If last night’s loss in LA was any indication, the Cavaliers have to get bigger in the post if they are going to contend with big, athletic, front lines. Now I’m not saying that every team has a front court like the Lakers, with a 7-foot center (Andrew Bynum), a 6′10 power forward (Pau Gasol), and a 6′10 small forward (Lamar Odom). But the Lakers exposed the Cavs lack of depth up front without Zydrunas Ilgauskas. While reports say Z’s foot is progressing better than expected, we all know he is just one awkward move away from serious damage. I think we can all agree that without Big Z, this team is not going to win the NBA Championship as it is currently constructed.
Without Ilgauskas, Anderson Varejao has moved into the starting lineup and has played well for the most part, though he has slumped of late. Some would say Varejao’s overall game gets exposed when he plays too many minutes. He is at his best when he is fresh, playing in spurts and in the fourth quarter of close games. Ben Wallace is getting himself back into form after the flu ravaged him for 10 plus pounds. Regardless of how good Ben can be on the defensive end and on the glass, he is still offensively challenged. J.J. Hickson continues to show a little spark offensively and as a shot blocker, but he is still a major work in progress defensively, and never met a shot he didn’t like. Lorenzen Wright is filling in admirably, but he is clearly not the answer, and Darnell Jackson has been buried by Mike Brown.
The injury to Z has also moved the Wine and Gold to smaller lineups more often. Things have gotten so dire since Delonte West has been down with a broken wrist, that Brown was forced to play Lebron at Center, surrounded by four guards in Friday’s win over New Orleans. The banged up Cavaliers are clearly in need of another big body.
So this begs the question; what does GM Danny Ferry do with Wally Szczerbiak’s expiring contract? The Cavaliers #1 trade piece is Wally’s huge contract that comes off the books after the season. Wally is a bargaining chip for Ferry to work with if he wants to do so. There are two sides to this coin:
Hang on to him – This side of me says that when the Cavaliers were fully healthy, they are beasts. They steamrolled everyone in their path. Ilgauskas is the perfect pick and pop guy for Lebron James, and Ferry put together a group of shooters in Szczerbiak, Daniel Gibson, Mo WIlliams, West, and Sasha Pavlovic on the perimeter, opening the paint for James to knife through. Varejao, Ilgauskas, and Wallace are all excellent offensive rebounders, and Hickson has continued to improve, battling with these three in practice each day.
They have the option to go small with the strength of Lebron at the four-spot and it has worked. West, up until his injury, was having the best season of his career. Ilgauskas and Williams could easily be All-Stars. Varejao’s game has jumped to a new level. They can go up to 10 deep if they want to, with various lineup options. We have seen Mike Brown go with Szczerbiak against certain power forwards, leaving Lebron to handle the team’s best perimeter scorer. We’ve seen West, Williams, and Gibson on the floor together.
Speaking of Sasha, a trade of Szczerbiak for a big man would thrust major responsibility on him. He has had it in the past, but is so inconsistent from night to night, week to week, that not having Szczerbiak would just open up another hole if Pavlovic can’t give quality minutes on a regular basis.
Then there is the chemistry factor. In the history of this organization, perhaps no Cavalier team has jelled the way this group has. It’s not hard to tell how much this group genuinely likes and respects one another. They play together as if they would all run through a wall for each other. Perhaps there was no better example of this then when West went down last Thursday night in Chicago and the entire team rushed over from the bench to be at his side. The type of chemistry they have doesn’t just happen for every team and it’s something you can’t teach or coach. Does Danny Ferry dare break up this group?
Trade him -I mentioned earlier “if” the Cavs are healthy, they are a buzz-saw. That, as we have learned, is a big “if.” Right now, Mike Brown is without two starters in Ilgauskas and West. With Wallace’s back always a possibility to flare up, his minutes are limited, and Brown has been forced to go small more than he would like to, and opponents have taken advantage. Even though Varejao’s offensive game has improved, the Cavaliers still lack a true low post, back to the basket player. Hickson is too green to be counted on for key minutes during playoff basketball.
By contrast, the Cavaliers backcourt has many options with Williams, West, GIbson, Szczerbiak, and Pavlovic. Only one of those players has an expiring contract valued at over $10 million and can bring back the front court help they can use. That man is Szczerbiak.
With Pavlovic finding his way back into the rotation since the West injury, he will be fully acclimated to extended PT. Don’t forget, he was a starter on the team that went to The Finals just two years ago. When he is focused and playing well, he offers more than Szczerbiak does on both ends of the floor. It’s a chance Ferry and Brown would have to take in dumping Wally.
