http://www.foxsportsohio.com/02/13/13/Oden-may-be-leaning-toward-Cavs/msn_landing.html?blockID=863167&feedID=8888

A couple insiders have said the Cavs again are exploring some sort
of deal for Memphis forward Rudy Gay. Perhaps their best selling point
would be to mention how well the Grizzlies fared in the playoffs without
him.

via NBA notes: Rumors heat up as draft nears.

Gay continues to be discussed in trade rumors despite management’s insistence he is not available. The same thing happened with O.J. Mayo last season until Mayo was on the verge of heading to Indiana. But Rudy’s a whole other matter. He’s the best player on the Grizzlies (yes, even with Zach Randolph), able to make an impact on both ends of the floor, and was on his way towards a career year before a shoulder injury put him on the shelf and opened up all these rumors.

After all, if you were so good without him, why not trade him for players that are worse than he is and hope they fit? Wait, no, that doesn’t sound right at all.

Cleveland getting RG would be a good call for them, however, giving them a versatile small forward to work with Kyrie Irving and provide scoring punch. Amico also says Cleveland has talked to Atlanta, but doesn’t specify which players were involved in talks. You’d have to think Josh Smith would be at the top of that list.

It looks like Memphis will have to fend off questions about trading Gay until he’s part of a playoff push with Memphis.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/19/report-cleveland-shopping-for-rudy-gay

Sessions would seem to be the odd man out, with Irving as the point
guard of the future and Baron Davis on hand to groom him as such.
Sessions averaged 13.3 points and 5.2 assists last season, his first in
Cleveland. Now 25 and a four-year veteran, Sessions believes he can
start in this league. That doesn’t appear likely to happen in Cleveland.

Sessions’ agent, Chubby Wells, hasn’t asked the Cavaliers for a trade yet. That might change after the draft.

”Obviously something has to give,” Wells said. ”I don’t see how they can keep all three of those guys.”

Coach Byron Scott said during the season he likes to have three point guards available, but the Cavs may struggle to find enough minutes to keep Sessions happy.

He averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 assists in 38 starts for the Cavs, compared to 12.2 points and 4.5 assists as a reserve. He played most of the season with a hernia that has since been surgically repaired.

Wells said Sessions’ final checkup following surgery is in the next couple of weeks, after which time he’ll be cleared to begin working out. Sessions has been healing at his home in Atlanta.

His name popped up in trade rumors around the All-Star break and there would likely be a decent market for Sessions, who resuscitated his career here after one miserable season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

”He’s in a good place right now,” Wells said. ”He’s not a rookie anymore.”

http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/123705324.html

We’ve heard for months this could be the worst draft in 25 years, but just how bad is it?

This bad: One NBA talent evaluator
said last week he isn’t sure there is a future All-Star anywhere in this
draft. To put that in perspective, every draft between 1978 and 2008
has produced at least three All-Stars, except one year (2007). That
draft is still too young to judge, since guys like Mike Conley, Jeff
Green and Joakim Noah could still make an All-Star team before their
careers are through.

And to be fair, no one thought Manu
Ginobili would be a two-time All-Star, otherwise he wouldn’t have lasted
until the 57th pick in 1999. So no one will really know how good or bad
this draft is until at least five years from now.

What is fair and obvious is that an
already thin pool was crippled by Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones and
Harrison Barnes choosing to return to school for another year. Barnes
particularly could’ve really helped the Cavs, who arguably had the worst
collection of wing players in the league last season.

But the lack of talent in this draft
isn’t news to the organization. They essentially purchased the Los
Angeles Clippers’ lottery pick for $12 million (the difference between
Mo Williams’ contract and Baron Davis’ contract) knowing full well this
was a weak crop.
http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/121850033.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Q: Hey, Mary: I recently heard that Greg Oden will be a free agent this
upcoming summer. It has been said that the Cavs can’t attract top free
agents. But with Oden growing up in Indiana and playing at Ohio State,
wouldn’t a Midwestern destination like Cleveland be appealing to him? He
has had injury problems. But with the success the Cavs had in their
patience with [Zydrunas Ilgauskas], do you think they might pursue him,
since a dominant big man is their glaring weakness? — Rich Smith,
Columbus

A: Hey, Rich: You’re assuming Oden actually will be available. Despite the fact that Portland did not pick up his option, he will be a restricted free agent next summer, meaning the Blazers can match any offer he receives. Given his injury problems, he has not been able to put together a body of work that would help any team — including Portland or Cleveland — determine his worth. If he has a great season, Portland will want to keep him, and if he doesn’t, what team will be willing to take a chance?

Q: Hey, Mary: Can you give us a brief scouting report on Ramon Sessions? I am not familiar with his style of play as of yet. — Rashau’n Williams, Hunting Valley

A: Hey, Rashau’n: Sessions did a good job filling in while Mo Williams recovered completely from his groin injury. He’s fast and did a good job of pushing the pace for coach Byron Scott. He’s a better driver than an outside shooter and needs to work on his defense and ballhandling.

Q: Hey, Mary: Will the defense be so bad this year? When Mo gets back, that’s another weak position on the defensive side of the court. Do you agree that we need to get some more defenders? — LeMichael Johnson, Shaker Heights

A: Hey, LeMichael: The Cavs are taking steps to try and improve their defense. Frankly, they’re just going to have to put forth more effort on that end if they’re going to be competitive. I think right now the emphasis is on trying to get the players who are here to defend better rather than making roster changes.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/11/should_cavaliers_go_after_greg.html

The Michigan State coach and his family spent all Thursday afternoon and
evening with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, General Manager Chris Grant,
and assistant general manager Lance Blanks.

According to multiple sources, the visit went well and Izzo and his
family were impressed with the Cavs’ facilities and the city. But Izzo
left town after nearly nine hours without accepting Gilbert’s offer
After arriving on one of Dan Gilbert’s private jets around 1 p.m., Izzo and his family were ushered away in two black SUVs. He visited Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence, met Cavs staff and then had dinner.

As Izzo was spending the day in Cleveland, Spartans fans in East Lansing, Mich., held a rally at the university hoping the coach who has led the team to six Final Fours in the past 12 years would stay.

When he got back home, Izzo declined to talk about what happened in Cleveland and told reporters he felt bad about the situation.

"I feel bad about that, I feel bad about all that stuff," Izzo said. "But I do feel good that I did what I had to do and I will, uh, apologize to everybody for not commenting."

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/06/tom_izzo_visits_with_cleveland.html

He’s fired the coach, accepted the resignation of the general manager
and there are no signs of stopping.

Gilbert has qualified these moves by saying he will not be afraid to
take risks. Or as he said Friday: "The unknown is just that."

With that in mind, league sources have indicated the Cavs have begun to consider taking some risks with their roster. That may even include seeing if a trade makes sense for one of the most popular players on the team.

According to multiple league sources, the Cavs are testing the trade value for point guard Mo Williams, among other players. It is part of what appears to be an effort to tweak the entire backcourt, as Delonte West is also on the trade block.

These talks are being piloted, sources said, by new general manager Chris Grant. However, the decision to determine Williams’ value could mostly be the result of the two weeks of in-depth conversations led by Gilbert on the state of the team. The products of those talks resulted in the firing of Mike Brown and Danny Ferry’s decision not to seek another contract.

It is not assured that the Cavs will make a deal. This is the time of year when teams amp up trade discussions prior to the draft. Last year, the Cavs traded for Shaquille O’Neal the day before the draft but started the discussions for that deal in the first week of June.

Williams has been the best scoring guard LeBron James has played with in his career. Because he can play both off the ball and with the ball effectively, he has proven to be an excellent fit with James, who usually has the ball in his hands.

This season, Williams increased his assists and did not complain when his shots went down as O’Neal and Antawn Jamison joined the team. He is well liked within the locker room as well. In 150 regular-season games, Williams has averaged 16.9 points and shot 45 percent from the field.

In other words, he’s been a valuable player.

But in 25 playoff games, Williams’ scoring and shooting percentages have dropped even as his minutes have gone up. He has not performed well under the postseason pressure and at times has gotten down on himself.

This seems to be what might be concerning the Cavs as they evaluate their team. After winning 127 games over two seasons but coming up short of even making the Finals, they are reassessing what they really have.

"One thing we’ve learned is how different the postseason is from the regular season," Gilbert said.

Williams’ defense is another issue. While he’s generally improved defensively over the last two years, the Cavs have matchup disadvantages with top teams in the East. Williams was limited in what he could do defensively against Derrick Rose of the Bulls in the first round and Rajon Rondo in the second round.

Had the Cavs advanced, Jameer Nelson of the Magic might have been an issue in the conference finals.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/06/reshuffled_front_office_isnt_s.html

After firing Mike Brown after five seasons on Sunday, the Cavs have
thrust themselves into a complex and uncertain coaching search. For one,
they are one of six teams now looking for a head coach. Also without a
firm handle on the future of free agent LeBron James, the team will
certainly be limited in how it can pitch its job to the top-flight
coaches they may look to attract.

