Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cavaliers Have ‘Strong Interest’ In Greg Monroe

November 11th, 2017 at 4:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

With a shortage of big men, the Cavaliers have turned their attention toward Greg Monroe and are considering an offer to the Suns, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.

The veteran power forward/center was shipped from Milwaukee to Phoenix this week as part of the Eric Bledsoe trade. The Suns reportedly don’t have any long-term plans for Monroe and would consider a buyout if they can’t move him in another deal.

The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract with a $17.8MM salary. In addition to providing an inside presence, Monroe is a “team-first player,” according to Amico, who would be willing to sacrifice his stats for the chance to rejoin a contender.

Monroe appeared in just five games with the Bucks before the deal and had his minutes cut sharply to 15.8 per night. However, he is a proven scorer and rebounder who averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 81 games last season, then raised those numbers to 13.2 and 7.3 in the playoffs.

The Cavaliers need inside help after losing starting center Tristan Thompson to a strained left calf in a November 1 game. He was projected to miss three to four weeks, which puts him out for most of the month.

It’s not clear what the Suns might ask in return for Monroe, but Iman Shumpert [$10,337,079] and Channing Frye [$7,420,912] provide an almost perfect salary match. Shumpert, who was on the trading block throughout the offseason, has a player option for next year worth slightly more than $11MM, while Frye, who spent three seasons with Phoenix early in his career, has an expiring deal.

Amico adds that the Spurs and Nuggets have also expressed interest in Monroe.

Cavs Notes: James’ Impact, James’ Ambitions, Monroe

November 10th, 2017 at 9:25pm CST by Austin Kent

The impact that LeBron James has on the basketball world goes beyond the court. The superstar has helped a number of teammates land significant paydays, as outlined by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

“[James] definitely puts you in position to be successful to showcase what you’re great at and he enhances it on the bigger stage,” teammate Tristan Thompson, one of the chief beneficiaries of James’ impact said. “Eight and eight on a championship team is worth more than eight and eight on a .500 team or a team that doesn’t make the playoffs. Of course, that’s definitely a huge factor.”

Beyond Thompson, Lloyd lists players like J.R. Smith (who is represented by the same agency as James and Thompson) but also Matthew Dellavedova, whose scrappy play under the postseason spotlight landed him a $38MM contract.

“If we didn’t go to the Finals, I don’t get that playoff experience,” Dellavedova said. “I think the effect he has on everybody — he impacts so much that people don’t even think of. I think he has a role in a lot of things. An impact on everything.”

There’s more from the Cavs:

In the same feature at The Athletic, James opens up to Lloyd about the idea of owning an NBA franchise in the future. There’s no guarantee that opportunity comes in Cleveland, however. “To be an owner of any team would be crazy. If this thing opened up and I’m in a position financially, and I’ve got the right team around me, obviously. But who’s to say Dan will [sell]?” James said.
It’ll take some time for Isaiah Thomas to get used to playing with LeBron James and the rest of the Cavaliers but he tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that he’s well-suited to make that transition quicker than most. “Me being older, me knowing the game a little bit more and being a student of the game, I’m going to be able to adjust quicker than somebody else could,” Thomas said.
The Cavs aren’t interested in making a move for Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor but their interest in Greg Monroe would be higher, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com says in a question-and-answer with readers.

Wade Thriving Off Bench; Cavs Can't Rely On IT

November 9th, 2017 at 4:59pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers can’t expect Isaiah Thomas‘ eventual debut to fix all the team’s issues, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “IT is definitely a big piece of what we want to do, but IT hasn’t stepped out on the floor in a Cavs uniform yet,” LeBron James said. “We know what he’s capable of doing, but he hasn’t played with us, so we don’t want to put that type of pressure on him, even though he loves it.“

The decision to play Dwyane Wade off the bench has paid off for the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. The veteran guard’s production has risen across the board compared to his previous stint as a starter with his new club.
The Cavaliers can’t expect Isaiah Thomas‘ eventual debut to fix all the team’s issues, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “IT is definitely a big piece of what we want to do, but IT hasn’t stepped out on the floor in a Cavs uniform yet,” LeBron James said. “We know what he’s capable of doing, but he hasn’t played with us, so we don’t want to put that type of pressure on him, even though he loves it.“

