Now that Kevin Love is extended, is Larry Nance Jr. next?


By David Zavac Jul 30, 2018 6

Now​ that Kevin​ Love’s bank​ account, and status in​ Cleveland, is a bit​ more secure, the​ Cavaliers​ can turn​ toward the​​ other player they’ve made a big investment in over the last five months: Larry Nance Jr. Heading into the final season of his rookie deal, Nance is set to make a little less than $2.3 million in 2018-19. It stands to reason that Cleveland would want to lock him up long term, and there are indications they’re working on it now.

The Cavs gave up a 2018 first-round pick, plus absorbed the contract of Jordan Clarkson to bring Nance into the fold (they also shipped off Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye, since returned), in what was something of a breakout season for the 25-year-old. The third-year power forward/center posted a career-high true shooting rate on his highest usage and rebounded a higher percentage of available offensive and defensive rebounds than he had before.

He’s an interesting case for a number of reasons. He’s never played as many as 23 minutes per game in the NBA, and it’s unclear whether he can withstand the rigor of starting at the center position. After a brilliant start in Cleveland, he got banged up and his performance declined. He doesn’t have shooting range in a league that’s increasingly looking for it; it’s unlikely, as he enters his age-26 season, that he’ll ever develop it. He’s not a traditional shot blocker.

He does, however, bring elite athleticism and energy to the table. As a super-sub big, he can avoid the wear and tear of big minutes, run the floor, wreak havoc with active hands defensively and dunk lobs and putbacks.

Does the team see him as more than that? His age and the amount of time he’s been in the league can play tricks on you. Is there upside? Can he get bigger or handle more minutes? You’d look at his age and say what he is now is pretty much what he’ll be. You look at his actual game experience and think there’s room for him to learn, whether it’s as a team defender or in terms of facilitating or cutting. The Cavs will have to navigate what he is now, versus what they think he can be. The good news is, he’s already pretty good. This isn’t a bet on someone who has never performed, or an extension based on a single playoff series. Even so, you wish there was a longer track record.

The Cavs will also have to navigate what they have on their roster. Given his shooting limitations, Nance is best served at center, or next to a center that can shoot. Love played center for most of last season. Are they still committed to that? Love chafed at it, and it would make sense to go into the season with Love and Nance as your starting frontcourt. It’s a pretty good one! But the team also has Tristan Thompson, who would be difficult to move, Ante Zizic, who deserves a shot to play, and now Frye, who might be the guy a coach like Tyronn Lue trusts with the team winning games.

In reality, though, Love and Zizic are the only ones who should definitely be part of the team’s long-term plans. This is what makes Nance a priority for keeping long term. Perhaps Thompson has a bounce-back year in him; it’s unlikely, but you could find room for all three over the next couple of years if you really wanted to. In all likelihood, though, an energized Thompson just makes him a bit easier to move.

In terms of dollars and cents, it’s hard to ever know what the sides are looking for. The Cavs can be patient, and Nance has an injury history and about one season of close-to-high-level play. On the other hand, the team already has quite a bit invested in him, and he’s a fan favorite. He’s been great in the locker room and is the type of guy teams like to employ. If the deal were richer than four years and $50 million or so, I think I’d raise my eyebrows a bit. This is not a Thompson or J.R. Smith situation, where the team risks losing him for nothing. He doesn’t have that much leverage. At three or four years around $10 million per year? That’s something that would seem to make sense for everyone.

Last positive thing about an extension: Even if things go south for the Cavs this season and they end up missing a playoff spot or trading Love, having Nance in the fold makes sense for a team trying to win or lose. He’s a young prospect worth investing in. We’ll see whether they can get something done.

Perhaps Thompson has a bounce-back year in him; it’s unlikely, but you could find room for all three over the next couple of years if you really wanted to. In all likelihood, though, an energized Thompson just makes him a bit easier to move.

I disagree here. Thompson's injury issues held him back this past season. To me, a full offseason "healthy" often restarts a player.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the GOAT debate

BY MARC J. SPEARS
@MARCJSPEARSESPN
July 31, 2018

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired from the NBA almost 30 years ago and has often been regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time.

Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a six-time NBA champion as a player. The inventor of the skyhook also is a six-time NBA MVP, a 19-time All-Star, an 11-time All-Defensive team selection and a 15-time All-NBA selection.

In the 1990s, six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan played his way into the GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation. And in recent years, three-time NBA champion LeBron James entered the discussion, with Abdul-Jabbar often forgotten.

Abdul-Jabbar has some thoughts on the GOAT debate.

“These GOAT discussions are fun distractions while sitting around waiting for the pizza to be served,” Abdul-Jabbar told The Undefeated. “But they’re on a par with ‘Which superpower would you want most: flight or invisibility?’ Whether I’m included or not in anyone’s list doesn’t matter. I played my hardest and I helped my teammates. That’s the most important thing I walked away with.

“The reason there is no such thing as the GOAT is because every player plays under unique circumstances. We played different positions, under different rules, with different teammates, with different coaches. Every player has to adapt to their circumstances and find a way to excel. This isn’t Highlander. There can be more than one.”

