Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

J.R. Smith To Undergo Surgery On Thumb

December 21st, 2016 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

11:39am: The Cavaliers have officially confirmed that Smith fractured his right thumb and will undergo surgery. A timeline for his recovery will be established following the procedure, according to the team.

10:37am: The Cavaliers’ fears have been realized, according to Windhorst, who reports (via Twitter) that Smith will require surgery on his injured thumb and will be out for an extended period.

8:39am: J.R. Smith left the Cavaliers’ Tuesday night game in Milwaukee early due to a thumb injury, with the team releasing a statement after the game announcing that images taken at the arena were “inconclusive” and that Smith will be re-examined in Cleveland on Wednesday. While it’s not clear if today’s exam has taken place yet, sources tell Dave McMenamin of Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com that the Cavs fear Smith’s right thumb is broken.

Smith, who signed a lucrative new four-year contract with the Cavaliers this fall, has gotten off to a slow start in 2016/17. The 31-year-old has seen his scoring average dip to just 8.6 PPG, and his .337 FG% is easily a career worst, though he’s still making 36.2% of his three-pointers.

Although Smith has struggled, the Cavs would be in a tough spot if his thumb is indeed broken and he’s forced out of action for an extended period. The team’s 15-man roster already includes one player who has retired (Mo Williams) and one player who is out for the season (Chris Andersen), and the Cavs have limited flexibility to turn over those roster spots, given how far their team salary is into tax territory.

So far this season, Smith is averaging 28.9 minutes per game, the fifth-highest mark on the Cavs. As long as he’s out of the lineup, players like Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson, Mike Dunleavy, and DeAndre Liggins are candidates for increased roles in Cleveland.

Former Teammates Mob Mozgov At Ring Ceremony

December 17th, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

His former Cavaliers teammates mobbed Lakers center Timofey Mozgov as he received his championship ring tonight in a visit to Cleveland, relays Dane Carbaugh of NBC Sports. Mozgov played 76 games with the Cavs last season before signing a four-year, $64MM deal with the Lakers in July.

Chris Andersen Tears ACL, Out For Season

December 16th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by Austin Kent

The Cavaliers will be without backup big man Chris Andersen for the remainder of the season, says Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix. The 38-year-old tore the ACL in his right knee jumping for a rebound in practice and will undergo surgery. According to an official Cavs update, the prognosis was confirmed by a team physician.

What’s next for the defending champions remains to be seen. The 15-year-veteran’s minimum salary is guaranteed, so the team would have to eat it if Andersen is waived. As a result, Brian Windhorst of ESPN speculates that while the Cavs would be unlikely to outright release the Birdman for tax reasons, they could instead explore trade options. Already taking up a spot on the roster is retired veteran Mo Williams, whose contract could be dealt in a package for a suitable replacement.

In 12 games with Cleveland this season, Andersen has averaged just 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, playing more than 10 minutes only four times on the year. However, his veteran leadership and ability to match up against bulky forwards and centers will be missed.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Irving, Love, Trades

December 16th, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Arthur Hill

The new collective bargaining agreement will allow the Cavaliers to offer LeBron James a five-year worth about $209MM in 2018, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. The exact dollar amount won’t be known until the cap is set for 2018/19, but it would easily exceed the record $153MM contract that Mike Conley signed with the Grizzlies in July. It will be a nice raise for James, who will make nearly $31MM this season and more than $33MM next year, and it was made possible by the union’s insistence that the “age 36” rule, which limits contract length for older veterans, be changed to an “age 38” rule. Of course it’s not certain that James will decide to finish his career in Cleveland. He has talked about forming a team with his friends Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, and 2018 may be his last chance to make that happen while they’re all still productive.