Trading Wally could bring the kind of extra big Danny Ferry has been craving. Some names that have been bandied about include Sacramento’s Brad Miller, Miami’s Shawn Marion, Chicago’s Drew Gooden, New York’s David Lee, Toronto’s Jermaine O’Neal, and Oklahoma City’s Joe Smith. (there has been Joe Smith buyout talk. Thanks to readers who brought to my attention that Smith cannot be dealt back to Cleveland because of NBA rules).
Miller’s contract matches with Wally’s and would come off the books after next season. Marion is a talent, no doubt about it, but he is a diva who Miami is out to drop. Lee is eligible for an extension after next season as well, but if the Cavaliers aren’t interested in keeping him around long term, they can let him become unrestricted by the time the summer of 2010 comes around. He may be the best option as he is young, energetic, and a player on the rise. O’Neal’s best days are behind him and he is slated to make over $18 million next year. Teaming him with Chris Bosh in Toronto was supposed to take the Raptors to the next level, but it hasn’t materialized. Now, GM Bryan Colangelo is out to dump him.
Ex-Cavaliers Gooden and Smith are intriguing. Both know the system, both can knock down the mid-range jumper. Both are playoff-tested veterans. Gooden’s tendencies to float in and out of games, especially on the defensive side of the ball, wouldn’t put him at the top of my list. Smith, on the other hand, is an excellent complimentary player, who knows his role on both ends of the floor. Both players are unrestricted free agents at season’s end. Smith would have to be bought out to be brought back.
The options are plentiful if indeed Ferry wants to make that move.
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So what does Ferry do? In my opinion, I think the loss of West may have opened his eyes to the fact that he is indeed lucky to have such great depth in the back court. It will come down to whether or not he and Mike Brown can indeed trust Sasha Pavlovic enough with Delonte out another six weeks. I think they will show that faith in Sasha, and deal Wally. There is a big catch – the potential for a buyout of Wally by his potential new team.
It isn’t that far fetched. Think about it. Let’s say the Cavs were to deal Wally to the Cliipers for Marcus Camby. Why would that young team, with a back court of rookie Eric Gordon and Baron Davis, want Wally rotting on their bench? He can easily be bought out, sit out 30 days, and come back to Cleveland, ala Antonio McDyess and Detroit (think McDyess would like a do-over and sing in Cleveland instead of sticking with a going-nowhere Pistons club?). That, my friends, would be the perfect storm.
With the deadline approaching and the Cavaliers on a West Coast swing, its a very important stretch for not just the players, but for the front office as well. We’ll see how things shake out. But there is no doubt, we will be talking about Wally Szczerbiak one way or another, quite a bit over the next month.
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.
By saying Wright has filled in admirably, you meant terribly right?
I was trying to be nice..he tries hard and is a good team guy…
Trade him. With the injuries being what they are, trade him and get a big. Front-line is thin.
It’s hard to say what to do. We would need to trade Wally for a legit scoring option and someone who will play defensively.
But, Joe Smith can’t be traded to us because of a stipulation in the CBA. He has to be bought out and sign with us. So much for that scenario.
They can’t trade for Joe Smith.
Sorry S-Dub, I should have read your comment first. Joe Smith can’t be traded back to the Cavaliers from within a year they traded him.
Smith was traded by Cleveland during the current Salary Cap Year (the current July 1 – June 30 period) so NBA rules stipulate that Smith cannot be reacquired by Cleveland again until the next Salary Cap Year or until he has first been waived.
Windhorst mentioned earlier in the season that he thought if Wally were dealt, he would try to get bought and return to the Cavs, so it’s definitely a possibility.
Ferry’s pretty good about keeping his big trades secret. You never heard a word about the Wallace, Mo, or Flip trades until they happened. I wouldn’t get too upset if you don’t hear any rumors involving the Cavs. Chances are, Ferry’s working on something…
It’s was clear yesterday that Ben Wallace puked out all of his defense during his flu.
Also, regarding the chemistry, why didn’t anyone step to Bynum when he went after LeBron’s head? That youngster needed someone from the Cavs in his face to let him know that that nonsense wouldn’t stand. Nothing.
Z would have had his back.
I expect Bynum to get at least fined for that crap. He should’ve gotten a flagrant. Not surprising it wasn’t called, considering how many times LeBron got clobbered going to the hoop without a whistle.
Sasha gave a pretty good whack at the end.
i think Wally is having a much better year than last year with us. Shooting seems to be more consistant, and he is at least in the mix on the defensive side…not great, but not a statue either.
