Cleveland Sports Forum

from SI

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers' 113-100 road win over the Washington Wizards on Friday.

1. John Beilein may be the best coach the younger generation of Cavs fans has seen. Yes, I know it's only eight games. Yes, I realize the Cavs are 3-5. Yes, I know the Wizards stink.

2. But in the NBA, the key is not only your philosophy and schemes, but how well you can sell. Because if you can't connect with your players, then you usually don't have a chance. Just ask David Blatt -- a good coach who couldn't get his message across with the LeBron James-led Cavs.

3. On the other hand, Beilein has the respect and admiration of Tristan Thompson (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Kevin Love (16 points, 12 boards). When you're a head coach in the NBA, you need that type of strong support from your best players. Again, just ask Blatt.

4. After all, if your veterans buy in, they will convince the other guys to do the same, sometimes forcibly so.

5. Beilein's strength is his people skills. He's not someone who is going to confuse or anger the players by, say, playing them 37 minutes one night, then four minutes the next. If Beilein ever did do that, the player would already know why. Beilein was a master at avoiding disarray with his college programs and has brought that stability to the Cavs.

6. For instance, Beilein approached guard Brandon Knight at the start of the season and told Knight, in so many words, he was the odd veteran out in the rotation. But Beilein had that conversation tactfully, letting Knight know he was still an important part of things. When Matthew Dellavedova missed a couple games for the birth of his son, Knight stepped in and did an admirable job. It always helps when a player in that situation trusts his coach and is emotionally prepared.

7. Again, Beilein is direct, and not always when you want to hear it. He comes across in the media as everyone's favorite uncle, but he will be firm when necessary. He set the tone at the end of a practice before the season, when the players huddled around him at center court. Beilein started to talk ... then had to pause and send a strong reminder. "Hey. When coach is talking, everyone else shuts the hell up," he said.

8. No one complained. No one rolled their eyes. Everyone just immediately did what he said. That's what is called having command of your team, and having players who want to play for you.

9. None of this is intended to label Beilein as the next Phil Jackson. But hey, for all the coaching frustrations in Cleveland lately, and even with this very organization, Beilein is off to a very nice start. It's good to see a team that is organized and playing hard and, some might say, a team that is overachieving.

10. Now, we all know this is the easy part. The Cavs have yet to be hit by any serious injuries. The trade rumors have yet to really heat up. And with five expiring contracts, they will undoubtedly be at the center of plenty of them. Contracts, trades, team discord at this level ... all are things Beilein never experienced during his three-plus decades in the college game.

11. Granted, most of that stuff is handled by general manager Koby Altman. But Beilein will have to navigate through it at some point. The old coach's line of, "I just coach the players I have," sounds good in theory. But in the NBA, it's never that simple.

12. As for the game itself, the Cavs were thrilled to see Darius Garland finally play with the confidence he displayed during his amateur career. They are giving Garland (15 points) and Kevin Porter Jr. (13) space to mess up. The same still holds true of Collin Sexton (16 points) and Cedi Osman (11). Beilein would rather a young player make a mistake and learn from it than hang out in the shadows and not assert himself. The latter was sort of Garland through the first seven games.

13. There has been a lot of talk that the Cavs will deal Thompson this season, simply because his contract is one of the expiring ones -- and he indeed would be an excellent fit for any contender. But don't be surprised if the Cavs keep him. He is fine with staying and being loyal to the team that drafted him, and the Cavs love having him around. If Thompson is still in Cleveland after the trade deadline, that's a sign both sides are more than open to negotiating a new deal.

14. Translation: This may not be Thompson's last season with the Cavs, after all.

15. Finally, we are still having the same conversation about Love this season as we had during the LeBron era. Namely, he attempted just six shots against the Wizards and that's not nearly enough. Part of that is on the young guards, who are learning the balance of being aggressive and knowing when to just ... stop ... dribbling. It is up to them to get Love the ball. But it is also sometimes up to Love to put himself in position to demand it.

16. On the bright side for the Cavs, Love didn't get the ball enough and they still won. But that's not something that is likely to become a trend.

17. For more on the game, check out my post: Cavs Show Resiliency in Fending Off Wizards for Road Win.

18. By the way, to see the box score from every game, make sure to visit the Community Page on SI.com/Cavaliers. I post links to all of them there after the game.

