Cavs 08-09 Season - Central Div Champs (official thread)

[ArmyVet83]

I'm pretty sure Pavs is under contract for another year as well. If they are going to make a bid addition this year it will likely be through a trade.

Here is the link:

HoopsHype - NBA Salaries - Cleveland Cavaliers

 

[tsteele316]

According to the article then I read, he could be pretty easily moved to a team who wants to dump salary. He has signed for $4 million but as a buyout of $1.5 million.

technically, his contract is only for $1.5 million guaranteed. same difference, but a team would have to cut him instead of buying him out, which is easier to do.

 

[LitlBuck]

The article from www.Cleveland.com/cavs

The Assets

? Nonguaranteed contracts. Pavlovic will be one of the most talked about names in the NBA this summer. He has one year at $4.9 million left on his deal but just $1.5 million is guaranteed and that will make him attractive to teams looking to cut payroll. Jawad Williams, Tarence Kinsey and Jackson also have nonguaranteed contracts that can be packaged in a trade. Jackson, however, is in the Cavs' plans.

? Wallace. In the final year of a contract worth $14 million, he will be valuable for teams thinking of creating cap space going into the big summer of 2010. Because he's said he is thinking of retiring and might accept a buyout for less money so he can return to college and finish his degree, Wallace could be a major trade chip this summer.

? Exceptions. If Varejao opts to become a free agent as expected, the Cavs will have shaved $30 million off their payroll. It will allow them to use their $5.5 million mid-level exception and their $2 bi-annual exception on free agents. This is especially valuable because as teams cut back due to the economy, there will not be many dollars on the free agent market for the Cavs to compete with.

? Draft. The team has two picks, the last pick of the first round (No. 30) overall and the Chicago Bulls' second-round pick (No. 46). Their second round pick, No. 60, went to the Miami Heat in a trade for Jackson.
But the Cavs might be aggressive in looking to move around or pick up extra picks. This is generally considered a thin group and some teams might look to sell their picks or trade out of the market. If the Cavs like a player, they will have plenty of chances to jump up and pick him, perhaps greater than in years past.

More Cavaliers coverage

 

[jlb1705]

The article from www.Cleveland.com/cavs

Exceptions. If Varejao opts to become a free agent as expected, the Cavs will have shaved $30 million off their payroll. It will allow them to use their $5.5 million mid-level exception and their $2 bi-annual exception on free agents. This is especially valuable because as teams cut back due to the economy, there will not be many dollars on the free agent market for the Cavs to compete with.

Notice it says $30 million off their payroll, not $30 million in cap space. My reading of that article is that they will have only the two exceptions to use on external free agents.

 

[LitlBuck]

Planning for the future becomes a sudden necessity for Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball NBA News - cleveland.com

This part of the article pretty much sums up my thinking as well.

The Needs

? A skilled big man. This has been a significant soft spot all season. They had a solid rotation of big men, but none are shot blockers and besides Zydrunas Ilgauskas, none averaged more than 10 points a game. Often when Anderson Varejao, who will be a free agent, or Ben Wallace were in the game, opposing teams didn't even guard them so they could shade an extra player toward James.

The inability to handle the Magic's Dwight Howard 1-on-1 or be able to slow down the Lakers' trio of strong big men in Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom created major problems for the way the Cavs play defense.

It is likely the Cavs will look to bring in two new big men depending on what happens with Varejao and fellow free agent Joe Smith and whether Wallace decides to retire. The Cavs are looking forward to J.J. Hickson returning healthy and the development of Darnell Jackson.

? A tall wing defender. The decision to pair Delonte West and Mo Williams in the backcourt this season proved to be shrewd and it worked out well. But backcourt depth behind them was spotty and struggled defensively. Daniel Gibson, Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak all had their own defensive deficiencies.

Because West, Williams and Gibson are on the small side by NBA standards, the Cavs are going to need a player who has some height and can defend the taller shooting guards in the NBA. West did an excellent job on Richard Hamilton and Joe Johnson in the playoffs and then battled Hedo Turkoglu well, but he was giving up size to all of them. This is an area the Cavs will address.

? A backup point guard. There is not a true backup to Williams. West is effective at the position and Gibson has played there as well, but neither are pure point guards and never will be. At times this season West had to log heavy minutes because someone had to be on the floor to handle the ball when Williams rested.

 

[LitlBuck]

Notice it says $30 million off their payroll, not $30 million in cap space. My reading of that article is that they will have only the two exceptions to use on external free agents.

I guess what I don't understand is why can't go over the salary cap again if they are willing to pay the luxury tax. I mean how is their payroll currently over $30 million if they did not go over the salary cap in the first place.

That is what I do not understand and they keep on talking about the new influx of cash with the 15% minority that the Chinese conglomerate is going to assume. Well, if their money isn't going to help us why did they guys sell their minority ownership except maybe just for profit:)

 

[PlanetFrnd]

Here is the link:

HoopsHype - NBA Salaries - Cleveland Cavaliers

Very helpful, Army, thanks.

Ben: Out.
Wally: Gone
Pavs: see what you can get for expiring contract, keep if no value
Andy: keep
Bench:...move for value

Keep Z, but he should know that his role will be deminishing, esp. if the Cavs do what they should do and get a young (read: not shaq) athletic C. Go after an Pietrus/Ariza-like player (I doubt they can get Ariza).

