- Business decisions have taken Dwyane Wade to unexpected places over the past two seasons, but he tells Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel that he’s happy to be with the Cavaliers. After 13 years in Miami, Wade signed with the Bulls in 2016, then came to Cleveland this season after to agreeing to a buyout with Chicago just before training camp. “Obviously, you don’t know what’s going to happen from day to day,” Wade said. “This career path we all chose in the NBA, you just don’t know what’s going to happen with it. For me, I’m OK and I’m content with what I’ve done for 13 years. Did I think it was gonna shake out this way? No. But I’m not sitting here crying about it neither.”
LeBron James is headed for free agency again in the summer of 2018, and executives around the NBA believe that the Sixers and president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo will make a play for the four-time MVP, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
As Zillgitt lays out, James and young Philadelphia star Ben Simmons share an agent in Rich Paul of Klutch Sports; LeBron has spoken highly of Sixers head coach Brett Brown; and the 76ers figure to be one of the few teams in the NBA that have a clear path to creating a maximum-salary slot. Those factors – along with the presence of standout center Joel Embiid, versatile swingman Robert Covington, and 2017’s first overall pick Markelle Fultz – should allow the Sixers to craft a compelling pitch.
[RELATED: 2018 Salary Cap Outlook: Atlantic Division]
While it’s never too early to start speculating about the next career move for one of the best players in NBA history, James has revealed next to nothing about his 2018 plans so far. The 32-year-old has publicly said he’s happy with the Cavaliers and has talked about finishing his career in Cleveland, but hasn’t committed long-term to the franchise, fueling speculation that he’ll head elsewhere.
The Lakers have been frequently mentioned as a possible landing spot for James, but the team still has work to do if it wants to open up two maximum-salary slots to land LeBron and another star. Other possible suitors like the Rockets and Spurs would face salary-cap roadblocks if they attempt to sign James. That could open the door for a club like the Sixers, since Philadelphia is further along in its rebuild than L.A. and has the kind of cap flexibility that’s rare among contenders.
With more than seven months to go until James can become a free agent, plenty can change between now and then. However, as Zillgitt writes, if the future Hall-of-Famer takes meetings with teams when he reaches free agency next July, it would make sense for him to consider the Sixers.
Although Marc Gasol expressed displeasure with his fourth-quarter benching on Sunday, there was no “him-or-me” mandate from Gasol to Grizzlies management that led to David Fizdale‘s ouster on Monday, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies’ decision to fire Fizdale did create the impression that the team was choosing Gasol over its head coach, but it may not be that simple, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Prior to Fizdale’s dismissal, speculation about a possible Gasol trade was beginning to gain steam. If the club had retained Fizdale and Gasol’s frustration led to a trade demand, it would have become more difficult for Memphis to move him. By avoiding that scenario, the Grizzlies can ensure that the veteran’s center trade value remains high, if they decide to consider that possibility.
“I don’t think [the Grizzlies] are done making changes,” one league executive told Deveney on Monday. “They could still move Gasol, they could still go into a rebuilding situation, but it would be harder if Gasol was saying he wants out. They have had plenty of offers for Gasol, and they have a couple of months to sort out whether they pull the trigger. But don’t be surprised if they do, even after this.”
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- The Celtics and Raptors are among the clubs that could be suitors for Gasol if the Grizzlies entertain offers, according to both Deveney and Forbes’ Mitch Lawrence. Lawrence identifies the Cavaliers and Trail Blazers as other teams that would have interest in the three-time All-Star. It would be tricky for some of those teams to put together viable packages for Gasol and his $22.6MM+ salary.
- Fizdale had the support of many of the Grizzlies’ younger players, so his firing may widen a divide between the youngsters and the veterans on Memphis’ roster, says Deveney. The Sporting News scribe also observes that Fizdale is exactly the kind of positive coach and teacher a team would want during a rebuild, meaning the Grizzlies may miss him if they go in that direction.
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer lays out the case for why a full-fledged rebuild might make the most sense for the Grizzlies at this point.
- While much has been made of Gasol’s role in Fizdale’s firing, former NBA swingman and current ESPN analyst Stephen Jackson set his sights on Chandler Parsons. As AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today details, Jackson suggested that the lack of production the Grizzlies have received from a max-salary player like Parsons put Fizdale at a major disadvantage.
