie Villanueva. I won’t rehash what he can do for the Cavs if he were to come to Cleveland (if you so please, read Rock’s novel on the subject from yesterday), but I can spin it differently.
Today’s latest report has Villanueva and Ben Gordon in Detroit visiting with GM Joe Dumars. First of all, Cavs fans, do not freak out. So many of you already are, but just take a deep breath. Just because CV31 is visiting Detroit doesn’t mean he is 100% signing there. Jason Kidd is in New York today as well, you think he is a lock to sign with the Knicks? Of course he isn’t. Kidd is playing the game, as are Villanueva and Gordon.
However, the Pistons are working a couple of angles today to get both of these highly sought after free agents.
The UConn Angle – Rip Hamilton, is already there and is a proud Huskie. Gordon and Villanueva were teammates in Storrs in 2004 when the Huskies won a National Title. Don’t think the Connecticut connection isn’t a big selling point. Sounds elementary, but it isn’t.
The Money – The best the Cavaliers can do is offer Villanueva the mid-level exception – starting at $5.6 million for the upcoming season. The Pistons, however, have gobs of cap room – the most of any NBA team – after shedding the Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson monster contracts.
Charlie V’s free agent status took a major jump last night when our good friend, Carlos Boozer decided to stay in Utah for one more year, rather than opting out as he said he would do all last season. There is no more money driven player in the game than Boozer, so it came as a huge surprise that he wouldn’t try to capitalize now. Because Boozer is no longer on the market, teams like the Pistons (who have been linked to the Boozer chase for months) were left looking at other power forward options.
That brought them Villanueva. Now, Charlie V’s price tag just got that much bigger. So in the end, if he ends up signing with the division rival Pistons, you can once again thank Carlos Boozer for screwing us.
What did we ever do to him??????
If this does happen, don’t be surprised if the Antonio McDyess talk starts up again. The former Piston wants a ring badly, and would be a nice addition to the front court who can be counted on for veteran savvy and a money mid-range jumper. The Dyess man wouldn’t cost nearly what CV31 would, and actually could be had for the $2 million bi-annual exception at this point in his career.
Author: TD
TD is a born and bred Clevelander who agrees with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt when he says ""Ranch Dressing makes everything better except for cereal and ice cream."TD has written 253 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
The first time Boozer screwed the Cavs, I think it worked out pretty well for us…Basically because of him leaving we ended up with Delonte, Andy, and a Shaq rental. I will take those three 100% of the time over Boozer.
We need to remember Charlie V, is not the only free agent out there. I would love to see this guy in a Cavs jersey, but there are other players who we could get that would help us out by fulfilling what he can do.
Take Linas Kleiza, for example. He is a big guy who can drain mid to long range shots when he is open, he actually wants to play defense, and because he was buried on the bench behind Kenyon Martin and the Birdman in Denver, he can be had for cheap, leaving us room to go after a guard with size too.
Admittedly, he isn’t as long as Villanueva or as natural as a scorer, but he also won’t tweet in the middle of a game. And if he does, it will be in Lithuanian, so who cares?
@Nicko: if Boozer had stayed with the Cavs, realistically they probably would have had a ring already. I like Delonte a lot, but no way him or Andy compare to Boozer over the past couple years.
McDyess + Artest would still be a coup.
Nicko, you’re ignoring the last 5 years that we haven’t had a PF. Not to mention a healthy Boozer is easily better than that trio (with apologies to Delonte).
Nicko – how may titles did those players win us?
Where going for championships here… not appearances in the conference finals.
Dyess for the Bi Annual, Artest for a year at the MLE and resign AV for 3 years / 26 mil or so and we’re set.
I hate Carlos Boozer too.
@6… I think that is way too much for AV. Your talking almost 9 mil a year, when he’s worth around 5 or the MLE for another team probably.