 

[exhawg]

According to the article then I read, he could be pretty easily moved to a team who wants to dump salary. He has signed for $4 million but as a buyout of $1.5 million.

I don't understand why someone would want to trade for him just to buy him out. He doesn't make that much and he would be a good player in the right situation. I think he would be a good fit on a shoot first team.

 

[exhawg]

[quote='BusNative;147666;0]Very helpful, Army, thanks.



Ben: Out.
Wally: Gone
Pavs: see what you can get for expiring contract, keep if no value
Andy: keep
Bench:...move for value

Keep Z, but he should know that his role will be deminishing, esp. if the Cavs do what they should do and get a young (read: not shaq) athletic C. Go after an Pietrus/Ariza-like player (I doubt they can get Ariza).[/quote]

Ariza is a FA, but he'll probably make more than the Mid-Level. I would throw as much money as they can at him, which is around 6 mil a year. As I said before I'd do the same for Odom.

 

[PlanetFrnd]

Ariza is a FA, but he'll probably make more than the Mid-Level. I would throw as much money as they can at him, which is around 6 mil a year. As I said before I'd do the same for Odom.

I would LOVE Ariza... I'm just not optimistic. Odom would make me very, very, very frustrated. On any given night, he uses about 23% of his given ability.

 

[ArmyVet83]

I don't understand why someone would want to trade for him just to buy him out. He doesn't make that much and he would be a good player in the right situation. I think he would be a good fit on a shoot first team.

Agreed. After looking at a number of scenarios (most not to good from a business standpoint or a team improvement standpoint), here are a couple of things the Cavs could do:

Sign and trade Andy (add Sasha) with the Cavs #1 (30 overall) and move up in the draft.

Cut Sasha and do the above.

The only other player that I see as possible trade bait is Boobie and the need for injury prone, undersized off-guards are not in high demand. (See AI)

The Cavs have alot of work to do to get better FAST. I just hope Lebron loves Cleveland as much as we hope he does.

It would be pretty nice of Z to take about a 5-6 million pay cut for next year wouldn't it.

 

[tsteele316]

I guess what I don't understand is why can't go over the salary cap again if they are willing to pay the luxury tax. I mean how is their payroll currently over $30 million if they did not go over the salary cap in the first place.

That is what I do not understand and they keep on talking about the new influx of cash with the 15% minority that the Chinese conglomerate is going to assume. Well, if their money isn't going to help us why did they guys sell their minority ownership except maybe just for profit:)

their payroll is $30 million over because they went over the cap to resign their own free agents. However, instead of having other big contracts come off the books they were traded away for other parts. Cleveland resigned LBJ, and Z to big deals. They extended Boobie and Delonte. They traded Damon Jones for Mo Williams, and Mo is under contract for much longer. DJ would have been off the books entirely.

That's how they got that far over. It primarily comes from resigning their own guys after they spent money in '05 to bring in free agents like hughes marshall and jones, and then subsequently traded them away for equal valued contracts that ran longer.

 

[tsteele316]

I don't understand why someone would want to trade for him just to buy him out. He doesn't make that much and he would be a good player in the right situation. I think he would be a good fit on a shoot first team.

it would be a package deal to cut major salary.

for example, phx wants under the luxury tax badly. if they do nothing but bring back nash, who has a team option, they will still be about $8 million over the cap. if they wanted, they could trade shaq to cleveland for Wallace and Sasha (contracts fall within the matching range), buy out wallace and cut sasha and save $15 million right up front and also get under the luxury tax and have about $7 million to spend in FA without going back over.

Overall, about half the teams in the NBA will be in the luxury tax zone. many will not want to pay out that extra luxury tax on top of payroll and look to dump guys. For a team over the limit, Sasha's $5 million contract is actually worth $10 million.

 

[jlb1705]

I guess what I don't understand is why can't go over the salary cap again if they are willing to pay the luxury tax. I mean how is their payroll currently over $30 million if they did not go over the salary cap in the first place.

That is what I do not understand and they keep on talking about the new influx of cash with the 15% minority that the Chinese conglomerate is going to assume. Well, if their money isn't going to help us why did they guys sell their minority ownership except maybe just for profit:)

My understanding is that you can go over to re-sign current players, but not outside ones. You end up reaching the cap by spending big money on players like Larry Hughes, and then go over it by giving big money to players like LeBron and Andy once their rookie contracts run out.

That influx of cash you mentioned can be used for that re-signing players, to offset luxury tax or to make upgrades in non-salary areas to attract and retain players - like upgrading & maintaining facilities and transportation. From everything I've heard Gilbert has been willing to spend on his own and has established an operation that is first class all the way - but a little extra money to offset his burden wouldn't hurt.

 

[Piney]

Sign and trade Andy (add Sasha) with the Cavs #1 (30 overall) and move up in the draft.

Was thinking about the draft this afternoon. The Cavs might be very active. With a bad talent draft like this year some teams might view these guys as not worth the money they would have to spend on where they would draft them.

So the Cavs might be able to swoop into the early teens and be able to get a player that might be useful (I would love Leon Clark, a big swingman that can play defense)

At least that is my pie in the sky scenario besides the possibilities of trading Wallace to a cash strapped team.