Cleveland Cavaliers, Free Agency Wasteland
The day started all smiles. With all the pomp and circumstance of a Presidential Inauguration, the Cleveland Cavaliers officially welcomed Shaquille O’Neal to the team Thursday. It was supposed to go down as a great day in Cavalier history, the day the franchise coronated the prince who would help deliver the “Ring For The King”. Ultimately, though, as these things so often do in NE Ohio, Thursday turned into a nightmare for the Cavaliers.
While Danny Ferry was sitting on a stage in Cleveland watching owner Dan Gilbert present gimmick boots and a snow shovel to Shaq, and laughing as Shaq displayed an unflattering picture of Ferry and Shaq from Ferry’s playing days, most Cavalier fans were joining in on the fun, reveling in all the humor, joy, and excitement Shaq was sure to bring to Cleveland. But while the Cavaliers’ brass were laughing it up on stage, other GMs were busy working on improving their teams.
News broke early Thursday evening that Ron Artest was going to be signing with the Lakers. Shortly thereafter came word that the Cavaliers backup plan to Artest, Trevor Ariza, would be signing with the Houston Rockets.
It’s hard to know where to place the blame for the way this offseason has started, but one thing is clear: once again, teams all around the league are making impact free agent signings, while the Cavaliers continue coming up empty handed. It would be easy to blame Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry for this. After all, while he was smiling and beaming like a proud papa over the arrival of Shaq, Daryl Morey was on a plane to Las Vegas to meet with Trevor Ariza in person, a move which ultimately led Ariza to sign with Houston for the Mid-Level Exception. At the same time, Jerry Buss and Phil Jackson were sitting down with Ron Artest and securing one of the biggest coups in this year’s free agency period. And while all that was happening, in Detroit you had Wyc Grousbeck, Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce all meeting with Rasheed Wallace to try to convince him to go play for Boston.
While it’s certainly true that there were reports that LeBron had met with Artest to recruit him to Cleveland, it’s hard to ignore the eerie parallel of the Cavaliers taking an afternoon off from free agency while players were signing all around them with Cleveland’s rivals for the throne.
This is really par for the course for Cleveland, though, and shame on us for getting our hopes up that this year would somehow be different and that players would actually want to come play in Cleveland for once. Since signing Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones four years ago, the free agent market has been less than friendly to the Cavaliers. In the ensuing offseasons, the only free agents the Cavaliers have managed to secure have been Dwayne Jones, Scot Pollard, David Wesley, Devin Brown, Cedric Simmons, Tarence Kinsey, and Lorenzen Wright. The only one of those players to even make a serious impact on the team at all was Devin Brown, and even that was short lived.
So what’s the problem? Why is it the only way the Cavaliers can get good players to come here is to trade for them so they don’t have a choice in the matter or else pay them 3 times what they are worth (Hughes, Marshall, Jones)? We all say every year that the Cavaliers have the best potential free agent magnet in the world in LeBron James. “Who wouldn’t want to play with LeBron,” we say. Well, evidently, not many people. Not in Cleveland anyway.
The Cavaliers have some of the best facilities in the NBA, they have an owner who spares no expense whatsoever for the franchise and his players, they have a locker room that is out of this world and fit with every modern advancement, they have some of the loudest fans in the NBA who create an electric atmosphere to play in front of every night. The Cavaliers have everything you would think a free agent would want. A chance to play with an all time great distributor and playmaker in LeBron James, and a chance to compete for the NBA Championship, to go along with all the previously mentioned amenities. But despite all this, the Cavaliers simply cannot attract free agents. Perhaps it’s the media’s portrayal of the city itself, perhaps it’s the weather, perhaps it’s the economic climate of the city, or perhaps it’s all of the above. Whatever the reason, it seems like no matter what the franchise does and no matter how successful, NBA players simply do not want to come lakeside.
It’s tempting to say that this is an overreaction, that at the end of the day it’s simply a matter of teams having more cap space to offer free agents more money. That sounds good, but the problem is in the case of Artest and Ariza that’s not really true. If reports are accurate, Artest is getting the MLE and Ariza is getting the MLE (estimated $5.8 million). The Cavaliers have the same MLE to spend, so in this case, both Artest and Ariza took basically the same amount of money to go play elsewhere.
I’m trying not to get too down here, but with Artest in Los Angeles, you’re looking at a roster of Fisher, Kobe, Artest, Gasol, Bynum, Odom, Vujacic, Farmar, Walton, Brown, and Morrison. It’s a talented team, and it’s a deep team. And it’s a team the Cavaliers even with Shaq can’t really match up with. With LeBron only under contract for one more year, this is precisely the kind of disaster the Cavaliers could ill afford.
So what now for Cleveland? The latest rumors have the Cavaliers actively pursuing Anthony Parker and Linas Kleiza, while another rumor has them quietly talking to Shawn Marion. Quite a far cry from the earlier talks of Charlie Villanueva, Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest, and Trevor Ariza. Kleiza is a restricted free agent and it’s unclear if Denver would match an offer for him with their efforts instead going toward Chris Andersen. If the Raptors renounce Parker’s rights in order to clear cap space to get Turkoglu, then the Cavaliers would no longer be competing with the Raptors for his services. Parker and Kleiza are both decent enough players, but neither one is much more than minor role players. Marion has a lot of talent, but he is surrounded with more question marks regarding his desire and attitude.
When I initially heard about Artest and Ariza signing elsewhere, I briefly thought that with Anderson Varejao still unsigned as well, that perhaps the Cavaliers should consider not using their MLE at all and not bringing back AV and just bite the bullet and throw everything into getting Chris Bosh next year to play here with LeBron. Then I realized the foolishness of that line of thinking. After all, as we’ve seen, good players aren’t exactly lining up to come play with LeBron. Heck, if Trevor Ariza would rather play for equal money in Houston for a team with an unknown future regarding their franchise player in Yao Ming than come compete for a title with LeBron and Shaq and Mo here in Cleveland, then why on earth would Chris Bosh want to come to Cleveland either?
Lets just hope that Danny Ferry has one more trick left up his sleeve and he can still pull off another trade out of the blue similar to the Mo Williams deal last year. We know the Cavaliers already made their big move by acquiring Shaq, and there’s no question the Cavaliers are better for doing so. The issue here, though, is how much better the Lakers just got Thursday night. For a team that has no choice but to win the Championship this year or else face the prospects of staring into the abyss of the summer of 2010 with nothing to show for it, this offseason was set to be the most important one of our lives. After all the talk before July 1st about how active the Cavaliers were supposed to be, and how all these players would be willing to take the MLE and take slightly less money to play with LeBron and play for a contender, these last 48 hours have been a trying and disheartening period for anyone who bleeds Wine and Gold. Here’s to hoping a nice relaxing holiday weekend brings happier days for the Cavaliers. Happier days, as in the kind of day Thursday was supposed to be all along.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
This is a disaster and it speaks volumes for 1 very important thing……. the NBA players are not willing to sign a contract in Cleveland because they don’t believe Lebron will be here in a year.
On the same note, Lebron has no one to blame but himself. Had he signed an extension, the odds of players signing with the Cavs would have been MUCH higher.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:15 am
Great post! It’s time to start thinking about what we can get for expiring contracts. Baron Davis?(Doesn’t really fill a need). Elton Brand?
It’s not only free agency that the Cavs stink at. Most other good teams picked someone’s pocket somewhere along the way, like the Lakers with Gasol, the Celtics with everyone but Pierce, etc.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am
Disheartening is exactly the word i would use.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:31 am
Who else are the Cavs targeting? Its not like everyone is gone. Everyone was all on Matt Barnes before CV, Artest and Ariza. There’s still someone out there who would be able to come in and play an important role.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
im thinking, for ariza, and to a lesser extent, artest – it was the Years, not the dollars. The rumor was always, artest for 1 yr – never heard on ariza, but assumed that was potentially the case. they want to sign AV and still have enough money under the cap in ‘10 for one of the other superstars. If they gave either of these guys more then a yr – they would not be able to afford to sign a guy – only to hope to make a trade for them in Feb – and then have their bird rights to go over the cap.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
Matt Barnes was more of a Bi-Annual exception guy to the Cavs. So yes while he is still on the Radar, it would not be for the MLE.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Didn’t you tell us that Ariza would resign with the Lakers along with Odom after bashing the CAVS for doing the same thing the Lakers did in round one? Artest has a home in LA for crying out loud, his signing there was a given. Ariza is now part of his 4th NBA team at 24 years old, and does anybody think CV is worth $8M a year?
