Category Archives: Cavs

Emoni Bates can be big part of Cavs future, it may just take some time

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When the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Emoni Bates in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft they knew it was going to take a bit of time for him to become fully acclimated to the NBA. Even with the potential extended timeline, Bates can still be a big part of Cleveland’s future.

Bates gave a glimpse of what could be on the horizon during the Cavs run to the Summer League title. Averaging 17.2 points and six rebounds per game, Bates was able to be a big time contributor. The rookie was able to make an impact from deep, averaging three makes on seven attempts. This is exactly the type of production Cleveland has been missing from their complimentary players. Being able to convert at this rate would be a game changer once Bates gets his chance.

While the performance of Emoni Bates in Las Vegas is very promising, it should be taken with a massive grain of salt. Summer League means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Sure, seeing Bates’ performance is encouraging, but there is still a long way to go here. This was far from NBA caliber talent that Bates and the rest of the Cavs Summer League roster was facing and that matters.

Emoni Bates and playing the long game

It is important to remember that Emoni Bates was taken in the second round for a reason. Bates is not an explosive player and can have problems when it comes to efficiency. Another thing to keep in mind is that Bates struggled while at Memphis. While he was able to improve during his time at Eastern Michigan, the drop in talent he played against is something worth taking note of.

This is a situation where it is important to play the long game. Emoni Bates is a very promising player, but there is no need to rush him into NBA action. There is still quite a bit of work in regards to his development before he can become an NBA regular. Bates will get his chance to make an impact for the Cavs, it will just take a little bit of time.

Cavs to play in 2024 NBA Paris Game

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking part in the 2024 NBA Paris Game per an announcement. Cleveland’s first trip to Paris will feature the Cavs taking on the Brooklyn Nets. This will be the third regular season NBA game to take place at AccorArena, taking place on January 11, 2024.

Previous regular season games at the venue include 2023’s tilt between the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons as well as the 2020 contest featuring the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets. These were part of the NBA Global Games initiative dating back to 1990 for regular season and 1984 for preseason.

The Cavs-Nets contest is just the fourth game since being placed on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A game between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs took place in Mexico City last December, the only game since returning not to take place in Paris.

Cavs intend to keep core together

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The Cleveland Cavaliers took some major strides this past season. A large part of that was the trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell as they took a major step in their rebuild process. Even though there have been plenty of trade rumors involving the Cavs this offseason, there is not any rush to break up Cleveland’s core four.

Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman stated that he intends to keep the team’s core together. Altman later added that he would not make any promises. This provides an out in the case a change of plans becomes necessary. At the current time it does not appear that any major change is coming to this Cavaliers team.

Just about every member of the Cavaliers “core four” has popped up in a rumor. Jarrett Allen has been the most common, but Mitchell and Darius Garland have also made the occasional appearance in the rumor mill. There is really no reason to take any of these seriously at the current moment or even before.

Cleveland is counting on this team continuing to grow together and a few recent transactions to shore up their supporting cast were made to show just that.

The Cavs shuffled their bench unit by acquiring Max Strus from Miami in a sign-and-trade deal. Cleveland even managed to retain Caris LeVert despite better offers also being on the table. By adding these type of complimentary players to their starting lineup, Cleveland is definitely counting on keeping their main players together.

There are some questions about the long-term viability of both Allen and Evan Mobley in the Cavs starting lineup. They are both very productive players, but in an ideal world Cleveland would have a starting big who is a consistent threat from outside the paint. A potential move could come somewhere down the line as it may be in the best interest of all parties. But for now expect the current version of the Cavs to take the floor opening night.

Caris LeVert chose Cavs over more lucrative contract offers

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There was a very real possibility that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be down another player from last year’s squad. That is at least according to a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Fedor stated that other teams with more money and years attached reached out to Caris LeVert, but ultimately decided to return the Cavs. LeVert has averages of 12.4 points on 43.2% from the field and 37.9% from deep during his 93 games in a Cavaliers uniform.

This is a big win for the Cavs. Cleveland made some moves in order to better their roster as part of the next step in their rebuild process. Being able to have a successful free agent period that includes retaining Caris LeVert is significant. The 28-year old veteran could have easily taken the money and cashed in like so many before him upon entering free agency. Considering that he did not certainly says something about what is going on in Cleveland.

It appears that the Cavs have approached and possibly passed the turning point in their rebuild. Players who have been in the league as long as Caris LeVert has are very aware of when a team is not going anywhere. They usually take the first opportunity to look and sign elsewhere. This says a lot about what the internal belief in this Cavs team is and when that happens it can spread around the league rather quickly. It should not be long before players of a certain ability level start targeting Cleveland as a place they want to end up.

Cavs rebuild has taken time, but worth the wait

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It has not been an easy path in the second post-LeBron Jame era, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally got themselves back on the right track. There has been quite a bit of trial and error but a series of moves over the past year or so have the Cavs to sort through some redundancies on the roster and get them in a much better spot moving forward.

