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Cavaliers reach buyout agreement with Ricky Rubio

The Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday reached a buyout agreement with guard Ricky Rubio, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced.

Rubio has been away from the team since the start of the 2023-24 season.

“Ricky Rubio embodied everything a franchise would want from such an accomplished player, who helped instill a confidence and leadership quality that still resonates within our team,” said Altman. “When you measure his impact, particularly during the 2021-22 season, Ricky was instrumental in our 22-win improvement that year. His willingness to mentor our younger players speaks to the gravity of his tenure in Cleveland and the success we are having with this current Cavaliers group. We wish Ricky nothing but the best and remain supportive of his decision to continue focusing on his mental health.”

Rubio (6-3, 190) has appeared in 698 games (603 starts) with Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, and Cleveland, holding career averages of 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.76 steals in 29.6 minutes. He currently has the 10th-most assists among active NBA players (5,160) and has also averaged more than 6.0 assists and at least 1.30 steals in 10 of his 12 NBA seasons. Originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, the 12-year NBA veteran was a 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. He has also made three playoff appearances with Utah in 2018 and 2019 as well as Cleveland in 2023, appearing in 14 career postseason games (11 starts) and averaging 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.50 steals in 26.1 minutes. A longtime member of the Spanish National Team, Rubio has played in three Olympics (2020, 2016, 2008), winning silver 2008 and bronze in 2016. At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, he scored 38 points against the United States, breaking the record for most points scored against USA during Olympic competition. He also led Spain to a gold medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

In two seasons with the Cavaliers (2021-22, 2022-23), Rubio appeared in 67 games (10 starts) with averages of 9.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 22.9 minutes. During the 2021-22, his best in Cleveland, Rubio appeared in 34 games (eight starts) with a career-high tying average of 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.44 steals in 28.5 minutes, before missing the final 48 games with a season-ending ACL tear. Prior to the injury, Rubio became one of 12 active NBA players to record 5,000 career assists. He also recorded a career-high 37 points, shooting 8-9 (.889) from the three-point line, 10 assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench on Nov. 7 at New York, becoming the first player in NBA history with at least 30 points, 10 assists and eight three-pointers in a game in a reserve role. He also became the first player in Cavs team history to make his first eight three-point attempts in a game.

Rubio was traded to Indiana on February 7, 2022, after his injury in a deal that brought Caris LeVert to Cleveland but did not appear in a game for the Pacers. He resigned with the Cavaliers as a free agent on July 7, 2022, and appeared in 33 games during the 2022-23 season, making his season debut on Jan. 12 at Portland, where he chipped in nine points and three rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. It was his first game back since suffering the ACL injury on Dec. 28, 2021, at New Orleans.

Cleveland’s roster now stands at 16 players, including three Two-Way players.

Cavaliers injury updates on Darius Garland and Evan Mobley

The Cleveland Cavaliers released today status updates on the following players:

Cavaliers Guard Darius Garland sustained a fractured jaw during the third quarter of last night’s road game at Boston. A CT scan administered this morning at Cleveland Clinic confirmed the injury. Garland will have a procedure to heal the affected area and will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

Cavaliers Forward/Center Evan Mobley will have arthroscopic left knee surgery at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health on Monday, December 18 to remove a loose body. Recent imaging and a series of treatment and rehabilitation confirmed that surgery was the best option to alleviate the discomfort in the knee. Mobley has missed the Cavaliers previous four games and is expected to be out approximately six to eight weeks.

