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NBA : Cleveland cavaliers NEWS |
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| It shouldn't be a surprise the name of Cleveland's LeBron James comes up when discussing the MVP race. There are a lot of players in this season's NBA who are extremely valuable to their team's success, but in reality the conversation starts and stops with James and Kobe Bryant.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Looking at the standings, it would appear that Cleveland is fairly secure as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. They sit 10.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons in their division and are three games ahead of Washington in the Conference. So within the 10 games between now and their April 16th date with the Pistons (the last game of their regular season schedule), the Cavs are making their final adjustments for the playoffs.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| For those of us engrossed in NBA basketball, LeBron James is an anomaly, something to be observed and admired from a distance. For Mike Brown, working with LeBron is much more hands-on. He recently cracked open a window into a world most of us can't imagine.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| This may not be the right order for the league's top small forwards overall, but it certainly fairly represents the top small forwards over the last couple of weeks and heading into the home stretch.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Before a recent loss to the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland coach Mike James was asked whether he thought his slumping, ailing Cavaliers were ready for the playoffs. Cheerfully, he replied, "Yes, we are."
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Before a recent loss to the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland coach Mike Brown was asked whether he thought his slumping, ailing Cavaliers were ready for the playoffs. Cheerfully, he replied, "Yes, we are."
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| LeBron James : After being called out by Wizards' guard DeShawn Stevenson as being "overrated," LBJ wanted to show that he indeed earned his reputation. And in Game 1, he did exactly that. In the second half of the game, it was the LeBron show. Although the Wizards were extremely physical with him, he kept on coming. He finished the game with 32 points on 12 of 19 shooting from the field.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Controlling Emotions: Over the last month or so, ever since Wizards' guard DeShawn Stevenson called Cavs' point forward LeBron James "overrated," there has been a war of words between the two teams. Gilbert Arenas fanned the flames last week when he said that the Wizards wanted to play the Cavs in the first round because the Cavs were beatable. Even Charles Barkley got into the debate and called the Wizards "the dumbest team in the history of civilization" for rising the ire of King James. Needless to say, emotions on both sides are at an all-time high.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Ladies and gentlemen, the incomparable Gilbert Arenas has re-entered the building. Let it never be said that the two-time All Star from the University of Arizona mixes his words. He says what he means and means what he says.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Washington Crowd : There really is no place like home and that's why teams battle tooth and nail to gain home court advantage in the postseason.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| An offensive player drives to the basket, leaves his feet, and is knocked to the ground by a defender. How does an official tell the difference between a hard foul and a cheap shot?
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Adjustments : If playoff basketball is truly about making adjustments to counter what the opposition has done to you, then Wizards' Head Coach Eddie Jordan has his work cut out for him. Not only does he have to figure out a solid game plan to deal with LeBron on defense but he must also find a way to counter what Cleveland has been throwing at his offense.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Todd (who asked that we not use his last name) had had enough. The Cleveland native was sick and tired of watching LeBron James play with what he considered to be mediocre talent, so he decided to do something about it. He started a website (nycforlebron.net) and with it a movement around which fans – New York Knicks fans – could work together to try and lure LeBron away from the Cavs . . .and to the Big Apple.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| LeBron James was happy when the MVP award was handed out. He was certain the best player had won and there was no one more deserving in the league.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| TD Bank North may not be the Boston Garden, but there is a notorious mystique that comes about anytime you face the Celtics: 16 NBA Championships, Auerbach, Russell, Cousy, Havlicek, Bird, McHale, Parrish. The banners and retired jerseys of endless greats hang from the rafters and keep watch over their Celtic children like proud fathers.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| The Cavaliers finally closed out the scrappy Washington Wizards tonight, and now they'll face the winner of the Atlanta-Boston series for round two. Before we get to that, however, let's look at some of the shining stars from tonight's elimination game in D.C.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| The Washington Wizards learned about an hour before the start of Game 5 that they would be without their resident superstar, Gilbert Arenas. After giving it several valiant efforts, Arenas and the Wizards' medical staff decided it would be best if he shut it down for the remainder of the season. Although his heart and mind are willing, his surgically repaired knee was simply not ready for the rigors on NBA basketball.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| For the Wizards, this is a must-win game. Trailing 3-1 , it's do or die. If history is any indication of future performance, the Wizards are facing a daunting task. They haven't won in Cleveland during a playoff game in a long, long time. Furthermore, the crowd will undoubtedly be jacked up due to comments made by Brendan Haywood over the weekend. In addition, the fans will surely be upset over the physical treatment that their savior, LeBron James, has received in this series.