Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Gee, sure would be nice if even one of the Bee's sportwriters was ever this thorough on the Kings position.
In any case, highlighted the direct mention of Bibby, but I'm not sure if I agreee with the assessment. If all of a sudden Cleveland is willing to go over the cap, if keeping Varejao is not a 100% given if he wants mroe than the MLE...well, maybe there might be enough matching $$ assets in Cleveland afterall. Also note the late mention of the cap roompossibilities of Wesley, Newble, Jones (not an ender). Its too bad they have no picks.
Cavs filling in gaps
With no draft picks, improving talent base difficult
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
The Cavaliers' offseason has arrived, albeit later than ever. As anyone who watched the Finals knows, although they had the best season in team history, they are by no means complete.
There are several issues to watch over the summer.
The Anderson Varejao contract situation is poised to be very interesting. He's a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer he receives. However, it is difficult to determine his value, and therefore it could be a drawn-out process.
First, he's not a starter and probably isn't going to be. Drew Gooden is more talented overall, and he'll be making $6.4 million next season. It's hard to fathom the Cavs will want to give Varejao, who made $945,000 this season, as much as or more than Gooden.
According to team sources, General Manager Danny Ferry has permission from ownership to exceed the luxury-tax threshold for the first time in team history. Ferry has made it clear behind the scenes, however, that he does not want to hamstring himself with unmovable contracts. In other words, Varejao is not untouchable, and the winds suggest the Cavs would let him walk rather than match a deal they consider unreasonable.
Second, there are almost no comparable players in the league. It is hard to set a market. He's an energy player with limited offensive skills, traits not usually associated with big-money players. Then again, talented big men tend to get big money.
Third, the teams with open salary-cap space -- Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando, Atlanta and Memphis -- aren't obvious fits for Varejao. That means if he wants a deal worth more than the midlevel exception ($5.5 million), it might happen only in a sign-and-trade. The Cavs don't have to cooperate, so it might be a standoff.
Nonetheless, several teams figure to be interested in bidding on Varejao. According to league sources, one of them is expected to be the Houston Rockets, who are looking to get more athletic and are overhauling their power forward spot.
Dribbles
• Sasha Pavlovic is in the same boat as Varejao, restricted, but there seems to be a greater likelihood the Cavs will keep him. It is doubtful he would get an offer above the midlevel exception from a team with cap space. Plus, the Cavs probably will put out the word they intend to match offers, which may scare away competition. Pavlovic's market was hurt this week when the Toronto Raptors traded for Carlos Delfino. Toronto was a team believed to be interested in Pavlovic.
• There seems to be some belief out there that the Cavs and Sacramento Kings will re-start talks over point guard Mike Bibby, but in reality the time might have passed. The Kings wanted some expiring contracts in the deal; that was a large component of the original talks. With the season over, the Cavs no longer have the same assets to offer. Never say never, but don't assume it's much of an option.
• According to league insiders, the Cavs started trade talks over the weekend after staying quiet during the playoffs. Expect other rumors to be generated heading into the draft.
• The Cavs are one of the dozen or so teams to express interested in Greek guard Theo Papaloukas. The 6-foot-7 point guard has become a star for CSKA Moscow and was the main cog in the Greeks' victory over Team USA in last summer's FIBA World Championships. In addition, the Cavs are the type of team that interests Papaloukas because they need a point guard and are title contenders. As much of a playmaker and competitor as he is, however, Papaloukas is not a great shooter. The Cavs need shooters, and the reason they pursued European products Sarunas Jasikevicius and Anthony Parker over the last two summers is because those two can shoot. Said one NBA international scout about Papaloukas: ``He's a great European player.'' Key word in that assessment: European.
• In a related note, according to a source, Jasikevicius has made some back-channel overtures that he'd love to play for the Cavs next season after passing them up two years ago. He can become a free agent by opting out of his contract, worth $4 million, but he may not want to do it because he may not get the same $4 million in free agency. He also reportedly is considering leaving the Golden State Warriors, where he doesn't play much after being traded from the Indiana Pacers, and going back to Europe.
• Of the free agents out there, a league source suggests the Cavs might show the most interest in guard Steve Blake. They nearly offered him a contract two summers ago, and they like him as a ball handler and a shooter. He might be a more economical option than some others out there. You will hear a lot about Earl Boykins, the talented scorer and Cleveland native who has made no secret that he would love to finish his career in his hometown. The Cavs might shy away because he's a bit of a shoot-first player, and his size would present defensive issues on a team that thinks defense first.
• Both Ira Newble and Damon Jones have asked management to be traded, although it's not really a demand. Jones can still shoot, but coach Mike Brown doesn't seem to trust him on defense, and that might never change. Plus, Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown probably will play in front of him next season. Although Newble, who hasn't played much in the past two years, might not seem like an asset, he is. He has an expiring contract next season, and that has value. So does David Wesley, who has a $2 million deal with only $250,000 guaranteed. So, for example, the Cavs could move Newble, Wesley and Jones in the same deal, throw cash in and still pick up a player (or players) making as much as $11.1 million while greatly reducing the other team's salary-cap commitments.
• The Cavs will hold several workouts for draft prospects over the next week. Among the players expected to work out are Ohio State product Ron Lewis and Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry. Also, some draft Web sites have linked the Cavs to Mohamed Abukar, a big man out of San Diego State. At the moment, nothing indicates the Cavs are hot enough after any prospect to trade or buy into the draft. To recap, their first-round pick belongs to Phoenix (via Boston for Jiri Welsch), and the second-rounder belongs to Orlando (for Varejao and Gooden).
