McRae Impresses With Guarantee Deadline Looming
- Jordan McRae, one of two Cavaliers players on a non-guaranteed contract, had played sparingly for the team this season and hadn’t scored double-digit points in a game until Saturday, when he got a rare start and went off for 20 points. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com has the details on McRae’s performance, which the Cavs will have to take into account as they decide whether to keep the 25-year-old on the roster.
Cavs Notes: Osman, Luxury Tax, James
Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman could be dealt in the near future, according to Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Vardon hears there is “interest in some corners” for the 6’8” forward, who reportedly wants to play in the NBA next season. Osman, 21, is averaging 8.9 points and shooting 45% from the field for Anadolu Efes Istanbul. What makes him attractive, as Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out, is his 41% shooting from 3-point range. Osman was selected in 2015 with the No. 31 overall pick by the Timberwolves. His draft rights, along with those of forward Rakeem Christmas and a future draft pick, were then shipped to the Cavs in exchange for the draft rights of point guard Tyus Jones.
In other musings involving the club:
- The Cavs’ ability to make moves is hamstrung by their luxury-tax and draft pick issues, as Pluto details. Chris Andersen and Mo Williams are out for the season and J.R. Smith is out 12-14 weeks after thumb surgery, leaving them with just 12 players. But if they cut Williams to sign a minimum salary player, he would cost about $10MM because of the luxury tax implications, according to Pluto, while cutting Andersen for a minimum player would cost them $7MM.
- Cleveland cannot move any first-round picks prior to the 2020 draft in a trade, according to Pluto. That’s because it dealt its 2018 pick in the Channing Frye acquisition last season and teams aren’t allowed to deal picks in consecutive years.
- LeBron James, who turned 32 on Friday, feels strong heading into the New Year and the stats bear that out, Vardon writes in a piece comparing James to Michael Jordan when Jordan was 32. He’s averaging 8.6 assists, equaling his career high, and his 25.4 point average is in line with his output over the last two seasons. His 7.9 rebounding average is his highest since the 2012/13 season with the Heat. “I’ve told you guys, I feel great,” he told Vardon and other reporters. “I’ve conditioned myself and I’m having one of the best statistical categories seasons of my career so far and I just want to try to continue to keep it going.”
Thomas Offered Inspiration To Felder
- Since he was in college, Cavaliers guard Kay Felder has been getting advice from the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas, relays Chris Fedor at cleveland.com. An All-Star despite his 5’9″ stature, Thomas has been an inspiration to other small guards. “Basically said be you,” Felder said of Thomas’ message. “Do what you do. Do what got you here. I’m a scorer and assist type of guy so don’t let anybody change my game.”
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/16
Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
9:00pm:
- The Jazz recalled forward Joel Bolomboy from the Salt Lake City Stars after assigning him to the D-League earlier in the day, the team announced in a press release. The second-round pick out of Weber State has made nine brief appearances with the Jazz this season.
- The Warriors assigned center Damian Jones and guard Patrick McCaw to the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced on its website. Jones has appeared in 10 games with Santa Cruz, averaging 6.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.70 blocks in 21.8 minutes. McCaw had not been previously assigned to the D-League. He has appeared in 26 games with Golden State but hasn’t left the bench the past three games.
11:26am:
- A day after sending him on his first D-League assignment of the season, the Cavaliers have recalled Kay Felder from the Canton Charge, according to a press release. Felder had an outstanding NBADL debut, leading the Charge to a blowout win with 33 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.
- The Hawks don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, but they have sent Taurean Prince to the Long Island Nets via the flexible assignment rule, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. It’s the first NBADL assignment of the season for Prince, the 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, and it may end up just lasting one game, according to Vivlamore.
Officiating Report Adds Another Critic
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy is the latest NBA figure to criticize the Last Two Minute Report regarding officiating in close games, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Warriors forward Kevin Durant and Cavaliers forward LeBron James were both critical this week of the NBA’s practice of publicly reviewing officiating calls in the last two minutes of close games. Van Gundy has now joined the chorus.
In Cleveland’s one-point win over Golden State on Christmas Day, Durant felt he was tripped up on the final play of the game. But when the officiating report confirmed that, Durant felt it was unfair for the officials to be subject to additional scrutiny, claiming it makes them more tentative to do their jobs.
