Cavs future?

[hpantazo]

word is that big ben is considering retirement (hoopshype.com). Verajao is an unrestricted FA, and so is Wally, and there is the LBJ issue for next summer. What do you guys think will happen to the cavs? Ilgauskas is injury prone and unlikely to last much longer, they may lose Verajao, Wallace, and J Smith. Do you think they will get Rasheed for big $$ this summer?

[BrickJames]

Varejao has a player option and so does Z.

Even with Wally off the books, they need some money for bigger backcourt help.  I doubt they make a move for Sheed.  (Please no!)

[wdleehi]

The made a mistake by not using Wally and/or Wallace in a trade this season. 


Now they walk, and I don't think the Cavs can add the 2nd banana they need to go with James (they do have the third banana in place)

[celticinorlando]

1. goodbye joe smith, ben wallace, wally and Anderson...

2. z resigns because nobody wants him at 11 mil plus

3. cavs have to reassemble their frontline and it doesnt look like much is out there....it is boston and orlando in the east next year

[indeedproceed]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

[hpantazo]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

I agree that big Z will be back, although he may not make it through another season healthy. I think Andy is a question mark, he has shown that he will hold out for big $$, and many teams need a young, healthy, decent big man with lots of playoff experience. You nailed the main point of Wallace's contract, do the cavs trade it, do they really want to help someone get under the cap so that they can sign Lebron away from them?

[indeedproceed]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

I agree that big Z will be back, although he may not make it through another season healthy. I think Andy is a question mark, he has shown that he will hold out for big $$, and many teams need a young, healthy, decent big man with lots of playoff experience. You nailed the main point of Wallace's contract, do the cavs trade it, do they really want to help someone get under the cap so that they can sign Lebron away from them?

I think in the end, I think they have to. All the cap space in the world doesn't mean jack if the next two best guys on your squad are Mo Williams and Delonte West, esp when teams like New Jersey and NY are aggressively getting young talent and better coaches. (NY with the Talent, NY with the coaches) The main guy I'd be looking at is Chris Kaman, he's out of conference, Lebron never goes to the clippers (no matter what), and he can fill in for Big Zness when he inevitably gets hurt

[johnnyrondo]

Cleveland's going to pay Varejao big bucks this Summer to placate Lebron and then when Lebron goes to the Knicks next Summer, the Cavs will be a lottery team.

[PosImpos]

I don't know what they do, but they need to do something if they want to be real contenders.

If LeBron leaves next summer, the Cavs can say hello to another 20 years of dark ages. 

[Lucky17]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

I agree that big Z will be back, although he may not make it through another season healthy. I think Andy is a question mark, he has shown that he will hold out for big $$, and many teams need a young, healthy, decent big man with lots of playoff experience. You nailed the main point of Wallace's contract, do the cavs trade it, do they really want to help someone get under the cap so that they can sign Lebron away from them?

I think in the end, I think they have to. All the cap space in the world doesn't mean jack if the next two best guys on your squad are Mo Williams and Delonte West, esp when teams like New Jersey and NY are aggressively getting young talent and better coaches. (NY with the Talent, NY with the coaches) The main guy I'd be looking at is Chris Kaman, he's out of conference, Lebron never goes to the clippers (no matter what), and he can fill in for Big Zness when he inevitably gets hurt

Agreed. Wallace and Pavlovic represent just shy of $19 mil in expiring contracts. If Danny Ferry learned anything about the dangers of staying pat during this past trade season, he'll use those two contracts to bring in some frontcourt help and bench scoring to help LeBron.

Kaman is an interesting thought. Might the Cavs gamble on Zach Randolph?

[PosImpos]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

I agree that big Z will be back, although he may not make it through another season healthy. I think Andy is a question mark, he has shown that he will hold out for big $$, and many teams need a young, healthy, decent big man with lots of playoff experience. You nailed the main point of Wallace's contract, do the cavs trade it, do they really want to help someone get under the cap so that they can sign Lebron away from them?