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| If you like sports entertainment, forget the WWE. Your interests will be piqued, however, with the developments between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| When you think of the first round series between Cleveland and Washington, it's easy to get lost in the verbal sparring and physical matchup between LeBron James and DeShawn Stevenson.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| As eight teams continue their NBA championship quests, they must also begin their preparations for the upcoming free agency season. As is the case around the league, these teams each have players with contracts expiring as their respective seasons conclude and must make the tough decisions regarding re-signing them or allowing them to walk away.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Going inside the numbers can be extremely deceiving, especially during this postseason when everyone is grubbing on home cooking.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson has a separated left shoulder and will miss Cleveland's Game 6 against the Boston Celtics.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Trick Shot Challenge winner scores once-in-a-lifetime chance to play one-on-one against the NBA superstar and $5,000 in Cub Cadet lawn equipment
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Even days after Cleveland lost in Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, Cavaliers majority owner and chairman Dan Gilbert is still having trouble gripping reality.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| A multi-million dollar business like the NBA might be the last place you would expect to see a weak economy have any sort of significant impact. However, just like most every other business in the United States, the NBA is going to feel the impact in its own unique way.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Coming into this the player Lebron James was campaigning for Brandon Rush, who was already on the board. Two very talented forwards that they probably didn't expect to be on the board were though in Darrell Arthur and Kosta Koufos. The Cavaliers made a stretch as big as the Sacramento Kings' by taking 6'9 forward from North Carolina State J.J. Hickson.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| As has been discussed in this space many, many times, the Knicks focus has to be on the future. Two years into the future to be exact - as the summer of 2010, also dubbed the 'Summer of LeBron,' promises to feature arguably the greatest collection of free-agent talent ever.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Carlos Boozer had a fantastic season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003-04 averaging 15.5 points and 11.4 rebounds. At the time, the Cavs had the option of keeping him under contract for $695,000 which was much less than his production said he deserved. Cleveland also had the option of allowing him to become a restricted free agent, which the organization ultimately opted to do.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| The Cleveland Cavaliers got some flak for taking J.J. Hickson 19th overall in the 2008, but after his debut at the Las Vegas Summer League, that certainly may change.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| OKC's Point Guard Situation: Once again The Team That Will Remain Nameless (at least for now) has too many point guards. With veterans Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour under contract – and combining for $11.7 million in salary in 2008-09 – the former Sonics who are no longer Sonics spent the #4 pick in the NBA draft on…Russell Westrbook, whom they hope will be their future point guard.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Knicks Need to Get Rid of Someone: The New York Knicks will soon sign free agent guard Anthony Roberson, giving them 16 players under contract for the 2008-09 season. It could mean the end of the Stephon Marbury Era, or maybe the Jerome James Era, or maybe the Knicks might be doing a trade where they send out more than they bring back, or just that they like Roberson enough to want to see how he fits in with the rest of the team.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| It has been three years since the North Carolina Tar Heels won the NCAA Championship and since then Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, and Marvin Williams have gone on to earn meaningful minutes in the NBA. Sean May has fought through injuries with the Charlotte Bobcats and Jackie Manuel has floated through the NBDL.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| The growing exodus to Europe is not close to being finished, as headlines across the country have more players considering playing overseas for Euros rather than staying in America and taking fewer dollars than they feel they're worth.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| There were teams who struck it rich on Draft Night and others who overlooked promising talent. Those players who were bypassed in New York City had the chance to showcase their games during summer league play in Orlando, Las Vegas, and Utah. HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the top ten players who proved to be a steal on Draft Night.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| There's some turbulence in the Eastern Conference this offseason as executives look to vault their team into contention. Whether it be tinkering with a roster by adding a piece or looking to completely overhaul things, there's clearly a sense of urgency in the East to do something quickly; the Conference is winnable to anyone willing to roll the dice and make a splash.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| All summer we've been hearing about LeBron James and his free agency, with mountains of speculation that he could bolt for New York when his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers expires.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| The Redeem Team: The Beijing Olympic games gets underway today with opening ceremonies tonight at 7:30pm EST, as the world turns to watch the games in China, let's all hope that the games go off without incident. Obviously the focus of HOOPSWORLD will be on the basketball aspect of the games, and the NBA-heavy Team USA. This is an important couple of weeks for the senior men's basketball program that has been a joke over the past 10 years. While optimism and confidence is evident at every level of the team, you have to wonder – what happens if this squad, and this system does not get a gold medal? Is Silver good enough? We know Dwyane Wade has lost his bronze medal from Athens, tossed it in a gym bag somewhere. The international game has changed and there is a really good reason why: after the 1992 games, when the world fell in love with basketball, the NBA game and the focus in the US turned to shoe deals, AND1 showcases and turning high schoolers into NBA stars. Shooting percentages went down, outside shooting and rebounding skills were no longer the focus. International teams started hiring the best coaches in the world (most of them NBA and college coaches) to come and teach the game to international players. The US showboated and dunked, the international teams learned to run plays, set pick and rolls and play fundamental basketball. The teams the US will face this week are proven, solid and fundamental basketball teams. These guys are not joke tune up squads. Spain, Argentina, Greece, China and even Germany are the real deal. Team USA will have their work cut out for them. This will not be an easy couple of weeks, but while the road will be tough, this is the first time in a long time that the US Men's senior team actually seems ready for the task at hand, should be an interesting couple of weeks, but a gold medal is not guaranteed, and there are a couple of teams that are going to make Team USA really work to get there.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| As fans in Cleveland . . .and maybe New York and Greece, too . . .wait to see whether or not LeBron James will help lead Team USA back to gold medal status in the Olympics, Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers are still trying to find a way to make sure LeBron doesn't jump continent - or at least the state - as soon as his contract ends.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| One Down: Team USA blew out China early Sunday morning US time, 101-70, in a game that was close until the second half. Buoyed by an exuberant crowd, China kept it close with strong outside shooting and active guard play.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Having covered Carmelo Anthony for the past three seasons and watching him play in international competition as well as in the NBA, one thing has become painfully obvious: dude's a different player when he's representing his country.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Still Room to Negotiate: With 45 days until NBA training camps open, there are still quite a few situations to be resolved, and surprisingly, unlike last year – there are still teams holding on to exception money and could still be players for some of the names still unsigned. Here are the teams still holding on to the median salary cap exception, worth $5.58 million, and can be split and given to multiple players - Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Indiana, LA Lakers, Minnesota, Phoenix, Portland, Oklahoma City, Utah and Washington. Several teams also have their Bi-Annual Exception, worth $1.9 million and can also be divided among multiple players - Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indiana, LA Lakers, Miami, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Utah and Washington. As it stands today - Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Indiana, LA Lakers, Minnesota, Portland, Oklahoma City, Utah and Washington have not used any of their salary cap exceptions for the 2008-2009 season.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Why No Delonte?: Cleveland Cavalier fans have been talking and scratching their heads over the Delonte West situation in Cleveland and marvel at the fact a deal has not been reached with the restricted free agent. Delonte West's camp is seeking a multi-year deal far better than the five-year $21 million deal Daniel Gibson's father negotiated. Gibson's deal was viewed by many as coming cheap, considering Gibson's upside, production and role on the team. West has been given several offers by the Cavs, none of them close to the money he is seeking. Delonte was linked recently to some bogus European offers, something Delonte is not looking to do; rather he may answer the Cavs reluctance by accepting the one-year, $2.8 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. In doing so the Cavs could not trade him without his consent and he'd get a full year to establish his value, and his options would open up next year. The hold-up on West is two-part. The Cavs like Delonte a lot and want to sign him to a long-term deal, but the issue is the dollars and the Cavs cannot justify giving him a deal above $6 million per season. The second hold-up is the Cavs belief they could trade at some point for the veteran playmaker they have coveted for the past two seasons. The talk of the Cavs and Bucks hooking up on a Maurice Williams trade is real, at least from the Cleveland side, and it lines up with the thinking that Milwaukee would trade one of its overpaid point guards. Bucks sources waved off the idea of a deal involving Mo, but league sources said if Cleveland offered the right combination of assets, Milwaukee is trying to clear up a long jam of bad contracts. Cleveland is holding on to two ending deals in Joe Smith and Damon Jones, although a Joe Smith-Scott Skiles reunion does not seem to be in the cards, given how bad things were in Chicago between the coaches and the veterans. Both players contracts match up to Mo Williams, toss in a future draft pick or two and there may be enough value to get Milwaukee talking.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| Cleveland's been trying to make a move with Milwaukee for months; they just thought they'd be getting Michael Redd instead of new acquisition Mo Williams. Truthfully, Mo's far from the worst consolation for the Cavs, who definitely needed some solidity at the point guard position.
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December 31 |
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hoopsworld.com |
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| With his most recent roster move, Bucks' General Manager John Hammond continued to prove to fans he is not content with the team's results and is capable of bringing in players he believes will lead to increased success for his organization. Milwaukee will welcome Luke Ridnour, Damon Jones and Adrian Griffin to town. In turn, they lose the services of Mo Williams and Desmond Mason. While recent decisions - such as signing Andrew Bogut to a long-term extension and trading for Richard Jefferson - have been
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