Tag Archives: Free Agency

WHAT THE CAVALIERS NEED MOST

The Cavs biggest needs this off season via the draft, free agency or trades are very simple, they need a center and they need multiple wing players.

When you look at their roster they’re overloaded at point guard with Kyrie Irving, Jarrett Jack and Matthew Dellavedova.

While their shooting guards really aren’t shooting guards, they feel they have a young pair in Waiters and Sergey Karasev.  Waiters to me is a point guard, or at least what I call a “Ball Guard”. He needs the ball in his hands in order to be effective and that really doesn’t mesh well when he and Kyrie Irving are on the floor together. The Cavs may be willing to try one more season to see if Irving and Waiters can create chemistry on the floor together, but then again remember; David Griffin didn’t draft either one of them so he may be willing to pull the trigger on a trade of one or the other.  But for now let’s say Waiters stays.

Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett are their power forwards, while neither one of those guys excite meet, at least they have what is considered a starter on this team, in Thompson. So again that takes us back to small forward and center positions.

Anderson Varejao could be the team’s starting center if need be, but there’s the possibility they could trade him this off season. But if they do keep him, he’s really not a true center, he’s more of a power forward.  Tyler Zeller is a nice back-up center, but nothing more and Spencer Hawes is a free agent and he’s not your typical center either.  Hawes is a stretch 5, who prefers to play away from the basket and gives you no defensive presence around the rim at all, as well as no toughness.  So depending on what he’s asking for, the Cavs may not resign him.

After watching Luo Deng struggle to stay healthy all season and with all the NBA miles he’s put on his body, I have no desire to bring him back as the starting small forward, especially for what he’s going to be commanding in free agency dollars. Alonzo Gee is nothing more than the 8th, 9th or 10th player on this team.

So as David Griffin and Dan Gilbert prepare for the June 26th NBA Draft, they must decide where they are going to get their center and small forwards(plural) from. That’s what makes this draft so interesting and important. “G and G” have a chance to fill one of those major needs with the first overall pick and possibly another with the 33rd overall pick. If not there, then in free agency or with a major trade.

Joel Embiid would plug the hole at center and be an immediate upgrade defensively, athletically and physically. He’s a little raw on offense, but that’s because he’s only played basketball for about four years and considering his lack of experience, he has shown great improvement in his offensive game. However with Embiid it all comes down to the health of his back. If he cleared all the Cavs medical tests then I believe they should, and will take him number #1 overall. If his back did not pass the medical exams, then it comes down to Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins in the draft.

Parker is the more ready to play right now of the two both physically and mentally. His offensive game is more well-rounded and his outside shot is better at this point than Wiggins. However Wiggins in my opinion, has a higher ceiling and athletically and defensively he blows Parker out of the water. On top of that, Wiggins will still score the basketball from the wing position, just maybe not as consistently as Parker.

But luckily for the Cavs their biggest needs in the draft coincide with the best players in this draft. Meaning they really can’t wrong with whomever they pick. I would have gladly taken anyone of these three before the draft lottery, so they truly are in a win-win-win situation.  Now will one of the top three picks separate himself from the others eventually, probably, but you’re still going to get what many believe is an all-star caliber player no matter who you take.

My order of preference is Embiid first, but only if 100% healthy. Wiggins second because of defense and more upside and Parker third because unlike the other two, he’s more of just an offensive player.

Is it out of the realm of possibility that the Cavs maybe use the number #1 pick and a player to make a trade for an already established all-star caliber player? No it’s not, but I believe it’s unlikely considering the talent and potential that each of the top three picks possess.

So once the Cavs do make their selection with that first overall pick, that should tell us what direction they’re headed in as far as free agency and that’s when things could get even more interesting than the draft, depending on what you know who does in Miami.

SAM AMICO JOINS ME TO TALK CAVS, THE DRAFT, LEBRON JAMES AND MORE

FoxSportsOhio.com’s Sam Amico weighs in on what Cavs G.M. David Griffin might do in the draft, about trade possibilities, LeBron James coming back to Cleveland and who the coaching candidates might be.

Sam Amico Photo

KYRIE IRVING ON THE 2013-14 SEASON AND HIS FUTURE WITH THE CAVS

Kyrie Irving reflects on his 3rd season and what his future holds in Cleveland
Kyrie Irving Post Game Photo

PODCAST – IS ALEX MACK WORTH $42 MILLION?

If I’m The Browns I Match Jacksonville’s Offer For Alex Mack

 

BROWNS NEEDS IN FREE AGENCY

If I’m new G.M. Ray Farmer I would prioritize my free agency list this way,
biggest need is at inside linebacker followed by safety, running back,
wide receiver, corner back and back-up quarterback.

