Free Agency Open Thread: Mitchell Extends
2026-07-08Good afternoon CtB!
Some Summer Open Thread action, stay tuned… there’s rumors of a vacation Cavs: the Podcast episode according to Shams Charania of ESPN (parody, non-actionable joke).
LeBron James has the NBA world waiting with bated breath as he takes his time to hear the pitches from several teams on where to end his legendary career. Speculation runs rampant that the longer it goes on, the more likely he will end up a Cav… so fingers crossed it’s true!
Donovan Mitchell signed his max extension, which means the Cavs can rest easy knowing that the Mitchell trade will go down in history as an unqualified success. He potentially left a lot of money on the table, to the surprise of many though no one should feel bad for him given the quarter billion-dollar contract he will earn.
Regarding James Harden’s free agency status, it appears he’s also helping the team figure out how to supplement the roster to chase LeBron. Trey Murphy git r dun Korby!!!
I like Maleek’s progression: 20 points 0 turnovers first game, 30 points 0 turnovers second game, … . and, he has switched to point guard and looks like he knows what he is doing.
30/7/4/4 with a HIGHLIGHT ASSIST 👍🏀💪
LETS FUCKING GOOOO
his highlights look GREAT. has a bit of a hitch in his jumpshot, but it goes in
I POSTED A COUPLE DAYS AFTER WE DRAFTED MALEEK THAT HE WAS GOING TO “ PUT ON A SHOW— TEAR IT UP IN SUMMER LEAGUE “ 👍👍👍———- HE IS OUR “ MICRO “ SCORER OFF THE BENtCH ( jJerome ) BUT CAN ALSO DEFEND—-HIM AND PROCTOR WILL BE FUN TO WATCH/ GROW!!!
yeah, he looks to be a big improvement over Jerome.
Trent Jr. back to the Bucks. 4/$64
I have no idea what the Bucks are doing 🤷♂️
I don’t think they do either.
they got ultra lucky getting Giannis, but otherwise have looked to be wandering around in the dark for years
I THINK LEBRONs ANNOUNCEMENT WILL “ OVERTAKE “ ANY OTHER SPORTING EVENT—- JUST MY THOUGHTS———- SPIDA BEING “ “ CRUCIFIED BY MOST NATIONAL MEDIA AS BEING VASTLY OVERPAID AND 1 OF THE WORST NBA CONTRACTS———- OPINIONS———— GET FIRED UP SPIDA 👍💪🏀——- “ PROVE THEM WRONG “ !!!!
It won’t overtake the World Cup. He won’t want to compete with that. And he won’t want to do it on a week-end.
got him figured out!
If I was a big star who wanted a lot of attention from the sports media, here is where I WOULDN’T announce my decision:
Today: 2 WC QFs, Winbledon women’s final
Sunday: Wimbledon men’s final
Monday: MLB ASG Home Runn Derby
Tuesday: WC SF, MLB all star game
Wednesday: WC SF
Sat: 7/18: WC 3rd, Final hoopla
Sunday 7/19: WC Final
My guess would be Thursday, though Monday is also a possibility. Friday is a week-end, less people paying attention. After the WC Monday also possible.
Colin Cowherd: every way you slice it, Boston was better without Jaylen Brown
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1569858697835278
👍🙏 NATE — HOPEFULLY BOTH CONTINUE TO “ BALL OUT “
THOMAS / NYQUIL BOTH WITH 20 — BOTH 40% FROM 3 —- 6 REBOUNDS EACH IN A LOSS —- I CAN LIVE WITH THAT 👍🏀💪
Looked good. Tomlin has a little too much dipn in his shot but he’s definitely improved his mechanics. Maleek looked like an NBA athlete.
DAMN—- “THE “ MRS NOMAD s HONEYDO LIST PREVENTING ME FROM WATCHING THE “ SUMMER CAVS “— IF ANYONE IS WATCHING GIVE ME AN UPDATE/RECAP 👍🍺👍🍺🙏🙏
THE “ LEBRON WATCH “ IS MAKING HIM MILLIONS ALREADY ON HIS LAST SEASON DOCUMENTARY—- DOES HE HAVE A “ JULY 11th ANNIVERSARY ANNOUNCEMENT WITH THE SAME RESULTS “ ———— GOING TO TRY AND CATCH ME S0ME CAVS SUMMER BALL —- GO CAVS 👍💪🏀
Good ESPN article comparing the teams teying to sign LeBron. On court & financially. On the financial side:
Heat: Around $7 mil, $10 mil under hard cap, 3 spots open
Cav: $6.1 tax midlevel
$3.9 mil vet min: Phi, Den, GSW, Min
They don’t get into us teading Schröder & creating an exception to pay him more, and I assume other teams could also go that route. But it does weaken the roster.
But we are VERY competitive financially with the others. Only Miami can likely offer more, and then only by a mil or so. Again, absent shipping out salary.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49301354/lebron-james-2026-free-agency-market-offers-contract-money-team
Kawhi trade on hold until Aspiration investigation findings are in.
which could be forever
They say a coupleore weeks, but who knows.
The Clips told the Raps they could complete the deal if they assumed the risk the Kawhi could be sanctioned. Toronto was like, no way, deal on hold.
the Raps ought to be having second thougts. Kawhi is great, but he is getting past prime time, he is hurt a LOT, he is involved in shady stuff, …
👍👍👍👍 BAD SALMON—- HOPE YOU BECOME A REGULAR “ CTB POSTER “ 👍👍
🙏🙏🙏🙏 BAD SALMON!!
My man! This salmon is usually lurking… just off the shores of Erie, in the Cuyahoga, or down the Black.
Fun note. My old coworker at the meat shop in another era down here in SE Ohio once said a great name for a band would be Bad Salmon. I’ve used it as my online handle ever since.
its been a tough week for SEO news
Flash flooding is always a threat down here and the county below me, Monroe, had a bad one for sure.
MY “ LEBRON COMING HOME METER “ HAS DIPPED THE LAST FEW DAYS —- ON MONDAY I FELT ABOUT 80% LEBRON COMING BACK—— HAS DROPPED TO ABOUT 55-60% THINK MIAMI / 76ers HAVE MADE “ NOISE “ ON GETTING LEBRON —— DOES HE DO AN “ ANNIVERSARY- JULY 11th “ ANNOUNCEMENT OR KEEP US GUESSING AND “ VEGAS MAKING MORE MONEY ON BETS “——- STAY TUNED——-🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 CLF —- HOPE YOUR SUMMER IS GOING GOOD AND YOU ARE TAKING TIME FOR………………..” MORE BEER 🍺 PLEASE “——- WHAT TIME DOES OUR SUMMER LEAGUE START TOMORROW?
Looks like 430pm Friday on ESPN2 against Indiana
Nice, thank you!
Thank you NOMAD!! Yes sir!!!! #MOREBEERPLEASE
For OSU / Bruce Thornton fans, it looks like the Rockets first summer league game will be right after the Cavs Friday at 630 espn2
Hell yeah good looking out! A lot of the analytics people i talk to are very excited for Bruce Thornton… I try to check out all the big picks since they started broadcasting all SL games a few years ago.
Looking forward to the song and dance being over. LeBron is LeBron and he loves the song and dance. Three more days to the longest he’s ever waited. Wouldn’t be surprised if he stretches it out longer.
To me, the only thing that makes any sense is he’s allowing time for the Cavs to potentially pull off a deal.
OK, I am working on the following assumptions.
1) Harden will re-sign. Probably a cap friendly deal for 3 years.
2) We are near all-in in LeBron.
3) But we want to stay under the 2nd apron.
4) LeBron is not gonna sign a vet min deal. Assume it takes full MLE money to land him ($15 mil).
I’d love to be wrong on #4, but I will believe it when I see it. If so, then that LeBron savings can go to supplement another FA signing or trade.
With Thomas signed, we are around $184 mil in salary. $36 mil below the 2nd apron. $23 below the first apron. 12 players under contract. 3 spots open.
Spotrac finally has Harden’s cap hold, but still has us below the first apron. Still confused there.
Anyway, assume 3/$75 for Harden with $20 the first year.
That would put us $3 below the first apron and $16 below the 2nd. Full MLE would hard cap us at the first, so not an option. If we can find a partner to dump the Umlat, for nada, that would create a $15 mil trade exception, which we could use on LeBron, as we are now below the first apron after giving him $15 mil. 3 spots open. $16 mil under the 2nd apron. Full taxpayer MLE ($6 mil) still there. With Strus’ expiring on the books. If the King comes for less, then use that exception on someone… Read more »
you might be wrong on #4. LeBron already had more money than god, and is playing for a lot less than he could, so making a little less is a good trade for a stronger team. admittedly, in the past LeBron has always insisted on max money, but …
I mean, if he is willing to come for vet min or taxpayer MLE $$ ($6 mil), then we do not have to do any rister gymnastics to sign him.
We could sign him for $3/6 mil, Harden for $20, and still be $10 mil below the 2nd apron with Umlat & Strus still here, and 1 open roster spot.