Trading him only makes sense if you can get higher value for him…Joe Smith and Drew Gooden would not be significant upgrades…Brad Miller fills a need, but i don’t think he is any better than wally. Lee is interesting because he’s young enough to make significant contributions.
of the guys mentioned so far, only Marion seems to be a significant upgrade. guess the chemistry question would be the only problem here…
The Smith section has been fixed…thx Nicko.
Camby!
Please, PLEASE don’t bring Drew Gooden back here. Dude has no idea what the word ‘rotate’ means
Put a tie on him and trade him to WKYC Channel 3. He could be a news anchor.
I support the Camby/buyout of Wally deal 100% Camby is a good all around player, and even on a crap team he plays hard the whole game. Thats the type of player the Cavs need to bring in. Buying out Wally and getting him back in 30 days would just be icing on the cake, the deal makes too much sense not to do as long as the Clippers are game. Pull the trigger Ferry, make it happen!
If the Cavaliers got Camby, wow!
if camby is available straight up for Wally, I think that would be a better move than Marion.
um…if we trade for David Lee, wouldn’t NY force us to take back Eddie Curry (and we would have to for Wally to make salaries match)
and wouldn’t that mean choosing between Lee and AV this offseason as we could not afford both (most likely Lee since he is restricted) and wouldn’t that mean Curry could be a big part of the rotation next year?
as such, I say ‘NO’ to Lee.
@mgbode…ugh.
Eddie Curry in a Cavs uniform scares me…seriously. i could puke at the thought.
also, the good thing about the Camby trade is the Clippers could still sell their fans that they ended up making out basketball-wise.
they traded a possible 2nd for Camby, then would get back a 1st from us (and buyout Wally)….save $$$ and increase draft stock. A win-win.
Oh, and we did not even mention that Sterling would be helping ensure the Lakers do not win a championship.
Is Antawn Jamison not in the mix? I thought he was being talked about… if so, then he’s my first choice by a longshot. I think Mike Brown can get him to play decent defense, and we already know that he can score and rebound. I’d kind of like to see him play the Lakers to get an idea of how well he can handle Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum, though. David Lee would be an excellent addition, but I thought I heard that the Knicks weren’t even considering trading him? The fans in MSG love that guy… there might be a riot if he gets traded.
the thought on Lee is that resigning him this offseason hurts them for 2010 (which is silly since there are no guarantees, but it’s the thought process). so, if they can unload another bad contract (Jeffries or Curry) with Lee and dump salary, then they should do it now to clear more space.
Antawn Jamison is older and has a long and very very expensive contract. And, he doesn’t help as a frontcourt defender much either (he is an outside player despite being a PF). He is not my ideal guy despite the fact he is a warrior.
Player 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Antawn Jamison $9,923,285 $11,641,095 $13,358,905 $15,076,715
@mgbode: all very true things about Jamison, but honestly I’m fine with the flaws… with the exception of Z, we don’t have anyone in the frontcourt who can create their own shot. Watching Anderson Varejao dribble around the basket and then shoot fall-away jumpers is pretty laughable, and Hickson just isn’t there yet… he needs a couple more years in the NBA. I guess I should add that another reason I am okay with picking up Jamison’s salary is that I really don’t think the Cavs are going to be able to sign LeBron in 2010. As a Cleveland fan, I realize that’s blasphemy, but I’m sorry that is absolutely the vibe I get from Lebron James. Everything about his character and personality tells me that if he gets even a somewhat similar offer from the Knicks or the Nets, he is going to bolt. I think the only way he stays with the Cavs is if he believes that he can’t win with the collection of players on the big market teams who are contending for his services. “Cleveland pride” is certainly not going to be a factor in his decision… the guy was a Lakers fan growing up (not to mention a Yankees fan and a Cowboys fan). LBJ is a frontrunner and he’ll go to where the money is and he’ll go to where the championship rings are. Plain and simple. Man, I have no idea where that rant came from… I swear that I really do root for LeBron when I’m watching him play.
