Cleveland Cavaliers Blog – Page 24 – NBA Blog

LeBron James informs Kevin Love that he will start at center

Everything LeBron James or the Cleveland Cavaliers do these days is news. As for lineup changes, it’s surely the head coach’s decision, right? Of course it is. But LeBron James is probably in the conversation about those sort of things, even though he isn’t the coach. Or something like that. Jumble those sentence around until they satisfy you. Anyway, here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Kevin Love said he learned he would be moving from starting power forward to starting center in the Cavaliers’ lineup during a casual conversation with LeBron James, before head coach Tyronn Lue formally introduced the change to him and the team…

“But a funny thing happened the third day of practice,” Love explained. “I had asked about a certain play on the defensive end and whether it was the different coverages on the 4 or 5 man, and ‘Bron kind of stopped me and goes, ‘You know you’re gonna be starting at the 5, right?’

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LeBron James goes through full practice

Lots of players get banged up in preseason. But when it’s a star or superstar, then it’s always worth taking full notice. Because if a big dog is out, it means the rest of the team — most importantly new additions to the squad — can’t fully adjust to playing alongside the star. Which matters — early on, at least. Here’s ESPN.com reporting on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers:

LeBron James went through a full practice Thursday for the first time since tweaking his left ankle last week and could play in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue.

“We’ll see how he feels after going through practice today,” Lue said.

It would be the Cavs first test of their new-look starting lineup of Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, J.R. Smith and Derrick Rose flanking James.

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Iman Shumpert injury update

Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert experienced a left foot injury during the first quarter of last night’s game in Cleveland at The Q vs. the Atlanta Hawks. He left the game and did not return to play. Additional examination and imaging this morning at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health by Cavaliers team physicians Dr. James Rosneck and Dr. Richard Parker confirmed a left foot sprain. Shumpert will undergo treatment and is currently projected to return to play in approximately seven to 10 days.

Cavs sign Dwyane Wade

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Dwyane Wade, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We’re extremely happy that Dwyane chose to join us in Cleveland and become a core part of helping us achieve success at the highest level,” said Altman. “Dwyane has proven time and time again that he is a leader and competitor of the highest caliber and that his focus is centered on the ultimate goal. The deep commitment and consistency that he has shown to the game as a 12-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Champion is remarkable and he’s going to be a difference maker on the court and in the locker room with our team.”

According to ESPN.com, “The deal is worth $2.3 million, league sources told ESPN.”

Wade (6-4, 220) appeared in 60 games (59 starts) with the Chicago Bulls in 2016-17, averaging 18.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.43 steals in 29.9 minutes. He scored at least 20 points on 26 occasions, including 30 points or more five times, and was one of only six players in the Eastern Conference to average at least 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals last season.

More from ESPN.com: “Wade agreed to a contract buyout with the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Wade, 35, gave back $8 million of his $23.8 million 2017-18 salary to reach a buyout agreement with the Bulls, league sources said.”

The Chicago native was originally selected by the Heat in the 2003 NBA Draft (fifth overall pick) and has gone on to earn 12 NBA All-Star selections (2005-2016), including nine as a starter, as well as MVP honors for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas. Wade has reached the playoffs 12 times with three NBA Championships under his belt (2006, 2012, 2013) and was the 2006 Finals MVP. He has also been selected to the All-NBA First Team twice (2009, 2010), All-NBA Second Team three times (2005, 2006, 2011) and All-NBA Third Team three times (2007, 2012, 2013). The 6-4 guard has garnered All-Defensive Second Team honors on three occasions (2005, 2009, 2010) and was an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2004.

Over his 14-year NBA career, Wade has played in 915 regular season games (904 starts) with averages of 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.64 steals in 35.4 minutes. Entering the 2017-18 season, he ranks 34th in NBA history for points scored with 21,317. In postseason play, he has averaged 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.55 steals and 1.01 blocks in 38.2 minutes over 172 contests (all starts). Wade ranks 11th on the NBA’s all-time postseason scoring list with 3,871 points, and his 174 blocks in the playoffs rank first among guards in NBA history. He spent his first 13 NBA seasons with the Miami Heat and left as the franchise’s leader in scoring (20,221 points), assists (4,944), steals (1,414) and games played (855), while ranking second in blocks (759) and fourth in rebounds (4,126).

Wade has represented his country on the USA Basketball Team two times, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Wade is involved in many philanthropic efforts through his Wade’s World Foundation, which has a goal of providing support to various education, health and family service programs, particularly those that benefit underserved communities. He was recently awarded the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award at this year’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Cavs waive JaCorey Williams

The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived forward JaCorey Williams, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

This brings the Cavs training camp roster down to 19 players. Thus allowing the team to sign Dwyane Wade, which is the team’s next transaction.

Cavaliers sign JaCorey Williams

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward JaCorey Williams, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

This signing brings Cavs training camp to 20 players, which is the maximum allowed.