Cmon……….get real. Let’s see what they do………and personally I’d love to get Kleiza under the radar, check his game and get the facts.
Maybe the Browns management team excites you?
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:46 am
So, Isis, king of foresight – who are the Cavs going to sign??
Or are you just going to constantly fling poo at what we say after the fact?
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
Someone said “Great post!” Are you kidding me? What’s great about this post? Except of course if you want to be a typical Cleveland fan and wallow in your tortured past. Why are you so ready to blame someone already? If the Cavs “jump” on someone everyone complains, and if they wait everyone complains. Read this, it may make you feel better (I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned in the “great” post):
http://www.realgm.com/src_feature/1540/20090701/lebron_at_the_4_losing_turkoglu_and_gortat/
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:53 am
I definately agree with #1. Why would Artest come and play here knowing Lebron and Shaq were only guaranteed to be here for 1 year when he can go play with kobe who’s going to stay a laker and gasol who’s there for a couple more years. LA’s roster is sick. I don’t see anyone in the West standing against them next year, it’s basically a guaranteed trip to the finals for Artest. Who’s going to beat them? Old Boston, Orlando, incomplete Cleveland? I’ve been trying very hard not to be pesemistic about it, but Rocks right, the fact that even Ariza chose the same amount of money to go to a non contender like Houston speaks volumes to how the rest of the NBA sees LeBron’s future in Cleveland. Lets hope for some kind of blockbuster trade…
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
@1 – You beat me to it. I know this is a sacrilegious question, but doesn’t a bit of the blame for this fall on LeBron? Rock is right when he says “The Cavaliers have everything you would think a free agent would want.” The only thing I can think of that we don’t have is a sense of permanence. Think about it – as fans, we love the idea of any of these guys joining in and putting us over the top. But in reality what we’re hoping is that a player would be willing to go all in for one season, and then pray they don’t get stuck in NBA hell from 2010 forward. Not only that, but for that one all in season you’ve got to deal with twin media circuses – the presence of two superstar personalities alongside the constant buzz of “where is LeBron going?” Sure LBJ went to try and recruit Artest…but he probably couldn’t tell Artest the most important thing – will he still be playing with LeBron a year from now?
I don’t want to feed the “LeBron is leaving” monster, and I’m like most others around here holding some cautious optimism that he’ll re-sign. But we need to be real with ourselves here – unless it’s someone past their prime, nobody is going to sign on for 1 guaranteed good year and a prayer that LeBron signs, or that this team can make a different splash in the 2010 free agent market.
If LeBron steps up 3 weeks ago and says to Ferry “let’s get the extension done so you have all your cards to play,” this team looks a whole lot different today. Instead, we need to pray for another miracle trade while adding some role players.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
im going to vomit and its not because im massively hung over
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:06 am
@Charlie #9: Yeah, that was me. Bottom line: the pickin’s get slimmer every day. We hear rumors, rumors, rumors, and the stars go other places. The point isn’t to blame someone.
The Cavs got a little better. Their competition got a lot better. The most positive outcome now could be if the Celts get Rasheed.
Do you also believe that when the Indians trade stars that they have locked up for a few years, for middling prospects, that it will be in the hope of “rebuilding”?
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:11 am
I agree with the first poster. This is Lebrons fault too. Had he just gotten an extension we may have landed someonone. He is too busy playing coy with the media about what he is doing. Everyone in the organization catered to him, it would be too bad if he simply leaves next year.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Yeah if we don’t make the finals this year and LBJ leaves…Cavs will never win a title while I’m alive.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
Wally szczerbiak come on down
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] just finished reading Rock’s piece on watching our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers continue to get passed over by the top free agents this [...]
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:51 am
Wow, it’s “overly aggressive Friday”–everyone must be pumped up for the holiday. “King of foresight” was a solid line, though. May I simply ask that this all be read through before people start dropping bombs?
If we are searching for reasons why the “marquee” players (and that term should be used with caution here–much as I would have liked Artest or even CV or Ariza, they aren’t exactly centerpieces–nice accessories, but not foundation guys) aren’t signing here, then I’m of the mind that we can thank a) the reputation of the city of Cleveland, and b) the uncertainty of LBJ’s future. Now “a” is ridiculous to most of us, myself included, but we know the city from personal experience. I can’t say that if I were from L.A. (like Ariza) that I would think “Cleveland” as a place to call home. Judging from what folks down here in Florida seem to think about Cleveland, I’m guessing “attractive and inviting” aren’t the first words non-Clevelanders associate with the city. Plus Ariza is more familiar with Houston, as they are a conference foe and thus he’s played there more often than in Cleveland. Reason “b” seems to me the bigger factor is not getting Artest. Kobe is staying in L.A. long-term, and Artest knows that. The coach there (for now anyway) is one of the great pro coaches in any sport (can’t argue with rings), and the supporting cast is proven capable (though losing Ariza AND Odom could hurt a bit). Same money, but better perceived situations (justified or not), it’s a no-brainer: and thus Cleveland is left empty-handed.
My question (and I don’t think this is a matter of panicking on my part at this point, just curiousity) is what this means come January of 2010. Now I realize this is all a thought exercise since the season is still months away and lots of things could happen, but hear me out:
January, 2010: It’s going to be a dogfight (Mike Vick alert!) to the end since the C’s have Sheed, a healthy KG, and a huge chip on their shoulder since they thought they were screwed out of a title defense last year by injuries. The Lakers will slug it out in the West with San Antonio and maybe even the young Trailblazers. The Cavs have little they can move in trades before the deadline, so adding for the playoff push is out unless we trade the Big Expiring Contract. Are the Dans confident as they look at Boston, LA, and San Antonio that the Cavs can beat any of those teams in a 7-game series? And, if they aren’t, what’s the move? Trade Shaq for multiple need pieces, assuming anyone is looking to give them up? Go to the mattresses with what we have and lose in the ECF, or Finals at best? Does not winning a title guarantee we lose LBJ? And, if so, don’t the Dans have to at least CONSIDER trading the King if they don’t think we can win it all? Gilbert is a smart businessman. If he rides it out, we don’t win it all, and LeBron leaves, the Cavs are left with a team that MIGHT win 25 games at best in 2010-11. Trading LBJ might be P.R. suicide in Cleveland, but isn’t it better than leaving the cupboard bare and the team worth almost nothing in financial terms? Maybe LBJ leaves either way, but if it’s after a title, no one can really blame Gilbert and Ferry.
I grant that this is putting the cart ahead of the horse at this point–to the point where the horse is standing in Cleveland and the cart is preparing for a lunar landing–but it’s the first thought I had upon seeing all this go down yesterday.
I’m hoping I’ve put enough qualifiers in here, and that it’s clear I’m just curious about the scenario and not predicting it, but being overly aggressive Friday, I know I post this at my own risk.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Players talk, and Ariza and Artest know LeBron isn’t going to be there for more than a year, so why would they sign a three-year deal? Shaq is going to retire as soon as LeBron’s out. Mark it down.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
People, you are missing the most important point…Artest is not skipping C-Town because he believes Lebron won’t be here. He is skipping out BECAUSE it’s Cleveland. Why would you want to come to Cleveland as a rich, young megastar and waste away years of your prime. They couldn’t care less whether Lebron was coming or going. He can play with the player someone recently called #1b, with an even greater probability of victory (they won’t have to fight; had he come to Cleveland it would have still been a fight), in one of the country’s top 3 cities…it’s HOLLYWOOD for chrissake.
