Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

15 Two-Way Contract Slots Remain Open

September 13th, 2017 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

With NBA training camps just a couple weeks away, most teams are putting the finishing touches on their respective rosters. In addition to having secured at least a dozen players on guaranteed contracts and perhaps a handful of camp invitees, each NBA club has also signed at least one player to a two-way contract.

As we explain in depth in our FAQ, two-way contracts – a new concept under the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement – allow NBA teams to carry two extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. These players spend most of their time with the club’s G League affiliate, but are eligible to join the NBA roster for up to 45 days per season, and remain under team control — they can’t be poached by rival franchises.

Teams have been signing players to two-way contracts since July, so we’re starting to get a better idea of what players on those deals will look like — some are late second-round draft picks; some are undrafted rookies; others are G League or international veterans, or former NBA players looking to work their way back into the league.

Every NBA club has signed at least one player to a two-way deal, but only half of those 30 clubs have filled both spots, meaning that there are still 15 two-way openings around the league. With the help of our two-way tracker, here’s a breakdown of the teams that still have an open two-way slot:

Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Portland Trail Blazers

While the Suns and Jazz technically could be included on this list, they’ve reportedly reached agreements – with Alec Peters and Nate Wolters, respectively – to fill their second two-way slots, so unless those deals unexpectedly fall through, they won’t have any openings.

Although some of these two-way openings figure to be filled in advance of training camp, many of the clubs listed above have signed camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts, which can later be converted into two-way deals. So rather than signing someone new and waiving a camp invitee, a handful of teams may simply convert an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade Work Out Together

September 12th, 2017 at 10:07pm CST by Austin Kent

Time to bring out your tinfoil banana boat again — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are working out together, Alex Tekip of ESPN writes. If the Bulls buy Wade out, he could join his former teammate on the Cavaliers.

Koby Altman's Reaction To Kyrie Irving News

September 10th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The two teams most often linked to Wade have been the Cavaliers and the Heat. A move to Cleveland would pair Wade with former teammate LeBron James while Miami is, of course, the place he spent the first 13 seasons of his career. Urbina, however, argues that the 35-year-old could have more suitors than just that and could end up being a game-changing reserve for a team’s second-unit if he parts ways with the Bulls.

Shortly after the news of Kyrie Irving‘s trade request broke, Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman was formally offered his position. His first order of business, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes, was to gauge if the point guard was serious. “I think we were in information-collecting mode when stuff first broke,” Altman said. “We had numerous teams call about it.“

Griffin: Celtics May Not Improve Right Away

September 9th, 2017 at 2:13pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin thinks the Celtics are facing an adjustment period and might not see the benefits right away from their offseason maneuvering, relays Kevin Spain of USA Today. Although Boston picked up two All-Stars in Irving and Hayward, Griffin believes the loss of Crowder and Isaiah Thomas will be difficult to overcome, along with Avery Bradley, who was traded to the Pistons to free up cap room to sign Hayward. “Losing Bradley, Crowder and Isaiah is losing a lot of grit and overachievers that identified that team,” Griffin stated. “So they’ve had so much change. I think they’re going to be better in the long term, but I think in the short term you can make the argument that they’re going to be worse.”

Central Notes: Thomas, Lue, Walters, Pacers

September 9th, 2017 at 8:41am CST by marksuleymanov

There is still little to no definitive answer on Isaiah Thomas‘ ailing hip and the new Cavaliers point guard could be dealing with more than just a hip ailment, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic writes. Lloyd referenced general manager Kolby Altman‘s reluctance to address Thomas’ injury and the cloudy aura surrounding his recovery.

Thomas has previously given optimistic comments about his future, stating that he will be the same dynamic scorer he was in Boston upon returning. However, it has not been over four months since Thomas went down with the hip injury and there is no solid update on his future. One person Lloyd spoke to suggested that Thomas is dealing with more than just a torn labrum, adding that a loss of cartilage and some arthritis in the hip are complicating the healing process.

“No one has any idea how quickly this will heal or if it even will heal at all,” the source said to Lloyd about Thomas’ injury. “It’s hard to predict.”

At this point, it’s all but certain that Thomas will not be ready for opening night; one report mentioned the All-Star break in February as a possible timetable.

Read more news around the Central Division:

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue likes the moves his team made this offseason and is entering the 2017/18 season with an optimistic mindset, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes.
Former NBA player and G-League coach Rex Walters has joined the Pistons‘ coaching staff. As NBA.com’s Keith Langlois writes, head coach Stan Van Gundy is excited with Walters’ reputation to help players develop their skills after he was frustrated
Shaun Powell of NBA.com previews the Pacers‘ first season in the post-Paul George era.

Cavs Sign John Holland To Two-Way Contract

September 8th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Austin Kent

SEPTEMBER 8: The Cavs have officially signed Holland to the first two-way contract in franchise history, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 7: The Cavaliers have agreed to a deal with John Holland, international basketball reporter David Pick tweets. The small forward was a training camp invitee of the Cavs last year, as well.

While Holland put forth an impressive campaign in the G League last season, his only previous taste of regular season NBA action came in 2015/16 when he played one lone minute in one single game for the Celtics (during which he hoisted and missed a three).

More recently, while suited up for Cleveland’s minor league affiliate in Canton, the 28-year-old took home the Impact Player of the Year award for 2016/17 and earned nod on the league’s All-NBA G League Third Team.

While the terms of the agreed upon deal haven’t been disclosed, it’s possible that the Cavs slot Holland into one of their vacant slots for two-way players (Update: Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com has since confirmed as much).

Cavs Not Ruling Out Trading Nets’ 2018 Pick

September 8th, 2017 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers’ haul in the Kyrie Irving blockbuster included one of the NBA’s top scorers, a solid two-way wing on one of the league’s most affordable contracts, and a young big man with legit upside. Nonetheless, the crown jewel of the deal from Cleveland’s perspective may have been the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, which is unprotected.

While that first-rounder will prove very useful if the Cavs need to retool their roster following the 2017/18 season, GM Koby Altman tells Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that the team will consider every option for the pick — including trading it.

“When we acquired it, we had every intention of keeping it and using it,” Altman said of the Nets’ pick. “But I also think we have a responsibility to see to what’s out there. I think there will be tremendous interest. We have a responsibility to listen to calls.”

Even if the Cavaliers decide to hang onto the Nets’ pick, having it available gives the club more flexibility when it comes to making other trades. As we discussed earlier this week, the Cavs have traded their 2019 first-round pick, so normally they’d be prohibited from trading their 2018 first-rounder due to the Ted Stepien Rule. But with a pair of first-round picks now in hand for ’18, Cleveland has the freedom to move one of the two.

“A big thing we really valued when making the trade is the fact that it is unprotected,” senior director of basketball operations Brock Aller told Amico. “So looking at it, we have the flexibility to trade our own pick, or the pick we received (via the Nets).”

As Aller notes, that lack of protection is crucial — if the Celtics had placed even top-one protection on that Nets pick, the Cavs would have had trouble trading their own first-rounder, since there would have been a chance of being left without a first-rounder for two consecutive future years in that scenario, violating the Stepien Rule.

Ultimately, I’d expect the Cavs to hang onto the Nets’ pick and dangle their own first-rounder in trade talks as the deadline nears. However, if a star player becomes available or if LeBron James commits to staying in Cleveland beyond this season, the idea of trading that Brooklyn first-rounder would likely become more feasible.

Cavs Re-Committed To Arena Renovation Project

September 7th, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Approximately a week after announcing that they were pulling out of plans for a $140MM renovation project to Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers indicated this week that they’ve recommitted to that project. The Cavs’ change of heart came on the heels of critics withdrawing petitions that would have required a referendum on the city of Cleveland’s contribution to the arena’s renovations, writes Karen Farkas of Cleveland.com.

With their commitment to the renovation project, the Cavs have also agreed to extend their lease at Quicken Loans Arena by an extra seven years, ensuring that the franchise will remain a tenant at the arena through 2034. Assuming construction on those renovations begins soon and stays on schedule, the Cavs may once again have a chance to host the 2020 or 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Farkas notes.

Cavs GM: No Timetable For Isaiah Thomas’ Return

September 7th, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers introduced the newest members of their roster at a press conference in Cleveland today, and when the team opened up the floor for questions, the topic of discussion quickly turned to Isaiah Thomas‘ injured right hip. However, Cavs general manager Koby Altman shot down that line of questioning, declining to discuss specifics and suggesting that there’s no set timetable for Thomas’ return, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

“Our responsibility is to get him back to 100% and that’s our goal,” Altman said. “Our performance team has mapped out a great plan, a multi-faceted plan to really attack this thing, and Isiah is deeply committed to that.”

Recent reports have suggested that Thomas is unlikely to be ready to start the regular season, and while Altman didn’t confirm as much, he strongly hinted at it, saying today that his new point guard will be back on the court “at some point” this season. Head coach Tyronn Lue also noted that he didn’t expect to have Thomas to start the year.

Altman indicated that the Cavaliers’ medical staff has an extensive plan for Thomas’ rehabilitation and recovery, but said that plan will be “non-surgical,” per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. During the week last month when the deal involving Thomas and Kyrie Irving still appeared to be in flux, there were reports that Cavs doctors may have been questioning the Celtics’ decision to forgo surgery, but it seems Cleveland will take the same approach with Thomas’ recovery.

If Thomas is out to start the 2017/18 season, as expected, newly-added free agents Derrick Rose and Jose Calderon figure to handle most of the point guard minutes, with LeBron James and others also taking on ball-handling duties.

Latest On Dwyane Wade

September 6th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwyane Wade feels misled by the Bulls and hasn’t talked with anyone from the front office for two months, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. Those strained feelings have led to rumors of an impending buyout and the possibility that Wade might be headed to Cleveland, Los Angeles or Miami.

Sources tell Kennedy that Wade asked management for assurances that Chicago would have a competitive team next season before deciding to opt in for $23.8MM. The front office promised him it would, so Wade announced June 21 that he will stay for another year. The next day, the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves and signaled the start of a rebuilding process.

At 35, Wade doesn’t have a lot of years left in the league and he doesn’t want to waste a season playing for a lottery team. Kennedy states Wade’s only discussions with the organization since the deal were with coach Fred Hoiberg and didn’t involve anything related to the team.

Several recent stories in the national media have been negative toward Wade, which Kennedy speculates is the Bulls’ way of angering him so he might be willing to accept less in a buyout just to get out of Chicago. A recent report from ESPN suggested the Bulls’ younger players don’t like having Wade as a teammate. A Fox Sports story claimed Wade and Butler had a strained relationship, which Butler denies.

Even if a breakup is imminent, all public comments from the Bulls’ front office have indicated Wade is staying with the team. Kennedy adds that Wade is preparing to report to training camp if a buyout doesn’t happen in the next three weeks.

A source tells Kennedy the Cavaliers and Heat are the most likely destinations for Wade once a buyout is completed. If he does go to Cleveland, he will probably become a starter, with J.R. Smith being moved to a reserve role. The Cavs see a Wade addition as a way to improve their roster and appease LeBron James before he enters free agency next summer.

Wade recently took his children out of school in Chicago and moved them back to Miami, but Kennedy warns not to read too much into the move. Wade and Heat president Pat Riley have barely communicated since their 2016 breakup, and Wade wouldn’t be guaranteed a starting spot in Miami. Other teams, such as the Nuggets and Bucks, who both tried to sign Wade last summer, could also get involved.