Links to the Present: July 2, 2013 – Free Agency Edition
2013-07-02
I’m half-heartedly catching up on some old news here and the whirlwind start of NBA free agency…
Mary Schmitt Boyer provided a few pieces of news this weekend…Marreese Speights opted out of his contract, and Cleveland did not extend qualifying offers to Wayne Ellington or Omri Casspi. No surprise on Speights; with Andy, TT and Bennett on board, the Cavs should seek a traditional center. Mr. Speights will seek more dollars and years. Also, not a shocker that Omri Casspi won’t be back. Where is Tom, shouting, “Free Casspi!!”, though? Some year, the Cavs will receive the first round pick acquired for JJ Hickson. Given the team’s lack of shooting, not keeping Ellington as a restricted free agent seems like a questionable move. Perhaps he will return regardless. Otherwise, we shall see what other shooters are added via free agency.
Undrafted free agents Kenny Kadji and Matthew Dellavedova signed-on for the Cavs summer league team. Dellavedova is an Australian-born point guard that played collegiate ball at St. Mary’s. A talented pick and roll passer and polished shooter, if he started next season in the D-League as the Cavs 3rd point guard / 15th man, I would think this is cool.
Mary Schmitt Boyer reports on a few free agents of interest to Cavalier fans…Earl Clark was scheduled to visit Cleveland today. I am not terribly excited about Clark. In the gamut of recent Cavalier free agency activity, I would say it is less impactful that signing CJ Miles and Alonzo Gee in 2012, but more beneficial that bringing on Joey Graham in 2011. Is that a ringing endorsement? Also in the article, it is discussed that Wayne Ellington was contacted by the Lakers and Shaun Livingston by the Nets. At free agent targets, I would place Earl Clark third on the list of these three players. Finally, Daniel Gibson says, “there is no secret where his heart lies”…
Cleveland has been loosely linked to Carl Landry, Greg Oden, Darren Collison and CJ Watson, although Watson plans to sign with the Pacers. Adding Carl Landry is less exciting following the Bennett pick. Oden is also being chased by Miami and San Antonio; rumor has it those teams are in the lead. If he wanted to come to Cleveland for one year guaranteed at a reasonable salary, there are no objections here. There are other point guards that I would rather see Cleveland chase than Collison; Monday I mentioned a Livingston / AJ Price combo, or Devin Harris.
Cleveland kicks off the 2013 – 2014 preseason on October 15 in Canton.
I have surely missed news and rumors of the last few days, but so far, no earth-shaking word for Cavalier-dom.
We aren’t going to be tanking, but I don’t think we are gonna be just running through the league either. Expect a 76ers type performance this year.
Robin Lopez probably takes a first rounder, but he’ll probably be bought out. Apparently if his deal isn’t bought out by tomorrow, the next two years become guaranteed.
Or say something, and get a couple more people to buy season tickets. Who cares, he’s the owner, he’s not going to flat out say we’re tanking, which saying we’re going to be in the lottery again next year would do. He was being interviewed and had to talk about something, why not give a little sales pitch, this is a very successful business man, he doesn’t pass on prime opportunities make a sale. How would that help the bottom line? They can still claim development after a few more tickets get sold and say the FA market options weren’t… Read more »
PER brought down the first AI (and rightly so) – now it’s bringing down AI2 and I don’t like it.
And Cory, Crash Wallace has been injury prone for some time. Iguodala has not played in 27 games in 9 years. LeBron has missed 39 in 10.
@Kyrie, he made it a point to say something when nothing needed to be said. In fact it puts more pressure on Grant to look like the Cavs are trying to compete now. Say nothing, and they can claim they are developing the young talent (i.e tanking).
I thought this was a pretty smart move by Sacramento. I imagine if Iggy comes crawling back, they’ll give him a similar offer, but my bet is that they didn’t want to be involved if they felt they were just being used for leverage.
Kevin: Thoughts on Robin Lopez? He’s my #1 target right now at rent-a-center (not that I wouldn’t love Gortat or Gasol).
Nate,
Yeah, bring on Robin Lopez. What will that take?
@SwIrving
“And apparently SacTown Pulled the offer when Iggy didn’t immediately bite. So no, probably not getting the Sacramento pick until Wiggin’s pulls them up from the dregs. ”
They might have done that so they can match the offer that Tyreke Evans is getting from NO. 4/44.