“The refs didn’t lose us that game,” Durant said. “We lost that game. I think it’s (terrible) the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that.”
Van Gundy agrees with that assessment, as he told Ellis and other reporters on Thursday.
“I understand Kevin Durant’s comments because the referee could have had a great game and, when they grade them out, he could have been great, but he makes one crucial bad call at the end of the game, and that’s all the public knows about,” Van Gundy said.
The report on the Cavs’ win also indicated that a technical should have been called against James for hanging on the rim. That prompted him to say the NBA should cut the officials some slack.
“I think it discredits what the referees are doing for 48 minutes,” he told the assembled media. “If that’s the case, you might as well do a 48-minute report.”
During the offseason, the referees’ union called on the league to stop releasing the report publicly. At the time, commisssioner Adam Silver defended the practice, saying transparency was the best policy.
“It’s our hope that you take the Last Two Minute Reports together with using a certain amount of replay that we’re building to build trust and integrity in the league,” he said. “People are going to recognize that we are going to make mistakes, the officials are going to make mistakes. Human error is going to be part of this game, just as it is with players. … I’d say largely what these Last Two Minute Reports are showing is that the referees get it right about 90 percent of the time.”
How do you feel in this hot button issue? Should the Two Minute Report stay or go? Weigh in on the comments section below.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/28/16
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA:
8:35pm
- The Grizzlies have recalled Wade Baldwin from the Iowa Energy, according to the team’s website. The rookie has appeared in 20 games for the Memphis this season, and he’s seeing 14.5 minutes per contest.
3:41pm
- The Cavaliers have sent rookie point guard Kay Felder to the Canton Charge, according to a press release issued by the team. It’s the first D-League assignment of the season for Felder, who has appeared in 14 games for Cleveland.
- A day after being assigned to the D-League, rookie center Damian Jones was recalled by the Warriors, the team announced today in a press release. Jones contributed to Santa Cruz’ win on Tuesday night, chipping in eight points and four boards before fouling out.
- The Celtics have re-assigned Jordan Mickey to the NBADL, the team announced today (via Twitter). Mickey, who has played sparingly for Boston this season, has averaged 16.0 PPG and 12.0 RPG in his two contests with the Maine Red Claws.
- Ivica Zubac will suit up for the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, having been assigned to the Lakers‘ D-League affiliate today (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News). The 2016 second-rounder has played well in eight D-League games this year, averaging 16.8 PPG and 9.5 RPG.
Poll: Cavaliers Vs. Warriors
More than six months after the two teams last met, the Cavaliers and Warriors essentially recreated Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, with Kyrie Irving the game-winning shot to give Cleveland a dramatic victory over Golden State. The two teams look a little different now – both short a few role players, though the Warriors have added one notable star in Kevin Durant – but the result in the first 2016/17 rematch between the two finalists was the same as it was in June.
Although there has been some grumbling among NBA fans and observers about the apparent inevitability of another Cavaliers/Warriors matchup in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Christmas Day game served as an excellent reminder that a rematch between the two things would certainly be entertaining, if not surprising. There’s no guarantee that one of the two powerhouses won’t get knocked off along the way, but for now the 23-6 Cavs and the 27-5 Warriors sit atop their respective conferences, and look like the odds-on favorites to vie for a championship.
So, in the wake of Sunday’s result, today’s poll question is a simple one. If the Cavs and Warriors meet again in the Finals, who do you like? Health could play a big part in the outcome, and each team could have a midseason transaction or two up its sleeve, but for now, let’s assume that both teams remain relatively healthy and intact, with Cleveland getting J.R. Smith back for the playoffs.
What do you think?
If the Cavs and Warriors meet again in the Finals, who wins?
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Cleveland Cavaliers 56% (932)
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Golden State Warriors 44% (741)
Total votes: 1,673
App users, click here to vote.
Cavs Open To Adding Salary Using TPE
The Cavaliers’ dwindling depth wasn’t a problem on Christmas Day against the Warriors, but with Chris Andersen out for the season, J.R. Smith sidelined for three months, and retired guard Mo Williams taking up a roster, spot, the Cavs will keep an eye out for opportunities to fortify their roster before this year’s trade deadline.
