Cleveland Cavs (2016 NBA Champions)

[exhawg]

One thing that concerns me is that they're going to go the "revolving door of old/crusty veterans" strategy to cobble together a bench every year.

I'm less worried about that with the Cavs than what we saw from the Heat over the past 4 years. The Cavs have a group of good young players as the core so it isn't bad to add a handful of "crusty vets" to fill out the bench. Miami's problem was they had the big 3 and a bunch of crusty vets. If the Love trade goes down the Cavs will have their big 3 plus Waiters, Thompson, Andy, Delly, and the crusty vets. In other terms the Cavs go 6 deep before you get the the vets. As long as they don't give up any of those 6-7 players in a move for a center they will be good to go. I think you can expect 2-3 5 minute spurts of near prime ball from guys like Ray Allen and Mike Miller per game. When you start relying on them to play 25-30 minutes a game you are in trouble.

 

[Piney]

If we get Love for Wiggins/Bennett and picks.. this is what we are stuck with especially with 3 guys with max or close to max deals...

Now everyone will crow "Gilbert will spend money", he did this before, when you max our your Cap space you are limited into who you can bring in and you have to overpay for trades because you are desperate and don't have any other recourse. I've seen people say "Haywood's contract next year will get us someone" but I haven't seen any names thrown around.

Outside of a Mega cap increase in '16 (of which LBJ will eat up whatever max players are allowed to get 30%?). I don't see this ending well for the Cavs. Hearing that Love has injury issues is just the icing on the cake.

It's not like we still don't have some young guys. Tristan and Dion fall into that camp. Plus, even if we send 2 first round picks to Minnesota, we will still have first round picks in the near future.

And this is where Dan spending money comes in. Most teams that are capped out don't want to use their late first round picks. That won't stop Dan, heck, he may still 'buy' first round picks from cap strapped teams to add young talent at the back end of the bench.

And yes no one has said any names regarding what we can get for Haywood next summer. Because we don't know those names yet. Who knows who will be available. Omer Asik is set to be a free agent, along with Tyson Chandler. Or it could be just some overpaid center that is underperforming. Some team may want to just dump a bad contract, but as long as they can fit a need, then the Cavs can grab him. Who knows... maybe Hibbert has a bad year and Indiana goes into the dumpster with the Paul George injury. Indiana decides to rebuild and want to get rid of Hibbert. You might be able to give them a 1st rounder and Haywood so they can free up cap space and rebuild?

 

[exhawg]

It's not like we still don't have some young guys. Tristan and Dion fall into that camp. Plus, even if we send 2 first round picks to Minnesota, we will still have first round picks in the near future.

And this is where Dan spending money comes in. Most teams that are capped out don't want to use their late first round picks. That won't stop Dan, heck, he may still 'buy' first round picks from cap strapped teams to add young talent at the back end of the bench.

And yes no one has said any names regarding what we can get for Haywood next summer. Because we don't know those names yet. Who knows who will be available. Omer Asik is set to be a free agent, along with Tyson Chandler. Or it could be just some overpaid center that is underperforming. Some team may want to just dump a bad contract, but as long as they can fit a need, then the Cavs can grab him. Who knows... maybe Hibbert has a bad year and Indiana goes into the dumpster with the Paul George injury. Indiana decides to rebuild and want to get rid of Hibbert. You might be able to give them a 1st rounder and Haywood so they can free up cap space and rebuild?

I was thinking along those lines. That's the main reason I hope they don't include more than one of the first round picks in the Love deal. Leave a couple of the picks to package with Haywood to deal for someone like Hibbert next summer. I'm not counting on the Cavs making a valuable pick in the draft for the next few years while they try to add players in their prime. I just hope Griffin can do a better job drafting at the end of the first round than Ferry did when the time comes. It is mostly on Gilbert to pay the tax when they need to resign guys like Thompson and Waiters. The biggest key to keeping a championship caliber team together for the next 5-8 years will be to not let guys walk away for nothing.