Cavaliers exercise 4th-year contract option on Evan Mobley

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised the fourth-year (2024-25) contract option on Evan Mobley, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Mobley (7-0, 215), played in a team-best 79 games (all starts) last season and averaged career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (9.0), assists (2.8), minutes (34.4) and field goal percentage (.554, 17th-best in NBA), to go along with 1.51 blocks (ninth-best in NBA) and 0.76 steals. Mobley was also named to the 2022-23 NBA All-Defensive First Team, ranking first in the league in defensive win shares (4.8), tied for first in contested three-pointers per game (3.6) and fourth in the NBA in total contested shots per game (11.4). Additionally, he recorded at least one block in 59 games (fourth-most in NBA) and his 119 total blocks were the sixth-most in the NBA. Mobley also helped the Cavaliers rank No. 1 in defensive rating (109.9) and No. 1 in opponent points per game (106.9). He finished third in the NBA in Defensive Player of the Year voting and became the seventh player in Cavaliers history to earn Defensive Team honors joining Jim Brewer, Jim Cleamons, Larry Nance Sr., Bobby Phills, LeBron James and Anderson Varejao. Mobley also registered a career-high 24 double-doubles and was one of only three NBA players this past season averaging at least 15.0 points on .500 shooting or better, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks (Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis). The No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2021-22 season, Mobley owns career averages of 15.6 points on .533 shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.58 blocks in 34.1 minutes over 148 games (all starts) in two NBA seasons with Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell holding off on signing contract extension with Cavs

Per Cleveland.com:

The deadline is still weeks away. But the decision has already been made.

Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell, the perennial MVP candidate whose arrival heightened the organization’s expectations last summer, will not sign a contract extension before the season opener on Oct. 25 — and he has let the front office know that.

“I still have the opportunity to sign an extension next summer,” Mitchell said during the team’s annual media day on Monday afternoon. “My primary focus is this. Just trying to go out there and trying to be the best team we can be and bring a championship to the city and go from there. We added new additions. We obviously had a season that you could kind of rate went really well until it went really poorly. So, for us, that’s where all of our heads are at. That’s where my head is at.”

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Cavaliers sign Sharife Cooper, Pete Nance and Justin Powell

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed guard Sharife Cooper, forward Pete Nance and guard Justin Powell, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today.

The signings are likely non-guaranteed deals, to bring the players to Cavs training camp.

Cooper (6-1, 180) appeared in 25 games (all starts) last season with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League team, averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 0.84 steals in 32.4 minutes. He was named All-NBA G League Second Team and was also selected to the 2023 NBA G League Next Up Game during NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City. During the 2023 Summer League in Las Vegas, he appeared in four games (all starts) for the Cavaliers, averaging 13.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 21.5 minutes while helping the Cavaliers win their first Summer League Championship. Cooper was drafted 48th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks after one collegiate season at Auburn (2020-21).

Nance (6-11, 230) went undrafted after one season at University of North Carolina (2022-23) and four seasons at Northwestern University (2018-22), averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.3 minutes in 137 games (104 starts) during his collegiate career. Last season at UNC, the Akron-born native started all 30 games and averaged 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.13 blocks in 30.0 minutes, while leading the team in blocks (34), finishing second in free throw percentage (.816) and ranking third in three-pointers made (32). A member of the Cavaliers 2023 Summer League Championship team, Nance appeared in all six games, averaging 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.4 minutes.

Powell (6-6, 197) went undrafted after playing three seasons collegiately at Auburn, Tennessee, and Washington State, with career averages of 7.8 points, 2.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 25.0 minutes. Last season at Washington State, Powell appeared in a career-best 34 games (all starts), averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 33.8 minutes. He also appeared in two games for the Miami Heat at the 2023 Summer League in Las Vegas and one game at the California Classic in Sacramento.

Cavs bring back Tristan Thompson

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed center Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“Tristan embodies every trait we want as part of our team culture, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience and character back into our franchise,” said Altman. “His impact both on and off the court is immeasurable, and his history with our team adds a layer of familiarity, leadership and physicality that will undoubtedly make a positive impact with our younger players. An integral part of our four consecutive NBA Finals trips and an NBA Championship in 2016, Tristan represented the organization with the utmost charm and professionalism during his nine seasons in Northeast Ohio. We are thrilled to reunite with Tristan and welcome him and his family back to the Cavaliers family.”

Thompson (6-9, 254) played a vital role during the Cavaliers’ four straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2018, including the franchise’s first-ever NBA championship in 2016. He returns to Cleveland, where he spent his first nine NBA seasons (2011-2020), appearing in 619 regular season games (429 starts) with averages of 9.4 points on .518 shooting from the field and 8.7 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per contest. Selected by the Cavaliers as the No. 4 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and at the time was the highest drafted Canadian-born player in league history, Thompson still ranks among the franchise’s all-time leaders in offensive rebounds (second, 2,115), total rebounds (third, 5,393), defensive rebounds (fifth, 3,278), blocks (sixth, 447), games played (seventh, 619) and minutes (eighth, 17,373). His 447 consecutive regular season games played from Feb. 10, 2012 to April 4, 2017 remains the longest streak in Cavaliers history. Additionally, Thompson holds the franchise record for most offensive rebounds in a single season with 306 in 2012-13.

