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Brandon Wright is headed to Houston...too bad. Like the moves but still wonder where all the play time is coming from to make them happy. Age and play time were the demise of the first half, they played better when the best was set.

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Joe Johnson has committed to signing with Houston once his buyout is complete with Sacramento, league sources tell ESPN.

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rusty2 wrote:Once again, LeBron has decided to play again. Anyone that has kids recognizes this childish behavior !

I really want to see a buyout candidate that can block shots. Someone like Noel would be fun to watch. Not sure that LeBron has ever played with an athletic big man. Shaq was not mobile enough....

Grrr...Clint Capela gets 23 points and 25 rebounds last night and now they get Wright? Well, at least the Warriors have to take notice.

Totally agree on Lebron rusty. And yes, I have a daughter and was a teacher. He can be incredibly childish when things don't go his way - i.e. when he is not winning a power struggle. Saw it those first months with Kyrie too. I actually think he figures that if he holds back his teammates will see how sucky they are without him. And he does have a point.

That said of course, we are Cavs fans and he is still (when engaged) the best player in basketball. Surround him with the right people and it's just crazy how good he is and (yes I'll say it) how much better he makes CERTAIN other players.

If you are ball dominant he will NOT make you better but that's why roster construction is so important. Any NBA team will struggle with more than one ball dominant guys on the floor at the same time (right Carmelo?) and Lebron is arguably the best ball dominant player there is. So it's just dumb not to build to play off his strengths.

(Kevin Love has learned to play with Lebron and Ty Lue learned how to help that happen. But Love is not a guard so it is easier there)

And if you can get younger and more athletic at the same time you compliment Lebron's strengths? Then you are Koby Altman. Well done Griff.

Mark, did we write this article ?



Dan Gilbert and Koby Altman answer the critics with Cavs trade deadline overhaul

David Zavac Feb 8, 2018

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert came out of a meeting with Kyrie Irving last summer with three huge challenges for the organization. First, he would have to find a suitable deal for Irving, who had requested a trade. Second, the team would have to continue to find a way to challenge for the NBA title, despite Irving's impending departure and the fact that the Warriors had made quick work of the Cavs just a couple of weeks before. Third, and perhaps most important, he had to convince LeBron James that Cleveland was still the place that he wanted to finish his career.

But Gilbert is nothing if not ambitious, and he added a fourth goal, one borne from the experience of James' first departure: he would make sure the Cavs weren't in a terrible position moving forward should James leave a second time.

In the service of these goals, Gilbert and the Cavs' young and new general manager, Koby Altman, traded Irving not only for Isaiah Thomas, coming off an MVP caliber season, and Jae Crowder, but also an unprotected pick from the Brooklyn Nets that could help the team down the line. The team added older veterans in Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Jeff Green. In the spirit of making moves for a potential post-LeBron era, though, the Cavs spurned James' preferred target in Jamal Crawford in favor of Cedi Osman.

‌‌‌It was always going to be a tough needle to thread. The Warriors are so good (and frankly, the Houston Rockets aren't that far behind), that trumping them while also conserving assets seemed to be asking for a bit too much. But after a disastrous start to the season, and a wild and crazy trade extravaganza that involved more than one-third of the Cavs roster being dealt on Thursday afternoon, all three objectives after the Irving trade are still alive. Let's take a look.

Cavaliers are again favorite in East
The Cavs have, hopefully, solved their point guard problem. Coming into the day the Cavs had been trying to overcome what looked like outright sabotage, at times, from their starting point guard. The Cavs are outscoring opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions in 1,849 minutes without either Derrick Rose or Isaiah Thomas on the court this season, which would rank sixth in the league over the course of the season. The problem? The team was outscored by 15.1 points per 100 possessions in Thomas' minutes, and by 5.3 points per 100 possession in Rose's. It's not all on them, of course, but both players used a lot of possessions extremely inefficiently; that's tough to survive.

In their place comes George Hill, who happens to have some history with new arrival Rodney Hood. Neither have been particularly good defenders this season, and that should be worrisome. But just last season in Utah, the two shared the court for 684 minutes, and those Jazz lineups outscored opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions. With the emergence of Donovan Mitchell in Utah and the general and ongoing confusion in Sacramento, it's fair that both players might have taken a step back defensively. Even if that continues in Cleveland, it's unlikely it's worse than what Thomas and Rose had been providing, and in the meantime, both will represent offensive upgrades.