2022’s offseason set the table

It all started with the trade which saw Cleveland land Donovan Mitchell in exchange for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Ogbaji, and draft picks. While Markkanen did have a career-year in Utah, that simply would not have happened with the Cavs had they not acquired Mitchell. Darius Garland and Sexton would be the primary options while Evan Mobley would have continued his growth in addition to getting decent contributions from Jarrett Allen. There simply would not be enough touches for Markkanen in Cleveland had he remained a Cavalier.

2023-24 is when the Cavs should ascend to the next level

Continuing their process from the previous offseason, Cleveland moved on from some more players who simply had no future here. The Cavs traded Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens in exchange for Max Strus in a three-team sign-and-trade. This was another example of Cleveland identifying players that were not going to be able to carve out a signifiant role in a competitive Cavaliers squad.

Strus should slide into the starting lineup while Isaac Okoro should be a competent three-point and defensive specialist off the bench (as long his three-point shooting continue to improve). Bringing in Damian Jones, Ty Jerome, and Georges Niang in addition to re-signing Caris LeVert and drafting Emoni Bates should solidify their bench group. The decision to add this group of players to their existing bench of Okoro, Ricky Rubio, and Dean Wade was made with the intention of improving their second unit.

It has always been about the big picture

There is a reason why the Cavs were so eager to make the moves they have in recent years. The players they traded in 2022 for Mitchell are fine, but they are more of the complimentary variety. Cleveland needed a clear number one scoring option as they did not have one. Sexton and Markkanen are fine, but are not what the Cavaliers needed.

A good front office is able to identify when they can no longer bank on potential. While Sexton, Markkanen, and Ogbaji had plenty of potential, the team was going to go nowhere with them on the roster. Treading water and continuing to be irrelevant is a death sentence no matter the sport. If Koby Altman did not make any moves there is a very good chance he is not currently still the general manager of the Cavaliers.

The trades for Mitchell and Strus highlight the big moves Cleveland believes will bring them closer to rather than further from a championship. There will more than likely be more moves at some point during the season, but the foundation and framework appear to be in place. It will be about making minor moves and slight roster adjustments moving forward, the hallmarks of a team that is genuinely ready to compete.

Premature Donovan Mitchell trade speculation from one analyst

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The NBA season is still a ways away and yet there are individuals out there still trying to push Donovan Mitchell out of Cleveland. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps had the following to say when asked “Which player has flown under the radar in free agency but will be a big storyline come February’s trade deadline?”.

Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland has to try to prove over the next year it’s worth having Mitchell sign up long term, or they’ll have to consider moving him with a year left on his deal next offseason. If the Cavaliers struggle next season, Mitchell’s name could come up.

Tim Bontemps on Cavs and Donovan Mitchell

What is going on here? First off, the answer really does not fit the question. Three of the four other answers were Karl-Anthony Towns which makes more sense. The Timberwolves are going in a different direction and Towns’ days are clearly numbered in Minnesota. There is also Towns’ contract which is up after the season which makes him a very obvious trade candidate.

As far as Donovan Mitchell is concerned though? This is complete nonsense. Mitchell’s deal runs through the 2024-25 season with a player option for just over $37 million in 2025-26. This would have Mitchell as the 17th highest paid guard in that season should things stay the same (they won’t). Mitchell will more than likely receive a new contract which sees him get a lot closer to the top of the list of guard salaries.

As far as the above mentioned player-option is concerned, it is really just an insurance policy for Mitchell should he end up with a major injury or experience an unexpected drop in performance. There is also the fact that the Cavs are not going to just sit there twiddling their thumbs and be like welp, we tried. The Cavs will make efforts to keep Mitchell in Cleveland beyond his current deal. Expecting them to do nothing is absolute balderdash.

Again, mentioning Donovan Mitchell here really seems like someone who did not want to see him in a Cavs uniform in the first place. This is not an aging team with a closing contention window. It is also not like former versions of the Cavaliers where they were treading water without making any substantial progress. The Cavs are a playoff team looking to build upon their early playoff exit. Even if they do struggle somewhat next season, this is all still very premature. The play-in tournament provides extra avenues to postseason play should a team stumble for an extended period. Cleveland is not a bottom feeder and could certainly take advantage of that secondary path to the postseason if needed.

Could the Cavs end up being in a position where they look to trade Donovan Mitchell? Sure. Anything is possible. However trying to make that happen at this current juncture has about the same legs as trying to make fetch happen. There is a proper time and place for it and right now is certainly not it.

Cavs early free agent winner as they improve supporting cast

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There was one clear objective for the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into the 2023 offseason and that was improve their supporting cast. At first it did not seem like that the Cavs were going to do all that much after picking up Lamar Steven’s option and letting Cedi Osman’s contract become guaranteed. The good news is that was all just a precursor to what the front office actually had in store.

