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Tag Archives: NBA Free Agency
20 NBA FREE AGENTS WITH NEW TEAMS FOR 2014
Player Old Team New Team
LeBron James Miami Cleveland
Chandler Parsons Houston Dallas
Luol Deng Cleveland Miami
Trevor Ariza Washington Houston
Pau Gasol LA Lakers Chicago
Paul Pierce New Jersey Washington
Josh McRoberts Charlotte Miami
Danny Granger LA Clippers Miami
Shaun Livingston New Jersey Golden State
C.J. Miles Cleveland Indiana
Spencer Hawes Cleveland LA Clippers
Channing Frye Phoenix Orlando
Steve Blake Golden State Portland
Anthony Morrow New Orleans Oklahoma City
D.J. Augustin Chicago Detroit
Jordan Farmar LA Lakers LA Clippers
Thabo Sefalosha Oklahoma City Atlanta
Jodi Meeks LA Lakers Detroit
Chris Kamen LA Lakers Portland
Isaiah Thomas Sacramento Phoenix
WHY THE CAVS ARE NOW CONSIDERED THE FAVORITES TO LAND LEBRON JAMES
And down the stretch they come! As we race towards July 10th, the first day NBA free agents can officially sign their new contracts; the biggest name in free agency has yet to decide what uniform he’ll be wearing next season. But the finish line is within sight and should be crossed in the next few days from what I’ve been told.
Sources tell me that LeBron James and his people will meet with the two or three finalists in Las Vegas over the next day or so and then make the decision as to where he will be playing next year.
It looks now like it’s a two horse race between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, with an outside shot of the Lakers climbing back into the race if they can convince Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol to sign in L.A. But to use a horse racing term, it’s considered a very “Long Shot”.
The reason the Cavs chances continue to rise is no all-star caliber free agent is willing to take less money and sign with the Heat as of tonight. Pat Riley struck out with Kyle Lowery and Marcin Gortat. He met and left without a verbal commitment from Luol Deng and Pau Gasol. Riley now is said to be talking to Marvin Williams as a potential free agent candidate. I’m not sure that’s the type of player that’s going to knock LeBron’s socks off and make him want to stay in Miami. So the longer this goes without a commitment from a legit, still close to his prime type player saying yes to the Heat, the better the chances are for the Cavs. But don’t count Riley out just yet. If he goes down, he’s going to go down swinging. But there may not be enough power (or salary cap space) in those punches to help him or save him.
With that in mind I would now put the Cavaliers chances of convincing James to return to Cleveland as a free agent at least at 60 percent and here’s why. They will offer him a max contract. There is an immediate chance to win, as well as an extended chance to win with the current roster. Also if James signs, the Cavs have the assets of cap space, young talent and future first round draft picks to change the roster if need be to bring in a third all-star player. Plus he’d be returning home, which would in turn make his wife happy. You know the old saying, “Happy Wife, Happy Life!”
James would also get the opportunity to finish what he started eleven years ago, when he was drafted first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers, and that was to bring the city of Cleveland a championship. He also promised to “Light Cleveland Up Like The Las Vegas Strip”. So it would only be fitting that if LeBron is indeed does return to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers, he announce it this week from Las Vegas!
CAVS FANS IMPORTANT NBA SUMMER DATES TO REMEMBER
Keep these NBA dates in mind as we follow the story of who Lebron James will choose to play basketball for next season.
July 10, 2014 – First official day NBA free agents can sign a contract with their current team or a new team.
July 9-12, 2014 – The Nike/LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada.
July 11, 2014 – The Cleveland Cavs first NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas, Nevada vs the Milwaukee Bucks. We could see Andrew Wiggins going up against Jabari Parker. The Vegas Summer League ends July 21st.
KYRIE IRVING AND CAVS AGREE TO MAX CONTRACT EXTENSION
The season had just come to an end with a 114-85 win over the Brooklyn Nets in the final game of the regular season. But with no post-season to talk about for the fourth consecutive year, the topic that was on everybody’s mind in the Cavaliers locker room was would the Cavs offer Kyrie Irving a max contract in the off-season, and if they did, would he accept? I asked him that very question on that night of April 16, 2014 and here’s how the exchange went –
Fast forward 2 1/2 months and Dan Gilbert and the Cavs did make the offer and Kyrie Irving did say yes! So on the night that NBA free agency began, the Cavaliers started it by taking care of one of their own.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert tweeted out the news that 2-time all-star point guard Kyrie Irving agreed to terms on a max contract extension worth a reported 5-years and $90 million dollars.