Kevin Love Sent To Hospital With Illness

November 5th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Austin Kent

After exiting Sunday’s afternoon tilt with the Hawks, Cavaliers forward Kevin Love was sent to the hospital as a precautionary measure because of an illness, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. Details are not yet known.
As of Saturday evening, the Cavaliers had allowed a league-worst 111.9 points per 100 possessions. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes that the teams offensive woes could be having an impact on their performance on the other side of the ball. “When we’re not making shots and not scoring I think it becomes mental,” head coach Tyronn Lue said. “That’s for a lot of teams. If you’re not scoring, your defense drops. So, I think a lot of guys are frustrated that we’re not making shots and we’re not scoring.“

Latest On Isaiah Thomas’ Recovery

November 5th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers guard Isaiah Thomas continues to make progress toward a return from the hip injury that has sidelined him this season, and he may be ahead of schedule in his recovery, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

The last concrete update we heard on Thomas’ timetable suggested that the Cavaliers were hoping to have him back on the court by January 1, or perhaps even in time for the club’s Christmas Day game against Golden State. The Cavs haven’t officially updated or changed that target date, but Vardon refers to it as “conservative,” and suggests that IT’s timetable for a return “seems to be accelerating.”

According to Vardon, Thomas’ on-court work before games and during practices has increased, though head coach Tyronn Lue remained noncommittal when asked on Sunday if he still believes the veteran point guard will be out until January.

“I don’t know,” Lue said. “You know, the staff is doing a great job of just, you know, just trying to get him ready, trying to get him right, so, we don’t want to rush him back if he’s not 100 percent.”

With Derrick Rose on a minutes limit and Jose Calderon not currently part of the rotation, the Cavs could use Thomas back to help stabilize the point guard position. However, team defense has been Cleveland’ Achilles heel so far this season, and the ex-Celtic is unlikely to help much on that front.

Cavaliers To Keep Derrick Rose On Minutes Cap

November 4th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers aren’t taking any chances with Derrick Rose‘s health, planning to keep their point guard on a firm minutes cap, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Sources told McMenamin that Rose will be limited to 28-31 minutes per game for the rest of the season. That figure was part of a long-term plan developed by coach Tyronn Lue, trainer Steve Spiro and Rose’s agent, B.J. Armstrong. They hope the limited workload will help preserve Rose for the playoffs.

Rose has missed four games this season with an ankle sprain, but has played well since returning to the lineup Sunday. He had a season-high 20 points in Friday’s win at Washington, scoring 13 in 10 minutes in the first quarter, but he played just 19 minutes after that.

“A minute restriction, there’s nothing I can do about that,” Rose said. “But with me having all these injuries in my past, I’m kind of used to it. But whatever the team sees and the staff sees and they want me to do, that’s what I’m going to cooperate with and just go about it the right way.”

Rose has a long injury history and hasn’t been the same player since tearing the ACL in his left knee during the 2012 playoffs. He played a combined 49 games over three seasons after that incident, but has increased that number to 51, 66 and 64 games the past three years.

He is coming off surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee that ended his 2016/17 season in early April and may have scared away some teams on the free agent market. After not finding an offer to his liking, Rose accepted a one-year, minimum-salary deal with Cleveland in late July.

Even though he looked good Friday, Rose continues to feel the effects of the ankle injury. He admitted it still bothers him and left the arena wearing a compression sleeve.

“My ankle still isn’t there yet, so the second half it was getting stiff,” he said. “But I feel like I’m putting it together, quarter by quarter. Second half, I got to figure out a way to get my ankle back to, I don’t know, just make it a little more [pliable]. Warm it up a little or something. In the second half, I was obviously kind of stiff out there, but I believe in my teammates, and that’s one of the reasons why I came here.”

Winning More Important To LeBron James Than Location

November 2nd, 2017 at 5:40pm CST by Austin Kent

The business partner of Cavaliers forward LeBron James – long-time friend Maverick Carter – says that location won’t influence where James signs as a free agent next summer. “Could he sell a few more sneakers if he was in a gigantic market like Boston, Chicago, New York, or L.A.? Maybe. But not as much as if he wins. What matters the most is if he wins. When you win as an athlete that matters the most,” Carter said in an interview on The Rich Eisen Show (via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com).

