As rumored, Cleveland plundered point guard Mo Williams from Milwaukee, losing only 33-year-old Joe Smith and 32-year-old Damon Jones in the process. Jones and OKC alum Luke Ridnour head to the Bucks; Smith and former Sonic Desmond Mason pack for Oklahoma. As I wrote a bit ago, it's a good pull for Cleveland -- Williams shores up a pitiful position and adds some offensive punch to a defensive-minded team.There's another consideration, though: what's it do to Cleveland's pending cap space? Danny Ferry's public position on all prospective trades has been that the team didn't want to surrender its projected cap space for the summer of 2009. With Smith, Jones, Eric Snow and Wally Szczerbiak definitely off the payroll next offseason, the idea become such that the Cavs would be in good position to either trade for a disgruntled superstar at the deadline or reach out to a top-level free agent in July. (In actuality, once Daniel Gibson was extended, the team still needed to shred one more long contract to be serious players in free agency. The trade avenue would be alive regardless.)
This deal kills the chance to sign a big free agent outright next summer: the Cavs will go into July '09 over the cap and roughly $10 million away from the luxury tax (assuming Delonte West is not re-signed). Even trading a big contract like Zydrunas Ilgauskas for cap space (unlikely, given that Ben Wallace has no pulse) wouldn't help enough to land a Carlos Boozer or Shawn Marion on the open market. Any major improvements in the Cavs 2009-10 roster -- the season prior to LeBron James' free agency -- will have to come via trade.
Luckily, Cleveland has kept some pieces worthy of deadline bidding. Szczerbiak has a massive expiring contract of $13.2 million. Snow counts for $7.3 million. Between the two, the Cavaliers could pull a $25 million star, provided there is a $25 million star whose team would like to sell him for cap space, which is not the case because no player will make $25 million in 2008-09. However, it works for a lesser star and a bad contract, too. Vince Carter plus Bobby Simmons works. So does Marion and Mark Blount. Or, Cleveland could part with just one of the expiring deals to get a player they want. Thankfully, flexibility is alive in Ohio.
UPDATE: God bless Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon-Journal, who broke this story. Take it away, TrueHoop:
But remember a while ago his family was asking for your good thoughts as Brian was hospitalized?
After 55 days in the hospital, dealing with all manner of health trouble that I'll let him tell you about if he's so inclined, today was the day that he got to go home for the first time.
Would you believe he actually dictated this story over the phone, from the car, on the way home from the hospital?
Most sportswriters never get to have a "Willis Reed" moment, but Brian has certainly had his.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-13-2008 @ 5:15PM
petejayhawk said...
In tact? What is tactful about this, exactly? Was the Cavs' flexibility in danger of running out of tact?
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8-13-2008 @ 10:47PM
Tsunami said...
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS MOVE!
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8-14-2008 @ 9:01AM
Mike said...
This does absolutely nothing to improve this team. As the old Bulls and the recent Celtics have shown, you need more than one half way great player to win it all. Not that Pippen was great and not that Garnett or Allen or Pierce are Great players, but combined they made a defense spread out the court and then they made a difference. It frees up your truly great player,,,,Jordan, Lebron. Just ask Kobe and if he is honest he will tell you that having Shaq was the reason they won it all. Just like Shaq having Kobe and D-Wade. without them Shaq would have never won anything, and vise versa.
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8-14-2008 @ 9:34PM
nbafan said...
Mike, how does it not improve this team? Wow, I will contend your assertion. Lebron James has never had a player so far in his career who can score off the dribble other than himself on a consistent basis. Also, Lebron never had a teammate who has averaged 17 points a game like Mo did last year. Mo isn't even in his prime yet at only age 25. This move will not make them a great team but it will surely IMPROVE them if you know anything about basketball, but apparently you don't if you think this doesn't improve the Cavs.
This kid is another piece to the puzzle and will relieve some of the scoring burden off of Lebron's shoulders. Furthermore, Boobie Gibson can focus on his true position and this is the #2. If West signs, the Cavs will have a formidable backup in him. This is the best offseason move Cleveland has made ( in the Lebron era ) since drafting King James. This team needed a point guard and nailed one, additionally..... one who can SCORE.
Your rambling about Kobe, Jordan, Shaq, and the like has nothing to do if this move improved the team or not. I understand what you mean regarding Kobe not winning it without Shaq, that is obvious. Pippen was a great player and so is KG. I mean are you kidding me.....lol.
Cleveland does need another great player but it takes time, it wont happen overnight...remember Boozer left Cleveland and ran for the money a few years back. Also, Cleveland gave the NBA champions the toughest series in the playoffs last season. I promise you this move will improve the team..... will they win it all? Doubt it, but Ferry had to do something with the stagnant offense we've witnessed over the past few seasons.
Hopefully the Cavs will land another superstar alongside Lebron and I hope it happens rather soon because if this organization does not win a title with Lebron it will be utterly ridiculous.
I
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8-16-2008 @ 3:59PM
Mr.G said...
Perfect. I love Mo Williams game.As post#4 points out,Mo is only 25, and now he can finally settle into a defined role on a contending team with a Superstar Forward.This guy has the talent and game to become a star player in his own right.This is definitely a move in the right direction and fills a glaring need for the Cavs.
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