Grizzlies center Marc Gasol and former coach David Fizdale had such a strained relationship that they rarely spoke to one another, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Geoff Calkins. Fizdale was fired on Monday, one day after he benched his leading scorer, rebounder and shotblocker in the fourth quarter against the Nets. The benching served as the breaking point and Gasol, who has a tight relationship with owner Robert Pera, had expressed major concerns about the team’s direction under Fizdale, Calkins continues.
Commercial Appeal beat writer Ronald Tillery confirms the longterm disconnect between coach and star player. A team source told Tillery that the tension between them and Sunday’s benching weren’t the only reasons that Fizdale was axed. That source said the team was “trending down in several categories.” However, Tillery tweets that as recently as Saturday, a source close to the owner said that Fizdale’s job was safe because of the team’s injury issues. That’s an indication that Sunday’s incident swiftly changed Pera’s thinking.
In other reactions to Fizdale’s dismissal:
- Cavaliers stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both expressed their dismay on social media, demanding answers regarding the firing, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays. Both played under Fizdale when he was an assistant with the Heat.
- Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff is one of the potential long-term replacements for Fizdale but Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists several other intriguing names. Former head coaches Mark Jackson, David Blatt and Monty Williams, former player Shane Battier, and several current college coaches such as Tony Bennett, Patrick Ewing and John Calipari are some of the candidates Memphis could look at, according to Deveney.
Derrick Rose continues to stay in communication with the Cavaliers’ front office during his absence from the team, but his future in Cleveland “remains unclear,” sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Rose, who left the Cavs last Wednesday, isn’t healthy enough to play right now anyway, so the team has been patient with the point guard’s needs and hasn’t shown any indication of considering a fine or suspension for him, per Wojnarowski. Still, the situation will likely need to be addressed by the time Rose has recovered from his ankle injury.
As the Cavs wait for Rose to make a decision on his future, here are a few more notes out of Cleveland:
- While Rose’s return is unclear, the Cavaliers remain hopeful that their other injured point guard, Isaiah Thomas, will be able to return to the court at some point in December, Wojnarowski notes in the piece linked above. Although Thomas published a tweet on Sunday hinting that his return is imminent, he’s still a few steps away from making his Cavs debut, says Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
- Dwyane Wade will face the Heat on Tuesday for the first time as a Cavalier, and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says that seeing Wade in a Cavs uniform is “like the Twilight Zone,” per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It will never seem right,” Spoelstra said. “For me, I hate it. But I’m happy for Dwyane. I’m happy for his family. I think he’s in a good spot. … I think the role that he’s in is going to be one of the most impactful roles in the league.”
- Much has been made of Kyrie Irving‘s emergence in Boston after the offseason’s blockbuster Cavs/Celtics trade, but LeBron James is playing some of the best ball of his career in the wake of that deal too. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst takes a closer look at James’ dominance this season, including his tremendous fourth-quarter numbers.
Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:
- The Grizzlies recalled forwards Jarell Martin and Ivan Rabb from their Memphis Hustle affiliate, the team announced on its website. Martin, who was sent down Saturday, has played 17 games for the Grizzlies and two for the Hustle. Rabb has appeared in six G League games this season and just one in the NBA.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic from the Canton Charge one day after they were assigned to the G League team. Both played in Saturday’s game against Long Island, with Osman posting 21 points and eight rebounds and Zizic adding 14 points and seven boards.
- The Hawks assigned rookie guard Tyler Dorsey to their Erie affiliate, tweets Michael Cunningham of The Journal Constitution. Dorsey has played seven games for Atlanta and is averaging 2.3 points per night.
- The Cavaliers knew physical problems were a concern with Derrick Rose when they signed him this summer, notes Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. However, he worked out with LeBron James during part of the offseason and seemed worth the risk on a veterans’ minimum contract.
Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:
- The Cavaliers sent forward Cedi Osman and center Ante Zizic to their affiliate in Canton, the team announced on its website. This is Osman’s first trip to the G League, while Zizic has played one game for the Charge. Osman is averaging 1.5 points in 11 games with Cleveland, while Zizic is scoring 1.2 points in six games.
- The Grizzlies assigned forward Jarell Martin to their Memphis Hustle affiliate, according to an email from the team. Martin has played 17 games for the Grizzlies, starting 12, and is averaging 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes.
The Cavaliers are being supportive of Derrick Rose‘s decision to take time away from the team to ponder his NBA future, but two sources tell Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports that the organization was blindsided by the news.
Cavs management considers his departure an excused absence and is marking it down as a “personal issue.” Rose is evaluating whether he wants to keep playing in the wake of his latest injury, a sprained left ankle that has sidelined him for the past eight games.
“I texted him and told him [that] we support him,” said coach Tyronn Lue. “He’s going through a tough time right now, but he’s still very talented. Take as long as he needs to take, we wish him well and we want him back.” Still, Lue admits he has no idea when Rose might return.
The Cavaliers have been significantly better without Rose, winning seven straight games to climb within a half game of the Central Division lead. That isn’t a coincidence, according to Mannix, as four knee surgeries have robbed Rose of his lateral movement and teams are exploiting him on pick-and-rolls. The offense has also functioned better in Rose’s absence.
Officially, the Cavaliers are saying they will welcome Rose back, but Mannix wonders if that’s true. And if Rose does decide to keep playing, it won’t be easy to win back the trust of his teammates, especially after his similar disappearance from the Knicks last year.
There’s no guarantee of an NBA future for Rose beyond this year, Mannix adds. Once his veterans’minimum contract expires at the end of the season, he may find no takers on the free agent market, with one executive comparing his situation to Deron Williams‘.
There’s more news on Rose as we wait to see what his future holds:
- LeBron James and Dwyane Wade say they wish the best for Rose, but are confident his absence won’t affect the team, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Neither player has talked to Rose since he left, but Lue sent a text assuring him that he still has a spot on the Cavs if he wants it. Wade said he also considered retirement because of injuries during the 2013/14 season. “Obviously I can’t say I understand what he’s going through, but I understand what he’s going through,” Wade said. “I definitely had a moment in my career a few years back where I was thinking about retiring myself. It’s hard when you’re dealing with injuries after injuries after injuries — it takes a toll on you mentally.”
- Rose may not have a steady role on the team if he does return, Vardon notes in the same story. Isaiah Thomas will be the starting point guard once he recovers from his hip injury, while Wade runs the offense with the second team.
- The Timberwolves gave strong consideration to signing Rose in the offseason, but decided against it because of concerns about his durability, tweets Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau was Rose’s coach in Chicago for his MVP season in 2010/11. The Wolves opted to pursue Jeff Teague instead.
It’s that time of the year when Derrick Rose‘s health brings up questions about how much longer his battered body can sustain the rigors of an NBA season. We noted yesterday that Rose is currently away from the Cavaliers and evaluating his NBA future. A source told ESPN that the former NBA Most Valuable Player is “tired of being hurt and it’s taking a toll on him mentally.”
Rose, 29, showed he can still score this season as he averaged 14.3 PPG in seven starts for Cleveland. But Rose has not suited up for the Cavaliers since November 7 and was expected to miss 2-3 weeks with an ankle sprain. The Cavaliers have experimented with several different lineups in Rose’s absence. The good news is that Isaiah Thomas, who was acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, is making progress in his rehab from a hip injury.
“I don’t think it means too much for the team, but I think more importantly as one of his brothers, that’s somebody we got to know these last couple months,” LeBron James said about Rose’s injury (via Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon). “We want, whatever he decides to do, we want the best for him. At the end of the day, you can’t substitute nothing for happiness.”
Head coach Tyronn Lue said he has communicated Rose and despite all the reports, expects the point guard to return at some point. If Rose were to retire, it would also have massive financial ramifications. While his NBA deal is a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum deal, Rose still has approximately seven years and $80MM left on his endorsement deal with Adidas, according to ESPN’s Nick DePaula. If the former Bulls standout were to file retirement paperwork, he would not receive a full payout from the endorsement deal, DePaul writes.
Rose entered the 2017/18 season with confidence. Last season in New York, Rose played in 64 games and averaged 18.0 PPG, his best work since his MVP season in Chicago. The Cavaliers made a minimal investment and Rose said to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press that he will prove he can still be an impactful asset.
“When I get on a good team and I’m still hooping the same way, what are you going to say then?” Rose said. “The only thing that you’ll can say is that I can still play.”
Rose has shown he can still play but has not proven he can stay healthy.
What do you think? Do you think Rose will suit up for the Cleveland again this season? Is it smart for him to walk away from a lucrative endorsement deal? If he does resume his career, what would be the best way to manage his workload?