@P: I’m not so sure about the LBJ to NYC thing anymore. New York CAN’T offer him a simliar deal to what the Cavs can, so he’d have to take a pay reduction. It’s hard to think of a lot of superstars taking pay reductions and willingly playing for a worse team. Even the ESPN smucks are starting to second guess their proclaimed done deal of LeBron moving. If the Cavs can get a solid player for Wally and win a title this year, no way is leBron leaving. Not when the Cavs are going to have enough cap space in 2010 to resign LeBron AND whatever other superstar LeBron tells Ferry he really wants to play with. As far as the frontrunner thing I totally agree, LBJ as a kid was a frontrunner, but if you look around the country now there are a lot of kids wearing Cavs gear, not Knicks and Bulls gear. LeBron is making it the frontrunners choice to root for Cleveland. Plus, and I know this is totally unrelated, I looked at that State Farm commercial as LeBron embracing his role as the savior of Cleveland sports. Maybe that’s too optimistic, but it’s a nice thought none the less.
What?
“he’ll go where the money is and he’ll go to where the championships are”
Cleveland can offer more money, so if you think he’s chasing money why would he go to NY for “a comparable contract”
If he wants a championship why would he leave a top 4 team for a bottom feeder?
His favorite team as a kid was the bulls… nobody’s worried about him going there. He just did a commercial in a browns uni, let’s relax on the 2010 stuff. We got more pressing concerns like Big Z and Delonte’s health.
Back to topic: trade Wally for a viable frontcourt guy…when his shot’s off he’s not much more than a liability on D…but I wouldn’t want Ferry to “waste” an expiring contract to get back Drew Gooden of all people. Camby, Lee, or even a long-term deal guy like Jamison would be fine w/ me.
@Tron – yep, that is the situation I meant where I said he would stay in Cleveland, but I don’t think we can just say that is what is going to happen and it’s over. 2010 is still a ways off… there’s plenty of time for the Knicks (and other teams) to make some moves to open up the cap space. I like that State Farm commercial too, but it’s just a commercial. LeBron didn’t write the script, it was put in his hand and he acted it out. I can’t remember a time where he voluntary told a reporter or anyone in the media that his ultimate desire is to stay in Cleveland.
@Swig – is Cleveland a top 4 team without LeBron? Of course not. Likewise, bottom-feeders are not bottom-feeders when they have LeBron. I would do some research to figure out if the remaining Knicks or Nets are a better supporting cast than what Cleveland has, but it’s not 2010 yet. So for now I’ll just say, if you disagree, that’s cool… it’s all just talk to make a Tuesday more interesting at this point anyway.
@Chris – but there’s no controversy around Big Z and Delonte’s health… what’s the fun in talking about that? Thank you though for the correction. Being a Bulls fan in the 90s actually solidifies my point, though.
games like last night are why lebrons “whining” just doesnt bother me. the officials were out of their minds all night. Hacking has now been tried to stop Shaq, AI, and Lebron. its a pretty elite group, but it doesnt make it good. AI and Lebron last night have taken real beatings.
I know the State Farm commerical was just a commercial and I’m not trying to read too much into it, but after that GQ article and seeing LeBron say that he has as much or more input on what commercials he does I definately think had he wanted to, he could have made that a cowboys jersey, or even just a generic jersey like LT’s Vizio jersey if he had really wanted to. Back on topic, Cavs definately need some big help, and LeBron was absolutely mauled in the paint last night with no calls at all.
“2010 is still a ways off… there’s plenty of time for the Knicks (and other teams) to make some moves to open up the cap space.”
Cap space is irrelevant when talking about Lebron and the Cavs. League rules allow the Cavs to offer Lebron more money and one more year than any other team in the league, and since we have his Bird rights we can go over the cap to sign him. Monetarily it is not possible for any other team to tender a “comparable offer” to Lebron.
@P@ Yeah, I know that actually proves your point even more. But I agree with your points, I just don’t care about 2010 “LeBron Sweepstakes”. The Cavs can get the title this year, and I’m on board with the whole “let’s win now” bandwagon. These injuries have shown how tenuous a team’s grip on first place can be. If Delonte doesn’t go down last Thursday, we win that game. if Z was there, we win last night. Let’s do something now, and forget about the contract situations. You hear me Ferry?
Sheesh…..Lorenzen Wright filling in admirably? The guy is pathetic……can’t knock down a two footer, has stone hands, and can’t jump two inches. A total waste of roster and money, I don’t care what a great guy his is (or isn’t, as far as I know).
Cavs really need another post-up big. McDyess woulda been perfect. Jamison ain’t gonna happen…….way too much cap space and years. I still say look for Brad Miller…….he can shoot, rebound, and pass-he’d fit right in and space the floor. Almost a salary match with Wally’s contract.
I think the Camby trade and subsequent buyout and reacquisition of Wally sounds like the ideal scenario, but the ESPN Trade Machine says a straight-up Camby-for-Wallace trade doesn’t work.