A Cavs team that has been starved for 3-point shooting now has multiple options in its backcourt that can make them at an extremely high rate. Out are non-shooters in Wade and Rose and, this season, Thomas. In will be Hill, Hood, Jose Calderon, Kyle Korver, Jordan Clarkson and J.R. Smith. Think of the scene in “Moneyball” where Billy Beane trades Carlos Pena to force a reluctant manager into playing Scott Hatteberg. In this case, Tyronn Lue is left with mostly shooters in the backcourt. Hill is shooting 45 percent on 3s this year and has been fantastic off the catch and shoot, ranking fifth in the NBA. He's shooting 41.5 percent on his past 675 3-point attempts. Seems like playing with James would be a nice fit.

Larry Nance Jr. and Clarkson will likely provide some punch, defense and versatility off the bench. It's unclear if Clarkson can live up to a contract that will pay him almost $26 million through 2020, but again, we're talking about an upgrade to Rose. Nance should be able to play power forward and catch passes off pick and rolls with James and turn them into dunks, and his springy athleticism could eventually transform the Cavs defense.

The team won't have a ton of time to gel but it has found clear upgrades at positions where they were desperately needed. They have newfound athleticism, shooting and length. We'll see where they go, but they've again asserted themselves as the team to beat in the East.

Cavs can feel mildly optimistic about LeBron returning
Gilbert and Altman were able to make the roster younger, as well as add money to the books for next year in Hill and Clarkson in a manner that shows James he's still willing to spend what it takes to compete. They kept him involved in the decision-making when it came to his close friend Wade, and it's clear he will be fine with the team moving on from Thomas. Hood gives James a young player he can feel has upside moving forward but that also has value in the present. Hill is a vet who will defer to James and likely earn his respect, if he doesn't have it already from playoff battles when Hill was with the Pacers.

Look, no one knows how James will operate this summer. But the Cavs will have young-ish talent, Hill, Kevin Love, and the Brooklyn Nets' pick this summer to play with the roster and entice James to come back. A week ago there wasn't a real “basketball case” to be made that Cleveland was his best opportunity in terms of winning more titles. It's hard to argue the Cavs would be more appealing in terms of pure winning potential than the Rockets or Philadelphia 76ers, but they're certainly in better position now.

If James leaves, Cavs will be in position to rebuild
Gilbert's final objective was an insurance policy if James leaves. The Cavs will now have the aforementioned Nets pick (they can trade said pick after the draft or swap it for another team's first-round pick), Nance Jr., Clarkson, Hood, Osman and Ante Zizic as appealing prospects to build with or around. There will be a lot of money tied up in Hill, Clarkson, Hood (who will be a restricted free agent), Smith, Tristan Thompson, Love and Korver, but young pieces will be in place.

It seemed like title contention and planning for a post-LeBron world were goals in irreconcilable tension with one another. The Cavs are likely still a ways away from the best the West can offer, but the team gave it one more roll of the dice before the trade deadline Thursday. We'll see.

Photo: LeBron James (David Liam Kyle/Getty Images)

Cedi Osman brings energy and pace to new-look Cavaliers in win over Atlanta


By Tom Reed 9 hours ago
ATLANTA — As Dwyane Wade returned to a hero’s welcome in Miami on Friday night, the 22-year-old rookie who helped make him expendable ran up and down the floor at Phillips Arena like a Looney Tunes creation.

Cedi Osman was perpetual motion in scoring a career-high 16 points in 38-plus minutes for the Cavaliers. He filled lanes on the break. He hustled on defense. He crashed to the floor after driving aggressively and, on occasion, recklessly to the basket. The only time Osman stood still was to curse his poor foul shooting in Turkish.

“He was fast,” teammate Jeff Green said as reporters interviewed Osman within earshot. “I mean he was Speedy Gonzalez fast.”

There were plenty of smiles and jokes in the visitors locker room after the short-handed Cavaliers dispatched the woeful Hawks, 123-107. The victory brought to a close a tumultuous 48 hours that saw the underachieving club remake its roster with three trades that netted four players and sent six others packing.

‌‌‌ The Cavaliers’ aim was to get younger, while adding more athleticism and energy to the lineup. None of the four newcomers — George Hill, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson — was in uniform for the game. But Osman, who embodies management’s desire to play faster and with more enthusiasm, made significant contributions in his first career start.

Beyond the 16 points, Osman grabbed six rebounds, supplied five assists and was credited with three steals.