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

Kyrie Irving is the only member of the team’s Big Three who will be affected by the new designated veteran player exception, Lloyd notes in the same piece. The provision permits teams to offer six-year extensions to two players who are entering their eighth or ninth seasons in the NBA and who are signing their second max extensions. James is in his 14th season, and Kevin Love has already inked two long-term contracts. Both Irving and Love can both become free agents in 2019.
Grizzlies coach David Fizdale thinks that if James stays in the league when his playing days are over, it should be as an executive rather than a coach, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He would kill somebody,” Fizdale said. “Perfection is like [his standard]. He wants perfection. I could see him actually owning his own team and doing something like that, but I think he would end up killing a player at some point because they wouldn’t live up to the expectations that he would set forth.”
The Cavaliers have expressed interest in Kings center Kosta Koufos in the past, but a trade with Sacramento doesn’t seem likely, Vardon states in a separate story. Koufos is now starting for the Kings and making $8MM, so he would be an expensive acquisition. Also, it would be hard to work him into the rotation with Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye forming an effective combination at center. Vardon says Willie Cauley-Stein might be more realistic, but would still cost too much for a player not likely to see many minutes come playoff time.

Cavs To Upgrade Arena, Host All-Star Game

December 13th, 2016 at 5:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA has promised Cleveland an All-Star game once the renovations on its arena are complete, Karen Farkas of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays.

“The NBA is very supportive of the Quicken Loans Arena transformation project which we believe will greatly benefit the entire Cleveland community,” Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said. “We understand the impact this project will have in continuing the great momentum we have all seen recently in the city. We look forward to holding our week of NBA All-Star events in Cleveland in the near future following the successful completion of The Q transformation project.”

The Cavs have extended their lease with The Q by seven years, which will keep them in the building until 2034, according to Tom Winters of NBA.com. The arena will undergo $140MM worth of renovations and they are expected to be complete by the end of 2019. Construction work will be conducted around games and events.

The earliest that Cleveland could host the All-Star game is 2020. New Orleans will host this year’s event, while Los Angeles will hold the game next season. Charlotte will have an opportunity to host the 2019 game if changes are made to its state laws. The league relocated the All-Star game from Charlotte to New Orleans this season because the league objected to a North Carolina state law that forces transgender people to use the restrooms that match the gender on their birth certificates. Farkas notes that Commissioner Adam Silver maintains hope that Charlotte will be able to host the 2019 game.

Central Notes: Liggins, MCW, Bucks, Stuckey

December 12th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Austin Kent

Cavaliers shooting guard DeAndre Liggins has long been heralded as a scrappy, defensive stopper, but a recent stint in Cleveland’s rotation has pushed the 28-year-old journeyman into the spotlight. After winning the D-League Defensive Player of the Year award last season, Liggins has thrived with the defending champions, especially now that he’s seeing more time with the first unit.

“The biggest difference now,” Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue tells ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “[Is that] he’s playing with the starters and now he doesn’t have to handle the ball as much. He doesn’t have to make plays. So now he can just do what he does, and that’s defend, maul people on defense.”

The wing, who models his game after fellow Chicago native Tony Allen played over 20 minutes three times last week while filling in for the injured J.R. Smith. Smith returned to the Cavaliers’ starting lineup on Saturday night, but it appears likely that Liggins will continue to see more action than he had been seeing prior to the opportunity.

You can read more of McMenamin’s in-depth discussion with Liggins – one that touches on his personal history and the domestic assault charges that nearly derailed his career – at ESPN. Here’s more from around the Central:

Fred Hoiberg is uncertain when the Bulls will be able to welcome reserve point guard Michael Carter-Williams back to the lineup, says ESPN’s Nick Friedell. Asked if a return by the end of the month was possible, Hoiberg suggested that the team will have a better idea when the guard removes his soft cast. Out since October 31, Carter-Williams only switched into his soft cast last week.
If the Bucks have decided to locate their recently announced D-League affiliate in nearby Racine, Wisconsin, official word hasn’t yet trickled over to the mayor of the city. As Patrick Leary reports for The Journal Times, the franchise has not made it clear whether or not it will occupy the forthcoming $46MM Racine Event Center and the delay has impacted the publication of a facility financing package. For a while now, the Bucks have been in the process of choosing a location for an affiliate, but the timetable been pushed back on multiple occasions. Other possible Wisconsin locations include Oshkosh and Sheboygan.
Bucks veteran Jason Terry has impressed coaches and opponents around the league, says Chase Hughes of CSN. At 39 years and 85 days old, Terry is the third oldest player in the NBA. Recently Wizards head coach Scott Brooks cited the guard’s willingness to prepare every day and to maintain his body as the keys to his longevity.
The Pacers have several options at the two down the stretch, but recently head coach Nate McMillan has shown a proclivity to role with 10-year veteran Rodney Stuckey instead of starter Monta Ellis. As Nate Taylor writes at the Indy Star, McMillan has played Stuckey with the rest of the starting unit in the final minutes of each of Indiana’s past three games. Taylor reports that it’s Stuckey’s ability to contribute on both ends of the floor that has earned him the extra playing time.

Cavaliers Notes: Liggins, CBA, Backup PG, McRae

December 10th, 2016 at 9:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

DeAndre Liggins earned a place in the Cavaliers’ rotation with his impressive play filling in for J.R. Smith last week, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. The 28-year-old swingman landed a roster spot in Cleveland during the preseason after being out of the NBA for two years. “Shump [Iman Shumpert] and Liggs can both be on the floor together,” said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue. “Right now, the last three games, Liggs has definitely earned a spot in the rotation with the way he’s played. His defensive presence has been great for us, his energy. We’’ll just see how it goes.”

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The chances that owners and players will agree to a new collective bargaining agreement by Thursday aren’t quite as bad as Carmelo Anthony stated earlier today, Lloyd writes in the same piece. Cavs veteran James Jones, who serves as secretary/treasurer of the union, said there’s not a snag in negotiations; there are just a lot of things left to agree on. “Last time we left it, there were still items that needed to be discussed and those haven’t been resolved yet,” Jones said. “Every day that a deal isn’t struck just makes it a little more tense and a little less certain that a deal will be struck.”
Lue cautions that the Cavaliers are an incomplete team and hints that a long-awaited move could be coming soon, Lloyd notes in a separate story. “It’s going to take more than [20 games],” Lue said. “Until we get a backup point guard. When we get a backup point guard, we can understand what our rotation’s going to be. We don’t have to switch it on a night-to-night basis, so our team can get in a better flow.” Players who signed free agent contracts during the summer can be traded starting on Thursday, so the Cavaliers may be planning to deal for a backup to Kyrie Irving.
Jordan McRae‘s playing time has been reduced lately, but it’s only because Lue is testing his options at reserve point guard, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. McRae has three DNPs and just 10 minutes of court time in the past five games. “I told you we used Shumpert for four games, came back with Kay Felder, I mean Ligs [Liggins], then we did Jordan, then we came back with Kay too,” the coach said. “So, he’s not completely out of the rotation, just trying look forward and trying to figure it out right now.”

And-Ones: Rockets, Parsons, Sixers, Stern, Cavs

December 8th, 2016 at 8:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Coach Mike D’Antoni said there’s “always an open door” in regards to Donatas Motiejunas playing for the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle passes along. “We can’t wait to have him if that works out,” D’Antoni said on Wednesday. “He will definitely be a positive. No negatives there.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Chandler Parsons, who signed a max contract with the Grizzlies over the summer, is the biggest disappointment in the league this season, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders contends. Parsons has been limited to only six games this season because of a knee injury and he’s averaging a pedestrian 7.7 point per contest.
The Sixers should deal Nerlens Noel, whom Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors profiled as a trade candidate recently, to the Bulls for Nikola Mirotic, Brigham argues in the same piece. The scribes believes Noel could anchor Chicago’s bench unit and Mirotic could turn his season around with more playing time in Philadelphia.
Former commissioner David Stern said he never canceled the proposed 2011 trade of Chris Paul from New Orleans to the Lakers because the GM at the time, Dell Demps, wasn’t authorized to make it, RealGM.com relays via Sports Business Radio. The league had assumed control of the New Orleans franchise, called the Hornets at that time and now the Pelicans, giving Stern the authority to nix it. “The GM was not authorized to make that trade,” Stern said. “And acting on behalf of owners, we decided not to make it. I was an owner rep. There was nothing to ‘void.’ It just never got made.”
John Holland, whose rights are owned by the Cavs’ D-League franchise in Canton, has returned to D-League, international journalist David Pick tweets. The 6’5” swingman was one of Cleveland’s final training camp cuts in October.