19. Next up: The Cavs stay on the road to face rookie R.J. Barrett and the New York Knicks on Sunday night.

How important is a head coach ?

Very important. It is underrated because it is an intangible, hard to measure so therefore hard to prove.

This reminds me of Boston bringing in Brad Stevens, and even the Nets bringing in Kenny Atkinson. Step one is to establish a culture with the new coach and get the young guys broken in correctly.

Certainly a good sign for Cavs.

PS - great promising game by Sexton last night.

Cavs has a chance to be one of the very best of the lousy NBA teams. On the espn rankings they've moved up every week from 30 now all the way to 23. I read that they are among the lowest in turnovers per game, pretty impressive with a bunch of young guys running the offense most of the time.

And it seems that over half the league are the lousy teams...so they should be around 500 by the end of the season!

If they stay healthy and do not trade Love or Thompson they should win about 35 games.

quite an impressive performance against the 76ers Held the lead until the very end on the road. Coach of the Year award is already in the bag. Right?

Maybe not best of the bad after all. But no one expected many wins this season. Hope they're learning and will get a boost when Windler comes up from Canton.

Back in 69(?) There were only
9 teams in the league. No college
team would beat a pro team.

I think it was a little more than 9; I remember when the NBA first came to my attention the league included:

East: Syracuse Nationals, Philadelphia Warriors, NY Knickerbockers, Boston Celtics
West: Detroit [formerly Fort Wayne] Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, St. Louis Hawks and Cincinnati [formerly Rochester] Royals.

They added a team in Chicago [Zephyrs] who soon after moved to Baltimore.
They added another team in Chicago which stayed there.
Lakers and Warriors moved West. Nationals moved to Philly to become 76ers

Before they got around to expanding to Cleveland [along with Portland and Buffalo] in 1970, teams had been added in
Houston and Seattle; that made a dozen.
Maybe another expansion team or two came in before we did? I remember several rounds of expansion when Cleveland was left out.
Of course at some point along the way the ABA merged into the NBA bringing Indianapolis, the Nets, Utah I think, Denver perhaps, maybe Dallas? Before of after Cleveland entered? After I think; the rivalry for draft picks I am pretty sure was still going on after Cleveland joined.
OF course I can look all this up, but it's more fun to test my memory for such useless information which I am a storehouse of [although not always accurately]

The merger happened after the expansion to Cleveland. In '74, I had the opportunity to see the San Diego Conquistadors.
The had a Gunner named Bo Lamar and their coach was Wilt. Saw many games as military was able to purchase great seats $2.00, yes two bucks.

Sources: Jazz agree to deal Dante Exum and picks to Cavaliers for Jordan Clarkson
7:21 PM ET

Adrian Wojnarowski

The Utah Jazz have agreed to trade guard Dante Exum and two second-round picks to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Jordan Clarkson, league sources told ESPN.

The Jazz are hoping Clarkson can deliver a boost to their bench scoring.



Exum, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has struggled to stay healthy in his career but has shown glimpses of his elevated draft stock.

The Jazz will send Cleveland 2022 (via San Antonio) and 2023 (via Golden State) second-round picks, sources said. This was the NBA's first trade since the Houston-Oklahoma City deal centered on Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul on July 11.

Clarkson arrives with a $13.4 million expiring contract. Exum has two years, $19.2 million left on his contract. The Cavaliers will create a $3.83 million trade exception, which they have one year to use, ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks reported.

The Cavaliers are planning to start uprooting veterans on the roster to gather more draft picks and young assets. Clarkson, 27, is averaging 14.6 points per game this season, including a season-high 33 points on 12-of-27 shooting in Friday's victory over Memphis.

The Cavaliers are projected to have $28 million-plus in salary cap space for free agency.

Cleveland general manager Koby Altman and Utah general manager Justin Zanik have a strong working relationship, which has included working together on three trades in the past three years. The Jazz acquired Kyle Korver for Alec Burks and two second-round picks in November 2018, and Utah and Cleveland worked with Sacramento on a three-way deal at the February 2018 trade deadline that included Cleveland trading Jae Crowder for Utah's Rodney Hood.

Leroux: Why the Cavs and Jazz made their intriguing pre-Christmas trade


By Danny Leroux 1h ago 1
The Cleveland Cavaliers traded Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for Dante Exum, the Spurs’ 2022 second-round pick and the Warriors’ 2023 second-round pick. Breaking it down:

The trade for the Cavs
One fascinating element of this trade is that it is a talent transfer and salary shift for both franchises, and it is unclear which served as the primary motivator for either front office.