 

[Bucks21]

This deal is going to happen, writing is on the wall, Lebron not reaching out is very telling. I'm fine with this Love is a very good player, but I do hope we get Brewer or Dieng included. With that being said if it does end up being just the 2018 1st round pick that leaves us with our own 1st next year, plus the possibility of Miami's (which is just top ten protected, so I think we end up with that one), and the possibility of Sacramento's as well (which must fall between picks 6-14). Plus, cap increases coming, Dan's willingness to go into the luxury tax, Love being a very good fit with Lebron, you have to do the deal. I'm pretty sure this Love deal was more than likely promised to LBJ and may have been one of the bigger selling points to get him to come back. Let's just hope we can still find a defensive minded, rim-protecting center and that LBJ can teach Kyrie, and Dion how to compete and guard better on the defensive side of the ball. As has been mentioned by others Cavs have Haywood's expiring as a large trade chip to take on another large contract that a team does not want to pay anymore, or a few mid level type veterans. Cavs will also have the mid level and bi annual exception next year because they will be up against the cap. Exciting times, it will just come down to how these players gel and hopefully stay healthy.

 

[Bestbuck36]

If we just need a good defensive Center, can Oden fill that need? I know it's rehashed many times with his injury problems but he only needs like 8 to 10 minutes per game to spell the others wont he? It seemed he was healthy enough to play in the post season last year but Miami left him on the bench. You can't get a cheaper 7 footer and LBJ played with him already so that has to be a plus. Who else is out there?

I see a couple of possibilities in FA but they are going to cost some money. If Okafor would come in and just eat up lane space for real cheap, I'd like him in Wine and Gold also.

 

[exhawg]

Next year we get our pick, which the Bulls can opt to swap (doesn't matter), the Heat pick (likely 15-20, and we have a Memphis pick if it falls in the 6-14 range the next 2 years, after 5 the 2 years after that, and unprotected after that. We traded the highly protected Kings pick for Deng. I honestly will be shocked if the Cavs use any first round pick next season.

I would have no problem bringing in Oden and/or Okafor on vet minimum contracts. See if one or both of them can give you 5-10 minutes per game. Beyond the min there is no money to spend this year.

I don't see the Wolves giving up Dieng unless the Cavs throw in an extra first rounder and even then it's doubtful. I don't think a trade would work for Brewer unless the Cavs threw in another player (Utah guys don't count).

The Trade Machine won't do Wiggins yet. From playing around it would be close with just Bennett and Wiggins, but it might require one of the Utah guys to get it done.

Currently the Cavs have 15 players on the roster and Powell hasn't been signed. Trading 2 for Love opens up a spot for Powell, but they need 2 or 3 of the Utah guys to go away if they want room for another center and Allen, Marion, etc. I'm sure you can invite more than 15 to camp, but that will rely on vets signing non-guaranteed contracts.

 

[UpNorth_Buckeye]

If we just need a good defensive Center, can Oden fill that need? I know it's rehashed many times with his injury problems but he only needs like 8 to 10 minutes per game to spell the others wont he? It seemed he was healthy enough to play in the post season last year but Miami left him on the bench. You can't get a cheaper 7 footer and LBJ played with him already so that has to be a plus. Who else is out there?

I see a couple of possibilities in FA but they are going to cost some money. If Okafor would come in and just eat up lane space for real cheap, I'd like him in Wine and Gold also.

You kind of have an inside source of Oden's health in LeBron. He's either still not healthy for 10 minutes per game, or he eventually got healthy enough near the end of their season when he played in a few games, but they didn't want to play him in the playoffs to throw off the chemistry. I personally wouldn't do it but LeBron may know first hand that he's good to go.

 

[exhawg]

You kind of have an inside source of Oden's health in LeBron. He's either still not healthy for 10 minutes per game, or he eventually got healthy enough near the end of their season when he played in a few games, but they didn't want to play him in the playoffs to throw off the chemistry. I personally wouldn't do it but LeBron may know first hand that he's good to go.