Poll: Cavs’ Slow Start A Cause For Concern?

November 2nd, 2017 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers fell to the Pacers on Wednesday night, marking the fifth time already this season that they’ve lost to a team projected to have a losing record. The Cavs, who lost early in the season to Orlando, have now been beaten by the Nets, Pelicans, Knicks, and Pacers in their last four games.

As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, the club held an “air-it-out” meeting earlier this week to address its poor start. The reaction to that meeting at the time was positive, with one source describing it to McMenamin as “very productive,” but it seemed to have little effect on Wednesday, with the Pacers beating the Cavs by 17 points.

Although he didn’t express much concern about Cleveland’s first few losses, LeBron James was more perturbed by the club’s latest loss, McMenamin writes in another article for ESPN.com. Admitting that he hoped things would change now that “it’s a new month,” James had trouble explaining why exactly the Cavs are struggling so much.

“We have an opportunity to be very good and then you see some of the lulls that we have and it’s just very difficult on our team right now,” James said. “We’re just trying to figure it out on the fly. … So, our team is kind of depleted as well, both on and off the floor.”

The team has been impacted by injuries in the early going. Isaiah Thomas is out for at least a couple months while he recovers from a hip issue, Iman Shumpert is sidelined with knee soreness, Derrick Rose has missed some time, and Tristan Thompson is expected to miss up to a month after suffering a calf injury on Wednesday.

The Cavs’ slow start can also be attributed to poor defensive play. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays, players and coaches felt like they were playing tougher D on Wednesday, but the team still remains at or near the bottom of the NBA in several defensive categories. Teams are making 14.0 three-pointers game at a 41.8% clip so far against the Cavs, who have a defensive rating of 111.3. All of those figures are NBA worsts.

We’ve seen the Cavs get off to sluggish starts before, but the current losing streak – four straight games by 63 combined points – is the worst of James’ NBA career. And, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (via Elias), no team has reached the NBA Finals after starting 3-5 since the 1990/91 Lakers (Twitter link).

What do you think? Is this just a blip on the radar for the Cavs as they get accustomed to their new-look roster, or is this slow start a harbinger of things to come this season? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!

How will the Cavs respond to their slow start?

They'll be fine, and will get back to the NBA Finals 43.83% (430 votes)

They'll bounce back, but won't win the East 38.23% (375 votes)

They'll continue to struggle, and won't make a deep playoff run 17.94% (176 votes)

Total Votes: 981

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Tristan Thompson Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks

November 2nd, 2017 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

12:02pm: The Cavaliers have issued their own update on Thompson, confirming that he’s dealing with a calf strain and indicating that they expect to get him back on the court in three or four weeks.

11:13am: Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson is expected to miss the next month due to the left calf injury he sustained on Wednesday night, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). After leaving Wednesday’s game in the second quarter, Thompson later departed the arena on crutches.

Thompson’s injury is the latest blow to a Cavs team that has had to deal with multiple injuries in the early going of the 2017/18 season. Isaiah Thomas, of course, is expected to be out until at least December – and possibly later – due to his hip injury. Derrick Rose has also missed some time so far, and Iman Shumpert is currently sidelined with a knee ailment.

After opening the year as a reserve, Thompson has re-entered the Cavaliers’ starting lineup for the last five games, but the club is just 1-4 during that stretch, and the 26-year-old’s production has been modest. In eight total games, he’s averaging a career-low 4.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG.

With Thompson sidelined, Jae Crowder seems like a good bet to re-enter the Cavaliers’ starting lineup, with Kevin Love spending a little more time at center. Cleveland doesn’t have a ton of depth up front, so it will be interesting to see whether Channing Frye and/or Ante Zizic see increased roles, or if the team opts to lean heavily on smaller lineups for the next few weeks.

Of course, making a roster move to add another big body is also a possibility, but the Cavs have 15 players on guaranteed salaries and will be reluctant to add salary, since that would increase their projected luxury-tax bill.

Iman Shumpert To Miss At Least 5-7 Days

October 31st, 2017 at 10:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers swingman Iman Shumpert will be sidelined for at least the next five to seven days due to knee soreness, the team announced today in a press release. Shumpert, the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, is averaging a career-low 18.2 minutes per contest early this season for Cleveland.