Everyone’s evaluation of the causal relationship is off. It’s not Lebron. We have a solid roster. We have Shaq. We have facilities, great team breakfasts, sexy iPod-capable locker toys, blah, blah, blah…what we do not have is a city drowned in money, class, hot cars, super models, and five-star everything. Artest went to LA because it’s LA and Kobe is Kobe. Two great stars to play with, each with a dominant big man and a chance to answer the title…one duo the frozen tundra, the other in sunny Los Angeles, California. Put yourself in his shoes…what would you do?
Artest didn’t pass on Cleveland because he is worried Lebron might leave…that is a non-factor…and I’m sure if LBJ courted him in person, something to that effect was said — “If you come, I’ll stay. Think of how great we could be.” Regardless of whether or not it was said, Lebron’s Indecision 2010 (yes, Jon Stewart) was the not the cause. But his departure will be the effect…
…Bron-Bron knows that he can’t stay in Cleveland because as long as he stays in a city that is completely unattractive to absurdly wealthy, young, urban-centric males that no one will play with him. That he will never beat Kobe. Why would you sign up for the dark, cold winters…and don’t tell me these guys can just fly anywhere because during the season that’s just not true. Half your season in balmy LA, or in the desolate arctic with NOTHING to do…
…Kobe’s biggest weapon IS LA, is the city. And Lebron knows it. And New York knows it. Either Lebron decides, “Screw it, I don’t need anyone; I will win it myself,” OR he cavs…uh…I mean caves…and goes to a big city that will be the ONLY piece he has been missing it luring guys to come and let him pass for them rather than passing on him.
Viva la LA!
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
“You trade me in your dreams, you better wake up and apologize”
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:22 pm
I do not see anyway LBJ is traded. Also, Z will probably be traded way before Shaq because Z can buyout and resign.
Wasn’t it bad PR moves that everyone was bashing the browns on, but you are encouraging it for the Cavs…
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Good point on Z, bobby. And I’m not “encouraging” the bad P.R. move that a trade of LBJ would be–my point was, as the owner of the franchise, wouldn’t Gilbert have to at least consider doing it for his own sake? We could be talking hundreds of millions in franchise value lost if the Cavs fall short and LeBron walks. A businessman like Gilbert can’t possibly consider that acceptable. I would hate to see him do it, but the possible motivation is at least understandable from his perspective–”I’m going to lose the guy anyway, so I need to get some kind of value”
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Having lived in Cleveland, LA and Houston, Cleveland is definitely the worst city (although Houston is horribly hot in the summer).
I also believe LBJ’s short-term contract as well as a poor recruiting effort result us losing out on the big FA this year. And there are no guarantees that AV resigns with the Cavs.
Boy, I know Ferry is now re-thinking his NBA draft strategy and the 1st round pick he wasted.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Who ever said that this was LBJ’S fault should really reconsider. I dont care if Lebron was THE BBALL JESUS, its not is fault for the position the teams in as far as trade possibilities.Mr Danny has always been a little to late or to get players short of changing the team greatly. Lebron is a player that wants a championship over a good salary any Year!. He has been waiting on management for Good pieces to build around LBJ since he cam in too the league. And i guess MANGEMENT JUST NOW IN THESE LAST 2 YRS started improving enough to first bring in MO, and SHAQ. I DONT BLAME LEBRON, HE SHOULD DO WHAT HE WHAT HE FEELS SHOULD BRING HIM A CHAMPIONSHIP, whether in cleveland or not. I am STRICTLY a Lebron James Fan. It would be just SILLY if he watched kobe and who ever else win championships while he sits around for a couple more BLOCKBUSTER MOVES LOL
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I would hope the Dolans/Shapiro are the only ones in Cleveland with that attitude.
Also, what are the odds Wally and Andy come back to Cleveland this year. I mean, we did get to the ECF with them last year and no Shaq. (I would think this is like no one coming to CLE move)
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Man people over react like crazy in Cleveland. Anyone who thinks Lebron should have signed an extension already for LESS MONEY than what he can get next year is fooling themselves.
