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Do IT this week: Layering
Finding trade partner could be problematic
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Monday, Jun 09, 2008
A year or so ago, it could have been argued that the Central Division was the NBA's deepest.
All five teams made the playoffs in 2006, and four made it in 2007, including three advancing past the first round and the Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons ending up in the Conference finals.
Now, though, the division is staring at some major restructuring and it might hamper what the Cavs are hoping to accomplish this offseason. They are expected to be firmly engaged in the summer's trade market with their assortment of assets, but the sellers might be a little close to home.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a new coach and general manager and are showing signs that they intend to rework the roster. Which has fired up plenty of rumors linking the Cavs to Michael Redd.
Coming off an extremely underwhelming season, the Chicago Bulls have several key re
stricted free agents, the No. 1 overall pick and are soon to have a new coach. Numerous personnel changes are expected by the time the dust settles.
The Indiana Pacers' front office just underwent a shakeup with Donnie Walsh leaving to join the New York Knicks. President Larry Bird, now firmly in control, has indicated he's looking to restructure the underachieving roster.
Then there are the Pistons, who have been one of the stablest teams in the NBA in the past five years. But top executive Joe Dumars basically said at a news conference last week that his whole team is in play after a third consecutive loss in the conference finals.
In general, teams in the same division avoid making trades with each other. It's not an ironclad rule — the Cavs and Bulls made a huge deal in February — but that was an exception.
This could especially affect the Cavs' position. They do have some young talented pieces that could be on the market, but their best assets are expiring contracts. Teams who trade stars for expiring contracts — and it is something that happens every year, even if it doesn't always seem prudent — often try to send their players not just out of the division, but out of the conference.
Just look at the Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Shaquille O'Neal trades from last season as the most recent examples.
So every player on the Bucks, Pacers, Bulls and Pistons could be available. The Cavs have some ammo, but that simply doesn't mean it will happen.
NBA trades already are hard to pull off because of the salary-matching requirements, but there is also this political layer to deal with. Both facets are very real and play a part in who gets traded where.
The silly season is almost here, especially once the draft takes place this month, but as fans dream about whom the Cavs might be able to acquire, it is important to keep this in mind. Trust that the front offices already are.
Dribbles
• Many of the hard feelings with the Anderson Varejao camp and the Cavs from last year's nasty contract talks have eased and his decision to skip playing for Brazil in the upcoming Olympic qualifier is a sign of it.
The Cavs' team doctors recently sent Varejao a letter asking him to consider rehabbing his ankle this summer and making regular trips to Cleveland to have it checked. Varejao was under no obligation to listen and was no doubt feeling pressure from his countrymen, but he decided to take the advice. He's still planning on going to Brazil to be there for the national team's training camp in a show of solidarity but has decided his ankle needs rehab so he can be 100 percent by September.
• There have been plenty of Internet rumors linking the Cavs to Pacers' center Jermaine O'Neal. But for the moment, they all must be coming from outside Cleveland. The Cavs don't have interest at this time.
• The Cavs have issued a summer league invitation to former Miami Heat first-round pick Wayne Simien. Simien, a forward, has played only eight games in the past two seasons after battling a knee injury. He was released by the Minnesota Timberwolves after being traded by the Heat last season.
• Though they've looked at plenty of potential second rounders at their facility in the past week, the Cavs recently have scheduled several workouts with potential players for their No. 19 first-round pick. Among them are North Carolina guards Danny Green and Ty Lawson, Florida center Marreese Speights, Kansas guard Mario Chalmers and California center DeVon Hardin.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
A year or so ago, it could have been argued that the Central Division was the NBA's deepest.
Get the full article here.
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