Dahntay Jones To Rejoin Cavs At Training Camp
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
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
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
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
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
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
- 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.
Cavaliers, Eric Moreland Agree To Deal
The Cavaliers continue to fill out their roster for training camp, according to international basketball journalist David Pick, who reports (via Twitter) that Eric Moreland has agreed to a camp deal with the team. Pick first indicated two weeks ago that the Cavs were eyeing Moreland as a potential target.
Moreland, 24, spent most of the last two seasons with the Kings, but didn’t get a qualifying offer from Sacramento this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. In his first two NBA seasons, the former Oregon State forward appeared in just 11 games with the Kings and only 12 contests with the D-League’s Reno Bighorns.
Moreland has shown promise and racked up double-doubles in the D-League, averaging 12.0 PPG and 13.3 RPG in Reno. However, each of his last two seasons was shortened by injuries. Moreland suffered a labral tear in 2014/15, then fractured a bone in his foot in 2015/16.
The Cavaliers only have 12 guaranteed contracts on their books for 2016/17, so there should be a couple roster spots available even if – and when – J.R. Smith re-signs with the team. Cleveland has invited several players with NBA experience to training camp to vie for those openings, including DeAndre Liggins, Markel Brown, and Cory Jefferson.
Lue: Iverson Could "Come Coach With Me" If He Wants To
- As Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk passes along, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told TMZ that his old NBA Finals nemesis Allen Iverson would be welcome to “come coach with me” if Iverson has interest in pursuing a coaching career.
Luxury Tax To Fall; Why So Little Interest In J.R. Smith?
The Cavaliers are looking at a reduction in their luxury tax of about 35%, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Cleveland’s luxury-tax payment last season was a hefty $54MM, a figure that was $34MM more than the next-highest team. Even factoring in LeBron James‘ league-high $31MM salary for the upcoming season and the expected re-signing of free agent J.R. Smith, the Cavs are looking at a luxury tax payment closer to $35MM.
Much of the drop corresponds to the huge rise in the salary cap for 2016/17, with an accompanying increase in the luxury-tax threshold to $113.3MM. The threshold was just $84.7MM last season, and the Cavs were joined by the Clippers, Warriors and Thunder with luxury-tax payments topping $14.5MM. Between salary and taxes, Cleveland spent about $160MM to secure its first-ever NBA championship.
- In a summer where virtually every big-name unrestricted free agent cashed in, the Cavaliers‘ Smith remains an exception. Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders examines why there has been so little interest in the veteran shooting guard and whether his return to Cleveland is inevitable.