LeBron: We'll Take Care Of Retired Players In CBA
- Taking care of retired players is a priority in the Collective Bargaining Agreement talks, Cavs superstar LeBron James told Jon Krawczynski and Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. The NBA and its players have agreed that the next CBA will include new league-funded programs to help retired players with education and medical expenses, four people with knowledge of the situation told the AP. In exchange for those programs, and pending full approval from both sides, the split of basketball-related income would remain the same “50-50” deal as it is in the current agreement, the AP story adds. “We’ve all built this league together,” James said told the AP. “No matter how big of a guy you were or if you were the 15th guy on the bench, we all built this league into what it is today. But it’s not just my idea. I’m not taking any credit for that.”
Cavaliers Were Interested In Signing Dwyane Wade
The Cavaliers wanted to sign Dwyane Wade this summer, but couldn’t make it work financially, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
Cleveland had the highest payroll in the league last season and has more than $122.6MM committed for 2016-17. That left the team with little flexibility when negotiations between Wade and the Heat broke down in early July. But it doesn’t mean the defending champs weren’t very interested.
“We couldn’t afford him,” said LeBron James, Wade’s longtime friend and former teammate in Miami. “It’s that simple.”
Chicago gave Wade a two-year, $47MM deal with a player option on the second season. To clear enough cap space for the signing, all the Bulls had to do was arrange deals involving Jose Calderon and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Ironically, the Cavs benefited from one of those moves, picking up Dunleavy in a deal involving the draft rights to two players taken more than a decade ago.
Cleveland would have needed a major roster adjustment in a short time to create the cap space needed to chase Wade. As it was, all the franchise had to offer was the taxpayer midlevel exception, which was only worth about $3.5MM. That money was eventually used to re-sign Richard Jefferson.
“Who wouldn’t be interested in a Hall of Famer?” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said about the possibility of acquiring Wade. “That don’t even make sense. Yeah, we wanted him.”
James has spoken often about his friendship with Wade and the possibility of someday teaming up with him, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. He also addressed the sudden break-up of the dominant Miami teams, while hinting that a reunion with Wade could still occur some day.
“In professional sports things can change from one year to another like that, so I’ve always had that perspective ever since I came into the NBA,” James said. “I’ve always known it’s a business and you could be with one team this year — have teammates this year, the next year you might not have them. That’s part of the business. So I’ll always have that perspective.”
Only Seven TPEs Currently Available Around NBA
The NBA’s huge salary cap spike this summer impacted the free agent market most significantly and most obviously, with second- and third-tier free agents landing larger contracts than they ever otherwise would have. But the cap increase has also had some under-the-radar side effects, including having a significant impact on our list of traded player exceptions.
Traded player exceptions allow over-the-cap teams to acquire a player whose salary is equal than or less to the TPE amount, without sending out any salaries of their own in the deal. However, in order to create a trade exception in the first place, a team must be over the cap. All but three of the league’s 30 teams went under the cap this summer, meaning they renounced their previous TPEs and were unable to create new ones until they went back over the cap.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Traded Player Exception]
Now that the majority of the NBA teams have used up their cap room, we should see things normalize — there’s a good chance many clubs will create new TPEs with in-season deals, and perhaps they’ll be able to make use of those exceptions before or during next year’s draft, before contracts come off their books in July. For now though, there are only seven TPEs available around the NBA, and only one of those seven has a real chance to make an impact before the 2017 trade deadline.
As our list of outstanding TPEs shows, the Hornets, Clippers, and Bucks each hold a trade exception, but they range in value from $1.2MM to $1.75MM — it’s possible those teams will find a way to use their exceptions, but many of the players whose salaries would fit within those constraints are on minimum salaries, and the minimum salary exception allows over-the-cap teams to acquire those players in trades anyway.
The Cavaliers are the only other team with any TPEs on their books, and Cleveland holds four of them. Three of those exceptions will likely go unused — they’re worth $845K, $947K, and $1.33MM. However, the fourth TPE, created in last year’s Anderson Varejao deadline swap with the Blazers, could come in handy for the Cavs this season. It’s worth $9.64MM.
Of course, given the rising NBA salary cap, more players than ever are earning more than $9.64MM, and wouldn’t fit into Cleveland’s trade exception. By our count, there are 105 NBA players – not including the Cavs’ own players – whose 2016/17 cap hit is too pricey for the Cavs to acquire them using that TPE. Still, while that number may sound high, it works out to just three or four players per squad, which leaves a long shopping list of potential targets for the Cavs, including everyone who is still on a rookie contract.
Will the Cavs end up using that Varejao TPE before it expires on February 18? That remains to be seen, and there are reasons why the team may let it go unused — bringing on additional salary is pricier than it appears on the surface for the Cavs, who will pay a premium as their cap number increases due to the luxury tax. But having that exception gives Cleveland options, and perhaps gives the team a leg up on its competition, since no other over-the-cap club has that sort of potential flexibility in trades.
What do you think? Will the Cavs make use of that trade exception? Which players whose salaries would fit into that TPE do you think Cleveland could target prior to 2017’s trade deadline?
Mo Williams Undergoes Knee Surgery
Veteran point guard Mo Williams, who remains on the Cavaliers’ roster despite indicating he would retire, underwent left knee surgery on Wednesday, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. As McMenamin details, the procedure was intended to treat the chondromalacia Williams has dealt with in recent years.
In an Instagram post announcing the surgery, Williams appeared to take a veiled shot at the Cavaliers, writing that it’s been “quite a while” since he was 100% healthy. “Nobody and I repeat nobody actually gave a damn about my health but me,” Williams wrote. “Taking control of my own career/life.”
According to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal, as well as McMenamin, Cavaliers team doctors suggested to Williams that surgery wasn’t necessary for his troublesome knee. Lloyd writes that Williams sought a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who also advised against surgery, The third doctor to provide an opinion, Dr. David Altchek, elected to operate on the veteran guard.
Although Williams’ agent has indicated his client will retire, the Cavs intend to keep tabs on the 33-year-old’s recovery and rehabilitation project, and are still carrying him on their roster. Williams hasn’t filed his retirement papers, meaning the Cavs would have to pay his full salary if they waive him. According to both Lloyd and McMenamin, the team has attempted to work out a buyout of his $2.195MM salary, but hasn’t had much luck so far.
With the regular season opener fast approaching, there may be resolution on Williams’ status soon, though the Cavs could carry him as their 15th man into the season to postpone a decision.
Cavaliers Notes: Roster Spots, McRae, Shumpert
A four-man race has developed for the final two spots on the Cavaliers’ roster, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. With four preseason games remaining, the competition has boiled down to shooting guards Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins, small forward Dahntay Jones and point guard Toney Douglas. Coach Tyronn Lue has promised that those four, plus everyone with non-guaranteed deals, will get a chance to prove themselves before cuts have to be made. Rookie point guard Kay Felder and veteran swingman James Jones are believed to be sure things for the final roster, and another spot will likely belong to J.R. Smith, who has been in a contract standoff with the Cavs all summer. Vardon believes McRae and Liggins are the current favorites to earn the last two positions.
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- McRae is no longer being considered as a possible backup to point guard Kyrie Irving, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “It’s not fair to him,” Lue said. “It’s something he hasn’t done his whole career. You can put guys in position, they’ve got to come out and just score the basketball. But to tell them they’ve got to get into their sets, little guards picking up full court and just having to think so much when you’re a natural scorer, it is kind of tough.” Lue is looking at a committee approach, with Liggins, Felder and Douglas all logging time as reserve point guards. McRae has been the Cavs’ leading scorer in the past two games with 20 points each night.
- With Smith still absent, Iman Shumpert has been impressive in training camp, Fedor writes in the same piece. The fifth-year shooting guard has started just six games since coming to Cleveland in January of 2015, but he took over the starter’s role in camp and seems likely to begin the season in that position. Shumpert is trying to bounce back from a disastrous season in which he shot a career-low 37% from the field and 30% from 3-point range. “J.R. here or J.R. not here, Shump still has the same role on our team,” Lue said, “and that’s to come out and be a stopper every single night and take and make his open shots.”
Celtics Interested In J.R. Smith
The Celtics are interested in adding J.R. Smith, who has carried a contract impasse with the Cavaliers from the summer into the preseason, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports.
The Celtics can only offer Smith a salary starting at $9MM unless they make a trade to clear cap space, as Isola notes. Avery Bradley is the Celtics’ starting shooting guard. The Celtics are in the market for Smith in an effort to bolster their second unit’s scoring, Isola adds.
Other teams are interested in Smith, who is still likely to re-sign with the Cavs, Isola adds. Smith has been reportedly wanting a $15MM annual salary, while the Cavs prefer to sign him to a contract in the $10MM to $12MM range. Smith, 31, 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.
Cavs Notes: James, Point Guards, Thompson
Dwyane Wade doesn’t believe it’s possible for LeBron James to surpass Michael Jordan’s legacy, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com passes along. “The only thing you can do is tie it,” Wade said. “You can’t go past it. How can you? That’s as great as it gets, man. The only thing you can do, like I said, is be A-1, A-B. There’s no way higher.” Wade added that he and James have never discussed the legacy comparison.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavs needs to improve their backup point guard position in order to give themselves a better shot at repeating as champs, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com opines. Kay Felder and DeAndre Liggins are currently backing up Kyrie Irving.
- With the Cavs in need of point guard depth, Norris Cole could be an option, Joe Vardon of Northeast Ohio Media Group speculates. The Cavs like Felder, but they are hesitant to give the rookie a major role too soon, which could open up the door for Cole. Vardon also names Mario Chalmers as a possibility.
- Tristan Thompson will miss the next two preseason games because of a sore left foot, freelance journalist Chris Haynes reports. Thompson has played in 370 straight regular season games, which currently leads the league.
NBA Teams That Made Most Offseason Trades
While most NBA teams rely on a variety of different types of roster moves to revamp their rosters in the offseason, a club can sometimes find itself leaning more heavily on one approach in a given summer. That could mean signing a handful of free agents and forgoing the trade route. It could mean loading up on draft picks and staying out of free agency.
For the teams we’ll examine in this post, the trade market was a primary means of addressing their rosters over the last few months. Each of the clubs we’ll discuss below made at least three trades since the end of the season. In some cases, the moves were designed to cut costs and clear cap room; for other teams, those deals were a way to add talent without having to foray into the free agent market, where contract prices were at an all-time high.
Let’s dive in and examine the teams that made the most trades this offseason…
Orlando Magic
- Number of trades: 5
- Most notable move: Acquired Serge Ibaka from the Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis (No. 11 pick).
- Other players acquired: Jodie Meeks, C.J. Wilcox
- Other players moved: Shabazz Napier, Devyn Marble, No. 47 pick (Jake Layman)
The Magic certainly didn’t sit out free agency, bringing players like Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green aboard on big-money deals. You could also make the case that the team made the biggest trade of the offseason by landing Ibaka. if Ibaka doesn’t mesh well with Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic, and Meeks misses significant time with injury issues this season, Orlando’s offseason deals won’t look great, but the club remains optimistic for now.
Utah Jazz
- Number of trades: 5
- Most notable move: Acquired George Hill in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Pacers in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick.
- Other players acquired: Boris Diaw, Kendall Marshall (waived), No. 55 pick (Marcus Paige)
- Other players moved: Trey Burke, Tibor Pleiss, No. 42 pick (Isaiah Whitehead)
The Jazz were a perfect example of a team that used its cap room to improve via trades rather than free agency. The salaries for Hill and Diaw easily fit within the team’s cap space, and while Hill cost a first-round pick, Diaw was essentially a salary-dump for the Spurs. The Jazz were also on the other end of a couple salary dumps, most notably sending Pleiss to the Sixers for Marshall, a player they immediately waived.
Chicago Bulls
- Number of trades: 4
- Most notable move: Acquired Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon, and Jerian Grant from the Knicks in exchange for Derrick Rose, Justin Holiday, and their 2017 second-round pick.
- Other players acquired: Spencer Dinwiddie
- Other players moved: Mike Dunleavy, Cameron Bairstow, Jose Calderon (in second deal)
While Lopez figures to be a key piece in Chicago this season, the deal with the Knicks was more noteworthy for the star headed in the other direction, as the Bulls finally decided to move Rose, a Chicago native and a former MVP. The Bulls significantly revamped their roster using free agency as well, and the trades of Dunleavy and Calderon reflected the team’s need to create cap room for those signings.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Number of trades: 4
- Most notable move: Acquired Mike Dunleavy and draft rights to Vladimir Veremeenko from the Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Albert Miralles.
- Other players acquired: No. 54 pick (Kay Felder)
- Other players moved: Matthew Dellavedova (sign-and-trade), Sasha Kaun
The Cavaliers used the trade market well this summer, acquiring Dunleavy from a Bulls team that couldn’t afford to keep him, and only parting with cash to acquire Felder, who could be the team’s backup point guard. Kaun, meanwhile, was a salary dump, reducing Cleveland’s future tax bill, while the Dellavedova deal allowed the club to get something out of nothing, since Dellavedova had already agreed to sign an offer sheet the Cavs weren’t going to match.
Indiana Pacers
- Number of trades: 3
- Most notable move: Acquired Jeff Teague in a three-way trade with the Jazz and Hawks in exchange for George Hill.
- Other players acquired: Thaddeus Young, Jeremy Evans
- Other players moved: No. 20 pick (Caris LeVert)
Like Utah, Indiana isn’t typically a big-time free agent destination, so the Pacers turned to the trade market to make a couple of their biggest moves of the summer, landing Teague and Young, who will likely both start for the club this season. Indiana dove into free agency a little, signing Al Jefferson, Aaron Brooks, and Kevin Seraphin, but I’d expect their trade acquisitions to have a larger impact in 2016/17.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Number of trades: 3
- Most notable move: Acquired Matthew Dellavedova (sign-and-trade) and cash ($200K) in a sign-and-trade with the Cavs in exchange for the draft rights to Albert Miralles.
- Other players acquired: Michael Beasley
- Other players moved: Tyler Ennis, No. 38 pick (Patrick McCaw)
The Bucks could move up this list before the regular season gets underway, since the team continues to scour the market for a player to replace Khris Middleton. Milwaukee also reportedly wouldn’t mind moving Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Number of trades: 3
- Most notable move: Acquired the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis (No. 11 pick), Victor Oladipo, and Ersan Ilyasova from the Magic in exchange for Serge Ibaka.
- Other players acquired: Joffrey Lauvergne, No. 56 pick (Daniel Hamilton)
- Other players moved: None
Moving Ibaka was the major move for the Thunder, and one that occurred while the team still had a shot at re-signing Kevin Durant. It would have been interesting to see what the team would have looked like in 2016/17 with Sabonis, Oladipo, and Ilyasova playing alongside KD and Russell Westbrook, but even with Durant no longer in the mix, the move could pay off for Oklahoma City. Sabonis looks like a promising young big man who won’t be expensive for the next few years, and Oladipo could be the backcourt mate the Thunder have long been seeking for Westbrook.
Other teams that made more than one trade this offseason:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Brooklyn Nets
- Charlotte Hornets
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
For the full rundown of the offseason’s trades to date, check out our list right here.
Douglas Believes He'll Be Backup Point
- Journeyman Toney Douglas is confident he’ll win the backup point guard job with the Cavaliers despite coming to camp with a non-guaranteed contract, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net writes. Douglas, who played 61 games for the Pelicans last season, joined Cleveland this week and is competing mainly with rookie Kay Felder for that spot. “I’m a veteran player,” he told Amico. “I can play defense, lock up, hit open shots, run the offense and find guys when they’re open. I can do all that.”
McRae, Felder Making Strong Early Impression
The Cavaliers are a veteran team, but with role players like Matthew Dellavedova, Timofey Mozgov, and Mo Williams no longer in the mix, some of the club’s young players may have to step up this season. As Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details, two of those young players, Jordan McRae and Kay Felder, have looked promising so far this fall. McRae joined the Cavs down the stretch last season, while Felder was a second-round pick in this summer’s draft.