Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kendrick Perkins To Join Cavs’ G League Affiliate

October 16th, 2017 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran center Kendrick Perkins has decided to accept an assignment to the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Perkins is taking the same path as fellow vet Emeka Okafor, who will play for the Sixers’ G League affiliate this fall.

Perkins, who will turn 33 next month, was in camp with the Cavaliers and spent the preseason with the team, but was unable to crack the regular season roster. With 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and another with a partial guarantee, Cleveland had to send veteran forward Richard Jefferson and second-year guard Kay Felder to Atlanta in a salary dump just to get down to 15 players after waiving Perkins and others.

Because he has never played in the G League before, Perkins’ rights aren’t held by one of the league’s 26 clubs. That opens the door for him to become one of Cleveland’s affiliate players for 2017/18. NBA teams can designate up to four players they’ve waived in the preseason as affiliate players, assuming those players sign G League contracts.

Of course, while Perkins may start the season in the G League, his goal will be getting another shot with an NBA team. “I will make a roster,” he tells Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link).

The 13-year veteran has appeared in 781 career regular season games, plus another 143 postseason contests, but didn’t suit up for an NBA club last season. Although Perkins will play for the Cavs’ affiliate in the G League, Cleveland won’t hold his NBA rights, so he’ll be free to sign with any team if he gets an offer.

Cavaliers Notes: Love, Jefferson, Irving, James

October 15th, 2017 at 9:50am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Love penned a farewell tribute to former teammate Richard Jefferson on Instagram, relays Hayden Grove of Cleveland.com. The veteran forward was traded Saturday to the Hawks along with Kay Felder to help reduce the Cavaliers’ luxury tax bill. Jefferson spent two seasons in Cleveland and helped the team win its only NBA title. “We would never have been able to celebrate our 2016 Championship without the contributions of RJ,” Love wrote. “He always stepped up to make our team better.”

Jefferson recorded an episode of his “Road Trippin'” podcast Saturday and said he knew his time in Cleveland was over when the team signed Dwyane Wade last week. Atlanta waived both players shortly after completing the deal, but the 37-year-old Jefferson has stated that he has no plans to retire and has already received interest from the Bucks and other teams.

There’s more today out of Cleveland:

Jefferson was nearly traded last summer after unveiling the Cavs’ championship rings on his Snapchat account before the team was ready to make them public, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Former GM David Griffin was reportedly so angry that he wanted to move Jefferson to another team, but he eventually cooled down and accepted an apology.
Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving took a shot at his former home, saying there’s “a vast difference” between Boston and Cleveland, according to the Associated Press. “Boston, I’m driving in and [thinking], ‘I’m really playing in a real, live sports city?” Irving said to reporters this week. Irving is also downplaying the thought of starting his Celtics career with a game in Cleveland, relays Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I understand the magnitude … but I know what it is going to entail in terms of marketing, whatever the case may be, to garner up this energy to make people feel a certain type of way,” Irving said. “I get all that. It’s part of the game. It’s been a part of the game for a while, but it’s just two hoops and a basketball.”
The Cavaliers have been very cautious with LeBron James‘ injured left ankle during the preseason, but coach Tyronn Lue expects him to be ready for opening night, McMenamin posts on ESPN Now. “That would be a tough one for him personally to miss,” Lue said. “There’s a lot of hype behind the game but like I told him, we got to be smart about it. It’s just one game, but I think he’ll be OK.”

Mutual Interest Between Bucks, Richard Jefferson

October 14th, 2017 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks are a “serious suitor” for veteran forward Richard Jefferson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Cavaliers traded the 37-year-old to Atlanta earlier today along with Kay Felder in a move designed to save as much as $12.8MM in luxury tax. The Hawks immediately waived Jefferson and Felder, making them both unrestricted free agents if they clear waivers, which should happen Monday.

Milwaukee could claim Jefferson off waivers, but taking on his salary would push the team $5K over the luxury tax, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. Jefferson will make $2.5MM this season and a non-guaranteed $2,612,500 in 2018/19.

Several other teams have also expressed interest in Jefferson, sources tell Wojnarowski, but the Bucks seem to be the most prominent. Milwaukee waived another veteran forward, Gerald Green, earlier today to open a roster spot.

Jefferson was a teammate of Bucks coach Jason Kidd for seven years with the Nets, including two trips to the NBA Finals. Their relationship could give Milwaukee an edge once Jefferson hits the open market.

Wojnarowski adds that the Bucks have been working on several deals to trim cap space involving guard Rashad Vaughn and center John Henson. The team has offered a second-round pick to anybody willing to take Vaughn, who is owed nearly $1.9MM this season and has a team option worth $2.9MM+ in 2018/19. Henson has three seasons and more than $31.7MM left on his contract.

Cavaliers Cut Kendrick Perkins, Isaac Hamilton

October 14th, 2017 at 11:42am CST by marksuleymanov

The Cavaliers have waived veteran center Kendrick Perkins, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Perkins, 32, showed up to training camp in great shape, appearing in three preseason games with Cleveland. He racked up 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 25 total minutes played.

