Cavs Offer First-Round Pick For Timofey Mozgov
The Cavs targeted Timofey Mozgov, offering a first-round pick to the Nuggets to entice them to part with the 7’1″ center, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports said in an appearance Thursday on WFAN Radio in New York, according to Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether that offer remains on the table for Denver, but the Cavs, who are over the cap and without a trade exception, would have to send salary to the Nuggets in order for such an exchange to be feasible under the league’s salary matching rules. The Kevin Love trade agreement, in its current form, wouldn’t change that.
Cleveland has been eyeing big men to supplement Love and Anderson Varejao, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported Thursday. Mozgov would be a potential starter, having made 30 starts for the Nuggets this past season to go along with career highs in points (9.4), rebounds (6.4) and minutes (21.6) per game. The 28-year-old sealed off the rim, notching 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes, and his 16.7 PER demonstrated above-average efficiency. He’ll make $4.65MM this coming season, and his contract includes a $4.95MM team option for 2015/16.
Still, the Cavs have faith that Brendan Haywood, whom they acquired last month from the Hornets, can contribute this season, as Amico noted in the same report. Haywood’s unusually structured contract will also become an intriguing trade asset next summer, as I explained.
The Nuggets are halfway through a four-year, $44MM deal with center JaVale McGee, and Denver’s management has been anxious for him to get minutes. He’s returning from having missed most of last season because of injury, and the team also has Jusuf Nurkic, this year’s No. 16 overall pick, at center. J.J. Hickson is another option at the position, even though he’s undersized.
And-Ones: Durant, Shved, Warriors, Love
Kevin Durant has withdrawn from the USA Men’s National Basketball team, the Thunder announced. There’s no indication that the reigning MVP’s decision to pull his name from summer competition has anything to do with the season-ending injury Paul George sustained in a scrimmage earlier this month, but the move will certainly help Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti sleep easier at night. More from around the Association:
- Alexey Shved‘s agent wouldn’t take umbrage if the Wolves struck a deal to move his client, passes along David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter). Reports have indicated that Minnesota has been looking to trade Shved.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr thinks the makeup of his team is by and large set for the upcoming season, as he tells Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group.
“All indications are that this is the group we’re going forward with, but you never say never,” Kerr said. “You never know what’s going to happen, and ultimately that’s not my job… but there’s no question that we feel very confident and comfortable with the group that we have.” - At least one Eastern Conference executive credits LeBron James as a major catalyst behind the Kevin Love deal, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. “They are putting all these pieces around LeBron, saying, ‘We’re trying to win it now,’” the executive said. “And I’m sure that was part of LeBron’s wish for when he went back there. LeBron has juice in Cleveland.”
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com explores why Love’s presence in Cleveland will only further complicate Phil Jackson‘s quest to turn the Knicks into a championship-caliber club.
Reaction To Kevin Love Trade Agreement
The big news of the day was the reported agreement between the Cavaliers and the Timberwolves, which would send Kevin Love to Cleveland for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and a protected 2015 first-round pick. Here’s the latest commentary from around the league regarding the soon-to-be blockbuster trade:
- Potential carries no guarantees, writes Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer, who applauds the Cavs’ decision to turn consecutive No. 1 overall draft picks into Love, a proven veteran.
- Love could bolt after one season, just like LeBron James, but odds are he won’t, and one of Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s guiding principles in business is to pounce on an opportunity even if it’s not perfect, as fellow Plain Dealer scribe Terry Pluto points out.
- The Timberwolves’ 2014/15 season will be about their core of young talent trying to reach their potential, writes Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press.
- During his time in Minnesota, Love has been criticized for his poor defense, the perception that he wasn’t a team player, and the Wolves failure to reach the playoffs. Now that he’ll be playing alongside a much more talented cast, Love is officially out of excuses, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.
- The trade cannot become official until August 23rd at the earliest. Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders runs down five things you need to know about the deal.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Fallout From Kevin Love Trade Agreement
The time between now and August 23rd, when the Kevin Love trade agreement can become an official transaction, makes it possible that the deal could fall apart, but the Cavs and Wolves are under “enormous pressure” to honor the pact, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. A source tells Berger that Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders would listen if the Warriors decided to offer Klay Thompson, but Golden State has been steadfastly against doing so. The Warriors haven’t spoken with Minnesota for weeks, according to Berger, and Sam Amick of USA Today hears that Golden State doesn’t intend to jump back into the fray (Twitter link). Here are more aftershocks from the Love deal:
- Even if the Warriors did offer up Thompson to Minnesota, it wouldn’t cause the Cavs deal to come apart, as the Wolves prefer what Cleveland is set to send them, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
Earlier updates:
- The Wolves gave the Cavs permission more than two weeks ago to negotiate with Love about a long-term future with the Cavs, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. There are conflicting reports about whether Love has committed to signing a max deal with Cleveland next summer.
