Can the Browns afford to keep working with Josh Gordon?
January 26, 2015The 2015 Cleveland Indians ZiPS projections have arrived
January 26, 2015When David Griffin masterfully acquired Brendan Haywood this past summer, the entire Cleveland Cavaliers landscape was different than it is today. Since the draft night deal, the wine and gold have added a few All-Stars, a few key role players and a boat load of salary. Haywood’s deal was one that could potentially bring over another max-type player due to his non-guaranteed balloon year, but with the team’s most recent additions of JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov, coupled with the salary and tax implications of the current collective bargaining agreement, the team might be looking to cut ties before that non-guaranteed year comes to fruition.
Here are the details from Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:
There have been whispers throughout the season the Cavs may trade Brendan Haywood’s unique contract before this summer, when it reaches its maximum value. Those whispers are growing louder. In fact, if the Cavs are to upgrade their backup point guard position through trade, they will inevitably have to include Haywood just to make the money match. And from all indications, they’ll have no problem moving Haywood’s contract if the right point guard becomes available. But they won’t know that until closer to the Feb. 19 trade deadline.
The Cavs have been privately telling people for months that when they originally acquired Haywood’s contract, worth $10.5 million non-guaranteed next season, they didn’t have any max players on the roster. Now they have three.
Assuming Kevin Love is still here, the Cavs will commit at least $58 million next season in salary just to Love, LeBron and Kyrie Irving. Add in Anderson Varejao’s $10 million for next season, new deals for Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert (each of whom will be coming off their rookie deals and seeking at least $10 million) and the Cavs’ payroll next season will explode through the cap (projected now around $66 million) and tax apron. That means Haywood’s contract cannot be used in sign-and-trade deals, which eliminates the Cavs from pursuing any free agents with his contract.
Haywood is being paid a salary of just $2.2 million this season but next season’s on-paper number sits at $10.5 million. What’s attractive about Haywood’s deal is next summer his $10.5 million income would apply towards the league’s salary-matching requirements, which would allow the Cavaliers, or whichever team has him at that time, to trade Haywood for an impact player making up to approximately $14 million annually.
While the Cavs are not permitted from pursuing any big free agents with an expiring Haywood contract, and could only take advantage of that $2.2 million number, other teams most certainly can meaning that the veteran big man—more specifically, his contract—still holds plenty of value. According to Lloyd, it’s fairly well known throughout the league that the Cavs are no longer waiting until this summer to move Haywood. While one would assume that the wheeling and dealing Griffin would be finished making moves, he continues to surprise fans with chess-like acquisitions that are merely done to set up subsequent deals.
With a roster space still available, the team continues to be rumored to be looking for an upgrade at their back-up point guard slot to provide relief for Kyrie Irving. Marc Stein at ESPN.com recently reported that the team could look at adding a serviceable guard like Jose Calderon, Jeremy Lin, or George Hill if either were to become available. While Matthew Dellavedova has improved after a woeful stretch of play earlier this month, names like Jordan Farmar, Will Bynum and Bobby Brown continue to bubble up as secondary options in the event a trade cannot be agreed upon.
36 Comments
I read basically this same story somewhere else by someone else which is interesting to me. Anyways I had a Twitter interaction with someone basically where I said use Haywood now don’t wait and was told I was wrong. I basically didn’t engage further because to be honest I don’t quite understand how Haywood’s deal worked until reading this so thank you Scott.
So I return to my original stance and say trade him now. I mentioned in another section about the possibilities with Brooklyn who is looking to unload multiple veterans. Williams, Johnson and Garnett. By process of elimination I settled upon Deron Williams. I know there have been rumors of the Cavaliers looking for a veteran backup PG and have heard Jordan Farmar’s name. Pass. You want to make a real impact, a real take notice additional move which tells everyone you want to vie for a title then Williams would be it. He’d backup KI and play less minutes which with his injury history would be perfect. Not only that but Blatt would have even more options on the offensive end. Could you imagine Williams, Irving, LBJ, Love & Smith to spread the floor?
But like I said in the prior section I was just spit balling ideas.
that’s a pretty large squad on the floor at once! No for me on D-Will. he shoots under 40% and his ankle is just too big of a problem.
(and he has another $21+ million on the books next year, and his contract has a 15% trade kicker).
I hate this salary caveat that if the Cavs are over the cap they can’t use Haywood in a sign trade. Goodbye (Marc Gasol). Bur I assume they can still acquire a player on a big deal, who is not a free agent. That being the case, I wouldn’t rule out keeping him till the summer. I guess it just matters who pops up available between then & now, although $2.2m doesn’t get you much. Lin, Calderon, Hill – those guys all make $7-14M, so, not going to happen (unless they include Andy). With his deal being their last opportunity to add a big player, I just don’t see them dealing for a low salary PG, but of course they should do their due diligence.
Like I said spit balling but Williams wouldn’t be there to shoot not with those other guys. I didn’t think his salary would match-up however.
Teams are always looking for a backup PG and they can usually be found in the D-league or after the trade deadline is over and some are released. If the Cavs are going to give up the rest of their trade chips for the year, do it to cement the front court rotation by dealing for MILES PLUMLEE.
Brooklyn isn’t giving up Plumlee they will give up Lopez however.
How exactly do you trade Haywood’s $2.2M salary for DWill’s $20M? Not happening.
Exactly. He is worth a bunch now and worth a bunch in the summer, but to different teams. Now, he’s an asset for teams that will look to add salary and have a good bargaining chip over the summer. Over the summer, he’ll be a valuable asset for any team looking to trim payroll.
Smart for Grant to make him available now and, if nothing interesting is offered, then to hold onto him until the summer.
could you contain yourself if the Cavs added Lopez though?
Grant? NO. NOOOOOOOO. THEEEEE HOOOOORRRROOORRRRRR.
hahahaha….whoops. They both start with Grrrrrr, but only one is worthy of Tony the Tiger
http://media.giphy.com/media/Qw4X3FzGZdaAqEI6FhK/giphy.gif
The whole point of this article is that it’s not $2.2M but if that wasn’t enough (1)I didn’t know Williams salary and (2)I do believe I said I was spit balling.
I didn’t/don’t trust Lopez health however with Timofey on the roster Lopez would be a very intriguing player. Supposedly OKC was hot for him.
Don’t get me wrong – I like the idea. It’s just that BH’s contract is only worth $2.2M in a trade this season vs. $10.5M next summer. I’m just not sure who they will really find available that makes around $2.2M because that player is likely young, on a bargain contract and under team control for awhile. The only decent players that come to mind are guys like Reggie Jackson or Trey Burke. But is OKC going to trade Jackson for nothing in return but financial flexibility next year? Is Haywood’s contract valuable to Utah? Doubt it.
OKC doesn’t work because they would likely want to shed salary this summer, not take on an extra $8-12mil.
I like OKC but they aren’t making the finals as currently constructed heck they may not even make the playoffs.
Craft is available
Exactly – I just don’t see who they’d be picking up for that $. Why trade for Steve Blake this season when your options open up so much wider next year?
same thing for Lopez as i said for D-Will – NO WAY. (player option for next year at around $16+. with his injury history, I’d think he picks it up because he’ll be lucky to get 2 years and $15 million.)
I agree. Just that Sham has loved Brook for years.
the only reason would be you get a young useful asset now and you don’t want to spend an extra $20mil (including luxury taxes) next year.
in the West, if you make the playoffs, then your odds at the Finals are about even with everyone else there.
West is a slaughterhouse first OKC has to make it to the playoffs. Right now they are not in it.
based mostly on the time that Durant and Westbrook missed. at their current pace (and Durant/Westbrook pace), they’ll be fine.
Chris Fedor just posted this article about some possibilities for PG depth including trades:
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2015/01/cleveland_cavaliers_looking_to_2.html
Some interesting and familiar names to Cavaliers fans. Personally while I wouldn’t mind a veteran PG backup I still prefer another big man.
Hmmmmm we shall see but like I said they need to make the eight first. If they do nobody will want to play them obviously but just like SA I don’t see OKC in the finals.
Remember when CBA stood for Canadian Basketball Association? My how times have changed.
of the guys on the list, Mo would be the most interesting (due to his comments when LeBron left), but I would be surprised as he’s been a real asset for the Twolves both on the court (52pt game!) and helping mentor Wiggins.
Miles Plumlee from Phoenix…
Ah, wait, which Plumlee is in Brooklyn then?
Was it Canadian, or Continental?
With the cap going up this offseason there’ll be less teams looking to unload salary. It won’t be like years past where half the league was looking to dump salary.
Miles is in Phoenix, Mason is in Brooklyn. p.s. JESUS IS LORD
I only remember that Isaiah destroyed it
It’s not going up much this offseason… it’s 2016 when the big TV deal kicks in.
Does that lineup get stops against a D-3 team?
I’d keep Haywood’s contract until the summer. Also, who, besides the Cavs would pay Shump and TT $10 million. TT is going to be a RFA. Let the market set his price. Shump is unrestricted but he’s not getting $10 million. Those evaluations are insane.