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CLEVELAND — A few quick notes on the latest
involving the Cavaliers:
* By now, you’ve probably heard the rumor about the Cavs sending forward Antawn
Jamison and his expiring contract to New Orleans for center Emeka Okafor and
one of the Hornets’ two first-round picks. It was first mentioned by Jason
Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
* Okafor is a serviceable starting center when healthy, a veteran who plays
hard and does the dirty work. But it’s hard to remember there was once debate
about who Orlando should choose with the No. 1 overall draft pick: Okafor or
Dwight Howard. That was back in 2004.
* So, would the Hornets really go through with a deal like the one rumored just
to rid them of Okafor’s contract (two years left after this season, around $28
million)? Probably not, but maybe.
* The Hornets own two first-rounders: Their own and Minnesota’s. Both are
likely lottery picks. The Hornets’ pick very well could be in the top five,
maybe top three.
* One New Orleans fan asked why the Hornets would need to trade Okafor’s
contract when they could just use the amnesty clause. It’s a good question.
However, if the Hornets merely amnestied Okafor, they would still have to pay
him (even though his salary wouldn’t count toward the salary cap). But if they
traded for an expiring deal (such as Jamison’s), the contract would come off
the books entirely. So they would owe no money to anyone come July.
* While it's nice to talk about, I don’t really see this trade happening. Two
lottery picks in this year’s supposedly deep draft will be considered absolute
gold. As one GM said, “I’ll give you a lottery pick for an expiring deal,
provided you pry it from my cold, dead hand first.”
* What this rumor tells us, more than anything, is the Cavs will be very active
in the four days left before the March 15 trade deadline. The goal is to fight
for a playoff spot while building for the future. It’s a difficult balance, but
one that Cavs GM Chris Grant seems to be approaching with a great deal of
confidence.
* As for Hornets guard Eric Gordon, forget it. As I Tweeted earlier, one NBA GM
promised that Gordon “isn’t going anywhere, so cross him off your wish list.”
* Cavs guard Ramon Sessions hears his name being mentioned in trade rumors. He
also understands it’s all part of the business. "I'm not really worried
about it, not really too concerned about it," he said before the
Cavs-Rockets game Sunday. “I'm here to practice, here to come to work. With my
career that's the way it's been the last two or three years.”
* The Cavs have also been linked to Charlotte in a deal that would also
supposedly involve Jamison, but not return a draft pick. “So it sounds like a
lot of pure speculation, nothing more,” said a Western Conference GM.
* The possibility also exists that the Cavs could let Jamison’s contract
expire, then re-sign him to a smaller free-agent deal in the summer. And why
not? Contrary to popular belief, veterans don’t hinder the rebuilding process.
And the Cavs will tell you that Jamison has actually helped it this year.
* If the Cavs do make a deal, you can expect it to come at the same time as
last season’s trade involving Mo Williams (and resulting in Kyrie Irving),
meaning the last possible minute. That makes them no different than anyone
else. But if they can't get a first-round pick, I'd be surprised if they make
any move whatsoever. Either way, I'll provide daily (maybe hourly) updates in
this very space. We will also be conducting a pre-trade deadline chat later this
week.
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