I think in the end, I think they have to. All the cap space in the world doesn't mean jack if the next two best guys on your squad are Mo Williams and Delonte West, esp when teams like New Jersey and NY are aggressively getting young talent and better coaches. (NY with the Talent, NY with the coaches) The main guy I'd be looking at is Chris Kaman, he's out of conference, Lebron never goes to the clippers (no matter what), and he can fill in for Big Zness when he inevitably gets hurt

Agreed. Wallace and Pavlovic represent just shy of $19 mil in expiring contracts. If Danny Ferry learned anything about the dangers of staying pat during this past trade season, he'll use those two contracts to bring in some frontcourt help and bench scoring to help LeBron.

Kaman is an interesting thought. Might the Cavs gamble on Zach Randolph?

Hahahah.  I'd laugh so hard if the Cavs picked up ZR.  Anybody who takes that guy deserves whatever they get.

[Chris]

Andy and big Z come back b/c no one will offer them more money

Wally gone

Joe Smith, who knows. Maybe he lands in Boston...wouldn't be the worst thing.

I would say look for the Cavs to look hard at trade possibilities with Ben Wallace's expiring contract. He indicated he may want to retire, but that's 14 million someone else can take on to clear cap space for ironically, Lebron (amongst others).

I agree that big Z will be back, although he may not make it through another season healthy. I think Andy is a question mark, he has shown that he will hold out for big $$, and many teams need a young, healthy, decent big man with lots of playoff experience. You nailed the main point of Wallace's contract, do the cavs trade it, do they really want to help someone get under the cap so that they can sign Lebron away from them?

I think in the end, I think they have to. All the cap space in the world doesn't mean jack if the next two best guys on your squad are Mo Williams and Delonte West, esp when teams like New Jersey and NY are aggressively getting young talent and better coaches. (NY with the Talent, NY with the coaches) The main guy I'd be looking at is Chris Kaman, he's out of conference, Lebron never goes to the clippers (no matter what), and he can fill in for Big Zness when he inevitably gets hurt

Agreed. Wallace and Pavlovic represent just shy of $19 mil in expiring contracts. If Danny Ferry learned anything about the dangers of staying pat during this past trade season, he'll use those two contracts to bring in some frontcourt help and bench scoring to help LeBron.

Kaman is an interesting thought. Might the Cavs gamble on Zach Randolph?

I think they will be shooting higher than Randolph. 

They should really try to revisit a trade for Shaq.  If they trade Wallace and Pavlovic for Shaq, it saves Phoenix close to $4 million, and much more if Wallace does retire.  Then they can use the MLE, and maybe a trade of Andy (or sign and trade if he does opt out) to bring in a couple more good players, and go for the championship next year, while still maintaining the cap space to sign Lebron and another star in the summer of 2010. 

[Lucky17]

I think they will be shooting higher than Randolph. 

They should really try to revisit a trade for Shaq.  If they trade Wallace and Pavlovic for Shaq, it saves Phoenix close to $4 million, and much more if Wallace does retire.  Then they can use the MLE, and maybe a trade of Andy (or sign and trade if he does opt out) to bring in a couple more good players, and go for the championship next year, while still maintaining the cap space to sign Lebron and another star in the summer of 2010. 

Would Z then move to PF alongside Shaq? I can't see either of them being able to guard opposing PFs.

[Rida]

they re in bad shape. varejao has a 6.5 mil player option ilgauskas has a 10 million player option.

Both those options will be accepted faster than you can say "ineffective overpaid foreign scrub"

[Moranis]

Bosh has made it no secret he is leaving Toronto at the end of the year.  I'm not sure if Cleveland really has enough to make it worth Toronto's while, but Z or Wallace for the dollars and Hickson, West, this years first and a future first is a decent package especially if they take back Banks contract.

Put Bosh and Lebron together and look out.