For the Cavs, it makes sense to start on the court. Clarkson has been a superior player this season but does not make sense occupying a temporary high-usage role for a developing team. General manager Koby Altman assembled a team chock full of prospects and veterans who prefer to have the ball in their hands, so divvying up Clarkson’s touches to various other Cavaliers makes sense. At the same time, part of the original theory of Exum as a highly touted prospect was his ability to create, so it is possible this creates fewer opportunities for others than simply offloading Clarkson would have.

That said, acquiring Exum serves as an upside play with relatively low opportunity cost. Unlike with most elite prospects who fail to meet expectations during their first half-decade in the league, there are still reasons to believe the Aussie can become a useful, productive player because his issues are primarily health-related. Intriguingly, the theory behind an Exum resurgence could parallel a point guard taken three years later who has battled his own woes. The current Markelle Fultz is not the player the 76ers dreamed he would be in 2017, but his dynamic physical tools have allowed him to create in transition and be a part of a stifling defense, which has been a significant positive for the Magic. If a healthier Exum can become even Fultz Lite on the Cavs’ second unit or potentially the starting five, it could be huge for a franchise looking for depth and a defensive identity.

The structure of the contracts also gives the Cavs some upside. While a fully guaranteed $9.6 million is presumably too much for Exum next season, they will have full Bird rights on the guard in 2021, when he hits unrestricted free agency. His $14.4 million cap hold is on the high side, but that matters only if they want to bring him back and need to use Bird rights to do so. Furthermore, that $9.6 million on their books in 2020-21 is material, but they still have Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova coming off their books and could still have as much as $30 million in cap space depending on their 2020 draft pick. That means Altman can use cap space next summer or wield those expiring contracts to add multi-season salary at or before the February trade deadline.

One other potentially significant benefit on the Cavs’ side of the trade is saving $3.8 million in salary this league year. The Cavs were previously about $1.3 million under this season’s luxury tax threshold, so some extra breathing room could make another trade palatable or allow for a larger signing using their mid-level exception since they still have it available. It is entirely possible, if not likely, that Altman will make other moves that clear room, but having that flexibility now helps simplify negotiations over the next month-plus.

From the Cavs’ perspective, Exum’s $9.6 million for 2020-21 represents a less-consequential inconvenience compared with the possibility that he can become a dynamic, productive part of their rotation. Exum is just 24 years old, so it’s far too early to close the book on someone with his physical tools. The Cavs are well-situated to utilize a version of Exum who plays off-ball in the half court and defends both guard positions, as that meshes well with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland in a potential three-prospect-guard rotation. Even with their significant draft assets as a still-developing team, Altman and the Cavs need every bite at the apple they can get to improve their talent base so Exum is a worthy gamble, especially with the comparatively low opportunity cost given their contract structure.

The trade for the Jazz
While the Cavs are early enough in their process to take on Exum and his contract, the Jazz becoming hopeful title contenders changed their calculus in the short and long terms on their highest recent draft pick. This same front office believed in Exum enough to give him this contract just 18 months ago, but time and changed circumstances shifted the sands underneath him.

Simply put, Clarkson is a significantly better fit for the 2019-20 Jazz than Exum is. They need scoring on the second unit even at full strength but especially when Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell miss time. While imperfect in the team concept, Clarkson should bring a potent presence to the rotation that puts less pressure on their other perimeter creators. Executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey had to sacrifice bench depth to add Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic this summer, and that made spending almost $10 million on a still-developing point guard who cannot generate reliable offense in the half court a more damaging prospect.

Furthermore, adding $3.8 million to their books this year and removing Exum’s $9.6 million for next season works incredibly well for the Jazz. As a team that used cap space to add Bogdanovic and Conley, they are well under the luxury tax threshold with little capacity to add salary with their mid-level exception already used on Ed Davis. Other than costing ownership a little money, the extra money in 2019-20 makes no difference for them. Furthermore, the two distant second-round picks sent in the trade indicate the likely small negative value of Exum’s contract but also are modest enough to not hurt the Jazz much.