Perkins — who missed the 2016/17 season — tells Wojnarowski that he wants to continue playing but will consider coaching if he decides to retire (via Twitter). Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, that the organization has discussed bringing Perkins to the coaching staff if he cannot find an on-court role.

“We’ve already talked about that,” Lue said. “I think Perk was great because he holds everybody accountable. He plays the right way, tries to do the right thing every single day.”

Perkins started his career in 2004 with the Celtics and proceeded to spend parts of the following eight seasons in Boston. The 6’10”, 270-pound Perkins was a key player on the Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship team. After he was traded from Boston, Perkins spent parts of five seasons with the Thunder and, in recent years, made cameos with the Cavaliers and Pelicans. For his career, Perkins boasts averages of 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 781 career games.

“I definitely want to coach when I hang them up,” Perkins said this week, per Cleveland.com. “Right now my mind is on trying to play. Not only can I be a voice in the locker room, but I feel I can go out and contribute 8-to-12 minutes a night.”

The Cavaliers also waived Isaac Hamilton, ensuring that the roster is ready to go for the regular season. Hamilton is a good bet to join the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

Cavs Trade Richard Jefferson, Kay Felder To Hawks

October 14th, 2017 at 9:50am CST by Austin Kent

OCTOBER 14, 9:50am: The trade is now official, according to a press release issued by the Hawks. As detailed below, Atlanta receives Jefferson, Felder, cash ($3MM), and second-round picks in 2019 and 2020 in exchange for the rights to Agravanis and Gladyr.

Interestingly, the 2020 second-rounder is Portland’s pick. The protection on that selection is 31-55, meaning there’s a good chance it won’t actually change hands.

OCTOBER 13, 5:37pm: A Wojnarowski report at ESPN clarifies that the 2019 pick heading to Atlanta will be the lesser of the Timberwolves’ and Lakers’ picks that had been owed to Cleveland.

The Hawks will also receive $3MM in the deal, which is agreed upon in principle. That cash will cover Jefferson’s full salary and Felder’s partial guarantee.

4:57pm: The Cavaliers and Hawks are in advanced talks on a deal that would send Richard Jefferson and Kay Felder to Atlanta, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, also involved in the deal will be the draft rights to a European player (Cleveland-bound), a pair of future second-round picks (Atlanta-bound) and cash (also heading to Atlanta).

Although the deal has not been finalized, Sam Amick of USA Today has tweeted that it will be Dimitrios Agravanis and Sergiy Gladyr in particular that will be heading to Ohio. Agravanis was the No. 59 pick in 2015, Gladyr the No. 49 pick in 2009.

Amick also tweets that the second-round picks going from Cleveland to Atlanta will be a 2019 pick and a 2020 pick. The Cavs have previously traded their own second-rounders in both years, but have acquired extra picks that they’ll use in this deal.

Per Wojnarowski, the Hawks plan to waive Jefferson and likely Felder too. Chris Mannix of The Vertical tweets that Jefferson has no plans to retire, but the 37-year-old will be ineligible to re-sign with Cleveland this season if he’s waived by Atlanta.

The Cavs have been hard-pressed to unload a guaranteed contract ever since they signed Dwyane Wade after his buyout from the Bulls. Shedding both Jefferson and Felder will bump the team down to 15 guaranteed deals and, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN, save the franchise as much as $12.8MM in luxury tax penalties.

Also, as Marks notes, the deal will create a pair of trade exceptions for Cleveland, one worth $2.6MM and another worth $1.4MM.

The Hawks can get to $4.9MM under the cap, enough to eat both Jefferson and Felder’s deals. While the two are signed to modest contracts, they both include guarantees — Jefferson’s is a full guarantee, while Felder’s is only partial.

In summary, Atlanta took advantage of available cap space and managed to procure a pair of second-round picks simply by eating two relatively minor contracts. Those additional draft choices will bode the franchise well as it embarks on its rebuild.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Derrick Rose Bets On Himself; J.R. Smith Disappointed About Bench Role

October 12th, 2017 at 4:08pm CST by Austin Kent

When Derrick Rose signed a minimum contract with the Cavaliers, he did so as a bet on himself. “I get a chance to reintroduce myself back to the league. I get to bet on myself. That was one of the reasons I came here, I get to bet on myself. And I’m from Chicago, I’ve got that hustling side; it’s in me, man,” he told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The announcement that Dwyane Wade would be the Cavaliers‘ starting shooting guard didn’t go over well with J.R. Smith. “We talked about it,” Smith told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “It wasn’t the most positive conversation, but we talked about it and we’ll get through it together.“

Cavaliers Sign Isaac Hamilton

October 11th, 2017 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after opening up a spot on their roster by waiving Edy Tavares, the Cavaliers have filled that spot again, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed undrafted rookie guard Isaac Hamilton. Cleveland’s roster is now back up to 20 players.

Hamilton, 23, played his college ball at UCLA, averaging 14.1 PPG with a shooting line of .453/.366/.825 during his final year with the Bruins. He was one of the squad’s top threats from outside, making 2.1 three-pointers per game.

Hamilton figures to get a non-guaranteed deal from the Cavs, and won’t be on the club’s regular season roster. By signing him to an NBA contract now, Cleveland will have the opportunity to have him join the Canton Charge in the G League as an affiliate player.

Cavaliers Waive Edy Tavares

October 11th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have begun making roster cuts in advance of the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived center Edy Tavares.

Signed by the Cavs at the very end of the 2016/17 regular season, Tavares’ season came to a premature end when he fractured his hand in May, sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs. Prior to joining Cleveland, Tavares began the season with the Hawks, then spent time with the Raptors’ G League affiliate, which continues to hold his returning rights.

Tavares’ release had been expected, since the Cavaliers still had 19 players on NBA contracts, including 16 on fully guaranteed deals. Tavares was one of three players without full guarantees, along with Kendrick Perkins and Kay Felder. Cleveland will need to remove at least three more players from its NBA roster via release or trade before the regular season begins.

Assuming Tavares clears waivers, he could be a candidate to rejoin the Cavs as a two-way player, since the team still has one two-way slot open.

Isaiah Thomas Discusses Hip, Trade, Ainge, Cavs

October 11th, 2017 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

After a wild summer that saw him sent from the Celtics to the conference-rival Cavaliers, Isaiah Thomas tells Lee Jenkins of SI.com that 2017 has been the best year of his career, but the worst year of his life. Thomas posted historic regular season numbers and was the unquestioned leader of a Boston team that won two playoff series in the spring, but a hip injury sidelined him toward the end of the postseason, and he has had to adjust to a new team and city while recovering from that injury.

Thomas, who is expected to be sidelined through at least the end of December, admits to Jenkins that he made his hip injury worse by playing in the postseason. However, the standout point guard remains confident that he can make a full recovery, and the Cavaliers share that view much more than they did when they first acquired him, says Jenkins. For his part, Thomas says he intends to play until he’s 40.

While Jenkins’ in-depth feature on the former Kings, Suns, and Celtics guard is worth reading in full, here are a few more quotes of interest from Thomas:

On his reaction to the blockbuster deal that sent him to Cleveland:

“None of it made any sense. It still doesn’t make any sense. I’m still asking, ‘What the hell happened?’ It’s a trade you make in NBA2K. It’s not a trade you make in real life.”

On whether he’s seeking revenge on the Celtics after their decision to trade him:

“Boston is going to be all love, [but] I might not ever talk to Danny [Ainge] again. That might not happen. I’ll talk to everybody else. But what he did, knowing everything I went through, you don’t do that, bro. That’s not right. I’m not saying eff you. But every team in this situation comes out a year or two later and says, ‘We made a mistake.’ That’s what they’ll say, too.”

On not rushing back from his hip injury to get in the Cavs’ lineup:

“The nice thing about the Cavs is nobody is in a rush. Most places are trying to get you back, which isn’t always best for you. These guys know they’re going to play in June. It’s a given.”

Cavs Notes: Wade, J.R. Smith, Frye, Shumpert

October 9th, 2017 at 8:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Newest Cavalier Dwyane Wade will open the 2017/18 season in the team’s starting lineup, head coach Tyronn Lue confirmed today. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details, J.R. Smith will come off the bench with Wade taking over as the starting shooting guard, and Lue said today that Smith handled the news well.

“He was fine,” Lue said. “It’s tough, you’ve been in position where you went to three straight Finals and you’ve been the starting two guard. But like I said, it’s about sacrifice if you want to win. J.R. was great about it. Just knows he has to have a different role right now so we’ll see how it works.”

Although Derrick Rose will join Wade in the starting lineup, Lue said today that Rose will head to the bench early in games and then return to run the second-team offense. In that scenario, the former MVP would likely lead a lineup that features Smith, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Green, though we’ll see what adjustments the team makes when the season officially gets underway.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

One player who likely won’t see many minutes in the Cavs’ rotation – barring injuries – is Channing Frye, Vardon writes in a separate piece. Lue told Frye that he probably won’t play a whole lot this season, and the head coach said the veteran forward responded admirably. “That’s the type of vet you want around,” Lue said. “Unbelievable character guy. He understands it’s a long season. There’s going to be opportunities.”
Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net hears that the Cavs already know which player with a guaranteed salary they’ll waive, assuming they can’t trade anyone. The Cavs haven’t identified that player, of course, but Richard Jefferson has been the candidate mentioned most frequently. Cleveland’s initial cuts may begin on Tuesday, Amico adds.
According to Amico, the Cavaliers continue to explore possible trades involving Iman Shumpert, but they’ve had trouble finding a taker all offseason, and Shumpert’s foot injury isn’t helping matters.
We rounded up a few Cavs notes on Sunday as well, including news on Isaiah Thomas‘ change in representation.