The Cleveland Cavalier Rumor Mill

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.

Color Anderson Verejao gone, unless his agent comes to the very real conclusion that his client’s game does not lend itself to $10 mil per year contracts.

Orlando Magic backup center Marcin Gortat was on the Cavs radar, but the word is that "The Polish Hammer’s" asking price is getting too steep after a number of teams have shown interest.

Lamar Odom, Chris “Birdman” Anderson, and Jazz forward Paul Millsap also fall into the category of “unrealistic expectations” for Cavs fans, considering the money that they are commanding.

Cavs followers have to keep in mind that, although the team is trying to add a piece for a championship run, they also have to maintain some salary cap flexibility for 2010 when they will offer LeBron his max-player deal while satisfying the King by adding a big-time running mate.

They are poised to make this happen in 2010 when Shaq’s $20 mil deal, Zydrunas Ilkauskas’ $14 mil and Wally Szczerbiak’s $13.5 mil come off the books. So unless it’s a younger player, the team is unwilling to break the bank (in terms of size or length of contract) with any more additions.

Plan B to the Wallace sweepstakes was supposed to be Charlie Villanueva, but it looks as if he was swept up by the Pistons.

So unless the Cavs can woo Wallace, they will likely settle for one of the second-tier power forwards such as Marvin Williams, Chris Wilcox, Josh Powell, Malik Rose, or they may just re-sign Joe Smith.

There still may be some teams out there who are willing to dump salary so that they can sign one of the aforementioned big men, and I am sure Danny Ferry is watching those situations very closely.

Perhaps a bigger need is a wing with some size who can play defense. As hard as Delonte West worked last season, his lack of length was exposed by the Orlando Magic in the playoffs.

It would not have gotten better for the team if they survived Orlando to face the Lakers with Kobe, Trevor Ariza, and Odom.

On the bright side, Orlando management gave the Cavs an early Christmas present when they inexplicably let Hedo Turkoglu walk and replaced him with Vince Carter.

Turkoglu’s ability to handle the ball, take it to the lane, and spot up for the open three at 6’10” gave the Cavs fits.

Carter, on the other hand, treats the paint as if it is Satan’s lair and plays defense like it’s a trip to the dentist.

The Cavs are keeping a watchful eye on the situation in Toronto as 6’6” swingman Anthony Parker might become available in a salary dump.

The Lakers' Trevor Ariza would be an ideal candidate to fill the Cavs’ void, and there is talk that the team is courting him heavily.

Ariza is young, long, and athletic, and he has proved he can handle the pressure of playing with a superstar with lofty ambitions.

The question is whether he is just leveraging the Cavs for a bigger deal with another team.

Perhaps the most intriguing Cavs’ rumor is coming out of the Ron Artest camp. Artest is showing a great deal of interest in being LeBron James’ running mate.

From a pure basketball standpoint, Artest is perfect. At 6’8” and 240 pounds, he's the only player in the league who compares to LeBron physically.

Despite Artest’s turbulent past, he is quite simply the best wing defender in the league. He also isn’t afraid to mix it up under the boards, post up, take it to the hole, and he also has the ability to knock down shots from outside the three-point arc.

Say what you want about Artest’s personality, there is no questioning his intensity and will to win—and win now—before his time is up.

If the Cavs do manage to pull off this coup (and Artest manages to avoid using his frequent flyer miles for trips to the Commissioner’s offices), you can pencil the Cavs in for the Finals.