The Cleveland Cavalier Rumor Mill

(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

The first day of the free agency period produced a whirlwind of speculation.

It’s clearly a buyer’s market with so few teams with money to burn.

Most NBA teams are hamstrung by the salary cap with only the mid-level salary exception to offer.

Another group of teams simply are holding money because of the effect the economy has had on their bottom line.

And yet a third group of teams are trying to clear salary cap space so they can partake in the perceived “free agent bonanza” that is the class of 2010.

The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a unique position—one they have never seen in the history of the franchise. That is, there are a certain number of players who actually want to come to Cleveland.

There are only a select number of teams who have a legitimate chance at contending for an NBA championship. Cleveland now is an attractive destination after adding "The Big Cuyahoga" to King James and friends.

Shout out to my buddy Jud for his creative new moniker for the Shaq Man.

For those players who have made their money but want a chance to get a ring, Cleveland’s image among NBA players has changed from the “Mistake on the Lake” to the nude beach in Vera Playa, Spain.

Sure, there are going to be players who are more interested in a huge payday than actually winning a championship. If you’re looking for max dollars, you better look elsewhere because there is only the mid-level and bi-annual exception to offer.

But there are going to be plenty of veterans who take a lesson from Michael Redd and realize that money can’t buy happiness.

One of those players is Rasheed Wallace. Wallace watched the Cavs grow up right before his eyes after seeing his Pistons getting taken to the woodshed in last years playoffs.

Wallace has always been a bad loser and it looks like he has decided that, "if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

It's clear that Wallace wants to play for either Cleveland or the Celtics. Neither has the money to get into a bidding war, so the guess is he will be wearing the uniform of the team that shows him the most love.

The Cavs may not be that team.

Certainly, the team could use a big man who can shoot it from the perimeter and play defense in the post, but given Wallace’s combustible personality (and aging legs), Wallace has to want Cleveland more than Cleveland wants Wallace for this to work.

The bottom line is that the Cavs need one more "big"—someone who can hit the boards and play solid defense. If the guy can shoot it from outside fifteen feet, it would be a plus, but not a necessity.

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