Free Agent Watch

[Karma]

The time has finally come. It is July 1, Danny Ferry and the Cleveland Cavaliers have 25 million dollars plus to play with. Whether it be resigning our own, signing offer sheets, or taking on the unrestricted, Cleveland is in for a massive month. Here is a list of the big players :

Ray Allen : (UFA) Big dollars, but he is the best out there. Will likely stay.

Michael Redd : (UFA) Our best hope. However he takes a paycut to come here.

Joe Johnson : (RFA) The Suns made moves that make it highly unlikely he leaves Phoenix.

Larry Hughes : (UFA) Favoured to stay put in Washington.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas : (UFA) Unlikely to attract the dollars elsewhere, so should stay.

Shareef Abdur Rahim : (UFA) If the Cavs miss out on the big 4, this could be someone to look at.

Eddy Curry : (RFA) The Bulls will not let him go, unless they get a nice sign and trade deal.

Tyson Chandler : (RFA) Will attract attention, but like Curry, will be matched.

Samual Dalembert : (RFA) Atlanta will be calling, but again he is restricted and unlikely to be let go.

Bobby Simmons : (RFA) The next scale down, but expect the Clippers to match any reasonable offer.

Antonio Daniels : (UFA) With Seattle's attention on resigning Allen and Radmanovic, look for Daniels to walk.

Raja Bell : (UFA) Solid role player will attract some attention.

Earl Watson : (UFA) Ready for a change of scenery. He is after a MLE sorta deal.

Sarunas Jasikevicious : (UFA) Is after at least 3 million per year and guarenteed minutes. He will find it somewhere.

Damon Jones : (UFA) Didn't take up his 2.75 option after more money. Miami will likely give it to him.

Vladimir Radmonivic : (RFA) Seattle wont let this guy go.

Jerome James : (UFA) For the team desperate for a big body.

 

[Karma]

More Free Agents

Cuttino Mobley : (UFA) Just passed on his option with Sacramento. In the 2nd tier of guards with Simmons.

Adonis Haslim : (UFA) Miami can match up to the MLE. Same scenario as the Arenas situation.

Stromile Swift : (UFA) The guy wants a commitment to start. His inconsistencies are a big worry.

 

[Karma]

Cavs to make strong push for Redd, Ilgauskas
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive

Michael Redd, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and one more quality free agent to be named later.

That's how the Cleveland Cavaliers' wish list looked early Friday morning when the NBA's annual free-agent frenzy began at 12:01 a.m.

Michael Redd's strong ties to Ohio could lure him into a Cavaliers' uniform next season. Sources familiar with the Cavaliers' plans told ESPN.com that new general manager Danny Ferry has identified a Redd-Ilgauskas combo as his ideal free-agent haul to flank budding superstar LeBron James, with the pitches to both players starting immediately.

The Cavaliers, furthermore, just might have enough salary-cap room above the league's $4.9 million mid-level exception to pursue another coveted free agent -- in the Antonio Daniels class -- even if they're successful in stealing Redd away from the Milwaukee Bucks and re-upping Ilgauskas. Tuesday's predraft trade of Jiri Welsch to Milwaukee for a 2006 second-round pick, in which sources say Cleveland agreed to pay Welsch's $2.1 million salary next season, sets Ferry up to have $27-30 million in spending money ... provided the official cap number announced by the league July 22 reaches the $48-50 million projected.

Of course, all of that assumes that the Cavs can get Redd away from the Bucks and their bucks. Which isn't especially likely.

Despite all of the ongoing uncertainty in Milwaukee, where Redd's bosses are still trying to convince Flip Saunders to sign on after the June 22 firing of Terry Porter, Cleveland's best offer to the lefty sharpshooter can't exceed five years at an estimated $60-65 million.

Milwaukee is the only Redd suitor that can offer six years, which would take the value of a maximum contract over $80 million. Redd is a Columbus-born alumnus of Ohio State, but he'd have to feel especially good about the Cavaliers' situation to leave $20-plus million on the table. Especially since the Bucks just landed Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's draft and remain cautiously optimistic that point guard T.J. Ford will be able to return from a year-long injury absence next season.

The ability to offer a contract one year longer than the rest of the field has Seattle similarly optimistic about re-signing Ray Allen, even though Allen has already rejected a five-year extension offer from the Sonics believed to be in the $75 million range.

Allen received immediate interest from Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers when the free-agent season commenced one minute after midnight Thursday. Cleveland, New Orleans and Charlotte are the only other teams with the cap space to offer a contract to compare to what Seattle can offer, and clearly only the Cavaliers can reasonably promise a better on-court future than the Sonics.

No new contracts can be signed until July 22, but as seen with Steve Nash just one day into free agency last summer, teams and free agents can reach verbal agreements rather quickly.

Mark Stein

Get on that plane LeBron to wherever Redd may be!

 

[Karma]

Ferry has apparently convinced new boss Dan Gilbert to abandon Gilbert's previous plans for cutting ties with Ilgauskas. Ferry is a longtime fan of the 7-foot-3 center -- a former teammate in Cleveland -- and has made keeping Z his 1A priority next to landing Redd.
The Cavs' second draft-day trade that brought another Lithuanian, Martynas Andriuskevicius, to Cleveland certainly can't hurt their chances of reaching terms with Ilgauskas. Andriuskevicius, selected No. 44 overall by Orlando in Tuesday's second round, shares the same agent (Herb Rudoy) with Ilgauskas. Cleveland acquired the 19-year-old for another 2006 second-round pick and cash.

Another part from the above article. I like this Danny boy.

 

[Troy Wingate]

Danny is already making moves to get Zydrunas re-signed and to bring in Michael Redd. He's doing a good job so far.

 

[TyGuy]

Cheers everybody, ive been waiting for free agent season to begin for a LONG time! Start your engines gentlemen, our future begins now!

 

[Cleveland56]

good stuff Karma;

Simmons is an UNrestricted free agent though just in case we get shut out of the top four:

Bobby Simmons : (RFA) The next scale down, but expect the Clippers to match any reasonable offer.

 

[Glen Infante]

Ouch. Another 20 million dollars is alot of money to stay put. It will be difficult to see Redd wanting to leave that.

I am beggining to think that Redd just may stay in Milwaukee just for that 20 more million dollars for one more year. WOW thats a alot of money.


Ray Allen looks to have more promise of moving to another team. Seattle doesn't want to give him a 6 year deal for whatever reasons. I am guessing that they don't want a 36 year old veteran on their bench making 90 million dollars.

All the teams that can afford Ray Allen, Cleveland is definaty the most attractive city.

Thank God offseason is here. COMON DANNY! LETS GET SOME STAR POWER!

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

I would prefer Allen to Redd. IMO, Allen would be more likely to leave then Redd. However, the scales swung a bit in Redd's favor with the firing of Porter. That has to have Redd thinking. Without that #1 pick, Redd would've had better chances of moving on. I also think TJ Ford may have a lot to do with Redd's decision - were they tight when they played together - did they have good chemistry. Milwaukee is building something nice. The only real question mark is the coaching - hopefully this will be enough to make Redd move. Then again, it could be a ploy to keep Redd there - have him involved with the interview process, or vice versa...

sources say Cleveland agreed to pay Welsch's $2.1 million salary next season,

Didn't know that...looking forward, we should be fine - we'll have Z possibly locked up, any FA we acquire will be locked, LeBron is in, it may restrict our ability to add one piece, but all-in-all, I think we're alright...

 

[Glen Infante]

NBA insiders said the Cavaliers today will make contract offers to the top two shooting guards on the market, Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics and Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavaliers could make their decisions by the end of the weekend or sooner.

``I don't see free agency dragging out too long,'' new Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said Thursday. ``We have a great player, and that's what we're trying to sell; people see they can come here and make a difference.''

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/12028121.htm

 

[Glen Infante]

The Cavs are more than $20 million under the salary cap and promising to build a contender for LeBron James. They've targeted Allen, Redd and Johnson. But if they cannot get any, James is said to be pushing for Curry.

According to someone familiar with the Cavs' situation, James would recruit Curry and Eric Snow would help lure Redd from the Bucks.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune...n?col l=cs-bulls-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

 

[Dungong]

It seems that the Ferry trade is paying off, just much later than originally thought. I mean, you think the guy would have came here if he didnt have 10 years of Cleveland under his belt?

I like going after Redd instead of Ray. The reason is Redd will come about 3 million cheaper than Ray. I dont think anyone thinks Redd is the better player, but considering age and contract hes the guy to go for.

I'm assuming that we nab a PG too, and at this point, it looks like AD or Saraunas. Daniels will be more expensive but more of a sure thing. However, Saranas would sign here I'm sure if two of his Lithuanian buddies were on the team and his only competition is Eric Snow. Also Saraunas could be the next big foreign player, so I'd go after him.

 

[Glen Infante]

Coming off a contract that paid him $14.6 million last season, Allen was in contract talks with the Sonics until the All-Star break. The two sides were close, talking a five-year deal worth between $75 million to $80 million, but talks broke down.

The Cavaliers cannot offer more money or more years than the Sonics due to NBA rules. In addition, Ohio has a 7.5 percent income tax, and Washington has none, a major impact over the life of a deal.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002354227_nba01.html

 

[ChicagoCavFan]

Ohio has a 7.5 percent income tax, and Washington has none

Damn! That is huge. Florida, Nevada...what other states have no income tax...some New England states I think. Maybe as part of the contract, we can pay Allen's taxes, and set up off-shore accounts and bogus businesses that can serve as tax havens...

I wonder how much stock athletes put into that, and how much teams in those states sell that as an advantage to playing for them. I know I would. Probably be the first slide in my presentation...

 

[KI4MVP]

Miami is limited in what they can pay Damon Jones. They are over the cap, they have no bird rights. They have one MLE - they can give it all to Jones and thus have no money left to upgrade their team. Further complicating things is Udonis Haslem. He's restricted, but like us with Boozer last year, they only have early bird rights on him - thus they can't pay him more than 5.5 million. If he goes elsewhere, they can't use that 5.5 million on other players AND they have a hole to fill at PF, which would make it hard to use their full MLE on Damon Jones. Keyon Dooling is also a free agent, he's not as high a priority as the other two for them, but he'll still takes money if they want to keep him.