- Minnesota maintains interest in Thaddeus Young, but the Wolves wouldn’t end up sending Anthony Bennett to Philadelphia if such a deal materializes, Zgoda writes in the same piece. Minnesota hopes instead to ship the 2015 first-rounder it’s acquiring from Cleveland in the Love trade to the Sixers for Young, Zgoda writes. The Wolves would also like to shed J.J. Barea and Luc Mbah a Moute in a deal for Young, according to Zgoda, who speculates that Minnesota might include Shabazz Muhammad, too.
- Kevin Martin was in plenty of Love rumors, but there’s no indication that the Wolves are looking to trade him or Corey Brewer, Zgoda tweets.
- Most around the league believe that the addition of Love will convince Ray Allen to sign with Cleveland at some point before camp, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, and Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets that he heard weeks ago that Allen would come aboard if the Cavs traded for Love. Still, Allen has dismissed similar rumors and his criteria for signing with a team appear to exclude the Cavs, as I explained Wednesday.
- The Cavs aren’t looking to trade Dion Waiters, who was one of the first within the Cavs organization to whom LeBron James spoke after he made his decision to return from the Heat, Amico writes in his piece.
- Cleveland is targeting big men, but the team has faith that Brendan Haywood can contribute, as Amico also notes.
Cavs Consider Signing E’Twaun Moore
Free agent guard E’Twaun Moore is the subject of strong consideration from the Cavs, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Moore reportedly held off on signing a deal with Olimpia Milano of Italy amid interest from two NBA teams. It appears Cleveland is one of those clubs, though the identify of the other remains unclear.
Moore spent the last two seasons with the Magic, carving out a role in the team’s rotation. Orlando nonetheless declined to tender a qualifying offer worth roughly $1.148MM, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 25-year-old Mark Bartelstein client put up 7.1 points in 20.7 minutes per game during his time with Orlando.
Cleveland has an agreement in place to acquire Kevin Love, but that won’t change the team’s inability to offer more than the minimum salary. The Cavs have pursued swingman Ray Allen, but he’s spoken of a desire for more than the minimum. Moore, whose 35.4% three-point percentage is right in line with his career average of 35.0%, is nowhere near the long-range marksman that Allen has been over his career, but it’s possible that Cleveland sees Moore as a fallback option. That’s just my speculation, however.
Cavs Work Out Chauncey Billups
7:28pm: Billups’ visit with Cleveland was a result of his interest in playing there, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Billups worked out for the Cavs, and looked rusty but productive, per Spears’ source. No offer has been extended from Cleveland at this point.
12:09pm: The Cavs have met with free agent Chauncey Billups, tweets Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops, confirming an earlier report by Scott Sargent of WaitingForNextYear. It’s unclear whether the sides discussed a playing, coaching or front office role for the 37-year-old who’s spoken openly of the notion of retiring as a player while stopping short of ruling out a return to the court.
Billups acknowledged in March that multiple NBA teams had been in touch about a front office role and said he would consider such an opportunity with the Pistons should the team make it available. The Pistons and Cavs were both reportedly high on him for a job in the front office, though that was before the Pistons removed Joe Dumars, with whom Billups is close, from his role as president of basketball operations.
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly recently had a broad discussion with Billups, but it’s not clear if they spoke about any kind of role Billups might take on in Denver. Coaching holds no appeal to Billups, though Flip Saunders apparently envisioned hiring him as an assistant for the Wolves earlier this summer.
The Pistons declined their team option on Billups for this coming season, and renounced his rights as well, though they’d still be able to offer him the minimum salary, which is likely all he could command after appearing in just 19 games in an injury-wracked 2013/14. The Cavs wouldn’t be able to pay him more than the minimum should they sign him to play.
Cavs Notes: Allen, Waiters, Irving, LeBron
Ray Allen once seemed destined to join the Cavs, but he insists that he’s unsure whether he’ll play again or where he’d do so if he were to return for a 19th season, as I examined earlier today. His apparent criteria for a would-be next team seem to rule out the Cavs, but some of the club’s players hope he’ll reconsider, as we note amid the latest from Cleveland:
- James Jones spent time recently with Allen in Connecticut and is “pretty sure” Allen knows that LeBron James and many of the Cavs would like him to play with Cleveland this year, as Jones told reporters Wednesday, including Tom Withers of The Associated Press. “We talked about those things that are important to us, which are families, our legacies and our careers,” Jones said. “So he has a decision to make. Of course we’d love to have Ray. Hopefully he makes a decision that’s best for him, and hopefully it’s a decision to continue to play. But as far as where he goes and what he’s thinking, I don’t know.”
