CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cavaliers have media day on Monday and training camp opens. Fans have some questions:
Hey, Terry: How could the Cavs seriously be considering trading for Ben Simmons with the asking price being first-round picks? Simmons doesn’t seem like a winner/culture changer. – Mike Farina.
Hey, Mike: Let’s break this down:
1. Simmons has informed the Sixers he won’t report to training camp. Of course, he can change his mind. It’s doubtful he’ll sit out and not get paid, especially once the season starts.
2. Simmons has four years and $145 million left on his maximum contract. He is paid $33 million this season.
3. Earlier, there were reports (matching what I heard) that the Sixers wanted multiple first-round picks for Simmons. But an NBA source told me this week, “That’s not true. They want real players. There is pressure on them to win now. Think about how they keep getting knocked out of the playoffs.”
4. That’s why you hear the Sixers wanting to deal Simmons for Damian Lillard (good luck with that) or another All-Star. I don’t see the Cavs having a win-now, established star on their roster. Portland added Larry Nance Jr. from the Cavs to help win with Lillard, not to trade him.
5. Simmons is a player who creates strong opinions – for and against him. He’s 6-foot-10 and wants to be a point guard – and he can’t shoot from the outside. Not just 3-pointers, but medium jumpers; and he is shaky at the foul line. He can be an elite defender, a good passer and rebounder. But he’s such a strange player.
Hey, Terry: Any chance Cavs start a new trend and play three 7-footers with a small backcourt? – Craig Foreman, Kent
Hey, Terry: Do you think they can play three 7-footers at the same time and be competitive? – Terry Ramey
Hey, Craig and Terry: The three 7-footers would be Jarrett Allen, Lauri Markkanen and Evan Mobley. Allen is listed at 6-foot-11, but we’re talking three very tall guys in a sport that keeps trending toward the 6-foot-7 quick athletes who shoot 3-pointers.
I don’t see it happening, at least not for a long stretch in a game. They would be too slow for the rapid pace of the 3-point-obsessed NBA. Then add in the 6-foot-1 guards of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in the backcourt and the Cavs wouldn’t have anyone the right size to defend some of the league’s premier wing players.
Speaking of big guys, the Cavs signed 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall, who has played 26 games over the last two years with Boston. He’s averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 6.5 minutes a game. He is 6-for-18 from the foul line.
In the G-League, the 25-year-old, 311-pound Fall averaged 13 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. He shot .701 from the field and .384 at the foul line in 23 minutes a game. He appears to be a player destined to spend a lot of time with the G-League Canton Charge.
Hey, Terry: Do you see Markkanen as a possible trade chip or do you see him having a meaningful role this season? – Scott Eaton.
Hey, Scott: Markkanen had better have a very meaningful role. They traded a good player in Nance as part of a three-way deal to bring the 7-footer to Cleveland. They signed him to a four-year, $67 million deal ($55 million guaranteed).
The Cavs love big men who can make 3-point shots. That’s Markkanen’s specialty. I’ve been told the Cavs have liked the 24 year old for several years.
As I wrote, Nance’s agent Mark Bartelstein approached the Cavs and said Nance would be open to a deal to a playoff team. It was not a demand. But Bartelstein knew the Cavs had turned down several trade offers from playoff teams for Nance in the recent past. That led to the deal with Portland.
Hey, Terry: Can you explain the buyout process? What portion does a team pay to buy out a player? What do you think it would take to buy out Kevin Love? – John Port.
Hey, John: Here we go:
1. A buyout allows a player to become a free agent before his contract is finished. For example, last spring Blake Griffin had two years and $75 million left on his contract with Detroit. He gave back $13.3 million to the Pistons to become a free agent – and then signed with Brooklyn.
2. Love has two years and $60 million left on his deal. His agent said there have been no discussions with the Cavs about a buyout – nor is the power forward interested in one. OK, that’s now. Things can change.
3. While he hasn’t demanded a trade, Love wants out. His injury history and contract make it hard to deal him. At some point, a buyout makes sense for both sides.
Hey, Terry: What was the point of the Cavs signing a point guard from Europe? Don’t they already have two point guards? How about a small forward? – Darren Donato
Hey, Darren: The Cavs have Garland as their starting point guard. They traded for Ricky Rubio as a backup. Next, they signed Kevin Pangos to a two-year, $3.5 million deal.
Pangos is a 6-foot-2 All-Euro League point guard, an excellent 3-point shooter. He has played the last six years overseas. The Canadian played at Gonzaga. He’s a nice extra guard who was a career .417 shooter in Europe.
The Cavs did sign 6-foot-5 Denzel Valentine to a contract. He can play some shooting guard and maybe small forward. But the former 2016 NCAA Player of the Year at Michigan State has had a lot of injuries in his NBA career.
Darren, you are right – they still need a small forward. Right now, that job belongs to Isaac Okoro. He had a decent rookie season, and don’t be surprised if he makes real progress in Year 2 of his pro career.
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