Tyronn Lue Talks Cavs’ Backup PG Situation

December 8th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

At 15-5, the Cavaliers remain in first place in the Eastern Conference, having defeated the second-place Raptors three times already. Still, head coach Tyronn Lue has been forced to play some players out of position and have Kyrie Irving and LeBron James spend some time on the floor with the second unit due to a lack of a clear-cut backup point guard, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Without a go-to option for that spot, Lue says he has had to keep changing things up, rather than sitting back and let everyone play a specific role.

“It’s going to take more than that, until, you know, we get a backup point guard,” Lue said. “When we get a backup point guard, we can understand what our rotation’s gonna be. We don’t have to switch it on a night-to-night basis, so our team can get in a better flow.”

A year ago, the Cavs’ championship team featured Matthew Dellavedova and Mo Williams backing up Irving at the point. However, Dellavedova signed a four-year offer sheet with the Bucks that the Cavs decided not to match, and Williams abruptly decided to retire at the start of training camp this fall, leaving Cleveland short-handed at the position.

“It’s part of the business. Delly got $39MM, so for us to match that would’ve been tough,” Lue said. “When guys play well and perform, you want to see guys get paid. I mean he competed, he put his work in, got better and better each year, so you can’t be mad about that. The amount he got was tough. We thought Mo Williams was coming back, so, it’s not like it’s on the organization. … We felt Mo Williams was coming back, he said he was coming back to play, and then all of a sudden he didn’t, so it kind of put us in a bind.”

Williams technically remains on the Cavs’ 15-man roster, but after his sudden retirement, his decision to undergo knee surgery, and comments he made suggesting no one cared about his health but him, there’s little chance of him suiting up again for the team. He’s still under contract because Cleveland has been unable to agree to a buyout, and may use his contract to help accommodate a trade.

Meanwhile, Kay Felder, a 2016 second-rounder, could eventually develop into a solid backup for Irving, but he’s not ready to assume that role yet, so the Cavs will likely explore the trade market for a possible solution in the coming weeks, writes Vardon. There are also a few options in free agency, including Mario Chalmers, a former teammate of LeBron’s in Miami. Chalmers continues to recover from an Achilles injury and is expected to be ready to contribute to a team soon, though it’s not clear if the Cavs would have any interest in him.

Smith's MRI Shows No Damage

December 6th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

LeBron James has no desire to sit down with Knicks president Phil Jackson to discuss comments the executive made during a recent interview about the Cavs forward, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com relays. “Didn’t affect me, just know how much further we still have to go and how far we still have to go as African-Americans, even in the light of today,” James said about Jackson’s opinions. “For me, I’ve built my career on and off the floor on the utmost respect, and I’ve always given the utmost respect to everyone — all my peers, people that’s laid the path for me and laid the path for coaches, players, things of that nature. I’ve always given respect to them, and it’s always, like I told you before, it’s always shade thrown on me, so. It means we got a lot more work to do, myself and the team.“

The Cavaliers received some good news regarding J.R. Smith, who exited Monday night’s contest against the Raptors after suffering a left knee injury in the first quarter. Smith underwent an MRI today that showed no damage and the guard’s status is considered day-to-day, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter).