Cavs Notes: Irving, Sims, Gilbert
This was supposed to be a bright year for Cleveland but things have not gone their way so far this season. Key pickup Andrew Bynum was supposed to give the Cavs a much needed presence in the frontcourt but his stay was unremarkable to say the least. There was optimism when Bynum was shipped out for Luol Deng, but weeks later things are still in disarray in Cleveland. The latest on the Cavs..
- Everyone wants to know if Kyrie Irving will leave the Cavs, but Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders feels that his only decision will be whether to re-sign in black or blue ink.
- Henry Sims, who made the Cavs roster on a non-guaranteed deal out of camp, is seeing time in the absence of Anderson Varejao, writes Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. “He brings some toughness and length,” Brown said. “The ability to change and block some shots. He’s a little bit better offensively than what he’s shown. He hasn’t played a lot of games so it’s tough getting the speed of the game and getting his timing down. But I like his potential.”
- Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer says it’s time for Cavs owner and comic sans lover Dan Gilbert to step up and lead. Livingston also questions the wisdom of re-hiring Mike Brown, a move that was likely made in part to entice LeBron James to come back to Cleveland.
Odds & Ends: Exum, Nuggets, Cavs, Pistons
The return of Slovenian native Sasha Vujacic to the NBA today, on a 10-day contract with the Clippers, gives the league 93 players born outside the U.S., and they hail from a record 39 different countries, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The globalization of the game doesn’t figure to let up soon, as there’s news on the top overseas draft prospect amid today’s look around the NBA:
- Dante Exum wants to mimic Kobe Bryant‘s successful leap from high school to the pros, and that’s what led him to hire Bryant’s agent Rob Pelinka, the Australian point guard prospect tells Jon Tuxworth of The Canberra Times. Exum shares more about his decision to enter this year’s draft and his hopes for instant playing time once he’s in the league.
- The Nuggets, Cavs, Pistons and Grizzlies would all like to swing deals by the deadline, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his latest Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times categorizes nine Bulls trade candidates, and says the team won’t part with Taj Gibson unless it’s certain that a star player will sign with Chicago in free agency this summer. The Lakers, Wizards and Bobcats have reportedly inquired about Gibson.
- Raymond Felton has changed agents, dropping Tony Dutt of Dutt Sports Services Inc. to join Wasserman Media Group, as Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports in a subscription-only piece. Thad Foucher and Makhtar N’Diaye will handle representation for Felton, who can’t opt out of his deal with the Knicks until the summer of 2015.
- Von Wafer has signed to play for Russia’s Krasny Oktyabr Volgograd, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Enea Trapani). The six-year NBA veteran has also played in China and for the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam this season.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Durant, Pistons
The Cavaliers have been all over the news the last few days, and not for anything good. There are rumors that Kyrie Irving wants to fire his agent and leave Cleveland, though he issued a denial about this. Then there are the rumors that coach Mike Brown has lost the locker room. Latest to weigh in is Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd says that barring a significant turnaround before the trade deadline, the roster will likely face some major changes. That very well could include a trade of Dion Waiters, whose act has worn thin on his teammates and various members of the organization. Irving’s behavior has also irritated teammates and other members of the organization, but the Cavs are expected to offer him a max contract extension this summer and aren’t believed to be considering trading him.
Some more notes from around the league:
- It was reported earlier that John Wall would try to recruit Kevin Durant to join the Wizards when he becomes a free agent in 2016. Durant, in town to play the Wizards, weighed in on the possibility, writes Ben Standig of CSN Wahington.com. Durant was born in Washington D.C., and had this to say before the game, “I grew up here. I’ve got 100 people coming to the game tonight. That should tell you how much I care for this city.” He continued on to say, “Just growing up here, catching the subway down to the MCI Center at the time as a kid, and watching the games. I’m very fortunate, blessed to come back here and play. Every part of D.C. is embedded in my heart. Looking forward to playing tonight.” Durant didn’t say he was considering heading to the Wizards, but he also didn’t rule it out.
- Pistons owner Tom Gores said that he is concerned about his underachieving team but added that the focus is on improving the existing roster, not buying or selling before the upcoming NBA trade deadline, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. Gores’ stance is that the team should be performing better than they have with their current roster. He also stated the focus isn’t on the upcoming trade deadline, but on helping the current roster develop. Gores also denied the team was trying to trade Greg Monroe, whom our readers voted the Piston most likely to be moved before the trade deadline.
Eastern Notes: Sixers, Melo, Cavs
It might be time for Sixers GM Sam Hinkie to give the Suns a call, writes Tom Moore of The Bucks County Courier Times. Moore thinks the Sixers should try and trade Evan Turner to the Suns for Emeka Okafor and a first-round draft pick. The Suns are reportedly looking to trade veteran big man Okafor (out indefinitely with a neck injury) and his expiring $14.5MM contract. Eighty percent of Okafor’s remaining salary will apparently be covered by an insurance policy. Moore believes the Suns would be willing to include one of their later first-round picks along with Okafor, if it would net them Turner. He doesn’t think the Suns would be willing to part with the Wizards top-12 protected pick, but may be willing to deal either their own (projected at 23rd), or the Pacers (projected at 29th) first-rounder.
