Cavaliers Address Shumpert’s Arrest
1:57pm: Because Shumpert’s alleged offense involved marijuana, he will not be suspended regardless of the outcome of the case, Lloyd writes in a full story. If he is convicted or pleads guilty, Shumpert will go into the NBA’s marijuana program. If this is his first violation, there will be no more punishment. Players are fined $25K for a second offense and suspended five games for a third offense.
11:39am: Shumpert’s arrest involved marijuana, not alcohol, tweets Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. According to the arrest report, Shumpert admitted to an officer that he smoked the substance and was charged with possession of less than one ounce.
10:03am: The Cavaliers issued a statement this morning related to Iman Shumpert‘s August 10th DUI arrest near Atlanta, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. The 26-year-old was pulled over for a lane violation by Fayette County Police and subsequently charged with DUI.
The team statement says the Cavaliers have discussed the incident with Shumpert and will monitor the case. No court date has been set, and neither the team or Shumpert plans to comment until the issue is resolved.
Convictions or guilty pleas in DUI cases typically result in league suspensions, notes Brian Windhorst in a post on ESPN Now. Ty Lawson, who recently signed with the Kings, was suspended for five games last season after two DUI incidents.
Cavaliers To Sign John Holland
The Cavaliers will sign John Holland, who was recently waived by the Celtics, tweets international basketball writer David Pick. Holland will be given a legitimate shot to earn a roster spot in Cleveland, a source tells Pick.
The 27-year-old spent most of last season with the Cavaliers’ D-League affiliate in Canton before signing with Boston in April. He didn’t play for the Celtics in the regular season, but appeared in one playoff game. His contract for the upcoming season was not guaranteed, and Boston released him on August 31st.
A 6’5″ small forward, Holland averaged 16.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in the D-League last year. The Cavs are far over the salary cap and have used almost their entire room exception, so Holland is expected to receive a minimum-salary contract, possibly with a small guarantee.
Canton Charge To Promote Nate Reinking To Head Coach
- The Cavaliers‘ D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, is expected to promote assistant Nate Reinking to head coach for the upcoming season, league sources tell Adam Johnson of D-League Digest. Reinking has been on the club’s staff since the 2013/14 season.
Cavaliers, Markel Brown Agree To Deal
Free agent guard Markel Brown has reached an agreement on a deal with the Cavaliers, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). The newest Cav will have an opportunity to compete for a regular-season roster spot in Cleveland.
Brown, 24, has spent the last two seasons in Brooklyn, averaging 5.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.2 APG in his 109 total contests with the club. He played sparingly during the 2015/16 season until after Lionel Hollins was dismissed as the Nets’ head coach, and saw his minutes – and his production – increase down the stretch. In his final 30 games of the season, Brown averaged 9.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, and shot .438/.358/.758, a significant improvement on his career marks.
Despite his solid performance in the spring, Brown ultimately wasn’t in the Nets’ plans. After initially tendering him a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent, Brooklyn rescinded that QO near the end of the July moratorium.
For a player looking to earn a spot on a 15-man roster, Cleveland isn’t a bad landing spot — the team only has 12 fully guaranteed contracts on its books. J.R. Smith appears likely to join that mix at some point, but that still leaves two openings. DeAndre Liggins, Jordan McRae, and Cory Jefferson are among the other camp invitees who will look to stick with the Cavaliers through training camp and into the regular season.
The Cavs have used nearly their entire room exception to sign Richard Jefferson and Kay Felder, and are well over the cap, so Brown will get a minimum-salary contract, likely with a partial guarantee. It figures to be either a one- or two-year deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NBA Teams In Or Near Tax Territory For 2016/17
The NBA salary cap’s enormous, unprecedented jump from $70MM in 2015/16 to $94.143MM in 2016/17 has received a ton of attention this summer, as free agents signed massive contracts that reflected the league’s new financial reality. In addition to allowing teams extra flexibility to sign and acquire players, that cap jump also significantly increased the luxury tax threshold for NBA franchises.
A year ago, clubs exceeding $84.74MM in total team salary were subject to tax penalties, but this year, that threshold has increased by nearly $30MM, to $113.287MM. The result? It has become a little more difficult for teams to spend so much that they surpass that threshold and get into tax territory. Still, a few clubs have managed to do it so far, and several others are getting close.
Those teams over or near the luxury tax line will surely keep a careful eye on their spending going forward, since tax penalties under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement can be severe, particularly for repeat offenders. Our glossary entry on the subject features details on the specifics.
Here’s the full breakdown on teams over the tax threshold, or close to it:
Teams currently in the tax:
- Total team salary: $116,494,181
- Total guaranteed salary: $114,628,849
- There are avenues for the Cavaliers to get out of tax territory if they really want to, but the team doesn’t yet have a full roster and still expects to re-sign J.R. Smith, so odds are Cleveland’s tax bills will only get larger as the club’s payroll gets even higher.
- Total team salary: $114,740,032
- Total guaranteed salary: $114,740,032
- The Clippers have a full 15-man roster, so they shouldn’t have to add much more salary before the season — perhaps just modest partial guarantees for a few camp invitees. Assuming they stay within $2MM or so of the tax line, it will be interesting to see how the Clips approach the 2017 trade deadline. A cost-cutting deal or two could could the club out of the tax, but if L.A. is competing for a top spot in the West, it may be necessary to add a little salary to acquire another impact player.
Portland Trail Blazers
- Total team salary: $114,678,517
- Total guaranteed salary: $112,354,979
- No team has more money committed to its 2017/18 cap than Portland, which is on the hook for nearly $124MM in guaranteed money already. Since there’s a good chance the Trail Blazers will be over the tax threshold next year, the team may want to avoid that fate this year. The Blazers’ close proximity to the tax might be good news for someone like Tim Quarterman, who already has a partial guarantee on his contract and would be owed a very small rookie salary if he makes the team. Other back-of-the-roster players like Luis Montero and Grant Jerrett would have slightly larger cap hits and aren’t currently owed any guaranteed money, so those factors may improve Quarterman’s odds of earning Portland’s final roster spot.
- Note: The Blazers would sneak below the tax line by cutting Jerrett and Quarterman, or Jerrett and Montero. The team would remain in the tax if Montero and Quarterman are cut.
Teams currently near the tax line:
- Total team salary: $112,909,960
- Total guaranteed salary: $107,062,933
- Total team salary: $111,447,750
- Total guaranteed salary: $109,563,866
- Total team salary: $108,850,684
- Total guaranteed salary: $106,854,557
San Antonio Spurs
- Total team salary: $108,677,758
- Total guaranteed salary: $107,347,345
Toronto Raptors
- Total team salary: $108,151,883
- Total guaranteed salary: $106,077,999
For most of the teams in this group, there will be little chance of sneaking into tax territory with in-season free agent signings, so they should be safe unless they take on salary in a trade. However, clubs the Grizzlies and Mavericks – who are inching closer to that tax line – will have to be careful about in-season signings. If those franchises have to waive multiple players on guaranteed salaries due to injuries and then sign replacements for those players, their team salaries could start to approach the tax threshold.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Cavs Notes: Williams, Love, Liggins, Felder
With training camp a little more than three weeks away, the Cavaliers aren’t sure of the status of Mo Williams, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Cleveland decided this week not to use the stretch provision on Williams’ $2.2MM contract, but no one seems sure if he will be in camp. There have been retirement rumors, but Pluto says neither Williams or his agent have given the Cavaliers any indication that he is quitting. However, there also is no sign that Williams is preparing for another season. He is the only experienced backup point guard on the Cavs’ roster after the sign-and-trade deal that sent Matthew Dellavedova to Milwaukee. A 13-year veteran, Williams battled knee and thumb injuries last season and appeared in just 41 games. Pluto believes retirement is the most likely outcome as Williams has been “disconnected” from the team during the offseason.
Pluto offers a few more Cavaliers tidbits in his latest column:
- Cleveland has no interest in trading Kevin Love and hasn’t considered the idea since midseason. Love, who still has four years and more than $93.5MM left on the contract he signed last summer, has accepted his role with the Cavaliers and was an important part of last year’s championship team. He is scoring less than he used to in Minnesota, but is helping the team with better rebounding, defense and other intangibles. Pluto notes that a trade might have been considered if the Cavs had fallen short of a title, but GM David Griffin wants to keep the team together as much as possible.
- DeAndre Liggins has an outside shot to make the roster after being named D-League Defensive Player of the Year last season. The 28-year-old swingman impressed the organization during summer league with his aggressive defense. The Kentucky product’s NBA career includes short stints with the Magic, Thunder and Heat.
- Another summer star, rookie Kay Felder, has a good chance to make the team, but Pluto doesn’t expect him to be the primary backup at point guard if Williams doesn’t return. The writer says Cleveland will continue to pursue other alternatives.