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17387532.htm
In any case, highlighted the direct mention of Bibby, but I'm not sure if I agreee with the assessment. If all of a sudden Cleveland is willing to go over the cap, if keeping Varejao is not a 100% given if he wants mroe than the MLE...well, maybe there might be enough matching $$ assets in Cleveland afterall. Also note the late mention of the cap roompossibilities of Wesley, Newble, Jones (not an ender). Its too bad they have no picks.
Cavs filling in gaps
With no draft picks, improving talent base difficult
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
The Cavaliers' offseason has arrived, albeit later than ever. As anyone who watched the Finals knows, although they had the best season in team history, they are by no means complete.
There are several issues to watch over the summer.
The Anderson Varejao contract situation is poised to be very interesting. He's a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer he receives. However, it is difficult to determine his value, and therefore it could be a drawn-out process.
First, he's not a starter and probably isn't going to be. Drew Gooden is more talented overall, and he'll be making $6.4 million next season. It's hard to fathom the Cavs will want to give Varejao, who made $945,000 this season, as much as or more than Gooden.
According to team sources, General Manager Danny Ferry has permission from ownership to exceed the luxury-tax threshold for the first time in team history. Ferry has made it clear behind the scenes, however, that he does not want to hamstring himself with unmovable contracts. In other words, Varejao is not untouchable, and the winds suggest the Cavs would let him walk rather than match a deal they consider unreasonable.
Second, there are almost no comparable players in the league. It is hard to set a market. He's an energy player with limited offensive skills, traits not usually associated with big-money players. Then again, talented big men tend to get big money.
Third, the teams with open salary-cap space -- Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando, Atlanta and Memphis -- aren't obvious fits for Varejao. That means if he wants a deal worth more than the midlevel exception ($5.5 million), it might happen only in a sign-and-trade. The Cavs don't have to cooperate, so it might be a standoff.
Nonetheless, several teams figure to be interested in bidding on Varejao. According to league sources, one of them is expected to be the Houston Rockets, who are looking to get more athletic and are overhauling their power forward spot.
Dribbles
• Sasha Pavlovic is in the same boat as Varejao, restricted, but there seems to be a greater likelihood the Cavs will keep him. It is doubtful he would get an offer above the midlevel exception from a team with cap space. Plus, the Cavs probably will put out the word they intend to match offers, which may scare away competition. Pavlovic's market was hurt this week when the Toronto Raptors traded for Carlos Delfino. Toronto was a team believed to be interested in Pavlovic.
• There seems to be some belief out there that the Cavs and Sacramento Kings will re-start talks over point guard Mike Bibby, but in reality the time might have passed. The Kings wanted some expiring contracts in the deal; that was a large component of the original talks. With the season over, the Cavs no longer have the same assets to offer. Never say never, but don't assume it's much of an option.
• According to league insiders, the Cavs started trade talks over the weekend after staying quiet during the playoffs. Expect other rumors to be generated heading into the draft.
• The Cavs are one of the dozen or so teams to express interested in Greek guard Theo Papaloukas. The 6-foot-7 point guard has become a star for CSKA Moscow and was the main cog in the Greeks' victory over Team USA in last summer's FIBA World Championships. In addition, the Cavs are the type of team that interests Papaloukas because they need a point guard and are title contenders. As much of a playmaker and competitor as he is, however, Papaloukas is not a great shooter. The Cavs need shooters, and the reason they pursued European products Sarunas Jasikevicius and Anthony Parker over the last two summers is because those two can shoot. Said one NBA international scout about Papaloukas: ``He's a great European player.'' Key word in that assessment: European.
• In a related note, according to a source, Jasikevicius has made some back-channel overtures that he'd love to play for the Cavs next season after passing them up two years ago. He can become a free agent by opting out of his contract, worth $4 million, but he may not want to do it because he may not get the same $4 million in free agency. He also reportedly is considering leaving the Golden State Warriors, where he doesn't play much after being traded from the Indiana Pacers, and going back to Europe.
• Of the free agents out there, a league source suggests the Cavs might show the most interest in guard Steve Blake. They nearly offered him a contract two summers ago, and they like him as a ball handler and a shooter. He might be a more economical option than some others out there. You will hear a lot about Earl Boykins, the talented scorer and Cleveland native who has made no secret that he would love to finish his career in his hometown. The Cavs might shy away because he's a bit of a shoot-first player, and his size would present defensive issues on a team that thinks defense first.
• Both Ira Newble and Damon Jones have asked management to be traded, although it's not really a demand. Jones can still shoot, but coach Mike Brown doesn't seem to trust him on defense, and that might never change. Plus, Daniel Gibson and Shannon Brown probably will play in front of him next season. Although Newble, who hasn't played much in the past two years, might not seem like an asset, he is. He has an expiring contract next season, and that has value. So does David Wesley, who has a $2 million deal with only $250,000 guaranteed. So, for example, the Cavs could move Newble, Wesley and Jones in the same deal, throw cash in and still pick up a player (or players) making as much as $11.1 million while greatly reducing the other team's salary-cap commitments.
• The Cavs will hold several workouts for draft prospects over the next week. Among the players expected to work out are Ohio State product Ron Lewis and Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry. Also, some draft Web sites have linked the Cavs to Mohamed Abukar, a big man out of San Diego State. At the moment, nothing indicates the Cavs are hot enough after any prospect to trade or buy into the draft. To recap, their first-round pick belongs to Phoenix (via Boston for Jiri Welsch), and the second-rounder belongs to Orlando (for Varejao and Gooden).
http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/17387532.htm
