Aside from shedding light on Tristan Thompson as arguably the Cavaliers' most valuable player (aside from Kyrie Irving), Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer makes the case that Cleveland will have to add a couple of experienced and productive veterans through trades or free agency if they are to make significant progress in 2013-14. We've got a few more notes to share out of Ohio tonight:

• Pluto finds it odd that Irving didn't comment on Byron Scott, especially considering that Thompson gave the head coach a strong vote of confidence. Even if Irving was wary of saying the wrong thing, it didn't seem to indicate that all was well between the two. 
• The team will offer restricted free agent Wayne Ellington some type of contract for next year, and although they'd like for Marreese Speights to exercise his $4.5MM player option, they'll also take a look at the type of offers he'll get if he declines. 
• After an injury-riddled season and one of his worst statistically, Daniel Gibson tells Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer that he doesn't want to end his tenure with the Cavaliers this way and would be willing to consider any offer that they'd give him this summer. 
• Mary Schmitt Boyer (also of The Plain Dealer) answered a bunch of questions from her readers about the Cavs, saying that the team should look to add a defensive specialist this summer and isn't sure whether or not Byron Scott will be back. Boyer doesn't think Scott should be fired, and believes that the team will make the playoffs if they are healthy next season. 
• Cleveland has four draft picks in June, and Boyer doesn't foresee them ultimately adding four rookies to an already young roster. With that being said, she expects some of those picks to be shopped.

The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto believes that the Cavaliers will have to tread carefully with Kyrie Irving's health, as he says that the young star has missed a significant amount of time over his first two seasons due to several different basketball-related injuries. Whether it involves reducing his minutes or learning how to manage his game to take less hits, Irving's durability will have to take top priority for Byron Scott and the organization, opines Pluto. Here are a handful of more significant notes about the Cavs from his column on Cleveland sports: 

• The team will likely part ways with Daniel Gibson this summer, when the 6'2 guard is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. 
• Wayne Ellington, a restricted free agent, will probably be re-signed. 
• C.J. Miles has a $2.25MM team option and will likely be kept. 
• Whether or not the Cavaliers keep Shaun Livingston will depend on the price that the market sets for him. 
• While Dion Waiters is still prone to making rookie mistakes, the rookie out of Syracuse has made noticeable improvements over the course of the season. With Kyrie out of the lineup, Pluto thinks this will be a key opportunity for Waiters to handle the ball more.
• Although the team's biggest needs include a small forward or a big man, Irving's injuries may prompt the team to draft a guard in June. 

It looked like we might have had an early commitment for the NBA draft yesterday, when UCLA coach Ben Howland said there was no doubt shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad would leave the Bruins after his freshman year. But Muhammad said he isn't ready to commit one way or another, as Peter Yoon of ESPNLosAngeles notes, leaving open the possibility, however slim, that the DraftExpress.com No. 3 prospect for 2013 won't be available until next year. While we wait for more definitive word from Muhammad, here's more from around the Association:

• Power forward Josh Davis, who appeared in 15 games last season for the Grizzlies, has signed for the rest of the season with the Spanish club Assignia Manresa, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports. Davis had been playing in Venezuela, for Gaiqueries de Margarita.
• Dion Waiters' ability to take over at point guard lately for the injured Kyrie Irving means the Cavaliers don't have to go looking for a backup at the position, observes Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer.
• Whatever the Cavs do, don't expect them to bring back Daniel Gibson as a free agent this summer, as the veteran guard is no longer in the team's plans, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel argues the Heat would have been better off signing a point guard instead of Juwan Howard, but coach Erik Spoelstra is comfortable relying upon his wing players to shift to the point should the need arise, as Winderman notes.
• Yesterday, Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune mentioned Flip Saunders' name in connection with the Wolves, and Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes the close relationship between Saunders and Wolves owner Glen Taylor (Twitter link).  
• Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside has a primer on Henry Sims, who signed a 10-day contract with the Hornets today.
• Ronnie Brewer is glad to be with the Thunder, and the team appears pleased with its trade deadline acquisition, having placed a priority on bringing in defense, as HoopsWorld's Susan Bible documents. 

Based on reports late last night, it sounds like the Magic are still on the fence about whether or not they'll trade J.J. Redick. While the team is clearly fielding offers, Orlando also seems willing to hang on to Redick for the season if no suitable proposals are made. We'll track today's Redick rumors here, with the newest items added throughout the day:

• The Pacers are out of the running for Redick, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
• The Redick talks are coming "down to the wire" with the Pacers, Sixers, and Bucks still involved, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The Spurs are out, according to Aldridge.
• A source involved in the Redick talks now believes there's a strong chance the sharpshooter will remain in Orlando, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Earlier updates:

• The Pacers are "squeamish" about giving a first-round pick for Redick, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
• Despite their best efforts, it appears the Spurs will fall short in their bid for Redick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• The Pacers, Bucks, and Sixers remain in the mix for Redick, with the Spurs a little behind, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). The Magic also remain committed to the idea of hanging on to Redick if they don't receive an acceptable offer.
• Redick and his wife own an offseason home in Austin, Texas, so the idea of being traded to the Spurs and contending for a title is "beyond appealing" to the sharpshooter, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• The Pistons are out of the running for Redick, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
• The Bucks aren't out of the mix for Redick, but they've fallen back a little, a source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
• Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that, while he discounted the Spurs as a serious contender for Redick earlier, sources insist there are legitimate scenarios that make San Antonio a real factor.
• The Bulls' interest in Redick has "cooled," tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Chicago is unlikely to go into the tax to re-sign Redick this summer, so the club is reluctant to give up a pick to rent him.
• While the Spurs have interest in Redick, the Magic can do better than San Antonio's first-round pick, which currently projects to be 30th overall, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld adds (via Twitter) that the Magic would actually prefer early second-rounders to late first-rounders, since those contracts aren't guaranteed.
• If the Spurs don't land Redick, they could shift their focus to Daniel Gibson, whose price wouldn't be as steep, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
• Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports adds the 76ers to the list of teams still interested in Redick (Twitter link). The Sixers, Spurs, Bucks, and Pacers are the clubs trying hardest to land Redick, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
• The Bucks "keep upping the ante" in their pursuit of Redick, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who adds that may indicate Milwaukee is growing more confident about its chances of landing Josh Smith (Twitter links).
• The Magic have received offers of first-round picks for Redick, but those picks are all expected to be in the 20s, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
• The Pacers, Spurs, Bucks, Pistons, and Wizards all continue to show interest in Redick, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
• The Knicks aren't pursuing a deal involving Iman Shumpert and Redick, Marc Berman of the New York post reported today.
• Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported this morning that the Magic are still seeking a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks.

The Lakers and Cavaliers finalized a trade last year on deadline deal, but it doesn't appear they'll do so again. According to Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, the Lakers made a push to acquire Daniel Gibson from the Cavs today, but couldn't put together a package to Cleveland's liking. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio first reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Lakers were eyeing Gibson and D.J. Augustin of the Pacers.

Earlier today, we heard that the Lakers were shopping Steve Blake, Chris Duhon, Darius Morris, and Devin Ebanks in an effort to clear roster spots, cut costs, and land second-round picks. I would guess that the Lakers' offer to Cleveland included either Blake or Duhon, perhaps paired with one of the youngsters, but that's just my speculation.

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant could be looking to deal Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi (all expiring contracts), or even Marreese Speights (citing ESPN's Marc Stein) by the February trade deadline. He also shared a few more noteworthy tidbits in his NBA Notes piece: 

• One reason why the team won't look to move Anderson Varejao is that he could be one of LeBron James' preferred counterparts should the current Heat star look to eventually return to Cleveland. 
• Indiana's Cody Zeller, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, and Maryland's Alex Len are among the top talented big men that the Cavs could target in June's NBA draft. Finnan adds that the addition of Marreese Speights has no bearing on the team's interest in drafting a big man during the offseason.
• Due to his ability to veto his inclusion in a trade, Speights lost his Bird Rights, which essentially prevents Cleveland from being able to exceed the cap to re-sign him. The 6'10 forward owns a $4.5MM player option for next season, but could end up pursuing a multi-year deal this summer if he plays well for the rest of the year. 

Marc Stein of ESPN.com has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, which features updates on a variety of trade-related topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:

• GMs around the league view the Celtics as likely to make a move. They have interest in J.J. Redick, and executives speculate that they may finally decide to move Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo.
• Some GMs believe a three-team trade is possible that would send Pierce to the Grizzlies, Rudy Gay to the Lakers, and Pau Gasol to Boston.
• After their trade with the Cavs this week, the Grizzlies' roster is down to 11 players and they have 14 days to sign at least two players to meet the minimum requirement of 13. Memphis looked at Delonte West but decided against signing the veteran guard, Stein reports.
• Stein notes that Memphis received three separate trade exceptions in the trade. Marreese Speights landed them an exception worth $4.2MM, while Wayne Ellington's was worth $2MM and Josh Selby's was worth $762,195.
• Although the Cavaliers think highly of Speights and have wanted him for years, the forward is already drawing interest from other teams and could be moved before the February 21 trading deadline. Stein identifies Daniel Gibson and Omri Casspi as the other two Cleveland players most likely to be traded.
• The Suns are said to be shopping Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat, and Luis Scola in light of the team's struggles this season. It should be noted that Scola, having been claimed after being waived with the amnesty clause, cannot be traded until after this season.
• Stein's column also featured a Q&A with 28-year-old former lottery pick Rashad McCants, who is playing with the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League in hopes of eventually making another run at an NBA career.

According to a tweet from FoxSportsOhio.com's Sam Amico, the Lakers are said to be interested in Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson, but they don't have much to offer.

Regardless, Gibson, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, probably will not return to Cleveland next season, as Amico is reporting the team will let him walk if they can't move him in a deal before February's deadline. Gibson's ability to knock down three-pointers would make him a great fit in Mike D'Antoni's system. 

• The Cavaliers have an open roster spot after waiving Samardo Samuels earlier this month, and they could be looking at the D-League to fill it. Some possible options are Micheal Eric and Arinze Onuaku.

Cavs guard Daniel Gibson is excited about having moved his way up the franchise record book in 3-point shooting.  However, he knows that in order to catch up to LeBron James and Mark Price in the category, he's going to need to spend more time in Cleveland.  Yesterday in Atlanta, Gibson told reporters, including Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal, that he intends to do just that.

“That’s going to take another contract with more years,” Gibson said. “But I’m game. I would love to be here for my entire time and then see where I finish up...I just feel like I’m becoming part of the Cleveland history, and to me, that’s what it’s all about. It’s that longevity and being with that one team and building something there. I appreciate that.”

Gibson, 26, is in the final year of his contract and making a shade under $4.8MM.  It stands to reason that the Cavs would look to retain Gibson has coach Byron Scott has long considered him to be one of the best perimeter defenders on the squad.  They'll also have the roster space for him as there are just six guaranteed players under contract for next season.  Of course, Gibson will earn considerably less than he is now on his next deal.

The seventh-year vet has averaged 8.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG across his NBA career.  Gibson underwent surgery on his left foot and ankle over the offseason but hasn't shown any ill effects from the procedure thus far.

As we heard earlier today, the NCAA is investigating agent Rich Paul and Myck Kabongo regarding a trip the Texas guard took to Cleveland this summer. Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson, who is represented by Paul, was involved in Kabongo's trip, but doesn't think any NCAA rules were violated, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes (on Sulia).

"I had to pay for it, but then his brother reimbursed me, which is totally fine with the NCAA," Thompson said. "I think everything will work out. I don't see no eligibility issues, but that's for the NCAA to figure out."

Here are a few more Thursday notes related to the Cavs:

• Jon Leuer doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of not making Cleveland's regular season roster, though he may face an uphill battle for minutes, says Bob Finnan of the News Herald.
• Leuer was traded by the Bucks this summer, waived by the Rockets, and eventually claimed by the Cavs on waivers, and says he was caught off guard by all the movement: "I didn't see that coming at all. Milwaukee needed a center and Houston had a million things going on. It was a pretty crazy offseason, kind of a welcome to the free-agency frenzy for a young player."
• The Cavs have 18 players on their roster and will need to cut three more before the season begins. Finnan expects the team to cut one of Donald Sloan or Jeremy Pargo, and one of Luke Harangody, Luke Walton, and Kevin Jones. It's unclear who the last cut could be -- perhaps Kelenna Azubuike or Micheal Eric. Finnan suggests that Cleveland may also be willing to move Daniel Gibson for a second-round pick.
• As our list of non-guaranteed deals shows, Sloan, who appears to have a leg up on Pargo, is the only Cav under contract without any sort of guarantee. So Cleveland may end up releasing three players who are all owed guaranteed money.