“I thought Cedi was great outside of his free-throw shooting,” coach Tyronn Lue said of Osman, who went 2 of 7 at the line. “Just his energy, rebounding the basketball. He had three steals, getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line. His energy is infectious and he played well tonight.”

Osman was hardly the standout in a game where LeBron James recorded his second consecutive triple-double, including a career-high 19 assists, and Kyle Korver scored 30 points against his former team. Lue got plenty of contributions from his eight-man rotation. Green provided 24 points. Tristan Thompson was a plus-17 with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Even John Holland saw nearly 14 minutes of action.

But Osman’s performance was noteworthy. The floppy-haired Turk played well in the first game after the Cavaliers sent Wade back to the Heat for a 2024 second-round pick.

In explaining the decision to move the future Hall of Famer, general manager Koby Altman said Wade’s minutes would have been reduced in part because of the acquisition of the new players and the improvement of Osman.

While Lue doesn’t plan to start the youngster once the Cavaliers regain full strength, Osman has earned a spot in the coach’s rotation. He played 21 minutes in Wednesday’s 140-138 win over the Timberwolves.

“I mean, of course, I’m happy,” said Osman, who converted 6-of-9 field-goal attempts. “So first of all, I’m happy because we won the game. And I’m happy that I helped the team. But of course, it’s my career high and I hope I’m going to have better games. I mean, I missed five free throws, which is really bad for me. But probably it’s because it was my first game as a starter. So, I promise the next game will be better. … And by the way, I said a Turkish (curse) word (when I missed). Hopefully, I didn’t offend anyone.”

James kept feeding Osman, who continually cut to the basket without the ball.

It’s important to remember these are the Hawks and Osman won’t be getting big minutes off the bench. But he can give the second unit a boost when he plays at this level. James said he isn’t surprised from what he’s seen of the swingman’s development.

“Showed y’all somethin,” James said. “He ain’t shown me nothin I don’t already know. He’s an unbelievable talent, he’s been a professional (in his native Turkey) for a long time, he knows how to play the game, so he didn’t show me anything I haven’t already seen before.”

James was relaxed and playful after scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 40-plus minutes. He spoke of his Deion Sanders-inspired sneakers and his eagerness to play the Cavaliers’ reworked lineup in “NBA 2K18.”

“I did bring my game console and I will get it set up in Boston, get the updated rosters and I’ll see how it translates,” he said.

In the Cavs’ first game since jettisoning Isaiah Thomas and five others, James lauded the team’s on-court communication, effort and ball movement. He wasn’t taking a dig, he said, at the players no longer on the roster.

“We’re all professionals and we were happy with the guys that we had and we’re going to be happy with the guys that we have now,” James said. “That’s the way the league is, it’s a business. There’s no shade on anybody.”

Across the locker room, Osman was nothing but sunshine, his smile irrepressible during his postgame chat with the media.

“I just tried to do what I was doing when I was coming off the bench,” he said. “I think we played with a great pace today. We played better defense, I think, and with the new guys we’re going to be perfect. Younger, more dynamic team with a lot of energy. So I’m really excited.”

So are the Cavaliers about Osman's potential to impact games with verve and pace.

Osman:

“I just tried to do what I was doing when I was coming off the bench,” he said. “I think we played with a great pace today. We played better defense, I think, and with the new guys we’re going to be perfect. Younger, more dynamic team with a lot of energy. So I’m really excited.”

He had the best quote of the day there. Nailed it. And excited to see how he develops.

rusty - you are the man - great articles.

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Rockets have added three scoring threats off the bench — Gerald Green, Brandan Wright and Joe Johnson — without making a trade this season. Amazing that Green (13.9 ppg for Houston) was unemployed for 2+ months of season.

Oh yeah, I am all over Green in fantasy.

People forget what a freak athlete that kid is. And I don't mean good athlete - I mean freak. Maybe top 5 athleticism in the league. And streak 3 point shooter. Perfect for Houston.

I think the Warriors might be in for a surprise this year. James Harden is the #1 offensive force in the league at this point. I mean really, now that he hits 3's like he does with that stepback, it's not even fair because he can blow by you and either pass (yes, he has good vision) or score like the defense is nothing so you have to play "off" the guy.

This will be fascinating:

Isaiah Thomas - G - Lakers

Isaiah Thomas will come off the bench when he makes his Lakers debut ‪Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, according to Chris Hayes of ESPN.

ESPN is reporting that coach Luke Walton and Thomas had dinner together in Dallas on Friday and discussed expectations and roles. The plan is for Thomas to eventually work himself into position to join the starting unit, according to ESPN's sources.

It will be interesting to see how many minutes Thomas plays over his first few games in L.A. Lonzo Ball (knee) is not expected to return to game action until after the All-Star break, at which point there will be a bit of a logjam at point guard.

By the way did you hear the quote from Wade about what Pat Riley said to him?

He said laughingly, "You had your last pancakes back in Cleveland". Referring to his now having to get into Miami Heat game shape.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Koby Altman's gutsy moves, Terry's Talkin' -- Terry Pluto
Updated 9:34 AM; Posted 7:15 AM

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer terrypluto2003@yahoo.com


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talkin' about the Cleveland Cavaliers and the trades they completed at the NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

1. Koby Altman and his front office did something very important when it comes to the franchise's future -- the general manager reshaped the roster. He didn't sit around wishing he had a long-term commitment from LeBron James. He didn't think about free agency, because the Cavs have major salary cap issues.

2. Instead, Altman and his young front office went to work. They identified players who didn't fit for a variety of reasons. The key figures were Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert and Dwyane Wade. They wanted to keep Channing Frye, but the Lakers demanded him to make the biggest trade of the day work.

3. Altman said he had a heart-to-heart discussion with James about the team's direction. I still think it would help for James and owner Dan Gilbert to talk, but this was a critical step. Altman had to let James know the front office understood the roster problems -- and wanted his input as they set out to fix it.

4. The Cavs had a target list of players to become younger and more athletic. Utah's Rodney Hood was at the top. Also high were Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. There were other names -- not sure who -- but they really wanted these guys.


5. They were patient (for weeks) in pursuing veteran Sacramento guard George Hill. I was hoping the Cavs could send out Iman Shumpert in one of these deals, and they did in the trade for Hill.

6. Altman sat down with James and Wade. He explained how Hood and Clarkson were going to take up a lot of playing time. The Cavs also wanted to give more minutes to Cedi Osman, the 22-year-old reimagination of former Cavalier Anderson Varejao. Altman had a deal worked out for Wade to go home to Miami. Wade and James were on board with it.

6. Clarkson, Hood and Nance are all 25. Of the six players traded away, the youngest were Shumpert and Crowder at 27. Thomas (28) and Rose (29) are not ancient, but injuries have worn them down. Frye is 34, Wade 36.

7. I will be talking Cavs trades and other things at the Mentor Library, Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. I also will be at the Wadsworth Library on March 1 at 7 p.m. I'll be at the Wickliffe Library on March 6 at 7 p.m. All the events are free!

ABOUT LEBRON JAMES

1. I grew weary of hearing how the Cavs couldn't do much because of James refusing to commit beyond this season. Of course it would have helped to have James on a long-term deal. But that didn't prevent the franchise from making moves.


2. James was not about to commit to a young, unproven front office. He is 33 and in his 15th NBA season. He is chasing titles. Who knew what Altman's group could do? A year ago, he was third in the front office, behind GM David Griffin and assistant Trent Redden. Altman had been with the Cavs only since 2012. His Altman's first big trade (Thomas, Crowder) fell apart.

3. The trades set up the Cavs for next season. If the team plays well, it makes a stronger case for James to stay -- especially if they return to The Finals. That would make eight trips in a row.

4. The Cavs' deal with the Lakers means L.A. will have room for two maximum contract free agents. Those who worship at the shrine of the Lakers assume those players will be Paul George and James. Who knows?

5. But if you're James, do you want to go to the Lakers and fight your way past Houston, Golden State and San Antonio to simply reach the NBA Finals? Or would you rather stay in the East?

6. Nance, Clarkson and Hill are all under contract for next season. Hood is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer he receives. A tighter salary cap could really cut down on Hood's options.

7. So the four new players will probably be back next season. The Cavs can retool with the three 25-year-olds (Hood, Nance and Clarkson) along with the 22-year-old Osman and the Brooklyn draft pick. And they also have Kevin Love, who will be 30 in September under contract for 2018-19 with a player option for 2019.


8. Bottom line: The Cavs are in better position to win the East and keep James than they were at the start of the week.

ABOUT RODNEY HOOD

1. The Cavs parted with Rose and Crowder for Hood, a 16-point scorer with Utah. The 25-year-old lefty is shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. I've liked his game from a distance.

2. The Salt Lake Tribune's Gordon Monson wrote this of Hood: "The Jazz gave him his shot -- a lot of shots -- and the results were mixed. He was enjoying career highs ... but the same afflictions that had plagued him in the past were apparent again -- inability to avoid injury and swings of inconsistency. He ... at times played with his own agenda for his own purposes."

