Edy Tavares

And-Ones: Japan, Dinwiddie, Tavares, Kobe

Japan’s B.League may serve as a cautionary tale as the NBA weighs whether resuming its season will be possible, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. As Aldridge details, Japan’s basketball league attempted to resume play in mid-March after suspending play in February, but only got in one weekend of games before the season was canceled for good on March 27.

According to Aldridge, several players and at least one referee contracted COVID-19 following the resumption of the season, and multiple players refused to play any more games.

While Japan’s league didn’t attempt playing in a “bubble” city, all players and teams were practicing social distancing and games were being played without fans in attendance. Former NBA forward DaJuan Summers, who was playing in Japan this season, saw first-hand how the league’s attempt to restart was derailed, and isn’t sure that the NBA will be able to successfully pull it off this summer.

“I understand the risk,” Summers told Aldridge. “I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t think it’s worth it right now. Of course, we all want see if LeBron (James) and A.D. (Anthony Davis) and those guys are gonna win a Finals. Or if (Giannis) Antetokounmpo is finally going to get to the Finals in the East without LeBron or Kawhi (Leonard) over there stopping him. There’s so many basketball lovers that’s hurting right now. But more importantly, there’s so many people dying.”

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • A Nigerian Basketball Federation official tells Colin Udoh of ESPN that conversations about adding Spencer Dinwiddie to Nigeria’s national team have been going on for about a year, despite the fact that the Nets guard has no obvious connection to the country. Dinwiddie is reportedly trying to acquire a Nigerian passport through naturalization to play for the team in the Tokyo Olympics.
  • Former Hawks and Cavaliers big man Walter (Edy) Tavares told Portuguese website DTudo1Pouco (hat tip to Nicola Lupo of Sportando) that he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a return to the NBA, despite his current long-term contract with Real Madrid in Spain.
  • Family members of four passengers who died in the January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the companies that owned and operated the aircraft, according to Brian Melley of The Associated Press. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, previously filed suit against Island Express Helicopters Inc. and its owner Island Express Holding Corp.

Edy Tavares To Play In Spain

Less than a month after being waived by the Cavaliers, center Edy Tavares has elected to return overseas, agreeing to a three-year contract with Spanish team Real Madrid, per a Marca report. Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic has confirmed that report, with international basketball reporter David Pick supplying the financial details (via Twitter).

Tavares will return to the country where he began his professional career — he was under contract with Gran Canaria in Spain from 2009 to 2015. Drafted by the Hawks in 2014, the 7’3″ center headed to Atlanta a year later and has bounced around the NBA and G League since then, playing for a handful of different teams.

Signed by the Cavaliers at the very end of the 2016/17 regular season, Tavares’ season came to a premature end when he fractured his hand in May, sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs. Although his contract included a non-guaranteed salary for 2017/18, Tavares became expendable when the Cavs added three extra players to their roster late in the offeason, trading Kyrie Irving for Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, and Ante Zizic, then signing Dwyane Wade. Tavares was waived by Cleveland in mid-October.

Tavares had initially joined the defending G League champs, the Raptors 905, for the 2017/18 season, but appeared in just one game for Toronto’s G League affiliate before striking his new deal with Real Madrid. The Raptors 905 have now lost two key players – Tavares and Kyle Wiltjer – to international teams.

G League Notes: Bolomboy, E. Millsap, Tavares

The 2017 NBA G League draft will take place on Saturday, and former Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy is expected to be the first overall pick, a source tells Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside (Twitter link).

Phoenix’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, made a trade earlier today with the Iowa Wolves that saw the Suns acquire the No. 1 overall pick in exchange for the returning rights to Elijah Millsap, among other pieces. However, Schmidt suggests (via Twitter) that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that first overall pick change hands again in the next 24 hours.

Here are a few more G League notes and updates, with a focus on more former NBA players like Bolomboy and Millsap:

  • Edy Tavares, whose returning rights are held by the Raptors 905, is headed back to the G League after being waived by Cleveland, according to a report from Gigantes (English link via Sportando).
  • The Rockets‘ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, sent a first-round pick to the Long Island Nets in exchange for R.J. Hunter‘s returning rights. Hunter, a former first-round pick, intends to suit up for the Vipers, his agent confirms to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link).
  • The Long Island Nets acquired the returning rights to Okaro White and Jamaal Franklin in a trade with the Memphis Hustle, according to a press release. White is still on the Heat‘s NBA roster and recently had his 2017/18 salary guaranteed, so Brooklyn’s affiliate seems unlikely to get its hands on him this season.
  • The Texas Legends, the affiliate of the Mavericks, has acquired Will Bynum‘s returning rights, suggesting the veteran guard could join the organization for the G League season, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
  • Cliff Alexander, who was in camp with New Orleans earlier this month, had his returning rights traded to the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, per a team release. “Cliff is a highly-skilled big man who is among the best in the league at his position,” Herd GM Dave Dean said in a statement. “He has a tremendous upside and we are excited to add him to the Wisconsin Herd family.”

Cavaliers Waive Edy Tavares

The Cavaliers have begun making roster cuts in advance of the regular season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived center Edy Tavares.

Signed by the Cavs at the very end of the 2016/17 regular season, Tavares’ season came to a premature end when he fractured his hand in May, sidelining him for the rest of the playoffs. Prior to joining Cleveland, Tavares began the season with the Hawks, then spent time with the Raptors’ G League affiliate, which continues to hold his returning rights.

Tavares’ release had been expected, since the Cavaliers still had 19 players on NBA contracts, including 16 on fully guaranteed deals. Tavares was one of three players without full guarantees, along with Kendrick Perkins and Kay Felder. Cleveland will need to remove at least three more players from its NBA roster via release or trade before the regular season begins.

Assuming Tavares clears waivers, he could be a candidate to rejoin the Cavs as a two-way player, since the team still has one two-way slot open.

Cavaliers Mull Looming Roster Decision

Richard Jefferson‘s hold on a roster spot in Cleveland appears somewhat tenuous, according to reports from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic and Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net.

After signing Dwyane Wade last week, the Cavaliers are now carrying 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts, plus 2016/17 holdovers Kay Felder and Edy Tavares. Even if Cleveland cuts Felder and Tavares, the club will need to trade or waive one more player from a group of candidates that likely includes Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Jose Calderon, and Jefferson.

Calderon has been solid for the Cavs so far, according to Lloyd, who suggests that the veteran point guard should be safe, given the uncertainty on the depth chart ahead of him. Shumpert and Frye are considered trade candidates, but their salaries ($10.34MM and $7.42MM respectively) will make them difficult to move.

That leaves Jefferson as the potential odd man out. Unlike Calderon, Jefferson is trade-eligible now, and unlike Shumpert and Frye, his salary is modest, at just $2.5MM. The Cavaliers are exploring smaller-scale trades involving Jefferson, according to Amico, and finding a taker for the veteran forward would be preferable to cutting him, since it would reduce the Cavs’ projected tax bill substantially.

However, Cleveland has gotten no traction on a deal so far, and may end up having to outright release Jefferson or another player, since rivals won’t be eager to help out the defending Eastern Conference champs. If the Cavs do find a team willing to take on Jefferson or someone else, the salary dump would likely cost Cleveland at least one draft pick and/or cash.

Cavaliers Notes: James, Anthony, Cousins, Wade

Don’t expect a firm answer from LeBron James tomorrow when Media Day questions turn to his future, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Monday will mark the first time the Cavaliers star has spoken to reporters since Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the first time since rumors emerged that he has plans to join the Lakers as a free agent next July. LeBron will probably tell the media that he hasn’t made up his mind, which Vardon believes is true.

The talk about LeBron’s next decision will overshadow other issues surrounding the team heading into training camp, such as the condition of Isaiah Thomas‘ hip, the new personnel on hand, the chances of Dwyane Wade coming aboard after a buyout from the Bulls and whether the organization plans to keep or trade the unprotected first-rounder it got from Brooklyn. But Cavaliers fans had better get used to it because LeBron’s future is going to eclipse everything all season.

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

  • The Knicks were demanding a first-round pick from the Cavaliers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, Vardon writes in a separate story. Anthony included Cleveland among the three teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause to join, but the Cavs felt the price was too high.
  • The Cavaliers are listening to offers for the Brooklyn pick, but it’s unlikely a deal will involve either of the Pelicans’ big men, according to Sam Amico of Amicohoops. Rumors have been circulating about DeMarcus Cousins, who will be a free agent next summer, but Amico says the teams haven’t discussed a Cousins trade and the Cavs may not even be interested. Also, Amico hears that New Orleans won’t trade Anthony Davis under any circumstances.
  • Amico believes Wade is headed to Cleveland, possibly before the season begins. He and the Bulls are ready to part ways, and Amico sees no reason why the buyout should be a lengthy process. He passes along a few other roster details in the same piece, stating that it’s unlikely that Kay Felder or Edy Tavares earns a spot, although both could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate in Canton; most scouts like Ante Zizic, who was acquired in the Kyrie Irving trade, more than Cedi Osman; and the Cavs and Rockets “were at the one-yard line, ready to punch it in” on an Iman Shumpert trade this summer.

Central Notes: Osman, Payne, Crowder

The Cavaliers are in win now mode, in case you haven’t heard, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have a handful of young players who will be hard at work this season trying to carve out long-term roles for themselves.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently broke down some of the team’s young talent, including draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman who signed with the Cavaliers ready to suit up for 2017/18. Likened to a 6’8″ Matthew Dellavedova, Osman could hustle his way into a role in Cleveland’s rotation.

