{"id":24931,"date":"2014-03-11T13:37:52","date_gmt":"2014-03-11T21:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cavstheblog.com\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/?p=24931"},"modified":"2014-03-11T13:37:52","modified_gmt":"2014-03-11T21:37:52","slug":"1030-remaining-in-the-4th-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cavstheblog.com\/?p=24931","title":{"rendered":"10:30 Remaining in the 4th Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Spencer+Hawes+Cleveland+Cavaliers+v+Memphis+2jppFiYoecJl\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Remember early in the season, when I started writing a series <\/a>comparing the 2013 – 2014 season to one game?\u00a0 No?\u00a0 Fair enough, seeing as I skipped the 2nd and 3rd quarters.\u00a0 Well with the Cavs entering the final frame, things look bleak.\u00a0 They are down by twenty, and the other team’s starters are checking back in.\u00a0 Every brief bright spot is quickly followed by harrowing darkness.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

When the Cavs traded for Spencer Hawes, my reaction was “Can I wait to make up my mind until April?”\u00a0 I don’t dislike Hawes, but the trade certainly wasn’t a slam dunk.\u00a0 And now, it’s not looking so hot.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because the team has two wins and seven losses since then.\u00a0 And that is while experiencing the best Spencer Hawes that has ever Hawesed; his true shooting percentage, rebound rate,\u00a0and turnover rate are all\u00a0at, or near career bests\u00a0during these nine games. \u00a0With the next ten games either on the road and \/ or against playoff teams, the Cavs may\u00a0become a\u00a0four win and fifteen loss\u00a0team\u00a0really quick since the addition of their stretch-five.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And for it, the young Cavaliers, once basking in cap flexibility and draft picks, are soon moving towards having neither.\u00a0\u00a0 The team possesses only two future draft picks besides their own.\u00a0 Regarding Hawes, all they have after this failed season is the\u00a0ability to offer him a lot of money, with\u00a0hopes that\u00a0he signs…the same ability they had whether the trade happened or not.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Jack, Anthony Bennett, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller, and Sergey Karasev combine to earn $32 million next year.\u00a0 Throw in at least $4 million of Andy’s guaranteed contract, and $9.8 million if they pick up his option, plus Hawes at say, $8 million, and a draft pick in the six to ten range, and the team nears $50 million, limiting them to $10 million-ish\u00a0for five more players.\u00a0\u00a0All that for\u00a0the team that is about to win\u00a0five of their most recent 20 games, with the only addition being a new 19 or 20 year old, \u00a0some\u00a0(hopefully) healthy Andy, and a small free agent haul.\u00a0 Starting in 2015 – 2016, Kyrie’s extension will presumably begin, which if he is voted an All-Star starter again next year,\u00a0could start in the $19 million range.\u00a0 If the team also signs Tristan to an extension this offseason, maybe also $8 million per year, in that scenario\u00a0the total 2015 – 2016 salaries of Kyrie, Jack, Tristan, Dion, Bennett, Zeller, Hawes, Karasev, and 21-year old second year guy\u00a0is $59 million.\u00a0\u00a0Likely around 95% of the salary cap, so if the team is going to make any sort of free agent splash or add salary via trade, it would need to be this summer.\u00a0 Cleveland, this may be\u00a0your team.\u00a0 How far is that group going?<\/p>\n

More than ever, the rebuild will fall\u00a0on the franchise’s ability to coax the sum of the youngsters into a lot<\/em> more than they are currently producing.\u00a0 Unfortunately, they also aren’t getting any younger,\u00a0and the Cavs’ track record for developing this group looks\u00a0awfully spotty.<\/p>\n

Let’s brainstorm some ideas on how to change course.\u00a0 I’ll throw some out there.<\/p>\n