More from the East:
- If the Knicks want to keep Carmelo Anthony past this season, they need to get another star before July, writes Al Iannazzone of Long Island Newsday. Getting another star by this year’s trade deadline would be preferable, but the Knicks lack of assets might make that difficult. If they are unable to swing a deal for a another star now, then Iannazzone believes they should make some trades for assets to use this summer. Making a deal after the season to acquire another star would make it easier to convince Anthony to re-sign with the team. If not, they will have to try and convince Anthony to hang on until 2015, when they will have plenty of cap space, and Rajon Rondo and Kevin Love will be free agents.
- There have been reports of major issues with the Cavaliers lack of discipline, and Mike Brown potentially losing the locker room. Both Brown, and Kyrie Irving have denied that there are major issues within the organization. Irving also denied the earlier report that he was close to firing his agent. Jodie Valade of The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes things are as bad as the rumors suggest. Valade says it’s not so much that there are issues, but rather the lack of accountability and ownership of them by the players that is the true problem.
Eastern Notes: Brown, Irving, Bynum, Celtics
It’s not a revelatory statement to say the Cavaliers are in trouble this season. They have lost 17 of their last 24 contests, and are 16-30 on the year, leaving them four games behind in the playoff standings. There are plenty of calls going around for coach Mike Brown‘s job. But firing Brown would only worsen the team’s real problem, writes Bud Shaw of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Shaw believes that it’s the players lack of professionalism that is the issue this season, and firing Brown would only serve to enable them further. Shaw also opines that if a true professional like Luol Deng is unable to have a positive impact, then there definitely is a much deeper problem with the organization than Brown.
More from around the Eastern Conference:
- Also weighing in on the Cavaliers coaching situation is Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. She thinks that the team would be better off if they ran Brown’s defense as he coached it, but if the players are tuning him out, then the team might need to make a coaching change.
- In the same piece, Schmitt Boyer also spoke about some fans clamoring for the team to trade Kyrie Irving. She doesn’t believe it would be wise, stating that the team wouldn’t get equal value in NBA players in return, and the team hasn’t drafted well, so draft picks might also not be worth trading him for.
- John Wall admits he’ll try to recruit Kevin Durant to join the Wizards in 2016, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Wall has stated in the past that he won’t be a recruiter and beg anyone to sign with his team, but for Durant he may make an exception. Wall and Durant share a trainer in the offseason, and Wall has already started dropping Durant some hints about coming to Washington.
- The Knicks made a strong push for Andrew Bynum, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knicks personnel director Mark Warkentien tried to arrange a meeting with Bynum, but it never materialized. The Knicks only had the veteran’s minimum to offer Bynum, which pro-rated would have been $550K. Indiana had part of its mid-level exception and can pay him a full $1MM for the rest of the season, which may have been the determining factor.
- The plethora of personnel changes the Celtics undergone this season have made it difficult for the team to maintain any continuity, writes Baxter Holmes of Boston.com. Between injuries, trades, and D-League signings, it has been hard for the team to be consistent. Holmes also states that the trade deadline might bring about even more changes for the squad.
Lawrence On Deng, Cavaliers, Irving, Heat
As usual, the latest weekly column by Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is filled with intriguing rumors and notes. Let’s dive in and look at some of the most notable pieces:
- Luol Deng was not happy to be traded to the Cavaliers, according to Lawrence. Deng reportedly expressed disdain for his new team to a close friend: “The stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It’s a mess.” Should this report be true, it doesn’t sound like Deng will be open to staying in Cleveland beyond this season. Most Hoops Rumors readers don’t seem to think he will anyway.
- Lawrence hears that Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is expected to lose his job at the end of the season as ownership grows tired of losing and hearing about persistent locker room issues. Since trading for Deng, the team is 4-7 and still remains out of the playoff picture in the weak Eastern Conference.
- A league source tells Lawrence that Kyrie Irving is close to firing his agent, Jeff Wechsler. Reportedly, Wechsler wants Irving to stay in Cleveland, but Irving would prefer to leave the Cavs and become a member of the Knicks. Just a few days ago, we heard Irving strongly deny he has any desire to leave Cleveland.
- The Heat have expressed interest in retaining LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, but Lawrence hears that all three have “sent signals” that they want to get a maximum deal in free agency since they all took pay cuts to sign together in Miami three summers ago.
- One insider for the Heat spoke on a potential end to the big three era in Miami, telling Lawrence, “that’s a real concern for us. The biggest concern? LeBron leaving.“
Western Notes: Ledo, Casspi, Jazz
The Mavericks have dominated the Kings when playing in Dallas for more than ten years, but DeMarcus Cousins looked to be their kryptonite earlier this year. Dallas won 15 of 16 home games against Sacramento dating back to 2003 before losing 112-97 on December 9th when Cousins led the way with 32 points and 19 rebounds. Unfortunately for Sacramento, they don’t have Boogie in action tonight in Dallas thanks to his sprained ankle. Here’s tonight’s look at the Western Conference..