Salary Cap Snapshot: Cleveland Cavaliers
With the free agent signing period winding down and teams looking ahead to the preseason, we at Hoops Rumors will be tracking the Salary Cap figures for each team around the league. These posts will be maintained throughout the season once financial data is reported. They will be located on the sidebar throughout the year, once all the teams’ cap figures have been relayed. You can always check RosterResource.com for up-to-date rosters for each franchise, with the Cavs’ team page accessible here.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Cavaliers currently stand financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- LeBron James —$30,963,450
- Kevin Love —$21,165,675
- Kyrie Irving —$17,638,063 [Contract has 15% Trade Kicker]
- Tristan Thompson —$15,330,435
- J.R. Smith — $12,800,000
- Iman Shumpert —$9,662,922
- Channing Frye —$7,806,971
- Kyle Korver —$5,239,437
- Richard Jefferson —$2,500,000
- James Jones —$980,431 [Actual Salary — $1,551,659]
- Jordan McRae —$874,636 [Waived by team]
- Kay Felder —$543,471
- Deron Williams —$259,526 [Actual Salary — $410,733]
- Andrew Bogut — $242,224 [Waived by team; actual salary — $383,351]
- Derrick Williams —$230,690 [Actual salary — $268,029]
- Larry Sanders —$207,722 [Waived by team]
- Derrick Williams —$57,672 [10-day contract (Feb 9); actual salary — $67,007]
- Derrick Williams —$57,672 [10-day contract (Feb 22); actual salary — $67,007]
- Dahntay Jones —$18,255 [Waived by team (Oct 24)]
- Dahntay Jones —$5,767 [Actual salary — $9,127]
- Edy Tavares —$5,145
Total Guaranteed Salary= $126,590,164
Cash Sent Out Via Trade: $3.5MM ($200K sent to Bucks in Matthew Dellavedova trade; $1.8MM sent to Sixers in Sasha Kaun trade; $750K sent to Hawks in Kyle Korver trade; $750K sent to Hornets in Chris Andersen trade) [Amount Remaining $0]
Cash Received Via Trade: $0 [Amount Remaining $3.5MM]
Payroll Exceptions Available
- Trade Exception — $4,837,500 (Mike Dunleavy trade) — Expires on 1/7/18
- Trade Exception — $2,194,500 (Mo Williams trade) — Expires on 1/7/18
- Trade Exception — $1,333,420 (Sasha Kaun trade) — Expires on 8/15/17
- Trade Exception — $980,431 (Chris Andersen trade) — Expires on 2/13/18
- Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception — $433,529 (Used portions to sign Richard Jefferson and Kay Felder)
Total Projected Payroll: $126,590,164
Salary Cap: $94,143,000
Estimated Available Cap Space: –$32,447,164
Luxury Tax Threshold: $113,287,000
Total Projected Payroll For Tax Purposes: $126,696,581
Amount Above Luxury Tax: $13,409,581
Projected Luxury Tax Bill: $24,773,953
Last Updated: 4/15/17
The Basketball Insiders salary pages and The Vertical’s salary database were used in the creation of this post.
Cavaliers Decide Not To Stretch Williams’ Contract
The Cavaliers opted to let today’s deadline pass for using the stretch provision on Mo Williams, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. The team could have saved luxury tax penalties for the upcoming season by stretching Williams’ contract, valued at $2.2MM, over the next three years.
There have been reports that Williams is leaning toward retirement at age 33, and a team source tells Vardon the Cavaliers are “skeptical” about his return. Williams, who has played 13 NBA seasons, was limited to 41 games last year because of knee and thumb issues, averaging 8.2 points and 18.2 minutes per game.
Vardon notes that the Cavaliers are nearly $24MM over the salary cap and about $4MM over the threshold, and those numbers will rise with the expected signing of J.R. Smith. Stretching Williams’ deal would have saved money in the short term, but added to the tax penalty for the following two seasons.
With Matthew Dellavedova gone to Milwaukee, Williams is the only proven backup point guard on Cleveland’s roster. Vardon speculates that the Cavs may try to find a trading partner if they are concerned about Williams’ health.
Cavaliers, Cory Jefferson Agree To Deal
Former Baylor power forward Cory Jefferson will join the Cavaliers for training camp, reports international basketball journalist David Pick (via Twitter). According to Pick, Jefferson and the Cavs have agreed to terms on a deal.
A second-round pick in 2014, Jefferson appeared in 50 games for the Nets in his rookie season, but played in just eight games for the Suns last season. The 25-year-old saw more playing time in 2015/16 for the Bakersfield Jam, Phoenix’s D-League affiliate, averaging 17.3 PPG and 9.8 RPG in 19 games with the club.
With Jefferson poised to join the team, the Cavaliers are also eyeing Eric Moreland as a potential training camp target, says Pick. Moreland, who played his college ball at Oregon State, has spent some time with the Kings during the last two seasons, but didn’t get a qualifying offer from Sacramento this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Latest On J.R. Smith, Cavaliers
When the calendar turns from August to September tonight, J.R. Smith will have officially been on the free agent market for two months. Smith is the highest-profile player still available, having started nearly 100 total games (regular season and playoffs) for the eventual champs last season, so it’s worth checking in on him to see where things stand at the two-month mark.
While one report from mid-July suggested that Smith was seeking a $15MM annual salary, the Cavaliers’ offer doesn’t appear to be in that range, which is understandable. There probably aren’t any other teams in the NBA with the cap space and the willingness to go that high for Smith. Plus, the Cavs are already in luxury-tax territory and would have to go way beyond the tax threshold to complete such a deal, making the cost to the franchise much more expensive than just $15MM.
Still, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Cavs have put an offer on the table believed to be worth in the range of $10-12MM annually. As Kyler adds in a second tweet, the two sides aren’t all that far apart, and are still expected to eventually reach an agreement — it’s simply a matter of finding a compromise on dollars and years.
Since Smith isn’t missing out on any pay checks at the moment and the Cavs likely won’t find a viable alternative to him at this point in the offseason, there isn’t much urgency yet for either the team or player to get something done. However, that could change in the coming weeks, with training camp and the preseason right around the corner, so it will be a situation worth watching in September.
In 2015/16, Smith averaged 11.5 PPG and shot 43.0% on three-pointers in the postseason after having averaged 12.4 PPG with a .400 3PT% during the regular season. The veteran shooting guard, who turns 31 next Friday, started 77 regular-season games for Cleveland, as well as all 21 of the team’s postseason contests.