- James called Dion Waiters a few days before he made his choice to leave the Heat and return to Cleveland, telling the Cavs shooting guard to “be ready,” as Waiters tells Brendan Bowers of SLAM Online. Waiters also dismissed the idea that he and Kyrie Irving can’t co-exist on and off the court.
- The ability for James to hit free agency again next year and his apparent desire for the Cavs to trade for Kevin Love belies the four-time MVP’s assertion that he would patiently await the growth of the team’s young players, argues Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer. It’s clear that James is exerting his leverage over GM David Griffin and company, Livingston writes.
Shawn Marion Visiting With Cavs
WEDNESDAY, 12:00pm: The Cavs remain an intriguing option for Marion, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, even amid Tuesday’s report that the Pacers are in heavy pursuit and that the combo forward is scheduling meetings with other clubs.
MONDAY, 5:22pm: As the Cavs gear up for their most highly-anticipated season in years they’re looking into ways that they can bolster their frontcourt depth. With that in mind, the Cavs are hosting Shawn Marion on a recruiting visit today, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Marion, 36, started 76 regular season games for the Mavs last season and also started in all seven games of the Mavs’ losing first-round effort against the Spurs. While Marion would be a natural target for the Pacers in the wake of Paul George‘s gruesome injury, LeBron James‘ presence gives the Cavs the upper hand in the chase (link).
The Heat had been expected to make a push for The Matrix when free agency began, apparently viewing him as the sort of player whose addition could help convince LeBron to stick around. Now that LeBron is in Cleveland, the Cavs are the ones looking to pair Marion with the game’s top player.
The veteran can still play, but he put up a career-worst 13.7 PER this past season, a drop from his 18.0 mark in the year prior. Marion has ostensibly been holding out for something higher than the minimum salary but Cleveland is one of about a dozen NBA teams that can only pay the minimum. Our own Chuck Myron recently looked at the market for Marion, including possible landing spots.
Cavs Sign Mike Miller
5:53pm: The team has followed with an official announcement.
AUGUST 5TH, 5:32pm: The team still hasn’t made a formal announcement, but the signing has taken place, according to Pincus (Twitter link). It’s for two years and $5.6MM and it includes a 15% trade kicker, according to Pincus, who confirms that it indeed features a player option for the final season.
JULY 15TH: Mike Miller has agreed to join the Cavs on a two-year deal with a player option for the final season, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s for a total of $5.5MM, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter), though Broussard says the Nuggets and Rockets offered more. Miller had been torn between Denver and Cleveland, as Wojnarowski reported earlier this afternoon (Twitter link). The Cavs are likely using their room exception on the sharpshooting swingman, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
The Arn Tellem client was reportedly near a deal with the Nuggets when LeBron James decided to return to the Cavaliers, which allowed Miller a chance to play with James again. Miller was ineligible to sign with the Heat, since his previous contract with Miami, which the Heat amnestied, ran through next season. James had apparently reached out to Miller to see if he would be interested in joining him were he to leave the Heat this summer.
The Grizzlies, Clippers, Thunder, Blazers and Mavs were other teams reportedly interested in the 34-year-old, who showed this past season that his body is still capable of handling the rigors of the NBA. He played in all 82 games for the first time since he was a rookie, giving Memphis a valuable shooter in reserve. His 45.9% accuracy from behind the arc was the second-best mark of his career.
Miller’s camp appeared to try to ward off the possibility that the Cavs would claim him off amnesty waivers last summer by advancing talk about back surgery, but now Miller is willingly taking a discount to go to Cleveland, in a twist of events.
Cavs Sign James Jones
AUGUST 5TH: The signing is official, the team announced via its website.
JULY 16TH: The Cavs have struck a one-year deal with James Jones for the minimum salary, a source tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). That means another ex-Heat teammate of LeBron James is headed to Cleveland. It’s unclear if the contract will be guaranteed.
Cleveland had been pursuing Jones, a favorite of LeBron’s, in conjunction with Mike Miller soon after it signed the four-time MVP. Cavs GM David Griffin also convinced Miller to take a discount to come to Cleveland, the same place he was reluctant to go last year, and now it seems the team will focus on its attempt to convince Ray Allen, also late of the Heat, to move north.
The Warriors, Wizards, Pelicans and Heat all made offers to the 33-year-old Jones, but LeBron’s recruiting effort led the Miami native to choose the Cavs instead, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). Jones spent the past six seasons with Miami, never averaging more than 19.1 minutes per game, but his 4.9 points per contest this past season represents his second-highest scoring average in a Heat uniform. The Joel Bell client also serves as the secretary/treasurer for the players union.