How does this sound: The Jazz are already talking about trading Boozer to be able to sign Milsap and take some of their luxury tax money away. How about we sign and trade Andy and throw in J.J. Hickson for Boozer. If we sign Andy for about $7.5million, this trade comes within 75% of Boozer’s contract and works under league rules. Also, it would lower Utah’s payroll by about $2.8 mil this year, thus saving them $5.6 mil when you factor in they will pay double for every dollar they are over the luxury tax. I think it works for both teams. The Jazz get a couple young bigs, save some money and get something for Boozer who they will lose next year anyway. For the Cavs, they get to team Boozer, LeBron and Shaq together all on one year contracts for this year without losing any flexibility for next year’s free agent bonanza. Get on the phone Danny!
The Cavs would have a ring with Boozer? hahahahahahahaha
When? What year?
#9: I would try to substitute Gibson for Hickson actually, since the Jazz are already pretty deep down low. But it would actually be a great deal for CLE.
Basketball wise? Yes. Do we all think the total fanbase, however, is ready to forgive Boozer?
I don’t get all hoopla over CV. I’d rather them sign Artest. I think he helps us out a lot more.
If it was doable, I’d say go for it. Aggressively.
I am not ready to forgive Boozer.
If I knew he’s be healthy for the whole year it might help, but to be pessimistic, as soon as he came back he’d get hurt again.
What we ever do to Boozer? We let him out of an undervalued rookie contract so he could get paid by Utah. He’s never forgiven us.
I more upset about Kuester interviewing with the Pistions than losing CV to them.
http://www.freep.com/article/2009070…t+a+deal+today
@12
Beat Orlando, Boston and LA when we see them and all is forgiven.
Clown Baby – That link at #17 is dead.
My apologies on that….it’s toward the bottom.
Freep.com
I still don’t understand why we want a beanpole who jacks threes and doesn’t play D to play power forward for us.
Klieza would be much better. Artest might actually be the missing piece, if we could afford him. Matt Barnes would be great too.
Also, Boozer probably wants to be a FA next year because there will be more money out there.
Kleiza? How in the world are we winning a championship with Kleiza as our starting power forward. No.
Kleiza would be a better fit than Chuck V, just by virtue of the fact that he tries on D. Especially for the price.
Cleveland.com
Cavs in Direct contact with Artest … hmmmm if we can’t get CV, I’m on board with this
I think Artest is more of the Mike Brown mold.
Shaq, LeBron, and Artest? THat might be the TOUGHEST big 3 I’ve ever heard of.
Artest, Shaq, LBJ and Delonte West….this team would definitely have character.
About what I said earlier…I’d MUCH rather have Artest than Boozer. In fact, how about a sign-and-trade with HOU with AV? Realistic…probably not. But Artest would be perfect for the Cavs.
I think Broussard on ESPN just said Charlie V. to the Pistons – 5 years, 35 mill
I like the idea of bringing Artest in. He has behaved the last couple years, he plays tenacious D and can flat out score. He is hungry, is willing to be a “shut down” defender on the opposing team’s top scorer and he has the clutch-ness we need.
CV can’t play defense!! We are too fixated on the Orlando Magic recipe for winning. You have to figure the theory of “regresion to the meaan”…the Magic cannot depend on 3 pt shooting to carry them. i’d rather stack our team with hard-nosed players who will tough it out..
and….please no Sheed!
Rasheed Wallace! Here We Come! Excuse me as I go vomit.
Wow how smart is CV? He flirts with the Cavs and as soon as Boozer decides not to opt out, Dumars freaks and basically replaces Rasheed wallace with a younger, better offensive player, worse defensive player.
I don’t understand the Pistons right now.
You have Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, CV, and Rodney Stuckey – 4 pure scorers who need the ball to be effective.
I’d rather have Artest anyway, Cavs should go after him, Ariza, or Odom.
If I’m Detroit, how does signing a bootleg Iverson and Rasheed Wallace without the D or rebounding help them win a championship? That’s the EXACT same composition that won them 39 games last year. They essentially parlayed Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace into Gordon and Charlie V. Is that keeping them competitive for years to come?
Dumars actually IMO has been worse than Isiah Thomas … he got lucky when he trade for Sheed … I mean name one good thing he did other than that
Traded Billups for AI
Drafted Darko over Wade and Melo
Gave a 2 year/10 mil deal to the illustrious Kwame Brown
Add these two deals to that group and there is a serious pattern of fail
Doc – agreed. Gordon and CV both have real talent, but so did AI and Sheed.
I think they become and even worse defensive team (at least they don’t get any better) and they still have nothing downlow to counter Shaq or really any big man.
CV in a Cavs uniform would have been nice, but I’m not going to cry over it either – especially if we get Artest.
Yeah Dumars has been terrible – yet somehow he gets mad love from the media.
CV would have been a nice fit, but I think Ariza, Artest, or Odom are the guys we need to try to get with the MLE.
And then a guy like Ike Diogu or Anthony Parker with the BIE
I’m sort of surprised the Pistons made that move so fast – they must have believed that one trip to Cleveland Clinic Courts and CV31 was a good as a Cav….they are basically done.
The Cavs, on the other hand, have a pretty sizeable pool of talent to look through. There are more quality free agents than teams will to spend.
With CV off the table – I think Ferry’s plan A now becomes Artest with the MLE.
With the Pistons now done and Portland courting Tukoglu with their cap space, the Cavs have to be a top potential destination for Artest, IF he leaves Detroit.
Well Houston seems to be actively targeting Gortat. I think Artest would be PERFECT for the Cavs if he would just promise to only take good shots. Can guard multiple positions, is a legitmate offensive threat, can stretch the floor as a 4, can give LeBron a rest and play the 3, and he’s tough.
I’m really not about signing soft offensive minded players. Go after the defensive juggernauts. LeBron + Shaq + Mo is plenty of offense.
Who plays the 4 on defense?
Cavs want Artest.
The “4″ is such a strange position.
Asking the question, ‘who plays the 4 on defense’ depends on ‘who’s playing the 4 on the other team’
LeBron James can guard 4s like Rashard Lewis, Dirk Nowitzki, and Charlie Villanueva.
You need a bigger body to guard someone like Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, or Amare Stoudemire.
If Andy opted out of his 6 mil deal that means he must think we’re going to pay him more than that. What other team is going to offer him 7 or 8 million this year? If Villanueva just went for 7 how is Varejao going to command more than 5 or 6??
Tsunami, you wrote what I was thinking. Artest really can play 2 or 3, and Lebron would be anywhere from 2-4. Getting Artest with the MLE is the top goal I would think.
I also hope they let AV test the FA waters, then comes back when no one will give him 7-8 mil. If the Cavs get him back for 6 mil, then its good.
If AV doesnt come back, the Cavs should look for Leon Powe. I know he tore his ACL, but Boston did not offer a tender and he can come cheap. His aggressiveness and energy on D would make us forget AV, and he also can play O.
A sign of good things to come for the Cavs? RT: @96TruwarierQB: THANKS ALOT HOUSTON.:)I HAD ALOT OF FUN:)
Imagine Artest and Rasheed on the same team…
espn reports that gordon and villanueva sign with pistons
gordon for 5 years 55 million, villanueva for 5 years 40 million
@44 Is that supposed to be a good imagining?
i wanted artest but CV seemed like a more stable/young player but screw it lets go for artest……LBJ-Artest-Shaq-MO-Delonte on the court at once yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooow!
I want Artest for 1 year or Ariza for 4.
Ariza is young, ridiculously long, an elite defender, an uber athlete, and at the end of the year he was absolutely MONEY from 3.
The Cavs should offer him the full mid level for 4 years, and if he doesn’t want it, go for Artest.
If they get Artest or Ariza, they should look to add someone like McDyess or as someone else said Leon Powe with the BAE – STAY AWAY FROM SHEED! He is old and SUCKS NOW!
I like the idea of either Ariza or Artest. Windhurst thinks a sign and trade might be a possibility with HOU if Ariza accepts our MLE. Either one of those wings along with Leon Powe would make this a good off-season.
#44 not at all.. just thought of it since both their names have been thrown around the Cavs.
Just read on the PD….Artest AND Ariza. Oh, I like that.