Usually, teams want new coaches in place before the draft and the start
of free agency. But with the cir*****stances, the team may not be able to
make a decision until after James does. That might not be until July.

Nonetheless, the Cavs do have a list. Here’s a look, according to sources, at who is on it.

The dream choices:

Phil Jackson

A 10-time world champion who made his mark by coaching in Chicago and Los Angeles. Until he retires for good Jackson would be at the top of any search. There are two reasons why he will be at the top of the Cavs’ list.

One is that his contract with the Lakers is up at the end of the playoffs, making him the James of coaching free agents. The second is Jackson has said Lakers’ owner Jerry Buss wants him to take a sizeable paycut from his $12.5 million annual salary. It has been reported that Buss wants Jackson to take as much as a $7 million cut.

Never afraid to spend money and already assured of some payroll relief compared to the past three seasons, there is a chance Cavs owner Dan Gilbert would be willing to outspend Buss for Jackson.

Five years ago, Jackson did accept an interview with Gilbert before going back to the Lakers.

Even so, this would be considered an extreme long shot. It is hard to see Jackson coaching in Cleveland. Actually, it is hard to see him coaching anywhere but L.A., especially because his longtime girlfriend is Lakers’ executive Jeanie Buss.

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/05/cavaliers_will_enter_coaching.html

The Cavaliers had not performed or scheduled exit interviews with
players or coaches as of Monday. Once some or all of those take place,
there will be a verdict on coach Mike Brown. But if that decision is a
parting of ways, the sides are getting ready for it.

According to sources, Brown and his coaching staff are preparing to be let go. Meanwhile, the front office and team owner Dan Gilbert are believed to be considering a list of possible replacements.

While Gilbert said his evaluation period will last 7-10 days, it won’t likely last longer than that. According to multiple sources, there is a clause in Brown’s contract that changes his compensation for the remaining year of his contract if he’s let go more than 10 days after the season ends.

All of the assistant coaches have a year left on their contracts as well.

Despite those factors, there is also a courtesy element to the decision-making process. There are six coaching openings currently in the NBA (Philadelphia, Chicago, New Jersey, Atlanta, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans) and all are in some stage of the interviewing process. Brown and his assistants potentially could be candidates for jobs in those places if they are released in Cleveland.

Without question, a huge opinion in Brown’s future will rest with LeBron James and his thoughts on the future. The Cavs and James, when they do meet, will be in an awkward position because talking about the coaching position will be all about the future and James has chosen to leave his future options open.

Currently, it is believed James intends to explore his free agent options in July. If the team decides to change coaches, that may put the Cavs in a position of either courting a new coach without knowing James’ future or waiting beyond the draft and the start of free agency without having a coach in place.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/05/mike_brown_and_staff_preparing.html

• The Cavs’ treated Game 3 like it was a regular season game. The Bulls
treated it like a playoff game. Stripping away all the details and the
coaching decisions and the calls, that was the reason why the Cavs lost.

Instead of realizing that this was the Bulls’ last shot to make this a series and that they’d come out fighting for their season with the injection of energy playing at home, the Cavs eased into Game 3 like it was a game in February. They played at something less than full speed for three quarters and hoped it worked and then turn it up in the fourth quarter. Questionable as it is, it works in the regular season but it is a bad habit. Seeing the way the Bulls’ attacked and the Cavs literally fell over themselves — Anthony Parker back pedaled once and actually went to the deck playing passive defense on Derrick Rose — highlighted this perfectly.

Perhaps this will serve as one of those "wake up" games that higher seeds sometimes need in the playoffs. It didn’t help that the Cavs played this same way in Game 2 and got away with playing a great quarter to win. That doesn’t work on the road, even against .500 teams. It must be assumed that Bulls’ non-stars will step up and have better games, that is what happens at home. Just look at what Jamario Moon did in Game 2.

As the Cavs break down film and go over lineup situations and fine-tune the game plan, attitude is going to be just as important. They will have to arrive Sunday ready to play a playoff game. They did that in Game 1 and then talked about how their focus was sharpened and how Shaquille O’Neal was leading by example. All of us in the media lapped it up and it was easy because you could see that the Cavs had that edge. It was vanishing in Game 2 and it was gone in Game 3.

• Now, about the officials. The charging foul that LeBron was called for with a minute to go was poor. Downright incorrect based on my opinion. Having said that, there was a previous block/charge situation in the fourth quarter with Deng and the Cavs got the call. You know that the call was poor because the two officials called different things. Also, there was Joakim Noah clearing LeBron going for a rebound in the last 10 seconds. That happens, officials will let things go on missed free throws.

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/04/cleveland_cavaliers_blog.html