The feature also sheds light on big men Edy Tavares and Ante Zizic. The former, he writes, could be the first cut should the Cavaliers need to free up a roster spot. Zizic, on the other hand, could establish himself as a high-motor rebounder in the mold of Steven Adams.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Bulls may have changed their outlook on Cameron Payne‘s role with the franchise, and not for the better. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that one source close to the team seemed particularly bearish. “We knew the second practice [after he was acquired] that he couldn’t play at [an NBA] level,” the source told Cowley. “The only reason it took two practices was because we thought maybe it was nerves in the first one.”
  • The Bulls have named Shawn Respert their new Director of Player Development among various other executive-level changes, a press release on the team’s official site states.
  • While Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas were the big names trading places, the fate of the blockbuster trade between the Cavaliers and Celtics could come down to how well Jae Crowder fares in Cleveland, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.

Cavs Rumors: Shumpert, Thomas, Felder, Tavares

Iman Shumpert has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, with reports dating back to June – shortly after the Cavaliers were defeated in the Finals – suggesting that the veteran swingman was on the trade block. The Raptors, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Kings were among the teams linked at one point to Shumpert, and a deal with the Rockets briefly appeared close, but ultimately fell apart.

So it’s no secret that the Cavs have explored the trade market for Shumpert, but did the team did so at his behest? Multiple sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com that Shumpert – like Kyrie Irving – requested a trade after the season. However, Shams Charania of The Vertical and Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter links) both say otherwise, reporting that Shumpert made no such request.

It’s worth considering which sources these reporters may be talking to — McMenamin covers the Cavs on a full-time basis and he cites team sources multiple times within his piece. Meanwhile, Charania and Kennedy are national reporters, and may have a more direct line to Shumpert’s representatives, who probably don’t want to give the impression that their client is unhappy. That’s just my speculation though.

In any case, it appears that the Cavs are still weighing their trade options with Shumpert, though Kennedy suggests that the 27-year-old plans to be at a players-organized mini-camp next month.

Here’s more on the Cavs:

  • A Cavaliers source tells McMenamin that the club is “not closing the door” on making more trades before training camp opens in late September.
  • While it’s not out of the question that the Nets’ 2018 first-rounder will be flipped for another top player, acquiring that pick has “pumped new blood” into the Cavaliers’ scouting department, which hasn’t been very involved in the draft in recent years, McMenamin writes. Cavs scouts are enthusiastic about the idea of being able to earnestly scout top prospects in marquee college games and international tournaments, knowing one of those prospects could become a Cavalier next June.
  • The Cavaliers’ medical staff is waiting to examine Isaiah Thomas, who has seven days to report to the team. The former Celtic will also pay a visit to a renowned hip specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, reports McMenamin.
  • Kay Felder and Edy Tavares will likely be the odd men out on the Cavaliers’ 15-man roster if the club doesn’t make any further trades, since they don’t have fully guaranteed salaries. McMenamin suggests that Felder and Tavares could be candidates for two-way contracts, though waiving them from their current contracts would allow other NBA teams to claim or sign them.

Edy Tavares Fractures Hand, Out Indefinitely

Cavaliers backup center Edy Tavares could be lost for the rest of the playoffs after fracturing his right hand during practice, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com.

The team announced today that Tavares is out indefinitely after the extent of the injury was confirmed through an X-ray and bone scan, relays the Associated Press. The 7’3″ rookie hurt his hand during Thursday’s practice.

Cleveland signed Tavares on the final day of the regular season, and he posted six points and 10 rebounds in his lone game with the team. He didn’t appear in any of the eight playoff games. Tavares also played one game for the Hawks earlier this season and 11 with Atlanta last year.

The 25-year-old represents the Cavs’ most recent late-season attempt to find depth at center. When the organization signed him, it waived former Bucks standout Larry Sanders, who was never able to make an impact in Cleveland and spent much of his time in the D-League. Sanders took over for Andrew Bogut, who was signed after agreeing to a buyout with the Sixers, but was on the court for less than a minute before suffering a fractured left tibia.

Tavares agreed to a multi-year deal with the Cavaliers that is scheduled to pay him more than $1.47MM next season and more than $1.6MM in 2018/19. However, neither season is guaranteed.

NBADL Announces All-NBA D-League Teams

The NBA Development League has announced its All-NBA D-League teams for the 2016/17 season, headlined by league MVP Vander Blue. While Blue didn’t play in the NBA at all this season, many of the players on the NBADL’s three All-NBA D-League squads received call-ups throughout the year, and some of them finished the season on an NBA roster.

Here are this year’s 15 All-NBA D-League players, many of whom will have a decent chance of finding their way onto an NBA roster next season:

First Team:

Second Team:

Third Team: