Category Archives: Cavs

When to expect a possible Donovan Mitchell extension

Posted on by
Advertisements

What is the expected timeline for contract extension talks between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Donovan Mitchell?

The future of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland has been one of two recurring topics this offseason, (the other being trade rumors involving Jarrett Allen). While there is no genuine information at this time about a potential departure, that not has stopped speculation from those in other larger markets.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst made an appearance Monday on NBA Today, providing some insight into the situation.

I don’t think under any circumstances he was ever considering extending this season, and I think the Cavs knew that when they traded for him

Brian Windhorst on Donovan Mitchell

Windhorst would also add that it is next year when should be any sort of pressure to sign Mitchell to an extension. Even though it would be a bit comforting to have a resolution sooner rather than later, there is no need to panic as of yet. The Cavaliers have been reportedly “rolling out the red carpet” for Donovan Mitchell and this is a process that takes time.

This does appear to be unwelcome news for perpetual crybaby Tim Bontemps. Bontemps has been campaigning all summer for the Cavaliers to trade Donovan Mitchell. There could be a time when the Cavs are put in a position where it would be wise to trade Mitchell, but it doe not appear to be coming any time soon.

Jarrett Allen an option for New Orleans? Cavs big man named possible target for Pelicans

Posted on by
Advertisements

Trade rumors involving Jarrett Allen just never seem to go away. Unlike those involving Donovan Mitchell, this seems to be rooted more in reality. There are concerns about the long-term viability of Allen and Evan Mobley and moving the former could lead to better results for the latter.

A discussion-style article between William Guillory and John Hollinger appeared in The Athletic with Jarrett Allen being mentioned as a possibility to go to New Orleans. Guillory mentioned the Cavs’ center as an option for the Pelicans.

With Valančiūnas heading into the final year of his deal, the Pels have been sniffing around for other options in recent months. There have been rumors of them exploring potential deals for Jarrett Allen or Isaiah Stewart, but nothing has materialized quite yet.

William Guillory

But when it came to whether or not a realistic deal could be made between the two sides, Hollinger believes if there was one it would have already been made.

I imagine if there was a realistic deal that satisfied both sides, Allen would already be in town. The Cavs would likely be looking for things in an Allen deal the Pels either can’t provide or would be extremely reluctant to (i.e., Murphy, Dyson Daniels, Lakers pick); part of what makes filling this spot such a challenge is finding the right cost in terms of assets.

John Hollinger

That is the difficulty when it comes to potential trades of Jarrett Allen. It has been stated previously that Allen is more valuable to the Cavs than anyone else. With that in mind, getting a fair return in their eyes will be difficult. This is not to say that Cleveland should lower their demands by any means. It is just that he is valued much differently by other organizations. This fact is something to consider when discussing possible trades of their starting center.

There has not been any indication that the Cavs are shopping Jarrett Allen at this time. That has not stopped teams from approaching them with possible trade offers though. It is possible that the Cavs alter their plans during the season based on how things paly out. For now, expect Allen in Cleveland on Opening Night.

Are the Cavs projected to be better or worse in 2023-24?

Posted on by
Advertisements

There are plenty of reasons for optimism regarding how the Cavs will do in 2023-24. The front office addressed areas of need, but will the team actually be better next season? This is a fair question to pose about the newly reconfigured Cavaliers.

A recent article published by Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale believes that to be the case. This is not necessarily surprising considering the Cavs were named as one of the most improved teams previously by Favale. The additions of Max Strus and Georges Niang were noted as reasons to believe they are better off.

Max Strus and Georges Niang bring legitimate outside touch on high volume. The floor will open significantly for Cleveland’s Core Four, both in the playoffs and regular season, with Strus sponging up reps at the 3.

The Cavs brought in Strus and Niang to help out in the three-point department. Cleveland has struggled in that area for some time and improvements were desperately needed. Taking on proper complementary roles, this new three-point duo should make the jobs of everyone else just a bit easier.

Ideally, this version of the Cavs should be able to progress a bit further in the postseason. The team notably struggled against the Knicks and there have been plenty of questions about the compatibility of a few players on the roster. Hopefully having the right supporting case can lead to those questions disappearing and the team performing at the level that is expected of them.

Cavs “rolling out the red carpet” for Donovan Mitchell

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Cavaliers are doing everything they can to convince Donovan Mitchell to stay with the organization.

Despite the almost non-stop pleas from ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not looking to trade Donovan Mitchell “today” as he requested. In fact, they are taking an approach that was embraced by George Costanza known as The Opposite.

According to a recent report, the Cavs are going above and beyond to make sure that Donovan Mitchell is happy.

They’re doing their best to reconfigure things around him and just keep rolling out the red carpet, making sure he knows he is taking care of, all of that

Additionally, it was noted that the team is not looking to give up on Mitchell’s time in Cleveland after just one season. The Cavs made this trade by giving up several players and draft picks. There is absolutely no reason for them to pull the plug on their current roster configuration. The decision to trade for Mitchell was made with the intention that he would be here for the long haul. Giving up after a single season would be a rather epic level of mismanagement.

The Cavaliers have made several moves to bolster their depth this offseason. A much improved supporting cast in Cleveland should make things a bit easier for everyone, including Mitchell. The Cavs improving their talent level combined with a deeper postseason should result in Mitchell being more open to staying. That is as long as this season goes the way most expect.

Bontemps is free to whine like a petulant child about how the Cavs should trade Donovan Mitchell all he wants. It may be best for him (and others) not to get his hopes up though. Cleveland is looking to take steps forward and trading Mitchell would be counterproductive. As long as the Cavs look to compete, expect Mitchell to be in Cleveland.

Is Max Strus Cleveland’s weakest starter?

Posted on by
Advertisements

Max Strus has played exactly zero games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that has not stopped him from being labeled as the weakest starter on the team.

A recently published article from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey titled “The Weakest Link in Every NBA Team’s Starting Lineup” has identified the recently acquired Strus as the so-called weak link in the Cavs lineup. If this seems unfair, well that is because it is. Bailey even stated that he got this designation by default. It is not ideal, but that can be the reality of evaluating a team’s starting five.

This is the tough thing when it comes to evaluating a new complementary player on an already established team. Cleveland had a very specific need this offseason and they went out and addressed it. It is not a super sexy move or an addition of a star player, but it needed to be done.

Max Strus is not going to be tasked with being a high-usage player for the Cavs. In fact, that is not why Cleveland acquired him. The Cavaliers were looking for an upgrade at the small forward position due to their previous options being underwhelming. Strus does not need to be a star, he just needs to play off of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley. And if it results in him being labeled their weakest starter, so be it.

Analyst doubles down on unnecessary Donovan Mitchell speculation

Posted on by
Advertisements

It is another day in the NBA offseason that features unnecessary speculation about the future of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland.

A conversation between ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Tim Bontemps, and Brian Windhorst produced some interesting and superfluous quotes. First up is Bontemps.

…I don’t think there’s any chance he signs an extension there ever. And if it was up to me, I would trade Donvan Mitchell today…they’ll get a lot more for him w/ 2 summers left than they will w/ 1…Now I also am fully aware that’s not what they’re gonna do and I understand why…

Tim Bontemps on Donovan Mitchell

If that name sounds familar that is because it is. Bontemps also spread some very premature trade speculation about Donovan Mitchell not too long ago. This just appears to be a continuance of his previous stance.

Windhorst would add the following tidbit.

…This Fall when Donovan doesn’t extend…I’m sure he’ll get asked about it at Media Day & I’m sure he’ll have a very good answer & maybe even a hedge answer, & um, that’ll be interesting…

Brian Windorst on Donovan Mitchell

Again, also unnecessary. However most of any non-LeBron coverage of the Cavs from good old Windy is pretty much useless anyway.

The important takeaway is considering the source of where these quotes are coming from. Bontemps clearly has an agenda he is clearly pushing. An agenda that features Donovan Mitchell not extending his time in a Cavaliers uniform. And as afar as Windhorst is concerned, that was addressed above.

Is there a world where Donovan Mitchell does not remain in Cleveland? Sure. But there is also a world where Mitchell signs a contract extension at some point and remains with the Cavs. The issue is that only one side of this conversation is currently getting national attention and anyone familiar with Cleveland sports knows it is not the one that sees a star player stay.

JB Bickerstaff overlooked in coach rankings

Posted on by
Advertisements

Is JB Bickerstaff one of the best coaches in the league? Not necessarily. Then again barely cracking the Top 20 seems to be a bit disrespectful, but that is where he appeared in a recent list ranking NBA head coaches.

Checking in at number 19 is Bickerstaff. This does seem quite low when comparing last season’s success combined with the talent gap between Cleveland and those teams who made deeper playoff runs. When it comes to evaluating the ability of a coach, it should be those who can get more with less that should be favored higher.

Is JB Bickerstaff without his faults? No, but this applies to most, if not all coaches. Some of those are just general shortcomings in the way he approaches the game. Others come from areas of weakness on the roster that were hopefully addressed this past offseason.

The Cavs are a team on the rise and the tutelage of Bickerstaff is a big reason for it. Cleveland should be able to take another step forward this season and join the group of contending teams. The players believe in him. The front office clearly believes in him. Now is the time to put everything together and show the rest of the league that this team has truly arrived.

Dylan Windler signs two-way deal with New York

Posted on by
Advertisements

Dylan Windler has found a new home in New York. The former Cavs first round draft pick has agreed to a two-way deal according to reports.

The Cavaliers not retaining Windler is hardly a surprise considering how they approached free agency. Cleveland was aggressive in finding players who would see minutes over the now former Cavalier. The minutes were simply not going to be available to Winder in Cleveland and it makes sense that he has signed elsewhere.

Things never quite worked out for Dylan Windler in Cleveland. A combination of injuries and underwhelming performance was the overarching theme of Windler’s stint as a Cavalier. The 26-year old forward only appeared in 84 games over three years for Cleveland. This is due to a lengthy, almost never-ending injury history that consistently got in his way.

When Windler did play the results on the court were not exactly inspiring. Cleveland was hoping that Windler could contribute in three-point department, but a 32.2% conversion rate from deep is not what they had in mind.

Perhaps a fresh start with the Knicks is exactly what Dylan Windler needs. This new opportunity could allow Windler to show he can provide some sort of value to NBA teams. While this may not be his last chance in the league, there are a limited amount for a player with this type of track record.

Cavs named as one of NBA’s most improved teams

Posted on by
Advertisements

The relative aggressiveness of the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason has not gone unnoticed. The Cavs had some very clear needs entering this offseason and have made moves in order to address them. These efforts caught the attention of Dan Favale of Bleacher Report as he named Cleveland as one of the six teams that improved the most this offseason.

Favale notes that the Cavs had two goals they needed to accomplish this offseason.

“upgrade their shooting on the wings without torpedoing the defense, and deepen the front-line rotation behind Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.”
Dan Favale on Cleveland’s needs

Bringing in Max Strus and Georges Niang were Cleveland’s way of addressing those needs. While neither player is anything resembling a star, that is not what the Cavs needed at this point in time. Cleveland has their primary stars in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland while Evan Mobley is working his way towards getting to that level. Finding the right players to complement their already established players was what Cleveland sought out to do and it appears that they have done just that.

Ideally Strus slides right into the starting five while Niang can be a meaningful contributor off the bench. This would result in Isaac Okoro being bumped from the starting rotation and into a bench role where he appears to be a better fit. It would also allow Niang take on a role that the Cavs attempted to have Dean Wade fill late last season. Wade turned out not to be the answer for the problem they were looking to solve, resulting in Cleveland looking for external help in Niang.

What it comes down to is whether or not the Cavs made meaningful attempts to improve their team where they needed it. Favale believes that they did and should be able to take a step forward in the Eastern Conference this season. Now it is up to the Cavs to do their part, by living up to this new level of expectations.

Cavs in Top-10 of NBA Power Rankings

Posted on by
Advertisements

The Cleveland Cavaliers were active in making changes to their roster for the upcoming season. With those changes the Cavs are considered a Top-10 team in the NBA. This is according to the latest power rankings from Zach Harper appearing on The Athletic.

Cleveland checks in at ninth, barely cracking the Top-10. This is a slight drop from where they were at the end of the regular season as they were sixth at the time. The Cavs current ranking has them in what is considered a “Tier 3 Playoff Hopeful“. While this seems a bit harsh for a team that has clearly improved this offseason, moving on from players with no future in Cleveland.

Being able to add Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Ty Jerome while retaining Caris LeVert seems like a solid step in the right direction for the Cavs. These additions were complimented by Harper, but that did not stop him from asking a very important question about Cleveland’s future.

Have we hit a wall with Donovan Mitchell teams?

As with every team on this power ranking, Harper raises what he refers to as a pressing question. This is in regards to the postseason performance of teams with Donovan Mitchell on their roster.

But we keep seeing a pattern with Mitchell’s teams when they get to the playoffs. They just come up short in ways where he could have been better, and things look so disjointed as they lose. 

Zach Harper’s pressing question about the Cavs

This is a tough, but fair question. The way that Cleveland crumbled against the Knicks this past postseason is very concerning. While everything does not fall on Mitchell here and this seems to be more of a coincidence than anything. This is a big time case of rushing to judgment considering Mitchell has all of one season in Cleveland to his name. If this was a recurring pattern year-after-year with the Cavs it would be one thing, but it simply isn’t currently.

Cleveland should be in position to make a deeper run this season. Having a young team get to the playoffs and lose is valuable experience. They should be able to draw on the lessons from that experience to improve moving forward. If things do not work out after this season the question posed by Harper does become more valid. But at the current moment in time, asking this question is very much premature.