Additions

A big time trade which saw the Cavs land Max Strus in a sign-and-trade was the type of move that hits at multiple points. Strus is a clear upgrade at the small forward position while also getting rid of some of Cleveland’s roster clutter in Stevens and Osman. Turning those two into Strus is a big win for the Cavs.

Cleveland was not done yet as they added two more quality free agents in Georges Niang and Ty Jerome. Niang should be a clear candidate to see his fair share of minutes off the bench at the forward position. With a 40.1% conversion rate from deep last season, Niang should help provide some much needed space when he is on the floor.

Jerome comes over as an intriguing bench option at guard. Cleveland may be the place where Jerome sees a relatively consistent amount of minutes as that has fluctuated fairly frequently up to this point in his career. One way to become a difference maker for this Cavs team? Help out in the shots from deep department. Jerome made 38.9% of his threes last season which would have been the third-highest among relevant Cavs players in 2022-23.

One key free agent retained

Caris LeVert is still in a Cavs uniform as the two-sides agreed on a deal for him to stay in Cleveland. It does not seem like this move would be on the table without the bench shuffling made by the Strus trade. LeVert is someone who runs very hot and cold which can be exciting or excruciating to watch depending on the day. Maybe a clearer role and on-court grouping will help LeVert be a bit more consistent on a game-by-game basis. At worst LeVert helps in the continuity department which this team does need after jettisoning a few players.

Another move on the way?

There is still the possibility more moves could be coming for Cleveland as they are still not all the way closed on trading Jarrett Allen. Moving Allen could clear things up a bit more for this roster. It could also help make an addition to this roster which brings them up to the same level as true contenders. It may be a bit before things become a bit more clear in this situation and it may even take until the season starts with Allen still in the starting lineup for the Cavs.

Cavs still may move Jarrett Allen

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One of the most popular players mentioned in trade rumors this offseason is coming up yet again. Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen may still be on the move.

According to a report from Marc Stein, the Cavs have not exactly closed the door on trading Allen.

“On the same subject, there have been some whispers this week that the Cavaliers are more open to trading Jarrett Allen than advertised for the obvious reasons: He appeared to struggle with the moment at various points of the Cavaliers’ five-game exit to the Knicks.“

This seems to be a recurring theme for the Cavs when it comes to Jarrett Allen. The Cavs rejected trade offers for Allen and the Pelicans have recently approached Cleveland about his availability.

There comes a point when something is no longer just a rumor or hypothetical trade cast into the void of the internet. Everyone knows the saying, where there’s smoke there’s fire, well it appears to be trending towards red hot in Cleveland.

Allen is a solid player and his effectiveness in a different system on a different team is questionable. With that being said, it does appear that the Cavs are capped in regards to how far they can progress with him in their starting lineup. With the persistent rumors of Allen popping up it does seem that the Cavaliers front office is aware of this fact and are exploring every avenue to potentially improve the team by (almost) any means necessary.

Cavs land Max Strus in three-team trade

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The Cleveland Cavaliers struck a deal to land forward Max Strus in a sign and trade deal in exchange for Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a draft pick. Strus will come to Cleveland on a new four-year $63 million deal.

The agreement between the two sides comes after Osman’s salary for next season was fully guaranteed and Stevens’ option was picked up by the Cavs.

This is a big time get for Cleveland. While Osman and Stevens have become decent role players off the bench, they do not appear to anything more than that and what is what Cleveland needs. Strus should slide right into heavy rotation minutes and be a consistent threat from deep. Swapping the combo of Osman and Stevens for Strus is a big win for the Cavs chances moving forward.

Max Strus averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game last season while making 2.5 threes per game at a 35% conversion rate. Strus is a welcome addition to a Cleveland lineup that lacks shooting outside of their top tier players.

Cedi Osman’s 2023-24 contract is now fully guaranteed

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The Cleveland Cavaliers had a decision to make in regards to the future of Cedi Osman and that decision has been made. Osman’s $6.7 million contract for next season has been fully guaranteed for the 2023-24 season.

Cedi Osman averaged 8.7 points on 45.1% shooting from the field and 37.2% from deep in 20.1 minutes per game last season. Of his 77 games played, 75 came off the bench which was a new career-high in that area.

From a continuity perspective this makes sense for Cleveland. Cedi Osman has been with the team since the 2017-18 season. The issue comes from the on-court basketball aspect. Osman is a frustratingly inconsistent player and can bring the Cavaliers offense to a complete stop in just a few minutes. At the same time he is also capable of getting hot for an extended stretch in scoring double-digits rather quickly.

Cleveland has clear issues at the small forward position and has attempted to solve them through various means. Perhaps they believe Osman can be a solution to shore up what is by far their weakest position group.