Gilbert used social media to spread the word –
Looking forward to the next 6 years of @KyrieIrving in CLE. Just shook hands &intend to sign on the 10th.Cant be more excited about @cavs…
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) July 1, 2014
Irving confirmed Gilbert’s tweet with one of his own –
I'm here for the long haul Cleveland!!! and I'm ecstatic!! Super excited and blessed to be here and apart of something special.#ClevelandKID
— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) July 1, 2014
More on Irving agreeing to the contract extension per Kyrie’s agent Jeff Wechsler via Adrian Wojnarowski’s twitter account –
Agent Jeff Wechsler tells Yahoo: "Kyrie is looking forward to growing with the organization and city of Cleveland over next six years."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2014
Agent Jeff Wechsler on Blatt-Ty Lue in meeting: "They were incredibly impressive. That's what helped sell Kyrie on taking this deal."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 1, 2014
The 22 year old Irving and 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year, will be entering his fourth season in the NBA with a career scoring average of 20.7ppg and 5.8apg.
Irving cannot sign the contract extension per league rules until July 10th.
NBA FREE AGENCY AND THE CLEVLAND CAVS DEPTH CHART
NBA Free Agency begins tonight July 1st at midnight eastern time. The Cavaliers have plenty of cap space to go after a big name free agent like LeBron James, or if G.M. David Griffin feels there’s no chance of bringing James back to Cleveland, he can direct his attention and dollars elsewhere on maybe one or two other free agents.
With that in mind here is a look at the Cavs current depth chart that new head coach David Blatt and associate head coach Tyronn Lue have to work with.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS DEPTH CHART
PG – Kyrie Irving (4th year) Jarret Jack (10th year) Matthew Dellavedova (2nd year)
SG – Dion Waiters (3rd year) Sergey Karasev (2nd year) Joe Harris (rookie)
SF – Andrew Wiggins (rookie) Carrick Felix (2nd year) Scottie Hopson (2nd year)
PF – Tristan Thompson (4th year) Anthony Bennett (2nd year)
C – Anderson Varjao (11th year) Tyler Zeller (3rd year) Dwight Powell (rookie) Brendan Haywood(13th year)
THE DECISION 2 AWAITS – LEBRON JAMES IS A FREE AGENT
It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Lebron James opted out of the final two years of his contract in Miami, but maybe that fact that he did it six days before his opt out deadline date and two days before the NBA Draft is somewhat surprising.
Per ESPN.com reports, James agent Rich Paul notified the Miami Heat that the 4-time NBA MVP would indeed be testing the free agent waters, just like he did when he had the same opt out clause in Cleveland back in 2010.
While James could still end up resigning with the Heat for more years and more money (about $30 million more over 1 year), this at least gives other teams around the league who thought they had a chance to sign James a legitimate shot to convince him that his best chance to win more titles is to sign with them and not back with Pat Riley in South Beach.
The Cavaliers have been rumored to be one of the teams that will go hard after James to try and bring him back to Cleveland where he spent the first seven years of his NBA career before leaving in free agency in July of 2010.
In his time as a Cavalier he led Cleveland to their only appearance in the NBA Finals, but came up short of a championship, losing to the Spurs in four games in 2007. For the Cavs to have any shot at bringing James back to Northeast Ohio two things have to happen.
One, team owner Dan Gilbert and James will have to patch up their differences after what happened because of the “The Decision” in 2010 and Gilbert’s letter that followed.
Two, new G.M. David Griffin must convince James that his new coaching staff made up so far of head coach David Blatt and associate head coach Tyronn Lue along with the Cavs roster he will have come opening day 2014-15 will give LeBron the best chance to win a title in 2015 and for years to come.
During his four years in Miami, James led the Heat to the NBA Finals each year, winning titles in 2012 and 2013. Miami failed to “Three-Peat” though this year, as LeBron and the Heat were knocked off by the San Antonio Spurs in five games. It is believed that James will end up where he thinks he has the best chance to play for more championships.
So let the recruiting and the “Summer of LeBron 2” begin.
TALKING SPURS CHAMPS, LEBRON A FREE AGENT?, CAVS DRAFT AND HEAD COACH
FoxSportsOhio.com NBA Beat Writer Sam Amico joined me just hours after the Heat lost to the Spurs in the NBA Finals and we quickly got into what that means for LeBron’s future. Will he opt out and become a Free Agent? If so, could he come back to Clevleand?Who are the Cavs going to take with that number #1 pick and who’s going to be coaching the “Wine and Gold” next year? Listen Here –
