I expect Kyrie and Jimmy Butler to be on the Nets once the smoke clears.

I love the NBA offseason. All the stuff gets bunched up into about a month period.

The opposite of the MLB snooze of a winter.

The AD/David Griffin watch promises to be really good. Oh, and don't forget our old buddy Rich Paul in this mix.
AD's agent.



The Lakers have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and the No. 4 pick in the draft available in trade talks with the Pelicans, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.


Stein adds that deal could hinge on what the No. 4 pick could get for the Pelicans, and that it may be tough to get Kyle Kuzma in the mix.

The Lakers getting the No. 4 pick may give them enough ammo to get a deal done, and Stein also adds the teams could agree in principle before draft night. As for Ingram, he is still recovering from arm surgery and should be ready for camp.

AD trade changes the entire NBA. Lakers will be able to get another all star type player when the smoke clears. Seems like Jimmy Butler is now slated there at worst.

Ric Bucher is saying that Kyrie and KD to Brooklyn is a done deal. Nets will revoke rights to DeAngelo Russell.

Pelicans are shopping #4 which will probably in some way affect the Cavs at #5. Pelicans could end up with JR Smith and the #5 pick if there is a player that the Cavs just have to have.

If not the Cavs just may trade with Atlanta for their 8th pick etc. and select whoever is left at 8th. Probably Reddish. If not Hunter.

The Buckeye fan raises his hand and says, I’ll take De’Angelo Russell.

Unfortunately the Cavs will not be able to sign him unless he would accept one of their exceptions which is too small of an amount for a player of his ability.

1 day ago – via Fox Sports Radio
Ric Bucher: “I’m told Kevin Durant is out of the hospital, moved into a hotel for the time being in the New York area and him and Kyrie have met and have continued to discuss playing together next season. KD has moved all his stuff and will spend his summer in New York… Every indication says KD is making plans to be elsewhere because obviously Kyrie will not be joining the Warriors any time soon.”


2 days ago – via Newark Star-Ledger
According to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, the Durant-Irving pairing idea still has legs and New York seems to be where the landing spot will be. “I’m told Kevin Durant has moved all his stuff to New York and will spend the summer there,” Bucher said on The Herd. “He and Kyrie have met and have continued to discuss playing together… Every indication says KD is making plans to be elsewhere.”

Steve Kyler
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@stevekylerNBA

Right now it's looking like #1 - Zion, #2 - Ja, #3 - RJ, #4 - Culver -- leaving five as most likely Hunter, Garland or Reddish.

--- I think Garland being there at 5 gives the Cavs a lot of trade options to weigh. Hunter is the best all-around fit for the roster. Reddish is solid.

Is there a player like Russell or another talented guy we can get for that valuable JR Smith trade piece? That’s what I had in mind. AssumingNets would be interested in it.

rusty would know more than I do on the viability financially on something like Russell...

But from my point of view, I do know Russell will get a MAX contract somewhere. His past season was totally incredible.

Seems to me the Cavs might not be quite ready for that kind of commitment just yet.

Brooklyn is expected to revoke Russell's rights because they do not want to match his contract in a trade. They are trying to create
more space. If they make him a free agent then the Cavs can not sign him for more than the middle level exception if at all.

Cavs could use JR Smith if Brooklyn is interested.

Cavs are also in a position that they do not want to get out of the bottom 10 next year because they owe Atlanta their first round pick if it outside the top 10.

Cleveland Cavaliers Scribbles: Darius Garland an option? A deal with New Orleans? — Terry Pluto
Updated 6:05 AM; Today 5:00 AM
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of two teams to have a private workout with Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
AP

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of two teams to have a private workout with Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

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By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Scribbles in my notebook as the the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for Thursday’s NBA draft:

1. I talked to a league source who said the Cavaliers had at least five people at the private workout for Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland. That was over the weekend in Los Angeles.



2. Garland also had a private workout for the Lakers, but that was before Saturday’s Anthony Davis deal was made with New Orleans. At the time of Garland’s L.A. workout, the Lakers still had the No. 4 pick. The Cavs are at No. 5.

3. Now, the No. 4 pick belongs to New Orleans, which secured it after making the Davis deal with the Lakers. Former Cavaliers GM David Griffin now has that same job with the Pelicans. Current Cavs GM Koby Altman worked under Griffin in Cleveland.

4. So let’s connect some dots. If the Cavs have an interest in Garland (or another player) who could be picked by the Pelicans, it’s not hard to imagine the two teams flopping picks with other things involved in the deal.

5. Garland is represented by Klutch Sports, the agency led by Rich Paul and sports attorney Mark Termini. They also represent Davis. They didn’t permit Garland to work out at the NBA Combine. A week ago, Klutch had a showcase with its clients for NBA teams -- but Garland didn’t take part.

6. But the Cavs did look at him. Garland played only five games at Vanderbilt before sustaining a knee injury. He had meniscus knee surgery in late November. He is said to be healthy right now, and several doctors supposedly have cleared him. Meniscus knee injuries are not as serious as the ACL tear. Garland was hurt making a layup two minutes into Vanderbilt’s 77-75 loss to Kent State.


7. Garland’s college career consists of 139 minutes. He shot 29-of-54 (.537) from the field and 11-of-23 (.478) on 3-pointers. He was 12-of-16 from the foul line. It’s hard to judge Garland on his college career because it was so short, other than he has a nice touch from the outside.

8. Garland is from Nashville, also the home of Vanderbilt. He was a 5-star recruit who turned down offers from most major college powers to stay home and play for the Commodores.

9. Cavaliers Coach John Beilein is supposed to be open to two smaller guards if they can score. Would the Cavs be interested in pairing the 6-foot-2 Garland with 6-foot-2 Collin Sexton in the backcourt? That’s small for the NBA, but I would not discount it for the Cavs. That’s especially true if they consider Garland an eventual impact player.

10. As for a deal with New Orleans, that has to be considered a possibility. The Pelicans picked up three first-round picks in the Laker deal. The Cavs have picks No. 5 and No. 26 in this draft. They are loaded with future second-round picks.


11. I believe it’s significant that the Klutch agency invited the Cavs to work out Garland. Klutch also represents current Cavaliers Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith (still on the roster). They also represent LeBron James, pairing him with Davis (also a client) in Los Angeles.

12. Garland is thin, about 180 pounds. Like most freshman college guards, defense is a rumor and a problem with him. He also needs to develop some strength driving to the rim.

13. The names of De’Andre Hunter and Jarrett Culver have been connected to the Cavs for a long time. They still are possibilities. But I sense something is up with Garland and the Cavs.

View Comments (62)

Steve Kyler
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More Steve Kyler Retweeted Michael Villa


No sense of where the Cavs are at this point, but they did not seem interested in the players available to them at 5 outside of Hunter, so moving down isn't crazy if they get their guy and additional assets.Steve Kyler added,
Michael Villa

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Replying to @stevekylerNBA


Is Cleveland looking at the possibility of taking garland at 5 but using him as trade bait to trade back with a PG needy team like Chicago?

9:50 AM - 17 Jun 2019

Great stuff, thanks rusty!

Brooklyn seems poised for a major offseason overhaul with the potential for two max slots if they let Russell walk in restricted free agency.

If the Nets get Irving, it makes little sense for them to bring back Russell because the two play the same position and need to control the ball. The Nets roster is already overloaded with ball-dominant guards under long-term contracts such as Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert.

Russell figures to attract a lot of attention from teams in need of a point guard. The 23-year-old was named to his first All-Star team last season and averaged career highs with 21.1 points and 7.0 assists in 81 games to help the Nets reach the playoffs for the first time in three years.