- For now at least, J.R. Smith is the starting shooting guard on the Cavaliers, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes. “I’m not going to sit here and get into a ‘blank’ measuring contest with Dwyane Wade,” Smith said. “I’m not going to win that. I’m not going to do that. I’m going to continue to work hard for our team and however they choose to do it, that’s who it’s going to be.”
- There’s a case to be made for Cavaliers forward LeBron James winning the MVP this season. Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes that the 15-year veteran is coming off one of the best offseasons he’s had since he came into the league.
Carmelo Anthony‘s no-trade clause gave him the power to approve a deal to specific teams, and for most of the offseason, the only team on his wish list was the Rockets. In an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio (link via Ian Begley of ESPN), Anthony confirms that he believed earlier in the summer that a trade to Houston was all but finalized.
“A deal was done with Houston early, then for some reason – whatever happened behind the scenes – it didn’t go through, it fell through,” Anthony said. “Then we had to really start paying attention and thinking about other options.”
According to Carmelo, another deal – one that would have sent him to the Cavaliers – nearly got done on draft night, back when Phil Jackson was still running the Knicks (link via Begley). That proposed trade would have landed both Anthony and Paul George in Cleveland, Carmelo said today.
Based on various reports, it sounds like the Knicks and Rockets came closest to a deal right before New York hired Scott Perry as the team’s new general manager in July. At that point, the Knicks put trade talks on hold as Perry got acclimated to his new job and assessed the Anthony situation himself. Ultimately, the Knicks and Rockets never found common ground after that, and Anthony admits he had been preparing last week to show up for Media Day as a Knick.
“Me and my team sat down on Friday night and were like, ‘Man, we best prepare for going back to Media Day on Monday and training camp that week,'” Anthony said. “And then we got the call that said, ‘Would you open it up to OKC?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, at this point, yeah.’
“I don’t think it would have been beneficial for me to come back to Media Day after everything that was going on in the offseason,” Anthony continued. “For me to have to deal with that it would have been unfair for the organization, the Knicks, to have to deal with that. It would have been too much noise, too many questions to answer and I don’t think either party wanted to deal with that.”
While Anthony seems happy to have landed in Oklahoma City, it will be interesting to see whether the trade – and the non-trade to Houston – will have an impact on the Western Conference playoff picture next spring. The Thunder and Rockets faced each other in the postseason in 2017, and if they do so again next year, Anthony would be squaring off against the team he was all but certain he’d join.
After being bought out by the Bulls earlier this week, Dwyane Wade officially signed with the Cavaliers on Wednesday, choosing Cleveland over potential suitors like the Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, and Warriors. Another notable team that had interest in Wade was the Heat, and while the veteran guard didn’t return to Miami this season, he made it clear to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press that he envisions a reunion down the road.
“Miami, the door’s always unlocked,” Wade said. “One day I want to retire in a Miami Heat jersey. I don’t know how that will happen, but I definitely want to make sure than when I decide to hang it up, that jersey is on. Whether it’s being back there or signing a one-day deal like Paul Pierce, I want to make sure that I go out the way I came in.”
[RELATED: Cavaliers sign Dwyane Wade]
In his report earlier this week on Wade joining the Cavs, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN noted that Wade is open to returning to the Heat at some point, but believed Cleveland gave him a better shot this season at competing for a championship, which is still his top priority.
Reynolds also indicates that, while Wade considered the Heat this week, he didn’t view Miami as an ideal fit given the team’s depth at shooting guard. Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder, and Wayne Ellington are all candidates to see time at the two for the club this season.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel they needed me there,” Wade said. “I feel that those guys are in a good place. They deserve to come back this year and see what that 30-11 was about. They don’t need me there over their shoulder or anything like that. That’s kind of how I approached it.”
Wade’s deal with the Cavs is reportedly just for a single season, so it will be interesting to see if the three-time NBA champion finds his way back to Miami during the 2018 offseason.
Longtime friends LeBron James and Dwyane Wade haven’t played alongside each other since Game 5 of the 2014 NBA Finals. That will change with Wade joining Cleveland on a one-year deal and James is thrilled about the new opportunity, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays.
“I’m happy that we were able to keep him away from everybody else,” James said about Wade choosing Cleveland over other, more lucrative offers. “It’s a guy, come on, man, this is like one of my best friends. It’s kind of like when you start school and you walk into the classroom and you’re not quite sure who your classmates are and when you walk in there and one of your best friends is in there, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, this is going to be fun. It’s going to be a good class.’ That’s the type of feeling I got.”
Cleveland will employ half of the famous “banana boat” crew, though – had the front office been willing to part with Tristan Thompson – perhaps Carmelo Anthony would have also been playing for the team. James understands that a Melo-to-The Land deal didn’t work out.