3. Not sure how much of that is accurate. But there usually is some reason a player is traded. Hood being a restricted free agent and possibly receiving a lucrative offer sheet also worried the Jazz.

4. Hood missed 23 games last season and 14 this season because of a variety of injuries to his ankle and knee. So keep an eye on his durability.

5. But overall, the Cavs traded Crowder and Rose for a very talented player -- even if he is a bit streaky. I'm stunned the Cavs didn't have to part with more in this deal.

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ABOUT CLARKSON AND NANCE

1. The key to Nance's career is staying healthy. He had surgery early this season to repair a broken hand and missed 11 games and sitting out 19 games in 2016-17 because of injuries. He plays so hard, throwing his body around, he does get hurt. He had major knee surgery when playing at Wyoming.

2. Nance's hustle and fearlessness also is what the Cavs need. They just have to make sure he doesn't wear down.

3. Clarkson played every game last season and has missed only one game in 2017-18. His key will be learning to play on a winning team after four years with the awful Lakers. So he was allowed to fire away, pile up stats and at least bring some energy to a sad situation.

4. The 6-foot-5 Clarkson consistently shoots 44 percent from the field, 33 percent from 3-point range. So he's not a stand-still, long-range shooter but a mid-range scorer. He's scoring 14 points a game in 24 minutes this season -- that's impressive. He does tend to dominate the ball, so some adjustments will be needed.

5. Clarkson is athletic enough to play good defense. But like many young players on bad teams, he sometimes ignored that aspect. He has improved in that area this season.

6. The Cavs believed they had to add their own first-round pick to secure this trade, especially to bring Nance to Cleveland. They also sent Thomas and Frye (expiring contracts) to the Lakers. It's a deal both sides wanted and it cost the Cavs very little.


ABOUT GEORGE HILL

1. Here's the Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin on Hill: "He was a mismatched piece of furniture. Though respected by his teammates, he was subdued and uninspired. He was confused by the conflicting messages of competing hard and trying to win, while embracing a youth movement and his role as a mentor. ... Hill was too productive to sit."

2. The strange part is why a rebuilding Sacramento signed Hill last summer to a deal that pays $20 million this season and $19 million in 2018-19 with a team option for $18 million in 2019-20. The 31-year-old Hill is the kind of no-frills, gritty point guard who fit well with San Antonio. He is a winning player, a veteran. Sacramento was playing highly regarded rookie DeAaron Fox at point guard. This deal made no sense.

3. So unsurprisingly, the Kings eventually decided he no longer fit. The 6-foot-3 Hill is averaging 10.3 points and 2.8 assists in 27 minutes a game. The Cavs really like his 45 percent shooting from 3-point range (39 percent for his career). Long-range shooting at the point has always been valued here. It's why Jose Calderon was effective early in the season.

4. The key for Hill will be health. He missed 33 games in Utah last season with a major toe injury. The Jazz were 33-16 when Hill played last season, 18-15 when he didn't. He was in the same backcourt as Hood last season, so they should be able to quickly blend with the Cavs.


5. Hill missed 10 games this season, some of them "a healthy scratch" simply because the Kings wanted to use younger players. He missed a few games for the birth of his child.

6. I like the combination of Hill and Calderon with James and the new additions (Clarkson, Hood) in the backcourt. J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver can also benefit by playing with point guards who know how to move the ball.

Wow, they were serious about Cedi:

George Hill will start at point guard in his Cavs debut Sunday vs. the Celtics. LeBron James, Cedi Osman, J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson will round out the Cavs starting five vs. Boston.

Hill is shooting 45.3 percent from 3-point range this season, which is the second high percentage in the NBA. He'll get plenty of wide-open looks playing alongside LeBron.

Hood, Clarkson and Nance will come off the bench vs. the Celtics. Coach Ty Lue will have to mix-and-match rotations over the next couple of weeks as he attempts to incorporate all these new players into the mix.

The Jazz announced that they have waived guard Derrick Rose.

This was expected, as Rose was simply included in the three-team trade as salary filler

6. Nance, Clarkson and Hill are all under contract for next season. Hood is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer he receives. A tighter salary cap could really cut down on Hood's options.

Civ - in the NBA, like the NFL, a restricted free agent can go out on the market and sign a deal but the home team can match it if they want. Also even if they are over the cap it's ok to re-sign your own guy still.