Jimmy Haslam and Johnny Manziel: A match made in the south
January 2, 2014
Todd Bowles succeeded Ray Horton in Arizona, interviews with Cleveland Friday
January 2, 2014
It appears that the potential Andrew Bynum-to-Los Angeles deal that was reported this week is on life support. ESPN.com’s resident Cavaliers beat NBA writer reports that while the deal which would send Pau Gasol to Cleveland in exchange for the cap space which would be cleared by waiving center Andrew Bynum is no longer progressing and that Chris Grant and the Cavs are looking elsewhere.
The major issue, sources said, involves the Lakers’ desire to get an additional asset from the Cavs beyond Bynum’s team-friendly contract, which could save the Lakers more than $20 million in salary and luxury taxes. The Lakers are interested in also getting a young prospect or first-round draft pick as part of the deal. The Cavs have been reluctant to part with either.
It was reported earlier this week that the Lakers had coveted a first-round pick in the deal which could also included small forward Alonzo Gee. Talks between the Cavaliers and Lakers hit a bit of a speed bump over the New Year’s holiday as All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving had a scare when he suffered what looked to have been a threatening knee injury. The Cavaliers, potentially without Irving, did not want to add Gasol and his $19.3 million contract if playoff hopes had quickly transitioned from remote to no chance in hell.
There is obvious history with the two teams as they engaged in a similar deal in 2012 when they acquired Luke Walton and a first-round draft selection for the expiring contract of Ramon Sessions. Due to the new CBA, there is some pressure for the Lakers to get out of the luxury tax to help with future flexibility. As Windhorst stated, if the Lakers remain in the tax this season, going into the tax in either of the next two seasons would trigger a “repeater tax.” The Lakers are planning to be major free-agent players the next two summers, similar to the cap-space-hording Cavaliers. Alas, any deal consummated between the two teams would not only aid the Cavaliers’ playoff chances this season, but would also add a potential rival to the mix in what is shaping to be a fairly active 2014 free agency period.
The Cavs have until Jan. 7 to trade Bynum before his contract becomes fully guaranteed for the year.
[Related: WFNY Stats & Info: Notes on Pau Gasol’s decline]
(Image: Scott Sargent/WFNY)
21 Comments
Memphis paid CLE (in players & a future pick) to get them under the cap. The precedent has been set.
Obviously Gasol is not Ellington/Speights, but the players involved (for LA) are more or less irrelevant. The deal is about the $$$, no way should C Grant include a draft pick as well.
So, the lakers want us to (a) save them $20 mil, (b) take gasol off their hands (bc gasol is unhappy, dantoni isn’t a fan, and the lakers want to tank), and (c) give up a young asset or first round pick? Sure, we should throw in kyrie while we’re at it.
Ridiculous, first round picks go for ~$3 to $4 mil apiece…they should be giving US a first rounder or young asset. If they don’t like it, then they can go find another team with a contract like Bynum’s (hint, there aren’t any).
I think the Lakers are just trying to use that Jan 7 deadline as leverage. I’m sure discussions will recommence shortly beforehand.
Can Alonzo Gee be considered a young asset?
I agree, I can’t think of a way the Lakers don’t do this.
I like this thinking, but the Cavs might need another potential trade partner to sweeten the offer. If not, they face getting nothing in return for cutting him. It might be better to do that and keep their picks but I suspect Grant is facing his own pressure to have the team competitive ASAP. And the Lakers are smart, they may try to smoke Grant out as January 7th approaches if no other trade partner comes forward.
Would Bynum and Gee and the Kings pick for Gasol be so bad?
I would do Gee however. It’s okay one day a la the Indians and Randy Johnson we’ll find out just how close the Cavaliers could have been to Gasol. Not that it’ll make it feel better.
Exactly.
Gasol will be a free agent and as much as I hate having to use another draft pick I wouldn’t include it. The $$$ Bynum would save them alone is almost worthy of Gasol given Gasol will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Lets hope granted Gasol is on the decline and granted he’d just be here, assuming, for the rest of this season he’s still a very talented big man who I think would fit in well with the current Cavaliers.
So basically, LA is saying “hey, we had to give you guys a first-rounder when you guys dumped an expiring contract, you guys should give us one when we’re dumping one”.
And the Cavs are saying back “…except we weren’t going to save $20M.”
Lets bring Walton back!!!
Agreed 100%. The Lakers need us much more than we need them. Gasol doesn’t necessarily put us over the top, but trading him does put them under the cap.
over the top? it barely puts us under the top. If I were Grant, I’d only do this deal if it were on MY terms.
And the Cavs are saying back “…now why would we want to do that? That would be stupid!”
haha
not at all. The team needs to start figuring out how to win games. Gasol can help. Gee is a non-factor, capable of going 20 minutes without showing much interest and barely leaving a mark on the stat sheet. And isn’t the Kings pick protected and possibly a nullity?
top 12 this year, top 10 protected in 2015 & 2016 & 2017 then becomes a 2nd in 2017.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/cleveland-cavaliers-team-salary
2014
Owed first-rounder (top-12 protected, top-10 protected through 2017,
converts to 2017 second-rounder if in the top-55) from Sacramento Kings
I think the underlying question for us is whether we want to try for the playoffs or tank (again) for a top pick?
If we trade for gasol, then the most likely scenario is for us to sniff the 8th seed (maybe even get it), get swept in the first round, gasol leaves in the offseason, and we have the same nucleus as we have now (possibly minus a first rd pick due to gasol trade).
If we don’t trade for gasol (or deng, etc.) and stand pat, then we will probably keep losing and end up with a top 5 pick.
I would include the Kings pick if they take back Gee or Jack and give us Xavier Henry. He’s young, cheap, and producing fairly well at the 3 in his minutes.
yeah, might as well cut Bynum ourselves and save money rather than give up a pick.