Tag Archives: Gordon Hayward

WOULD THE CAVS AND GORDON HAYWARD BE A GOOD FIT?

Posted: Jul 2, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 1 Comment

There are various reports from ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports that the Cavaliers have interest in Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward. How much interest is the big question?

Are the Cavs willing to go max dollars for a player who has never been an all-star and is considered good, but not great? The four year pro out of Butler is a restricted free agent, meaning the Jazz have the right to match any offer made to Hayward if they so choose.

Last season in Utah, the 6’8 – 220 pound Hayward saw his average increase for the fourth straight season to a career high 16.2ppg. He also averaged a career high in rebounds (5.1rpg) and assists (5.2apg). However his field goal percentage decreased for the fourth consecutive year, falling to career low 41 percent. His 3-point shooting has been up and down over his four years in the Association, and last year it reached an all-time low at just 30 percent.

In order to make Utah think twice about matching a contract offer for Hayward, G.M. David Griffin and the Cavaliers would have to start with an average salary of at least $10 million per season over four years. Realistically that contract would have to be even higher, more like a max deal in the neighborhood of $14 million per season over four years. If that number was thrown at the Jazz, they might not match, or they could then possibly talk to the Cavs about a sign and trade for the 24 year old former first round pick if they at least want to get something in return for him.

I personally don’t think Hayward is a $14 million dollar a year player. I like his game, but his shooting is too inconsistent for me. I wouldn’t offer more than $11 million per year on a 3-year deal with a club option for a fourth year. But those numbers probably won’t scare the Jazz enough to let him go or feel the need to trade him. So if you’re the Cavs you’re going to have to over pay Hayward in order to have any chance of getting him out of Utah.

The only way I do that if I’m Cleveland is, one, you know for sure LeBron James is not coming back this summer. Two, all of the other small forwards you covet have told you no or there is no chance of them coming to C’Town. And three, you really believe that Hayward could develop into an all-star caliber player at the small forward position.

If the answer to any of those is no, then I wouldn’t offer Hayward a max contract. Hayward is on my list of free agent targets this summer, but at my price and only after I’ve explored all my other options.

Stay tuned free agency in the NBA is just getting started!

TEN 2014 FREE AGENTS THE CAVALIERS SHOULD CONSIDER

Posted: Jun 29, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 43 Comments

1  LeBron James – UFA – SF – 6’8 – 260 – 29  –  27.1ppg – 6.9rpg – 6.4apg ($19mill last season)

LeBron James photo small 11-27-13

2  Carmelo Anthony – UFA – SF – 6’8 – 235 – 30 – 27.4ppg – 8.1rpg – 3.1apg ($21.5mill last season)

 

3  Chandler Parsons – RFA (Hou.)–SF–6’9–227–25-16.6ppg–5.5rpg–4.0apg ($965,000 last season)

 

4  Greg Monroe – RFA (Det.) – C – 6’11 – 250 – 24 -15.2ppg – 9.3rpg – 2.1apg ($5.5mill last season)

 

5  Marcin Gortat – UFA – C – 6’11 – 240 – 30  –  13.2ppg – 9.5rpg – 1.5blk ($7.8mill last season)

 

6  Trevor Ariza – UFA – SF – 6’8 – 220 – 28   –   14.4ppg – 6.2rpg – 2.5apg  ($7.8mill last season)

 

7  Gordon Hayward – RFA (Utah) –SF–6’8–200–24–16.2ppg–5.1rpg–5.2apg ($4.7mill last season)

 

8  Spencer Hawes – UFA – C – 7’1 – 245 – 26 -13.2ppg–8.3rpg–3apg–1.2blk ($6.5mill last season)

 

9  Pau Gasol – UFA – C/PF – 7’0 – 250 – 33 – 17.4ppg–9.7rpg–3.4pg–1.5blk ($19.2mill last season)

 

T-10 Danny Granger – UFA – SF – 6’9 -230 – 31 – 8.2ppg – 3.2rpg – 1apg ($14.3mill last season)

 

Xavier Henry – UFA – SG/SF – 6’6 – 220 – 23 – 10ppg – 2.7rpg – 1.2apg          ($916,000 last season)

PODCAST – 2013-14 CAVS SEASON REVIEW WITH JASON LLOYD OF THE ABJ

Posted: Apr 18, 2014 by . Filed under Audio, Podcasts | 33 Comments

The ABJ’s Cavs beat reporter Jason Lloyd and I talk about what wrong during the 2013-14 season and what lies ahead for Dan Gilbert and his Cavaliers

DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS FOR DAN GILBERT

Posted: Apr 8, 2014 by . Filed under Blog Posts, Feature Articles | 31 Comments

It seems like we say this every year but I really believe this time it’s true. This upcoming off season for the Cavs will be the most important in team history. Owner Dan Gilbert needs to decide which direction he’s going to take the team.

Dan Gilbert Photo@CavsDan has many important decisions to make. Does he make David Griffin his fulltime General Manager or does he go out and bring in new blood? Will he hire a President of Basketball Operations type? If he does, there are rumors circulating that the names atop that list are former “Bad Boys” Joe Dumars, who reportedly will resign his position with the Pistons soon, or Isaiah Thomas. If either one is hired, it’s possible Gilbert could keep David Griffin as G.M. and have him answer to Dumars or Thomas.

Whenever this brain trust is finally put together their first decision will be to decide should they keep Mike Brown on as the team’s head coach? If not, who do you replace him with?

After that decision is made, next on the check list is do you offer Kyrie Irving the maximum 5-year contract? Do you believe in his brittle body, but made skills enough to make him the focal point of your team moving forward? If you do offer “Uncle Drew” the max and he turns it down and wants a shorter contract, then do you avoid getting burned again like you did with a former local high school star turned NBA MVP and try and trade him if he’s sending you messages he could leave ?  If Irving does accept the max contract then you have to figure out if he and Dion Waiters can co-exist on the same team. If you think they can, you don’t do anything. If you think they can’t, then you have to begin the process of trying to trade Waiters and get equal value in return.

After that determination is made, next up on the to do list is which of your own free agents or contract option players do you keep or trade to free up cap space. The important names on that list are free agents Luol Deng, Spencer Hawes and C.J. Miles and team option players Anderson Varejao, Alonzo Gee and Scottie Hopson.

What you do there, then leads into maybe your biggest decision of all and that is do you go after LeBron James in free agency if he opts out of his contract with the Miami Heat. If he doesn’t opt out, or you decide not to target him, then what is “Plan B” and who will you target with all of your cap space in free agency?  Do you go after Carmelo Anthony? Is Gordon Hayward your small forward of the future? Do you go after a veteran like Pau Gasol or Rudy Gay or Danny Granger?

LeBron and Kyrie shake hands at Z jersey Ceremony 3-8-14

You could also go another route and try and make a blockbuster trade to bring in an impact player like Kevin Love, but would you have to give up to get him?

And on top of all of that, unless a miracle happens, you once again will be picking in the lottery. As of now you would have the ninth most ping pong balls in the hopper. You better hope that Nick Gilbert’s bow-tie has a lot of luck left in it to get a top 3 pick if you want to land a projected franchise type player. If not, then your new front office will have to do a better job than they did last year in selecting the right player in the draft to help your struggling franchise. Even if it’s not a top three pick, you can’t afford to swing and miss like you did with Anthony Bennett.

So I think it’s safe to say that this “IS” the most important off season in Cavaliers franchise history and it falls squarely on the shoulders of owner Dan Gilbert to make all the right decisions to turn it around.