Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mo Williams To Retire

September 26th, 2016 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Five days ago, Mo Williams posted a tweet indicating he was returning to the NBA – and to the Cavaliers – for one more year. Apparently that’s no longer the case. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (via Twitter), Cavs GM David Griffin announced today that Williams’ agent informed him of his client’s decision to retire.

Williams, the 47th overall pick in the 2003 draft, spent a year in Utah before heading to the Bucks and blossoming into a starting point guard. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Wiliams also played for the Cavaliers, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Hornets, and enjoyed second stints with the Jazz and the Cavs.

An All-Star in 2009, Williams averaged 13.2 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 2.8 RPG for his career, shooting 37.8% on three-point attempts in his 818 regular-season contests. The 33-year-old also appeared in 62 playoff games, winning his first championship with the Cavs this June.

Williams had been set to earn $2,194,500 for the 2016/17 season, so we’ll see how the Cavs handle that cap hit. The team may end up just waiving the veteran guard, eating his salary, but perhaps the two sides can work out a buyout agreement that takes Cleveland off the hook for some of that $2MM+.

Meanwhile, Williams’ departure thins out the point guard ranks for the Cavs. Behind Kyrie Irving, the team will be relying on rookie Kay Felder and perhaps camp invitee Markel Brown, though he’s more of a combo guard. For what it’s worth, Griffin says the Cavs are “comfortable” with the point guard position, adding that it will be a “an incredibly competitive” training camp (Twitter link via Amico).

Cavs Sign Jonathan Holmes, Finalize Camp Roster

September 26th, 2016 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have officially announced their camp roster, and there’s one new name on the list of 20 players. According to Cleveland’s announcement, the team has signed 6’9″ forward Jonathan Holmes to its roster for camp.

Holmes, who played his college ball at Texas, went undrafted in 2015 after his final season with the Longhorns. He joined the Lakers for training camp, and suffered a dislocated right shoulder before the season began. While the injury sidelined him for the next several months, it did ensure that he earned his full salary for the 2015/16 from Los Angeles.

In Cleveland, Holmes likely won’t make the team’s 15-man roster for the regular season, but it’s possible he’ll end up being assigned to the club’s D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. I’d expect his deal to be a minimum-salary pact that contains little to no guaranteed money.

As for the Cavs, their announcement today confirmed several previously-reported signings — agreements with players like John Holland, Dahntay Jones, and Cory Jefferson are now official. Cleveland is also carrying the maximum allowable 20 players, and J.R. Smith‘s name isn’t among them, though of course that doesn’t prevent the two sides from eventually working out a deal.

Backup Point Guard A Concern; Latest On J.R. Smith

September 24th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers are counting on 33-year-old Mo Williams and second-round pick Kay Felder to replace Matthew Dellavedova, notes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In his “Summer Rewind” on Cleveland, Marks says the Cavs made a wise move by orchestrating a sign-and-trade after Dellavedova committed to the Bucks, creating a $4.8MM trade exception in the process.

Dahntay Jones To Rejoin Cavs At Training Camp

September 22nd, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Veteran shooting guard Dahntay Jones has agreed to join the defending champion Cavaliers for training camp on a non-guaranteed contract, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.

The 35-year-old Jones was signed by Cleveland just before the end of the regular season this spring. He appeared in one regular-season game, then saw spot duty in 15 postseason games. He scored five key points late in the first half of Game 6 during the NBA Finals.

Jones was released in late July, just before his $1.55MM contract for this season would have been guaranteed.

Jones attended LeBron James‘ mini-camp in Santa Barbara, California earlier this week, according to Vardon.

The Cavaliers have just 12 players with guaranteed contracts and two others with non-guaranteed deals. However, that does not include starting shooting guard J.R. Smith, who is expected to eventually re-sign with the team. The Cavaliers already have plenty of other veterans along with James at the wing positions, including Richard Jefferson, Iman Shumpert, Mike Dunleavy and James Jones, which means Dahntay Jones could have difficulty making the opening night roster.

The journeyman guard’s career dates back to 2003/04, when he played for the Grizzlies. He’s also played for the Kings, Nuggets, Pacers, Hawks, Mavericks and Clippers.

Lue: Cavs Miss J.R. Smith At Mini-Camp

September 22nd, 2016 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard earlier this week, Smith isn’t in California with the rest of the Cavaliers, since contract talks between the two sides remain at an impasse. According to Vardon, it seems unlikely that Smith and the Cavs will reach a deal by the time the team meets the media on Monday for the start of training camp.

The Cavaliers‘ mini-camp has gotten underway in California, with coaches and players in attendance, but one member of last year’s championship roster is noticeably absent, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com details. Head coach Tyronn Lue tells Vardon that the team misses J.R. Smith, who remains unsigned.

“I mean, you can feel it,” Lue said. “J.R., he’s the heart and soul of [the Cavaliers]. Usually when it’s anything involving the team, J.R. would be there and would be right in the middle of it. You’d hear him laughing or if it’s work, he’d be out there giving it his all. It’s hard.”

As we heard earlier this week, Smith isn’t in California with the rest of the Cavaliers, since contract talks between the two sides remain at an impasse. According to Vardon, it seems unlikely that Smith and the Cavs will reach a deal by the time the team meets the media on Monday for the start of training camp.

Mo Williams To Play In 2016

September 21st, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Mo Williams has been contemplating retirement, but it appears he has made a decision regarding his status. The point guard took to Twitter tonight and tweeted, “Coming back #onemoreyear.”

Last month, the Cavs decided not to use the stretch provision on Williams’ contract, which will pay him close to $2.2MM for the 2016/17 campaign. Williams battled injuries last season and only appeared in 41 games.

The 2016/17 season will be Williams’ farewell tour, as he won’t play past this season. “This is my last year,” the veteran guard told Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link) when asked about the possibility of playing more than one season. Cleveland only has rookie Kay Felder at the point guard spot behind starter Kyrie Irving, so the Cavs will likely give the 33-year-old as many minutes as he can handle.

Talks Between Cavs, J.R. Smith Remain At Impasse

September 19th, 2016 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

J.R. Smith won’t attend the Cavaliers’ minicamp in California this week, since he and the team remain at an impasse in contract talks, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Sources tell Windhorst that no recent progress has been made in contract discussions between the two sides.

Training camp won’t officially get underway for the Cavaliers until next week, but players and coaches are meeting in Santa Barbara this week for workouts. While Smith and the Cavs would both like to get something done within the next several days to ensure that the veteran guard is in attendance when training camp begins, Smith will likely be willing to miss part of camp if necessary, says Windhorst.

According to Windhorst, Smith is seeking a multiyear deal, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Last summer, the 31-year-old inked a two-year contract with a player option for year two, which he declined. This time around, he’s probably looking for a three- or four-year pact. Reports have indicated that Smith’s initial asking price was in the $15MM-per-year range, with the Cavs preferring something in the $10-12MM neighborhood. Last week, the former first-round pick suggested that he didn’t want to feel like he was “taking advantage” of the team in negotiations.

“Obviously we’re not where we want to be at from a personal standpoint,” Smith said. “But it’s more than just numbers. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of the Cavs for everything they’ve done for me, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s more of a mutual respect thing.

Smith, who turned 31 this month, started a career-high 77 games for the Cavs during the 2015/16 season, and also started all 21 of the team’s playoff games. During the season, he averaged 12.4 PPG and shot 40.0% from long distance, making 2.6 threes per game. He increased those three-point numbers to 43.0% and 3.1 per game during the postseason.

J.R. Smith Discusses Free Agency, Cavs

September 16th, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been about two and a half months since J.R. Smith officially became a free agent, and the veteran shooting guard still doesn’t have a contract for the 2016/17 season. While Smith is expected to re-sign with the Cavaliers eventually, the two sides have yet to strike a deal with training camp right around the corner.

In a conversation with Adam Caparell of Complex Sports, Smith said that he hopes to sign a new contract with the Cavs “soon,” but admitted that even after seeing all the money thrown around in free agency earlier this summer, he doesn’t want to feel like he’s “taking advantage” of the team.

“Obviously we’re not where we want to be at from a personal standpoint,” Smith said. “But it’s more than just numbers. I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of the Cavs for everything they’ve done for me, and I don’t want them to feel like I’m taking advantage of them. It’s more of a mutual respect thing.”

We’ve heard throughout the offseason that Smith has been seeking a deal in the range of $15MM annually, while the Cavs’ offer is closer to $10-12MM per year. The gap is small enough that the Cavs and Smith should reach a compromise at some point, particularly since it’s a good fit for both sides — there are no other realistic suitors out there for Smith at his asking price at this point, and the Cavs won’t want to lose another key rotation player from their championship roster after seeing Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov walk in free agency.

Smith, who turned 31 last Friday, started a career-high 77 games for the Cavs during the 2015/16 season, and also started all 21 of the team’s playoff games. During the season, he averaged 12.4 PPG and shot 40.0% from long distance, making 2.6 threes per game. He increased those three-point numbers to 43.0% and 3.1 per game during the postseason.

Traded Second-Round Picks For 2017 NBA Draft

September 16th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2017 NBA draft is still more than nine months away, but with the start of the regular season fast approaching, it’s worth taking stock of how this season’s results will affect next year’s draft. Depending on how certain teams perform during the 2016/17 campaign, other clubs will have the opportunity to pick up an extra selection or two.

Earlier this week, we looked at the first-round picks that could change hands during the 2017 draft. A few more first-rounders will likely be involved in trades prior to the trade deadline, or leading up to next year’s draft night, but there are already several picks that are ticketed for new teams, depending on where they land.

That’s even more true of the second round — more than half of the league’s second-round picks for 2017 have been involved in trades so far, and while some of those picks will ultimately remain with the sending teams due to protection conditions, many will move to the receiving teams.

Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the second-round picks that could (or will) change hands. For each selection, we make a note of which team is sending and receiving it, the protection or conditions on the pick, and what will happen if the protection language prevents the pick from being conveyed. For instance, the Heat will send their second-rounder to either the Hawks or Grizzlies, depending on where it lands. The team that doesn’t get a pick from Miami this year will get the Heat’s second-rounder in 2018.

Here are 2017’s traded second-round picks:

Atlanta Hawks

From: Brooklyn Nets
Protection: None

Boston Celtics

From: Cleveland Cavaliers
Protection: None

Boston Celtics

From: Los Angeles Clippers
Protection: None

Boston Celtics

From: Minnesota Timberwolves
Protection: None

Brooklyn Nets

From: Boston Celtics
Conditions: Nets will receive pick (protected 31-45) if Celtics swap first-rounders with Nets.
If not conveyed: Celtics’ obligation to Nets is extinguished.

Brooklyn Nets

From: Indiana Pacers
Protection: 45-60
If not conveyed: Nets will have opportunity to get Pacers’ second-rounder (protected 45-60) in 2018.

Denver Nuggets

From: Memphis Grizzlies
Protection: 31-35
If not conveyed: Nuggets will receive Grizzlies’ 2018 second-rounder (unprotected).

Denver Nuggets

From: Oklahoma City Thunder
Protection: 31-35
If not conveyed: Nuggets will receive Thunder’s 2018 second-rounder (unprotected).

Houston Rockets

From: Denver Nuggets
Protection: None

Houston Rockets

From: Portland Trail Blazers
Protection: None

Memphis Grizzlies

From: Miami Heat
Protection: 41-60
If not conveyed: Grizzlies will receive Heat’s 2018 second-rounder (unprotected).

New York Knicks

From: Chicago Bulls
Protection: None

New York Knicks

From: Houston Rockets
Protection: None

Philadelphia 76ers

From: Miami Heat
Protection: 31-40
If not conveyed: Sixers will receive Heat’s 2018 second-rounder (unprotected).

Philadelphia 76ers

From: Two of Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz.
Conditions: Sixers will receive the most and least favorable of these four picks.

Phoenix Suns

From: Toronto Raptors
Protection: None

Sacramento Kings

From: Philadelphia 76ers
Protection: None

Utah Jazz

From: Two of Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz.
Conditions: Jazz will receive the second- and third-most favorable of these four picks, including their own.

The following teams technically acquired second-round draft picks via trade and could receive those selections in 2017. However, these picks are heavily protected and won’t be conveyed to the receiving team unless the sending team finishes with a top-five record in the NBA. If that doesn’t happen, the receiving team is out of luck. The details:

Atlanta Hawks

From: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 31-55
If not conveyed: Suns’ obligation to Hawks is extinguished.

Cleveland Cavaliers

From: Charlotte Hornets
Protection: 31-55
If not conveyed: Hornets’ obligation to Cavaliers is extinguished.

Minnesota Timberwolves

From: New Orleans Pelicans
Protection: 31-55
If not conveyed: Pelicans’ obligation to Timberwolves is extinguished.

Orlando Magic

From: Sacramento Kings
Protection: 31-55
If not conveyed: Kings’ obligation to Magic is extinguished.

San Antonio Spurs

From: Atlanta Hawks
Protection: 31-55
If not conveyed: Hawks’ obligation to Spurs is extinguished.

Finally, there is one team with swap rights on a second-round pick in 2017. The details:

Philadelphia 76ers

Can swap with: Atlanta Hawks
Protection: Sixers won’t have chance to swap if Hawks’ pick falls in the 56-60 range.
Details: The Sixers will have the ability to swap the worst of the Pistons/Warriors/Knicks/Jazz second-round picks for the Hawks’ second-rounder. Practically speaking, this will likely result in Philadelphia swapping the Warriors’ pick for the Hawks’ pick.

RealGM’s database of future traded pick details was used in the creation of this post.

Assistant Larry Drew Renegotiating Contract

September 15th, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavs are renegotiating the contract of assistant coach Larry Drew, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports. The former head coach of the Hawks and Bucks will be head coach Tyronn Lue’s chief assistant and associate head coach this season. Drew, who is entering his third season with Cleveland, will get a raise but the two sides are still working out the details, Vardon adds.