“I mean, from a friend perspective, I wish [Anthony] would have came and we could have worked some things out,” James said. “But at the end of the day I think our front office has done a great job and either the Knicks felt or we felt it just didn’t work out. And it worked out for the Thunder. So, like I said, I’ve been pretty much even-keeled this summer. I wish he would have been here. It would have been great to have him. I love Melo’s game. I love D-Wade’s game. I love [Chris Paul‘s] game. You know how I feel about those three but that doesn’t take anything away from what we got in that locker room which is a lot. I look forward to continuing to grow with these guys, especially the new guys.”
James believes that Wade “adds another championship DNA” to the roster and adds that the shooting guard, who will turn 36 this season, can still be counting on to make plays a high level.
“[The addition of Wade] adds to our depth and we were already pretty deep. It adds even more depth and even more playmaking to our team, which obviously you guys saw last year he can still do,” James said.
SEPTEMBER 27, 4:09pm: After clearing waivers, Wade has signed his new contract with the Cavs and will report to the team’s evening practice session tonight, says Wojnarowski. Assuming Wade’s signing is official, that means the Cavs have also waived JaCorey Williams, as reported earlier today.
SEPTEMBER 26, 4:37pm: Dwyane Wade plans to sign with Cleveland once he clears waivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wade agreed to a buyout with the Bulls earlier this week and he’ll be free to sign with any club on Wednesday. Cleveland currently has 20 players under contract–the maximum allowed for training–so an immediate corresponding move will be needed to make the transaction official.
It was reported earlier today that Wade had “no intention of going anywhere” else besides Cleveland and that the two sides were nearing an agreement. The Thunder, Heat, Lakers, Warriors, and Spurs were all linked to the 35-year-old, though it appears Wade simply wants to compete for a championship alongside his good friend LeBron James.
Wade’s deal with the Cavaliers will be for one season at the minimum salary, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Chicago native is entering his 15th season in the league, meaning his minimum salary will come in at approximately $2.33MM.
Wade was scheduled to make $23.8MM in Chicago this season, but the team’s offseason plans forced him to consider a buyout agreement. The Bulls traded away Jimmy Butler and appear to be in a full rebuild, something that didn’t appeal to Wade. After seemingly amicable negotiations with Chicago’s front office, Wade ended up forfeiting roughly $8MM for the right to be a free agent.
With Wade in the fold, the Cavs could roll at as many as three new starters on opening night, just four months after representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The team traded away Kyrie Irving this summer, netting Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder along with Ante Zizic and a pair of future picks, and many speculate that the team could slide Kevin Love to the five in order to make room for Crowder in the first unit.
Wade played a career-low 29.9 minutes per contest in Chicago last season and it would be surprising if he tops that mark with Cleveland this year. In 60 games with the Bulls in 2016/17, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while posting a player efficiency rating of 18.5.
Photo courtesy of USA Today.
The Cavaliers intend to create room on their roster to sign Dwyane Wade by waiving undrafted rookie JaCorey Williams, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).
Williams’ tenure as a Cavalier was short-lived — the team just made his signing official on Tuesday. However, with a full 20-man roster and Wade set to clear waivers later today, Cleveland needed to make a move in order to create an opening for the future Hall-of-Famer.
A report on Tuesday night had indicated that Kendrick Perkins may be on the chopping block, but the veteran center remains on the Cavs’ roster for now. Still, more cuts will come soon.
Once they waive Williams and sign Wade, Cleveland will be back up to 20 players, including 16 on guaranteed contracts. By opening night, the club will have to get down to 15 players, which will mean trading or cutting one player on a guaranteed deal — or more than one, if the Cavs want to keep any of their non-guaranteed players, such as Perkins, Kay Felder, or Edy Tavares.
Williams, a 6’8″ forward, played his first three college seasons at Arkansas, but didn’t see much action for the Razorbacks, averaging just 11.9 minutes per game in 96 total contests for the program. After transferring to Middle Tennessee State for his senior year, he enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year for 2016/17, joined the Warriors for Summer League action in July before his brief stint with the Cavs. He’ll be on the lookout for a new team once he clears waivers.
The Cavaliers reached an agreement earlier today with three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade on a one-year, $2.3MM deal. Once Wade clears waivers and the signing becomes official, the veteran guard will be reunited with longtime friend, LeBron James, and have the chance to compete for his fourth NBA title.
Before the move is completed, the Cavaliers will have to make a roster move as the team is presently at the 20-man training camp limit. Dave
Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports (via Twitter) that Kendrick Perkins, who the Cavaliers officially signed on Monday, will likely be cut. Perkins, 32, did not play last season and his last NBA action was a 37-game stint with the Pelicans in 2015/16. Perkins previously suited up for Cleveland during the team’s run to the NBA Finals.
Cleveland will need to trade or waive at least one player on a guaranteed contract to accommodate Wade once rosters shrink to 15 players for the start of the regular season.
1:37pm: Williams’ deal with the Cavs is now official, the team confirmed in a press release.
8:24am: The Cavaliers will fill the final spot on their 20-man training camp roster by signing undrafted rookie JaCorey Williams, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. According to McMenamin, Williams will likely ink an Exhibit 10 deal, which could be converted into a two-way contract next month.
Williams, a 6’8″ forward, played his first three college seasons at Arkansas, but didn’t see much action for the Razorbacks, averaging just 11.9 minutes per game in 96 total contests for the program. After transferring to Middle Tennessee State for his senior year, Williams enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG. He was named the Conference USA Player of the Year for 2016/17.
After Williams went undrafted in June, it initially appeared that he may end up in camp with the Warriors, but his agreement with Golden State only spanned Summer League play. Rather than joining the defending NBA champions, Williams will head to camp with the Eastern Conference champs, and the Cavs are intent on having him develop with the Canton Charge, their G League affiliate, McMenamin notes. Williams may end up as an affiliate player if he doesn’t land in one of the club’s two-way slots.
While the Cavs will have a full 20-man roster after finalizing Williams’ deal, the signing won’t preclude a pursuit of Dwyane Wade, who is on track to clear waivers on Wednesday. Cleveland would need to waive or trade a player to add Wade, but such a move would have been necessary by opening night anyway if Wade chooses the Cavs, since the team already has 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts.
Dwyane Wade appears likely to strike a deal with the Cavaliers at some point this week, but several teams reached out to express interest in him after he reached a buyout agreement with the Bulls, and one of those clubs was the Warriors, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.
According to Kennedy, while Golden State displayed interest in Wade, the discussions between the two sides didn’t last long. The former Finals MVP has conveyed to potential suitors that he wants to have a substantial role on a contending team, and the Warriors didn’t make it clear what sort of role would be available for him in Golden State.
With or without Wade, the Warriors will head into the 2017/18 season as massive title favorites, so adding another future Hall-of-Famer to their roster seems unnecessary. Still, it makes sense that the team would do its due diligence. The Dubs don’t have any cap room or exceptions, but Wade’s primary suitors – the Cavaliers and Thunder – are expected to make minimum salary offers, which Golden State could match. If they’d been able to land Wade, the Warriors also would have kept him away from a Cavs club that they’ve faced in the NBA Finals for three consecutive years.
Despite league-wide interest, Wade looks like a very good bet to join the Cavaliers sometime after he clears waivers on Wednesday, as we detailed earlier today.
11:08am: Wade is nearing a commitment to sign with the Cavaliers, and could finalize his decision as soon as Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
10:29am: Dwyane Wade is strongly leaning toward signing with the Cavaliers when he becomes a free agent, and may in fact have already made the decision to join old friend LeBron James in Cleveland, league sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Wade is on track to clear waivers on Wednesday.
Although Wade is expected to receive interest from several other clubs, including the Spurs, Thunder, Heat, and Lakers, the Cavs have been cited as the frontrunner for his services since even before his buyout with the Bulls was finalized.
One prominent league source with knowledge of Wade’s thinking tells Vardon that the future Hall-of-Famer has “no intention of going anywhere else” besides Cleveland. Meanwhile, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times hears from a front office source in Chicago that the Bulls also anticipated Wade would ultimately land with James and the Cavaliers.
While the Cavs can’t offer as much money as the Heat, Lakers, or Spurs, Cleveland almost certainly offers Wade a better chance to compete for a title than any of those clubs, not to mention an opportunity for a reunion with James, his good friend and former teammate. The Thunder would be an intriguing destination for Wade, with Carmelo Anthony and Paul George reportedly recruiting the veteran guard, but Oklahoma City is limited to the minimum salary.
The Cavs will likely end up offering Wade the minimum as well. The team has about $2.55MM left on its taxpayer mid-level exception, but the difference between that figure and Wade’s minimum salary ($2.33MM) would be marginal. Additionally, the NBA would pick up part of the tab on a minimum salary deal, leaving only about $1.471MM on the Cavs’ books, which will be a key consideration as the team tries to keep its projected tax bill in check.
If the Cavs do sign Wade, they’ll have to trade or waive a player with a fully guaranteed contract before the regular season begins. Cleveland is currently carrying 15 such players, so adding Wade would take them over the opening-night limit.