Williams (6-8, 220) played for Middle Tennessee State last season where he was the Conference USA Player of the Year after averaging 17.3 points on .533 shooting from the field and 7.3 rebounds in 36 games. Prior to that, he spent three years at the University of Arkansas. Williams went undrafted in this year’s draft and competed in four games for Golden State in the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2017.

Cavaliers hire Nic Barlage as President of Business Operations

Nic Barlage has been named President of Business Operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers organization. Barlage comes to the Cavaliers from the Phoenix Suns organization where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer. Prior to that, Barlage was part of the Cavaliers organization for five seasons where he was most recently Vice President of Sales and Service before departing for Phoenix in 2014. The announcement was made by Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena CEO Len Komoroski.

Under Komoroski’s leadership, Barlage will oversee all business areas of the Cavaliers organization. In addition to Barlage’s appointment, announcements related to the following current senior leadership team members with the Cavs organization were also made: Tad Carper has been named Executive Vice President / Communications, Mozelle Jackson is now Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Tracy Marek has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, and Brad Sims has been named Executive Vice President / Chief Revenue Officer and Franchise Operations. In addition, Mike Conley was recently named Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

During Barlage’s previous time with the Cavaliers he oversaw all ticketing and suite revenue at Quicken Loans Arena and helped to rebuild the Cavaliers’ sales and service teams over the span of five seasons. Prior to his tenure in Cleveland, Barlage spent one season with the Suns and two seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats specializing in suite and premium seating.

Barlage graduated from Saint John’s University (Minn.).

Cleveland Cavs Free Annual Wine & Gold Scrimmage is October 2, 2017

It’s Wine vs. Gold when the Cleveland Cavaliers take the court for their annual intra-squad scrimmage, a fun-filled family event to give fans a first live look at the 2016-17 NBA Eastern Conference Champions as they prepare for the upcoming 2017-18 season. The 2017 Wine & Gold Scrimmage will take place on Monday, October 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena. FREE tickets will be available beginning Tuesday, September 19th at NOON at any of Discount Drug Mart’s northeast Ohio locations or online at Cavs.com.

There is a limit of six (6) tickets per transaction and seating will be general admission. Fans 17 years of age and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

In keeping with the popular tradition of past Wine & Gold scrimmages, immediately following the game, Cavs players will give the scrimmage-worn practice jerseys off their backs to lucky fans randomly chosen from those in attendance. The Wine & Gold Scrimmage will also be the first opportunity for fans to see the Cavs newly designed court that reflects the team’s updated modernized brand. The new shield logo, displayed on center court, represents the “tool of the defender” and the Cavaliers commitment to “Defend The Land.”

Throughout the night, fans will get a sample of the Cavs award-winning game presentation, including popular lights-out player introductions, Humongotron flames, performances from the Cavalier Girls dance team, Scream Team hip-hop troupe, and the always-entertaining antics from mascots Moondog and Sir C.C, and more!

Doors to the arena will open at 5:00 p.m., one hour prior to tipoff so fans can enjoy concourse activities and special offers while taking in the fun of being back in The Q for Cavs basketball.

Cavaliers sign John Holland to two-way contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard/forward John Holland to a Two-Way Contract, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Holland (6-5, 205) was the NBA G League Impact Player of the Year last season after appearing in 37 games (all starts) for the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively-owned G League Team. He averaged 22.9 points (seventh in the league), 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in a league-high 38.9 minutes per game. Holland also shot .481 from the field, .346 from beyond the arc and .881 from the foul line, while helping the Charge reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

Before rejoining the Charge in 2016-17, Holland was in training camp with the Cavaliers where he played in three preseason games and averaged 10.7 points in 18.8 minutes. He received a Gatorade NBA Call-Up from the Boston Celtics before the 2016 NBA Playoffs and made his NBA debut in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks. The Boston University product played professionally in France, Spain and Turkey, and also represented the Puerto Rican national team in 2011.

Holland becomes the first player to sign a Two-Way contract with the Cavaliers. Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time, in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A Two-Way player for the Cavs will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Canton Charge – but can spend up to 45 days with Cleveland.

Isaiah Thomas hip injury lingers

Cavs guard Isaiah Thomas is still recovering from his hip injury, and the healing process will delay the start of play for his new team. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

While introducing their acquisitions from the summer’s blockbuster trade, the Cleveland Cavaliers were reluctant to discuss Isaiah Thomas’ health during a news conference Thursday.

“To be fair to Isaiah, we’re not going to address any specifics on his hip injury,” general manager Koby Altman said. “We’re also not going to put a timetable on it.”

Altman added: “We’re not going to rush it, at all.”

Altman intercepted a question directed to Thomas about his health and tried to steer the proceedings away from the subject, declaring, “This is not going to turn into the Isaiah Thomas hip press conference.”

While Altman was careful not to put any expectations on a return date, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue revealed that Thomas will miss the start of the season. That would mean the All-Star point guard still has at least five to six weeks of rehab ahead of him before he suits up for Cleveland. Altman said Cleveland will lean on free-agent signees Derrick Rose and Jose Calderon while Thomas is out.