My targets if I’m the Browns would be:

LB – Karlos Dansby and Arthur Moats

S – Jairus Byrd, TJ Ward, or Donte Whitner

RB – Ben Tate, Rashad Jennings or Andre Brown

WR – Emmanual Sanders, Eric Decker, Julian Edelman or Golden Tate

CB – Aquib Talib, Alterraun Verner, Darrelle Revis(if released)

QB – Rex Grossman or Matt Schaub

ME, MYSELF AND I – LUOL DENG TRADE

With plenty of free time on my hands, I’ve been talking talking to myself more and more. Here’s the conversation I had with me, myself and I today about the Cavs acquiring Luol Deng from the Bulls for Andrew Bynum.  (Thanks Terry Pluto for the idea, I just tweaked it a little bit)

Me: So Cavs G.M. Chris Grant turned Andrew Bynum into Luol Deng, that’s a pretty sweet deal for the Cavs. Nice trade C.G.!

Myself: Yes indeed, you dump a bum with bad knees for a 2-time all-star, in the prime of his career, at your biggest position of need, and better your chances of making the playoffs this year. I’d say that’s a steal!

I: Big deal, the Eastern Conference sucks other than Miami and Indiana. Making the playoffs in the East is like being the slimmest fat kid at fat camp or Earl Clark saying I’m the leading scorer amongst Cavs small forwards, it doesn’t mean diddly squat!

Me: You’re wrong, it means a lot. You can’t teach playoff experience, you have to go through it and hopefully with Deng here, guys like Kyrie, Tristan and Dion will experience that.

Luol Deng

Myself: Plus if the Cavs make it to the playoffs and actually win a round that will send a message to the 2014 free agent class that they’re on the right track and it may result into a certain free agent wanting to return home if he sees progress in Cleveland.

I: Yeah, and if my aunt had balls, she’d be, well you know the rest. She doesn’t, and he’s not coming back because of Luol Deng or winning a first round playoff series in the putrid the East.

Me: Well if LeBron doesn’t come back, then the Cavs can just resign Deng and go after another free agent in the off season.

Myself: Plus even though they won’t be in the lottery, they’ll still have multiple draft picks to add talent.

I: But you won’t get one of the studs that will be available in this year’s draft. This is the year you WANT to be in the lottery. You WANT to have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd overall pick with such a deep draft class. Even Grant couldn’t mess up that pick. If they make the playoffs and get bounced in the first round, they’ll have screwed that up too! Right now they’re in good position for the lottery. APPBITH for one more year.

Me: You have to start winning sometime or else Kyrie is going to take his talents somewhere else.

Myself: This Deng trade shows Kyrie and all the other players how serious they are about winning, which will give the players a mental boost for the rest of the year, and who knows maybe they add another player before the February trading deadline for another shot in the arm.

I: That so called good feeling will last a week or two if they aren’t winning or if Luol and Kyrie both ignore Dion and don’t pass him the ball.

Me: I’m just happy that Chris Grant has followed through and traded in some of those chips he had on the table for a solid defensive small forward who can score. He’s a legitimate starter at that position.

Myself: Me too. This is the best player the Cavs have added outside of the draft since Lebron left and he’s an all-star the last 2 years.

I: That same all-star has an achillies injury, and it’s forced him to miss 9 games already this year. What’s to say it won’t flair up again?

Me: Yeah but if it doesn’t, we’re looking at 19 points and 7 rebounds a game and he’s an all-league defender.

Myself: Plus he’ll be a great veteran leader in a young clubhouse and a leader on the floor for Mike Brown.

I: The only reason he’s playing so hard is because it’s his contract year and he wants to get paid and he’ll take the best offer at the end of the year and more than likely someone else will offer more than the Cavs, so you basically got a 4 month rent-a-player.

Me: Yeah but if helps us make the playoffs, it will have been worth it.

Myself: Yeah, just win dammit!

I: You won’t be thinking that come draft lottery time when you could have had a shot at Jabari Parker or Julius Randle or Andrew Wiggins.

Me: I’m willing to take that chance if it means winning now.

Myself: Me too.

I: Not me.

DWYANE WADE 1 ON 1 INTERVIEW WITH KENNY RODA 11-27-13

Dwyane Wade 1 on 1 Interview with Kenny Roda 11-27-13

LEBRON JAMES INTERVIEW WITH KENNY RODA 11-27-13

LeBron James Interview with Kenny Roda 11-27-13