INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Cavaliers released three players Saturday to reduce their roster to 15, the maximum allowable by NBA rules.
Waived were forward center Micheal Eric, guard D’Aundray Brown and power forward Kevin Jones. All three went undrafted this past summer, their first out of college.
Brown, from Cleveland State, was signed by the Cavs last week but did not participate in training camp. He and Jones are possibly headed to Canton as members of the Cavs’ D-League affiliate. Both are being paid by the Cavs. That means the organization holds their D-League rights, should the players chose to go that route.
Other players who made the Cavs’ roster, especially those at the end of the bench, will likely spend some time with Canton this season as well.
The NBA allows 15 players, but some teams opt to carry less than that. The Cavs, however, are expected to keep all 15 -- at least for the first week of the season, if not all year. They open the season Tuesday vs. Washington at The Q.
Eric is 6-foot-11 and played his college ball at Temple. He played in just two preseason games with the Cavs.
Jones, a 6-8 forward from West Virginia, also played in two preseason games. His game was viewed by some members of the organization as too similar to (but not as sound as) that of third-year forward Samardo Samuels.
The Cavs’ opening roster is as follows: Kyrie Irving, C.J. Miles, Dion Waiters, Alonzo Gee, Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Donald Sloan, Jeremy Pargo, Jon Leuer, Tyler Zeller, Omri Casspi, Daniel Gibson, Luke Harangody, Luke Walton and Samuels.