Artest going to the NBA champs isn’t hard to fathom. Maybe Ariza wants to be ‘the man’ for a team instead of just a role player? For crying out loud people, relax.
Why don’t we wait until training camp before we all jump off a bridge huh?
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Heres hoping Artest knocks out some fans again.
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
@MacNip, if the salary cap goes down next year again (which plenty of people suspect it will do), then LeBron can actually make more by signing an extension now. The max contract is a % of the NBA’s Salary Cap, so it’s all dependent.
Now, I’m not saying LeBron should sign an extension now. If I were him, I would actually either sign a 3 year extension now or else plan on picking up my 2010 option and become a free agent in 2011 when the cap will have (hopefully) rebounded.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
The media’s perception of Cleveland is so bad that I think everyone in LA thinks we live in the dark ages. It gets so frustrating reading all the articles going on about how bad of a place Cleveland is. Any you know that gm’s like Morey probably bring that up when courting a guy like Ariza.
this is all supremely depressing to me. Even more so because it is fairly obvious that it will be impossible to lure someone like Bosh to Cleveland in 2010 regardless of anything else.
Here are a few things that we should all think about though:
1.) Artest and Ariza are both SF, and LeBron is a small forward. If either came to Cleveland, they would have to mostly play the 2 or play when LeBron is on the bench (8 minutes a game?) Both LA and Houston obviously needed SF since the other was leaving.
2.) For the life of me, I don’t understand why more FA’s don’t want to come to Cleveland. When the players get here, through trade or draft, many of them LOVE IT HERE. Did any of you get the impression that anyone on the bench was having a dismal time last year? Even the guys riding the PINE?
3.) The Cavs still need to focus on defense. They absolutely need more length and mobility at the 2 and 4 positions. Some interesting names left are: McDyess, Chris Anderson, Daghntay Jones, and Marvin Williams.
This is an all out arms race now. The Cavs absolutely need someone at the 4 that can guard either Rashard or Odom, and they need a 2 that can cover Kobe/Vince/Ray Ray. I don’t Delonte can do that, and I’m not sure Varejao is quick enough to guard the 4s I mentioned.
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:35 pm
@Rock – I see what you are saying and I agree with what Lebron’s thinking should be. Have the Cavs even offered the extension to him? I have heard no news that stated that they did
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I don’t know, MacNip. I find it hard to believe they haven’t offered it to him, but I don’t know what LeBron has privately told Ferry about his future plans.
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
C’mon Cavs fans!! These guys won 66 games last year! Why do Cleveland fans always attack thier own?! Look, Orlando was on fire and we were cold as ice! We were a couple of average shooting games away from the finals. No doubt we needed to improve in some areas. We did! We won’t have to double Howard next year, EVER, which will help our perimeter defense and control Orlando’s shooting. I was born and raised here and I am so sick of the part of the fan base that, let’s see, boo’s Lebron a couple years ago; calls for Hargrove to be fired; dogs Kosar and his recent troubles; etc… Believe me I understand your frustration but has it occured to you all that maybe that is part of the reason some of these top guys don’t want to come here??? Quit dogging the best damn team this city has seen in decades and get behind them and be the 6th guy out there on the floor for them when they are playing! WAKE UP!!!!!
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:01 pm
If took you four years to realize what should have been learned in one, RockKing?
By the way, you neglected to mention Ilgauskas’ outrageous five-year, $80 billion dollar contract when nobody else was bidding for him.
Also, the Cavaliers’ facilities are nothing special. Just about everybody has them now. Even the Clippers, who are supposedly cheap.
As far as Ferry having “one more trick up his sleeve,” as you put it, one would hope that his “one more trick” involves resigning. He won’t even need a sleeve for that.
July 3rd, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Sleeves aren’t needed for much.