I don’t really see Clark as a great fit on this roster. Duplicates (albeit in a lesser capacity) Thompson and Bennett. Why not pursue someone like Corey Brewer? He’d be great off the bench. I’m thinking cavs could def. make playoffs this year. Rated 2nd best draft here:
http://leaguebeats.com/2013/07/01/how-the-grinch-kupchak-stole-draftmas-other-draft-thoughts/
DaveR, you really think there is no way that Gilbert says one thing publicly that helps him sell season tickets and privately intends to do something else that will net more success in the future? Well I say! And apparently SacTown Pulled the offer when Iggy didn’t immediately bite. So no, probably not getting the Sacramento pick until Wiggin’s pulls them up from the dregs. I really wish the rocket’s didn’t have so much cap space, if not for them, Cleveland would actually be the best basketball decision for Howard, and probably still is. But not by a large enough… Read more »
Looks like the real winner of the Memphis-Cleveland deal was Leuer.
http://www.sportsmedia101.com/memphisgrizzlies/2013/07/02/the-memphis-grizzlies-re-sign-tony-allen-and-jon-leuer/
DaveR,
I bring this up way more often than is healthy, but Leuer had a 15 PER in Milwaukee and a 17 PER in Memphis. If six months later, the trade suddenly looks like “useful 3rd or 4th big man for 24th pick in 2017 draft”…that’s way different than January 2013.
Cory look at iggys stats for the past 4 years, I don’t think they’re that much better with him. I’d say they just guaranteed cousins isn’t resigning.
Robin Lopez is on the block and he has no 2014-2015 guaranteed salary. I would like to get him… a lot.
$56 mill for Iggy…Ouch. He’s gonna crash harder than Gerald Wallace did.
This could be really good for the Cavs though. That Kings pick is top 12 protected for next years draft. There should be at least five teams who tank hard for Wiggins. As much as I didn’t want the Cavs to get Iggy, he is just what Sacramento needs. They’ll be better for at least two years from this move. The curse of the Maloof’s is gone. Sacramento could send that pick over in the next two years.
I’ve been doing my best to keep up with all the “possibles”, and out of the three centers that have been floating around the Cavs (Bynum, Oden and Pekovic), I like the Pekovic scenario best. With him, we know what we would get. We don’t know if we get a Bynum still hurting or a Bynum that play with a lack of enthusiasm, or an Oden that will need another surgury in less then a year. If they we both healthy then it wouldn’t matter, the Dwight Howard sweepstakes would be more like a bingo hall raffle. But they do… Read more »
Grant is simply not going to take on or create any contractual obligation that gums up salary space for 2014. Therefore, keep your eyes on any player(no matter how expensive) that has only one more year on his contract. They are fair game. This puts S. Marion of Dallas back into play, if he was ever out of play. There was so much talk about Marion and the number 13 pick, then it all stopped just before the draft because of timing and contractual restraints with Marion. Well, the Cavs got the guy they wanted at number 13 anyway, but… Read more »
I think its more important to avoid bad multi-year contracts than to win next year. They can win more games just by having their current young players develop, get more games from Andy, and have working defensive and offensive schemes.
The thing is we are so close . . . yet so far. If we could sign a near all star big, I think we’d catapult towards the top of the division. I’m not saying sign Bynum (though Brown does have history with him and does know him), but if we were able to sign that type of a player . . . happy days would be here again.
If the Cavs are just sitting around picking deals at the trade deadline then they are tanking ’13-’14. If that’s the case then the Gilberts and Grant are not on the same page.
IDK I kind of like that Chris Grant isn’t running around signing Eric Gordons and NeNes every year.
I don’t see free agency bearing a whole lot of fruit for the Cavaliers. Likely they miss out on Pekovic and don’t sign any significant rotation players. I think it is far more likely that Grant attempts to deal for a disgruntled star around the trade deadline, when any older and more disappointing squads may look to move players. Minnesota and Portland are two teams that may fall into this mold – If Minnesota disappoints again this year they will have to consider moving Love – same with Portland and Aldridge or (my fantasy scenario) he goes back to the… Read more »
Nothing is really going to shake loose on free agency until Howard deal is over so it’s been pretty boring thus far. Absolutely hate how Cavs are like the plague in free agency. Grant dropped the ball letting Ellington go. Lakers want him and you know he’s pretty much gone. It’s like they are in denial on how nobody wants to come here. Ellington landed in their lap and Poof Grant made him disappear. Dude had huge potential and is young. We’re going back in time with Brown as coach going after the aging and injured BIGS.
TV63,
For what it’s worth, I also may be in denial about nobody wanting to come to Cleveland. 36 hours ago, I thought the team could do better than Ellington.