Cavs Rumors: Latest on Kevin Love's Free Agency, J.R. Smith and More
The Cleveland Cavaliers' season just ended, but the team's front office won't be able to indulge in a little rest and relaxation until the NBA draft and free-agency signing period have come and gone.
Whether it's pitching Kevin Love on a return to the Rust Belt, shelling out to bring J.R. Smith back into the fold or attempting to clear cap space to bring in another ball-handler, the Cavaliers have a hectic few weeks ahead of them.
Factor in Tristan Thompson's impending restricted free agency and LeBron James' ability to opt out and re-sign another one-year deal before the salary cap explodes in 2016, and Cleveland is going to be working at a frenzied pace as it attempts to manage its cap sheet.
Cavs Remain Favorites to Retain Love
All along, the most sensible move for Kevin Love has been to decline his player option and target a pay increase for the 2015-16 season.
However, just because he's opting to become an unrestricted free agent doesn't necessarily mean he's honing in on long-term contractual security.
After opting out on Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Love is still projected to land back with the Cavaliers when all is said and done, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:
Northeast Ohio Media Group's Joe Vardon reiterated that Cleveland was not fazed by Love's decision to opt out:
Nor should they have been.
Dating back to May, Love has been adamant about his intentions for the upcoming campaign. According to Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Haynes, he responded "yes sir" when asked if he'd be suiting up for the Cavaliers when the season opens.
Ultimately, this appears to be a monetary play by Love.
According to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, opting out of $16.7 million will allow Love to boost his earning potential to $18.9 million in base salary for 2015-16.
And if he really wants to keep a long-term focus in mind, Love could decline to sign a five-year deal with Cleveland and opt for a one-and-one structure. Under that framework, Love could make $18.9 million and retain a player option for 2016-17, which he could then decline with a salary-cap explosion on the way.
"The one-and-one contract allows Love to then be a free agent in the 'Money Summer' of 2016," The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto wrote. "He can leave the Cavs if it doesn't work out, or the team can put together a sign-and-trade for Love in 2016. Or in 2016, he can sign a maximum long-term deal with the Cavs."
Mutual Interest in a J.R. Smith Reunion
With the exception of a dreadful showing in the NBA Finals, J.R. Smith thrived during his trial run with the Cavaliers.
As a result, both sides are interested in a long-term partnership, despite the 29-year-old's decision to opt out of a generous guarantee for next season, according to RealGM.com's Shams Charania:
According to Haynes, Smith said he "absolutely" wants to return to the Cavaliers as recently as June 17.
Smith shifted to a bench role late in the playoffs as the Cavaliers dealt with a slew of injuries, but he started in 45 of his 46 regular-season appearances. During that span, he averaged 12.7 points while shooting 39 percent from three.
After arriving in a January trade from the New York Knicks, Smith jibed with Love, James, Kyrie Irving and fellow midseason acquisition Timofey Mozgov. When those five shared the floor, the Cavaliers posted a net rating of plus-19.3 points per 100 possessions, according to NBA.com. Among lineups that played at least 400 minutes, only the Golden Stare Warriors' starting five was more prolific (plus-19.6).
Cleveland Shopping Haywood's Contract
Cleveland's in the market for an upgrade in the playmaking department, and it has an under-the-radar asset that could help facilitate the acquisition of ball-handling reinforcements.
According to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, Cleveland is trying to create a package revolving around Brendan Haywood in order to land another steady rotational contributor:
"The Cleveland Cavaliers are working on upgrading their roster by shopping the potentially valuable contract of Brendan Haywood, and -- in some cases -- offering it along with the 24th overall pick in Thursday's draft, sources told ESPN.com.
Haywood's $10.5 million contract is not guaranteed for next season if he's waived by Aug. 2. This could be attractive to a team looking to either offload salary now or use it as part of another deal that could be executed during free agency in July.
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With Finals folk hero Matthew Dellavedova set to become a restricted free agent should Cleveland extend a qualifying offer, the Cavaliers appear to be targeting a guard who can take some of the offensive burden off LeBron's shoulders.
If the Cavaliers choose not to match offers for Dellavedova or renounce his rights entirely, a seasoned floor general like Mo Williams would make some sense, assuming Cleveland can find a taker for Haywood's non-guaranteed deal.
According to Haynes, Williams is "more than interested" in re-joining James and the Cavaliers as an unrestricted free agent. However, Cleveland would only be able to offer the 32-year-old the mini midlevel exception ($3.37 million in 2015-16, per CBAFAQ.com's Larry Coon) since it is slated to dip into the luxury tax next season.
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