July 4th, 2009 at 5:23 am
Wow, people are going nuts after 2 days of not signing the bigger name players. The only way we were going to get Charlie V is if Boozer had opted out and the only way we were getting Artest is if Ariza had resigned with the Lakers. The team once to spend money but only having the BAE and MLE but a restriction on the amount of money we are going to be able to spend. Charlie V got 3 to 4 million more a season than we could have offered. There is no way a 24 year old takes a 2 million $$ raise over a 5-6 million dollar raise. Most people would take the 5-6 mil raise, don’t argue with that.
The 2nd part of this is the FA market isn’t that good. With only 5 young players with potentional on the market, CV, Ariza, Frye, Klieza and Childress it’s not surprising we haven’t made a move yet. Why over pay and over commit to players who are gonig to kill the flexibility for next season. The only 2 people in this FA class worth multi year deals are the 5 above and Artest. Think about it rationally and not with an emotional attachment of impending doom for next season, which is the vibe I get from most Cavs Fans following the last 3 days is that the self-loathing state of mind is coming back and it’s quite annoying that no one can seem to shake that.
July 4th, 2009 at 5:24 am
3rd Rasheed Wallace is a washed up piece of garbage that I wouldn’t want with in 10ft of this team due to his personality, he’s quite on 3 other teams whats to say that wouldn’t again.
July 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
The Cavs still need a wingman who can stretch the floor. Also someone who can score and play some ‘D’.
The 3 best players Charlie V, Artest and Ariza are gone. You snooze you lose. Maybe Shawn Marion? Birdman is good on ‘d’ but he can’t score.
Without a good wingman you can expect more of the same. Detroit, Boston, Orlando and the Lakers have improved…the Cavs need 1 more good piece of the puzzle to get a trophy
July 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
The Cavs still need a wingman who can stretch the floor. Also someone who can score and play some ‘D’.
The 3 best players Charlie V, Artest and Ariza are gone. You snooze you lose. Maybe Shawn Marion? Birdman is good on ‘d’ but he can’t score.
Without a good wingman you can expect more of the same. Detroit, Boston, Orlando and the Lakers have improved…the Cavs need 1 more good piece of the puzzle to get a trophy
July 5th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Aaaand the C’s picked up Sheed. While We’re Waiting….
July 7th, 2009 at 4:08 am
I don’t want Andy back. He’s like another Anderson that we have floating around Cleveland. Worthless. Andy is a role player energy guy off the bench and I wouldn’t pay more than the BLE for that type of player. That goes for the Birdman too. As much as I love what Birdman does when he’s on the court, he’s not a starter… There is still some talent out there… Frye, Parker, Antonio Mcdyess, Paul Millsap, Boozer in a possible trade (who could fill the role of the PF we need, a rebounder not a scorer) Shawn Marion.. And I think JJ may be ready to start.. he’d have less pressure on him now that Shaq is down low at Center, taking some of the heat off of JJ. Maybe dump Z to the Clips for Camby. The Clips have a lot of talented big men. Andre Kirelenko is not used very well in Utah (He has a big contract, but we could use a wingman like him).. oh and most importantly to the “Lebron’s leaving us!!!” looneys… He talked to Ariza to try to persuade him to back out of his agreement with Houston.. Ariza brought up 2010 and if LBJ would still be a Cav and LBJ said “I’ll be here.. Come on, I’ll be here”… so quit crying in your self pity.. there’s a lot of talent still out there and LBJ has verbally told a guy he was trying to persuade to come to Cleveland he will be resigning with us instead of jumping ship.
July 7th, 2009 at 4:13 am
oh and that boozer rebounder not a scorer quote was a slam at the possibility of signing Bosh… Bosh is weak down low (defensively), he’s a shoot first guy who would not work well with our team’s game… You know… “let LBJ get his and then he’ll get us ours”.. Bosh would not fit into that mold. He’d want his 25 a game and LBJ would want his 30 a game. With a star like LBJ you have to surround him with complimentary players. The Mo’s and Dwest’s.. the guys who have a job and it’s to shoot well and distribute. The guys like Ben and Z and Andy and JJ.. work hard around the rim and LBJ will let you reap the benefits on the Offensive side. Bosh would not fit well with our team; there are a bunch of guys I would prefer having besides him at PF.