For it to go through, we’d have to take on another player: Ricky Davis. At least Davis’ contract is up after this year. But who would we cut to make room? We’d have to waive Jawad Williams again, but who else to cut if we want to make room for Wally after 30 days? Eric Snow?
Even then, that’s a lot of disruption to our team chemistry.
out of the box, off the wall trade idea….couldn’t happen until after Feb 10th (Dudley was traded to PHX Dec 10th):
Shaq and Alando Tucker and Jared Dudley
for
Wally and Ben
Suns are not doing damage in the West this year and are always looking to save $$$. Plus, Ben and Wally could fit in on their team nicely and the absence of Shaq might reignite Amare who has been noticeably less aggressive this year.
Of course, it is borderline ridiculous for PHX and even then Ferry might not even want to mess with our team chemistry with such a character as Shaq, but it sure is a fun thought.
Oh, and we’d have to decide who is better between Dudley and Tucker. They are practically the same player. Dudley is taller and younger and is in front of Tucker in PHX, so probably him (though Tucker has the longer contract and that sometimes wins out for a buyout).
@EZ – Yeah, I know that is the case, but I wasn’t thinking about just cap space… there’s more money to be had. I think I’m going to just drop off of this topic though, I think I’ve done enough debating for today.
Instead, I’ll say that I think Brad Miller is a decent option, but he’s the same age as Jamison (32) and he’s certainly not the same scoring threat. He’s definitely good value if the Cavs can trade Wally’s contract straight-up, but they’ll probably have to include a #1 pick to peak Sacramento’s interest.
You have to unload Wally. Teams will panic and trade a bad contract for Wally’s. If we could unload Hughes then getting something for Wally is not unreasonable if we are patient.
I would not assume the Cavs will trade any 1st round picks with Wally. That will not be happening.
Most importantly, trading Wally does not impact the Austin Carr Drinking Game.
Um Mark you need to be a little more creative with that trade machine. Ricky Davis is not the only other option.
Can we toss in Ben Wallace with the Wally deal. Big Ben’s best days are 5+ years in the rearview mirror. And playing him and Varajao together makes no sense (both are deadweight on offense).
I want someone like Shawn Marion who can run and gun w/Bron. Or Vince Carter (how old his Vinsanity?).
Mo Williams + West + Bron + Z + Marion (+ quality bench / role players like Varajao who should never start but play important roles) = CHAMPIONSHIP
#38 has the worst idea I’ve ever heard!!! We do NOT want/need a Shaq with so many miles on the odometer, no work ethic, no hunger to win (has 3 rings already) and the most insane contract in pro sports (in terms of what the team gets vs what Shaq earns). he is too old and too slow and too much of a publicity seeker.
bring in a star, yes … but a young and hungry one who can run and gun baby!!
i really like the idea of marcus camby or david lee. i would totally buyout wallys contract and get him back in the 30 days or w.e. i say do it.
Too bad Houston wouldn’t give Artest and Battier for Wally. (Right?)
[...] – Ball Don’t Lie – Jermaine O’Neal is anything but a good fit for the Miami Heat. – Waiting for Next Year – What oh what to do with Wally World and his bloated contract… – Bend It Like Bennett – [...]
If we’re going to get Camby it’d be nice to see that happen sooner rather than later since LA seems bound and determined to work him to death right now with their injuries, however thats also exactly why they won’t trade him now. I worry that Camby might have too many hard minutes on him this year from carrying that entire franchise recently and could spurt out by the play offs.
Brad Miller has always been a good player that keeps his mouth shut and plays and at 32 is younger than Camby (but not exactly a young buck either).
IF New York would be willing to part with Lee that would be a good deal but the dead weight contract that would come along with it might not make it happen
Jamison has a top heavy contract that I don’t want to see in Cleveland
Marion kills team chemistry like it owes him money, too much ego
I like Camby and winning games ugly with defense. Let’s not get confused by the early offensive rush this year… this team will win or lose the championship with our quality of defense
Ezzie FTW, though Artest’s locker room presence might not be something to take in, I think Battier is great.
Yeah, that’s why I thought of him; but Artest is the only salary there I saw that would match. It would solidify the Cavs’ D as the best by far, though… think he’d turn into a Rodman circa 93? Other teams just would never have a chance to get it going, whether against the Cavs’ starters or subs.
i love wally and he might not be a great player but he is there when the team needs him and like it has been mentioned the team is really jelled. so if they get rid of wally they better get someone well worth the salary he earns and can help the team.