I'd rate Jabbar over Bill Russell.

At 6.9" Russell just could not hang with Jabbar had they played against one another.

The Rockets have reportedly expressed interest in J.R. Smith.

The 32-year-old really struggled to make much of an impact with the Cavs last season, churning out averages of 8.3 points, 1.8 triples, 1.8 assists and not much else on 40.3% shooting. He's also due a little over $30 million over the next two seasons, but the Rockets could use some help on the wings and they might be interested in grabbing Smith's contract if they're also able to part ways with Ryan Anderson and his $41.6 million deal (owed over the next two seasons).

Sources: Cavaliers nearing deal with Clippers for Sam Dekker
3:44 PM ET
Adrian Wojnarowski
ESPN



The Cleveland Cavaliers are finalizing a trade to acquire Los Angeles Clippers forward Sam Dekker, league sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.

The two sides were working out the parameters of the exchange, which could in include cash or future considerations, but Cleveland will not be trading a player back to the Clippers.

The Clippers are making the move to clear a roster spot. The trade is not expected to be finalized until Monday or Tuesday.

please advise who he is and where he plays and how good he is. Thank you.

6'9 forward from Clippers. Has played 3 years in league and been nothing more than a guy off bench.

I remember him from college, Wisconsin. Pretty good player there. But only been a 18 and 12 minute guy so far in league.

Not sure if potential is there for better. Haven't seen him enough.

Going to be a bench guy but will get lots of minutes with Cavs if he can stay healthy. High energy, hustle guy. Might be nothing but could develop.

You might have remembered him from the Wisconsin versus Duke national championship game. Frank Kaminsky and Dekker were the stars of the team.

Jordan Clarkson tallied 29 points (on 12-of-16 shooting), five triples, six assists and four rebounds for the Philippines on Friday in the 2018 Asian Games.

Clarkson finished the tournament averaging 26.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists. This serves as a nice tuneup for training camp, which begins later this month. Clarkson will be competing for backcourt minutes with George Hill, Collin Sexton and J.R. Smith.
Source: NBA.com

Adrian Wojnarowski
‏
Verified account

@wojespn

ESPN Sources: Another team pursuing a Jimmy Butler trade with Minnesota: Cleveland. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was seen talking privately with Glen Taylor at NBA Board of Governors meeting on Friday. Both owners played a part in negotiating the Love-Wiggins deal.

10:44 AM - 23 Sep 2018

I had to laugh at that one. Good for them for looking but he has one year left on his contract.

Not a fit.

Media Day in LA gets pretty big national play. Cavs seem to be under the national radar this season. What changed??

LeBron Rules: Cavaliers players put Lakers through summer school

Joe Vardon Sep 25, 2018 21
INDEPENDENCE,​ Ohio —​ Rule No. 1 when​ playing with LeBron​ James: You’re open,​ even​ if you​ don’t know​​ it.

Rule No. 2: People will say things about your game you’ve never heard before, and they aren’t flattering.

Rule No. 3: Get ready to go to heights you’d never dreamed you’d reach.

There are more. You get the drift. This is what the Cavaliers lived the past four seasons, when James was here as the center of the NBA universe (east of Oakland, Calif., anyway) and the franchise made a habit of going to the Finals.

Because this is the modern NBA and everyone is friends, the Cavs who did the LeBron experience shared their notes with the Lakers who are just now seeing what it’s like. Training camps opened Tuesday for both teams, and in the days and weeks leading up to now, LeBron’s former teammates wanted to make sure their pals on the other coast knew what was coming.

“I just told them — it’s a lot,” Cavs guard Jordan Clarkson told The Athletic. “You’ve got to just stay focused the whole year, through everything.”

What they need to know
Playing with LeBron can be outrageously rewarding. He can take you to Finals and get you a ring. Role players on his teams can earn that big payday. Ask Matthew Dellavedova (four years, $38 million) and Timofey Mozgov (four years, $64 million).

LeBron can also be demanding. There is pressure. Some of this is LeBron’s fault — he wins and he sulks and he pouts and he’s always staying after practice to shoot, and he glares holes through teammates who make mistakes at critical moments.

Some of it, namely the constant criticism from media and fans outside the locker room, isn’t his fault, and the players who spoke with The Athletic wanted to make that part clear.

“I don’t want people to think I’m crazy,” Clarkson said. “Playing with LeBron is a great experience. I definitely wish the best for Bron. And for those guys to be able to compete in the Western Conference, I hope they do some good things.”
LeBron James is known to react to mistakes by teammates but he also takes them to places they have never been before. (Ben Margot/Associated Press)

Living the dream
Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. were traded from the Lakers to the Cavs on Feb. 8. Clarkson is tight with Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. Nance Jr. said he spoke to Josh Hart “every day” and chatted with Kuzma over the summer in Las Vegas.

“I didn’t like sit anybody down and say ‘listen, here’s what you look for,’ but in passing, I was like, ‘yeah, hey, be ready at all times,’” Nance said. “Have your hands up, because even if you don’t think you’re open, sometimes he’ll throw you open.”

If LeBron is a lightning rod, then the experience Clarkson and Nance had last year was akin to taking all that electricity, catching it in a jar, and then cramming themselves into the jar with it. Be sure to duck.

The Cavs were in a free fall at the time of the trade — they were 6-13 at one point since Jan. 1 — and traded half the team to try to right the ship. LeBron was headed for free agency and also had his string of seven Finals on the line. The pressure to get him to an eighth, and give Cleveland a puncher’s chance of keeping him, was heavy.

Clarkson and Nance (and George Hill and Rodney Hood) had two months to learn the Cavs’ offense and defense and how to play with LeBron. Things just move faster with him, especially the ball. Precision is required on demand, which can be daunting for anyone — especially for the two former Lakers who had never even been to the playoffs.

Both Clarkson and Nance played briefly with Kobe Bryant, but by then the Lakers were bad and Bryant was nearing the end of his storied career.

Heading into the postseason, the Cavs were counting on both Clarkson and Nance for points and minutes. Each player slid to the bottom of coach Tyronn Lue’s rotation though as they struggled to come to grips with it all, Clarkson more so than Nance.

“I’m more of kind of an on-the-ball guard, scoring guard,” Clarkson said. “But I was kind of transitioning into almost like a catch-and-shoot player. I was playing off that one-dribble, two-dribble plays. That was a big adjustment for me, especially in the playoffs. I was trying to adjust in the time they needed me to play.

“But, that’s part of the process and part of my career. And, it is what it is.”

No one adjusted
Clarkson was second in the NBA in bench scoring the past two regular seasons (13.9 ppg last year), but in his first playoff run, he averaged just 4.7 points and shot 23.9 percent from 3-point range.

Nance thrived in the regular season with James, averaging career bests in points (8.9) and rebounds (7.0) in the sprint toward the postseason. But once it arrived, he slipped to 4.8 points and 4.5 boards, though he asserted himself defensively in Lue’s schemes to stop Al Horford in the conference finals against Boston.

Clarkson and Nance were not alone, of course. Only one player not named LeBron, Kevin Love, averaged double-digit points in the 2018 playoffs for the Cavs.

“You’ve got to be ready for the high of highs when you win a big game, but you also got to be ready to see your name all over social media,” Nance said. “Like, ‘oh man, every team he goes to, he has no help.’ You’ve just got to be ready to deal with that. It’s no fault of Bron’s, he’s just that incredible of a player. You’ve just got to be ready for the highs and lows that come with it.”

Best of times, worst of times
Much was made this summer of a Vegas breakfast between Lue and Lakers coach Luke Walton.

The two are of course friends — they play craps together — and Lue conveyed to him what it’s like to coach the player widely considered to be the best in the NBA. The gist was — it’s easy to coach LeBron, but harder to be his coach, if that makes sense.

At least that was true for Lue. LeBron’s mistrust of then-rookie coach David Blatt in 2014-15 and (again the following year before Blatt was fired) was in plain sight for all to see.

“I just told him about Bron, how easy he is,” Lue said in July. “Bron’s easy, man. It’s not what it seems. … If he has a problem or disagrees with you, he’s going to talk to you. He’s not going to make a big scene or blow up, occasionally you see him (upset) on the bench but … people blow it out of proportion, like it’s something crazy. … It’s just the surrounding shit that they try to make it hard.”

Tristan Thompson, Love and Kyrie Irving were in 2014 like Kuzma and Ingram and Ball and Hart are now. They’d never been to the playoffs, didn’t know what it was like to win in the NBA when LeBron arrived.

Four Finals (in the cases of Thompson and Love) and one championship later, and each of them could see the difference LeBron made in their lives.

LeBron routinely chided Love — once called him out on Twitter for failing to “fit in.” James constantly blamed Thompson for defensive mishaps, and in an April 2017 game against the Pacers the two wound up screaming at each other on the bench.

Irving, you might have heard, had had enough of living in LeBron’s orbit and wanted to shine on his own, so he asked for a trade in July 2017 and got one. To the Celtics.

And yet …

“I’m happy for those young (Lakers) guys to have the opportunity that I had,” Thompson said Monday, on media day for the Cavs. He said his relationship with LeBron was “bigger than basketball.”

“I am happy for Kuzma, Lonzo, and Ingram,” Thompson continued. “Happy for those guys to experience what I experienced — what me and Kyrie experienced, and Kev experienced of being around LeBron. Being young guys that had never had success in the league — just maybe personal success but never had team success. And I’m happy for those guys that they can experience that.

“I’ve told them to absorb it, be a sponge. It’s not going to be easy, but everything he does is going to be beneficial for you and your career, so just absorb the whole moment.”

civ ollilavad wrote:Media Day in LA gets pretty big national play. Cavs seem to be under the national radar this season. What changed??

Lol, people remember what happened to the Cavs last time Lebron left. Oh, and what happened to Miami when he left too!

By the way, that press conference today with Lebron was 13 minutes long. It's LA baby, no big deal.