- The Mavs announced that they have recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends of the D-League. The rookie has been assigned to the D-League three times this season and averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 29.1 minutes per contest across 18 games. In eleven games for the Mavs this season Ledo is averaging 1.7 points in just three minutes per game. He could see action tonight as the club will be without Shawn Marion.
- Omri Casspi is enjoying a career resurgence with the Rockets, but things didn’t go quite as smoothly with the Cavs. The forward spoke with Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer about the tougher times with Cleveland and how he’s enjoying things in Houston.
- Former NBA coach Avery Johnson likes what he sees when he looks at the Jazz but he says that it’s crucial that they re-sign Gordon Hayward this summer. “He’s what I call a valuable asset. The worst thing you can do with a valuable asset is allow a valuable asset to walk without any compensation,” Johnson told Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Meanwhile, Johnson says that Julius Randle would make sense for Utah in the upcoming draft.
Central Rumors: Irving, Martin, Rose
The leading story in the Central Division, and around the NBA, surrounds Kyrie Irving and his alleged discontent with the Cavaliers. It’s in the team’s best interests to mend fences with the star point guard, as multiple Cleveland-area writers have written, but the Cavs still wield most, if not all of the leverage. Irving would be a “raving lunatic” if he passed up a max extension from the team this summer, opines Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Here’s more on the Cavs and their Central Division rivals:
- The Bulls have no immediate plans to re-sign Cartier Martin, whose second 10-day contract expired this week, but Tom Thibodeau won’t rule out the idea of bringing him back later this season, notes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- In the same piece, Thibodeau admits that Derrick Rose could begin practicing with the team later this season. The Bulls have maintained that Rose is out for the season, but Rose has left the door open for a return during the playoffs.
- Executives around the league believe the Cavs are hesitant to send No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett to the D-League because they think it would look like an admission of failure on their part, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- With landing the No. 1 pick seemingly the best-case scenario for the Bucks this year, Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel explains that it’s no panacea.
Cavs Rumors: Irving, Brown, Grant, Bynum
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com points to Dan Gilbert’s vow that he’d never again let a star hit free agency as a reason why this summer’s extension negotiations with Kyrie Irving will be critical. Windhorst wonders if the Cavs, frustrated with Irving’s lack of on-court and off-court growth, might be hesitant to commit the maximum salary to the former No. 1 overall pick.
If the Cavs don’t see Irving as a max player, they could lose him in restricted free agency to a team that is willing to give him the max in the summer of 2015. That demonstrates the urgency surrounding the Cavs and their All-Star, and we have more from Windhorst’s piece and others here:
- Irving and coach Mike Brown share a mutual discontent about each other, while Irving’s failure to click with Dion Waiters and the disappointing play of Anthony Bennett have led the point guard to lose confidence in GM Chris Grant, according to Windhorst.
- The Cavs thought they’d resolved their issues with the departure of Andrew Bynum, but the center was clearly not at fault for all the team’s problems, observes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer.
- Odds are Brown and Irving will both be staying in Cleveland for a while longer, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who believes it’s incumbent on them to work together to lift the team. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald shares similar thoughts, opining that the Cavs should try to smooth out their differences with Irving.
Cavs Brass Feels Mike Brown Has Lost Team?
11:07pm: Amico has been told there’s no fear that Brown has lost the team, in addition to the Cavs strongly refuting the report. When asked by a Twitter follower about the quick contradiction of the earlier report, Amico responded with “different sources say different things” (Twitter links).
9:51pm: According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, although Cavaliers brass is concerned that Mike Brown has lost his team, league sources say there aren’t any plans to fire him at the moment. Amico also relays that there isn’t much hope for Brown re-gaining command of the locker room without a “significant occurrence” (Twitter links).
These tweets come along shortly after the Cavs were dealt a 31-point drubbing to the Knicks tonight and on a day that includes a report of Kyrie Irving telling confidants of his displeasure in Cleveland. At 16-30, the team has dropped 17 of its last 22 games and have lost three straight. Earlier this season, GM Chris Grant was reportedly on “shaky ground” with the franchise, and the Cavs’ performance thus far certainly doesn’t help his case. As we relayed earlier today, there’s widespread belief among NBA executives that Grant won’t last in Cleveland beyond this season if the team can’t turn things around.
Things haven’t gone very smoothly for the Cavs this season, and despite the fact that Grant was able to conclude a rocky situation with Andrew Bynum by trading for Luol Deng, the concern about Brown losing his grip on the roster, speculation of Irving wanting to leave, a more-disappointing-than-not season for number one overall pick Anthony Bennett, and the possibility that Deng has the option of bolting this summer to explore free agency only further complicates things.