According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Cleveland is willing to use its $9.6MM+ trade exception to take on additional salary, as long as it’s in a deal for “the right player,” one could help the team win another championship. The TPE, one of four held by the Cavs, is the only substantial one — the others range in value from about $845K to $1.333MM.
Trade exceptions, which expire one year after they’re created, allow a team to acquire a player without having to match salaries in a deal. So Cleveland has until February 18 – one year after the $9.639MM exception was created – to use it on a player, or multiple players, earning up to that amount.
As Zillgitt writes, a backup point guard, a perimeter player who can generate offense, and a perimeter defender are among the items on the Cavs’ potential shopping list. If a player meets more than one of those criteria, he’d certainly draw interest from Cleveland. However, if the team has to pick just one, it would likely be a perimeter defender, according to Zillgitt, who points out that a point guard and offensive perimeter player won’t be as crucial by the time the postseason arrives.
Although it’s no surprise that the Cavaliers are open to upgrading their roster, the club will be very wary about the cost of any deal. Currently, the team is so far over the cap that any additional salary added to its books for 2016/17 will result in a tax charge of at least $3.25 per dollar. So even if the Cavs were to acquire a player with a modest salary, such an addition would increase their tax bill exponentially.
Kerr: Cavaliers Miss Dellavedova
Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes the loss of backup guard Matthew Dellavedova has been the biggest change in the defending champion Cavaliers, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Dellavedova was involved in a sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks this summer after agreeing to a four-year, $38MM contract with Milwaukee. Cleveland has yet to find a dependable reserve point guard to play behind Kyrie Irving. “Dellavedova’s absence jumps out,” Kerr said. “I think he’s been a big part of their team in the last couple years, so it’s a different look.”
Community Shootaround: Cleveland Cavaliers
Several NBA teams have been hit hard by injuries or personal absences so far this season, but for the most part, teams have been plagued by short-term injuries, with players sidelined for days or weeks at a time. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers are now faced with multiple long-term absences, creating questions about whether the team needs to make a roster move or two to add depth.
The Cavs started the season essentially short one roster spot, since retired – and injured – guard Mo Williams was taking up one of those 15 openings. The team has been unable to negotiate a buyout agreement with Williams, and has kept him on the roster in the hopes of either recouping some of his salary or including him in a trade to balance contracts.
While Cleveland could easily get by with 14 healthy players, the team has lost a couple more recently, with Chris Andersen suffering a torn ACL that will sideline him for the rest of the season, and J.R. Smith undergoing thumb surgery that will keep him out of action for about three months.
The Cavaliers don’t currently qualify for a disabled player exception or hardship exception, and if they want to add a player to their roster, they’ll have to trade or waive someone. Andersen and Williams are obviously the two most likely candidates to be cut, but Cleveland will be reluctant to simply waive any guaranteed contracts. The team is already well into luxury tax territory, with a projected tax bill exceeding $30MM. Adding more team salary to the books, either via free agency or trade, will cause that tax bill to continue to grow.
The Cavs have a handful of trade exceptions at their disposal, including one worth more than $9.6MM, but the team doesn’t have a ton of trade assets available. Iman Shumpert is perhaps the most logical trade chip on the team’s roster, but his value isn’t believed to be overly high. And the best draft pick Cleveland could offer is its 2020 first-rounder. Even if the Cavs could find a trade partner that just wants to dump salary, such a deal would come at a high tax cost for Cleveland.
There’s no pressure on the Cavs to make a move immediately. GM David Griffin has said he’ll take his time to assess and adjust the roster as needed. Still, the Cavs’ roster depth is looking increasingly vulnerable, and it may mean leaning more heavily on LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love than the club wants to. So far, LeBron is averaging 37.1 minutes per game, his highest mark since he rejoined the franchise in 2014.
What do you think? Do the Cavaliers need to make a move to bolster their roster and improve their depth? Or can they afford to be patient and wait for better opportunities to materialize later in the season? If the Cavs do make a move, what sort of player should they target? Jump into the comments section below to weigh in with your thoughts!