This was probably the master plan all along. Greg has never actually had an injury. He was just waiting for Lebron to come back to Cleveland so that he could sign here and be the player worthy of being the first pick in the draft that he was.

 

[BigJim]

If Oden is coming, they HAVE to wait to make the trade until Oden, Bennet, Lebron, Wiggins, and Kyrie can at least start one game together, right??

 

[OleOleOleOle]

The Trade Machine won't do Wiggins yet. From playing around it would be close with just Bennett and Wiggins, but it might require one of the Utah guys to get it done.

It will work with Bennett and Wiggins only. It has to be within 5 million of Love's $15,719,063, and Bennett's $5,563,920 and Wiggins $5,510,640 makes us within that 5 million range quite easily. $4.64 million actually.

That's why everyone is able to say trade goes down Aug 23 or 24th, if the Utah guys had to be included it wouldn't be able to be done til Sept 22nd or something like that.

 

[stowfan]

Long story short, Gilbert will spend. With the Clippers sale and the James return, the value of the Cavs doubled in the last month. Gilbert also owns the Ritz Carlton, and the new casino next door to the Ritz. I would be surprised if Gilbert doesn't somehow make money off the parking as well.

It's expected the Cavs attendance will increase by 10,000 per game, times 41 home games. I'm talking about real butts in the seats, not tickets sold. Not just cash flow, but the value of all Gilbert's assets should increase dramatically. Gilbert is constipated when it comes to paying the luxury tax, in other words, he doesn't give a shit!

 

[exhawg]

Long story short, Gilbert will spend. With the Clippers sale and the James return, the value of the Cavs doubled in the last month. Gilbert also owns the Ritz Carlton, and the new casino next door to the Ritz. I would be surprised if Gilbert doesn't somehow make money off the parking as well.

It's expected the Cavs attendance will increase by 10,000 per game, times 41 home games. I'm talking about real butts in the seats, not tickets sold. Not just cash flow, but the value of all Gilbert's assets should increase dramatically. Gilbert is constipated when it comes to paying the luxury tax, in other words, he doesn't give a [Mark May]!

I'd love to know what percentage of those 10,000 extra people will stop in the casino before/after the game and drop some extra coin into Gilbert's pocket.

 

[Piney]

I'd love to know what percentage of those 10,000 extra people will stop in the casino before/after the game and drop some extra coin into Gilbert's pocket.

Hell, just imagine how much more money Gilbert will make from all the extra visits from Barkley into the casino alone.

Also, can bet that Phase 2 part of the casino will be built real quick to take advantage of those Cavs crowds and national guys stopping in Cleveland more.

 

[exhawg]

Hell, just imagine how much more money Gilbert will make from all the extra visits from Barkley into the casino alone.

Also, can bet that Phase 2 part of the casino will be built real quick to take advantage of those Cavs crowds and national guys stopping in Cleveland more.

I don't know about Barkley. He'll recoup his losses at the buffet.

 

[AKAK]

Hell, just imagine how much more money Gilbert will make from all the extra visits from Barkley into the casino alone.

Also, can bet that Phase 2 part of the casino will be built real quick to take advantage of those Cavs crowds and national guys stopping in Cleveland more.

Yep... its not just the extra 10K, its who they extra 10K are. Its the extra 15K "hot ticket" buyers, at that point.

Its sorta similar to a discussion I had with my buddy where he was listening to people worried/complaining/ranting moronically that somehow your average sportsbar in Shaker Heights (wherever, I can't remember, Parma... insert all appropriate jokes here) would now suffer because the people would be so interested in the Cavs, that they'd *gasp* go downtown to watch the games (whether at the Arena or a bigger/better sportsbar). Ummm... yeah... if there are 4 times as many people interested, the sportsbar in Shaker is gonna get two of those 4. At any rate, it will easily replace the ones lost to downtown, just from the added interest. Further, the reach will be much farther where many more people will come in to town to make an event of it, so, for the weekend they'll stay at the hotel, go to the Casino and catch a game, its not just the "let me stop in after the game is over and drop a c-note" increase in traffic.