On the other hand, shedding almost $10 million next summer could have some massive benefits. Lindsey is presumably working with two scenarios with Conley as the focal point. If the guard plays on his $34.5 million early-termination option next season, the Jazz could have been forced to make a choice between re-signing Royce O’Neale and using the full mid-level exception if they wanted to stay under the luxury tax. Moving Exum likely allows the front office to do both. If Conley opts out and leaves, this trade opens up the possibility of having space for a max contract. While the 2020 free-agent class leaves a lot to be desired, that kind of spending power for a high-end team could be valuable for either bringing in one talented newcomer or a pair of starting-caliber players.

Letting Exum go has to hurt since the theory behind him is still viable, albeit significantly less so than when Lindsey drafted the Aussie in 2014. An athletic and switchable perimeter player makes a ton of sense with Mitchell, Bogdanovic and their holdover talent, plus it will be hard to add someone with upside considering the Jazz still owe a first-round pick to the Grizzlies and do not have many high-upside flier types on the roster at the moment.

Still, adding a superior talent who can help the team much more right now (with full Bird rights in case Clarkson works out really well) and opens up spending power in 2020 makes far more sense than sacrificing in the present and likely the future by holding out hope Exum finally lives up to his potential and draft position.

Cleveland Cavaliers trading Jordan Clarkson and other Scribbles in my notebook
Today 5:00 AM

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND – Scribbles in my notebook about the Cleveland Cavaliers trading Jordan Clarkson to Utah for second-round picks in 2022 and 2023:

1. Jordan Clarkson was one of my favorite Cavaliers players in the last few years. He played hard and he was always ready. The guard was very durable. He was relentless when it came to finding ways to score.


2. From the moment the Cavs picked two guards in the first round of the 2019 draft – Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. – whatever chances of Clarkson re-signing with Cleveland disappeared. He is a free agent at the end of the season.

3. The Cavs are enthralled with the 6-foot-4 Porter. The 19-year-old could end up starting at shooting guard this season. In 11 December games, Porter is averaged 11.1 points, shooting .511 from the field (.436 on 3-pointers) in 22.5 minutes per game.

4. The front office wants to see more of Porter. They want Collin Sexton and Garland to continue to receive big minutes in the starting backcourt. Clarkson deserved more than 23 minutes a game he was receiving this season.

5. This trade was as much about creating more opportunities for Porter than about anything else. GM Koby Altman loves to add draft picks. He doesn’t scorn second-rounders. He prefers to hoard them and then unleash them in a deal.



6. The Cavs traded not one but four second-round picks plus $5 million to Detroit in order move up into bottom of the first round and draft Porter. The Cavs’ front office has been longing to draft him from the time they scouted Porter in a couple high school all-star games.

7. That’s right, NBA teams do scouts the top high school showcases even though players can’t enter the NBA draft until they are out of high school for at least a year. Teams want to have information on the top players before they enter college.

8. At some point, I can see Sexton become the instant-offense, Clarkson-type player off the bench. The 6-foot-2 guard has many of the same attributes. He’s never missed an NBA game since being a 2018 first-rounder. He oozes energy and finds different ways to score.

9. I would have liked to see a better return for Clarkson. I’m told no team was interested in parting with a first-round pick in one of those complicated deals the Cavs did a year ago with Houston and Milwaukee.


10. Utah was pushing hard to make the trade now. The Jazz were desperate for scoring off the bench. They are a playoff team. If they couldn’t obtain Clarkson, they were going to use their second-round picks and shop elsewhere for a scorer.

11. Adding Exum is the curious part of the deal. Utah needed to do it to create some salary cap space for Clarkson’s $13 million deal. The Jazz made Exum the No. 5 pick in 2014. The 6-foot-5 guard was once wildly athletic. But he’s had so many major injuries for an ACL knee tear and a partial tear of the patella tendon last season. There also have been shoulder problems. He’s played only 83 minutes this season.

12. Exum’s contract was $9.6 million this season and guaranteed $9.6 million next season. The Cavs want him to work with their medical staff to see if they can return him to health and see if he can make a comeback at 24.

13. Exum is a basketball lottery ticket. If it hits and he is healthy, the Cavs will have a tall, athletic guard who could be worth something in a trade next season. If not, they have the two second-rounders. Either way, Porter plays more. That’s the main point of the trade.


13. If the Cavs ever can get 2019 first-rounder Dylan Windler (stress reaction in leg) healthy, Clarkson’s departure also opens up some time for the Belmont product.

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