Cavs Rumors: Latest on Possible Brendan Haywood Trade, David Blatt and More
Injuries and a lack of depth ultimately cost the Cleveland Cavaliers a championship in the 2015 NBA Finals. Now, general manager David Griffin's challenge is to assemble a team that can not only return to the Finals but finish the job.
He's going to have to get creative.
On the surface, it looks like the Cavs are set. With Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao and Joe Harris the only three players currently under contract for next season, according to Spotrac, the Cavs should have plenty of cash.
However, re-signing the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson evaporates that money pretty quickly. Then when you consider J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova all played roles of varying importance in last year's run and will need to be re-signed, the money is all but gone.
Here's a look at how the Cavs could be using their limited options to build a better roster around James along with the latest on the future of head coach David Blatt.
Brendan Haywood, 24th Pick on the Trade Block
Here's where creativity will count for the Cavs. Cleveland's greatest trade asset is actually Brendan Haywood at this point. The 35-year-old doesn't appear to have much left in the tank, but his $10.5 million contract, which is not guaranteed if he's waived by August 2, is a huge asset for teams looking to shed cap space.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports the Cavaliers are looking to deal Haywood and the No. 24 pick in some instances to improve the roster. Windhorst also notes that Griffin is looking to add another facilitator to the roster:
""The one thing that we did see in Golden State, and it was something that was very difficult for us to deal with, is they have an incredibly versatile team of multiple facilitating playmakers," Griffin said. "That's something we're going to continue to work upon. The more playmaking facilitators you have that know how to play the game, the better off you are, and I think you saw the value of that in the team that ultimately did win."
"
While Windhorst said the team has explored trading for either a player or a pick for Haywood, at this point, it would make much more sense to do the deal for a player rather than a pick. Even though James seems to have a lot left in the tank, he will be 31 by next year's playoffs. The Cavs need to be in win-now mode, and this appears to be one of the few opportunities they will have to add to their roster.
No one jumps out as an obvious trade partner at this point, but teams such as the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets are among the squads that will have the most money tied up in 2016, according to Spotrac.
If the Cavs could net someone like David Lee, whom the Warriors are looking to trade, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, it could be a move that helps push them to a title.
David Blatt Likely to Stay Put
One of the biggest storylines for the Cavs in the aftermath of the Finals has been David Blatt's role as head coach. The former Euroleague coach was the target of a lot of scrutiny throughout the season. Scrutiny that culminated in Stein taking a not-so-positive look at the relationship between Blatt and James during their Finals run.
Whether the criticism is fair or not, it appears Blatt will be joining forces with James again. According to ESPN's Chris Broussard (h/t Cleveland.com), he's likely to be back:
"I'm told it's highly likely he returns to return to Cleveland. Management wants him back. Ownership wants him back. The players liked him as a person, but the veteran players saw some deficiencies. They saw that he didn't really make adjustments during games. They felt his defensive philosophy wasn't good and it wasn't until Tyronn Lue took over defensively that they improved on that end.
"
This decision shouldn't come without some scrutiny of its own. Although the Cavaliers still made it to the Finals under Blatt's guidance, Broussard detailed LBJ's thoughts on bringing Blatt back. Once again, it isn't a rosy picture:
"LeBron James, how does he feel? He feels there are better coaches out there to lead them to a championship with more NBA experience. LeBron is not going to get involved. He's not going to issue an ultimatum. He's not going to say it's me or David Blatt. He's not going to hint at what they should do. He's not going to suggest maybe we go in a different direction. He's going to stay clear of it. He wants the organization to pick their coach and he's not going to get involved.
"
On one hand, it's a good show of faith from James that he trusts the organization to make the right decision. On the other hand, The King has been on championship teams. Part of the advantage of bringing him back from Miami is that he knows how to win titles. If he doesn't think Blatt is the best option, that's a red flag.
The bottom line is that Tyronn Lue's presence on the bench is huge for the Cavaliers. As Broussard mentions, Lue has the respect of the Cavs veterans. The fact that he's on the team's payroll gives the players an option they can go to should Cleveland decide to retain Blatt and fire him midseason next year.
Mo Williams Headed for a Cleveland Reunion?
As previously mentioned, David Griffin is looking for a few playmakers this offseason. If he isn't able to add what he's looking for in a trade with Haywood, an aging free agent such as Mo Williams might do the trick.
According to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, the 32-year-old is "more than interested" in rejoining the Cavaliers. Williams' time in Cleveland (2008-2011) intersected with King James' first run with the Cavs.
The unrestricted free agent appears to have plenty of spring left in his legs. He averaged 12.2 points per game in 41 contests with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season before getting traded to the Charlotte Hornets where his scoring spiked to 17.2 points per game in 27 appearances.
Brian Geltzeiler of Hoops Critic noted the importance a player like Williams could have had on the Cavs this upcoming season:
The Cavs aren't likely to have a ton of money to spend in free agency. Most of the money will be tied up in re-signing the talent that is already on the roster. However, Haynes notes that the team will be able to offer the taxpayer mid-level exception.
That might not be as much as the guard could get on the open market. But Griffin will be able to offer Williams something very few teams can—a legitimate shot at an NBA title next season.
Adding Williams to the existing talent on the Cavaliers roster is the kind of small move the franchise will need to pull off to remain among the top threats to win a championship next season.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
