As expected when LeBron James announced he was leaving for Los Angeles, the Cavaliers have fallen out of the mix for the NBA’s spotlight games. In the partial schedule announced earlier today, Cleveland isn’t included in any of the nationally televised games for the opening week, Christmas Day or Martin Luther King Day, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It’s quite a change for the Cavs, who hosted last season’s opener and whose matchup with the Warriors had become a yuletide tradition.
Cleveland will have at least once marquee game on November 21 when James returns with the Lakers for his only appearance in the city this season, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
There’s more Cavaliers news to pass along:
- First-round pick Collin Sexton tells Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops that he’s excited about the opportunity awaiting him in Cleveland. The eighth selection in this year’s draft, Sexton will be counted on to eventually become the primary creator in the Cavaliers’ offense. “My role will just be able to come in and learn and have an impact on the team,” he said. “No matter what it is, being a distributor, being a scorer. Just going out there playing my game and being the best me I can be.”
- The Cavs get a B grade from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton for their acquisition of Sam Dekker. Cleveland needed to find someone who could fill both forward spots after losing James and Jeff Green to free agency, and Dekker, who was picked up from the Clippers at minimal cost, has shown an ability to handle both roles. Pelton states that Dekker is better than anyone the team could have signed in free agency.
- Standing pat until the season starts may be the Cavaliers’ best strategy at this point, according to Evan Dammarell of Forbes. He says the Cavs wouldn’t have benefited from a rumored Kyle Korver for Jerryd Bayless swap with the Sixers and doubts that the Rockets, who have reportedly expressed interest in J.R. Smith have much to offer that Cleveland would want.
B grade for Dekker??? They literally got him for nothing, how is that not an A+?
*Not a Cavs fan*
Dekker is really nothing special and lacks work ethic from what I’ve heard. It’s a total flyer on a guy who’s done nothing so far in his short NBA career. B sounds reasonable to me.
Haven’t heard that about him but even if it was the case there are far less distractions in Cleveland compared to LA, so he will be forced to play basketball out of boredom ha.
I’m with you BDub. Getting a player for nothing especially a position you need is always a plus. Playing in a smaller Cleveland market may set a fire for him after being in LA. If he doesn’t produce, you’ve lost nothing and game end a bottom of the bench dude.
By ‘set fire’ I think you mean, force him to play basketball out of boredom ha
Agreed, I could see an A- grade just because they don’t consider him to move the needle significantly, but you’re right they literally got him for free.
Right, hes not an amazing player or anything but he is young enough for growth and in a position of need. Makes it worth it to give up nothing to see how he fits in person.
The rockets dont have anything to offer for JR? Huh, the Cavs would deal him for nothing to get rid of the contract.
Don’t k is about Cleveland. It wanting him. Maybe some fans would like to see him go, but there is still value for a shooter. At some point this season a team will panic and give up something in return.
But to answer your question, no Houston has nothing to offer that would fit under nba rules.
That’s the key. “Under nba rules” as it pertains to the requirement to send a contract of similar value both ways for two teams over the salary cap. There’s probably no one on the Rockets roster that is similar in salary that the Rockets would want to give up nor the Cavs want to bring in.
Maybe the FO is thinking, if we can finally get him into shape, he might be worth something. Which, he wasn’t, and, is possible. He was heavy in the rear last year, but the Cavs never practiced hard or some say at all.
But he’s gotta go. Not the player for this Cavs era
I thought was a good move for Cleveland to get Dekker, maybe can finally settle with a chance, for the cost of him you cannot go much wrong, right?
I’m all in for the Dekker experiment. He’s been given another chance to prove himself and a fresh start can always help someone who is motivated. He’s on the last year of his rookie contract, I believe and then he’s a FA so I think he’s going to relish the opportunity and try to be the best he can in CLE.
They got him for free? I think they overpaid.