The 12-year NBA veteran center last played for the Los Angeles Lakers, where he appeared in six playoff games during the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Over his career, Thompson has played in 730 regular season games (478 starts) for Cleveland, Boston, Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago with averages of 9.0 points on .519 shooting from the field and 8.4 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per contest. An All-Rookie Second Team selection in 2011-12, the University of Texas product has averaged at least 8.0 rebounds on eight occasions, including back-to-back campaigns averaging a double-double for Cleveland during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. With 5,839 points and 5,393 rebounds with the Cavaliers, Thompson is one of only four players in franchise history to accumulate at least 5,000 points and 5,000 rebounds, joining LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Brad Daugherty.

Thompson, who started all 21 postseason games during the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA title run, has played in 94 playoff games (70 starts) over his career, averaging 7.1 points on .562 shooting from the field and 7.8 rebounds in 26.9 minutes. Thompson is also the Cavaliers’ all-time postseason leader in offensive rebounds (287) and ranks second in franchise playoff history in total rebounds (666), third in defensive rebounds (379), third in games played (78), fourth in blocked shots (63), ninth in points scored (598) and ninth in field goals made (224).

NBA Paris Game 2024, featuring Nets vs. Cavs, scheduled for January 11

The NBA Paris Game 2024 will feature the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the league’s third regular-season game in Paris at the Accor Arena on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.

The NBA Paris Game 2024 will mark the Nets’ second game in Paris, having played a preseason game in the French capital in 2008.

Brooklyn currently features 2021-22 NBA All-Defensive First Team and 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Mikal Bridges, 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Cam Johnson and three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons. The Nets have made five consecutive playoff appearances.

The Cavaliers will be playing their first game in Europe. Cleveland currently features four-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell, 2022 NBA All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, and 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team member Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in 2016 and made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018.

The NBA Paris Game 2024 will air live on beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass.

Jazz trade center Damian Jones to Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Damian Jones in a trade with the Utah Jazz for cash considerations.

Jones (6-11, 245) played in 41 games (one start) for the Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers this past season and averaged 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes. He shot .640 (55-86) from the field and a career-best .588 (10-17) from three-point range. Jones also scored in double figures on three occasions and registered one double-double.

A two-time NBA Champion with Golden State (2017 and 2018), Jones has played in 240 games (75 starts) over his seven-year NBA career with Utah, L.A. Lakers, Sacramento, Phoenix, Atlanta and Golden State with averages of 5.2 points on .662 shooting from the field and 3.4 rebounds in 14.6 minutes. He has also appeared in 12 postseason games (one start) with Golden State. The Vanderbilt University product played under current Cavaliers assistant coach Luke Walton for Sacramento during parts of the 2020-21 season and the entirety of the 2021-22 season. He was originally drafted by the Warriors with the 30th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Cavaliers sign Emoni Bates, Isaiah Mobley and Craig Porter Jr. to two-way contracts

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Emoni Bates, forward Isaiah Mobley and guard Craig Porter Jr. to two-way contracts, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today.

Reflective of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, teams will be able to roster up to three players on a Two-Way contract this upcoming season.

Bates (6-9, 190) was selected 49th overall by the Cavaliers in the 2023 NBA Draft and appeared in 30 games (all starts) as a sophomore for Eastern Michigan University this past season, averaging team-highs in points (19.2) and rebounds (5.8) in 33.5 minutes. Bates, an All-Mid-American Conference Third Team selection, also recorded four double-doubles and his 19.2 points per game average ranked 39th nationally and third in the MAC. Additionally, Bates finished fourth in the MAC in three-point field goals made per game (2.5) and shot 76-230 (.330 3FG%) from beyond the arc on the season. His 76 made three-pointers ranked eighth in a single season in program history. Bates registered a season-high 43 points at Toledo on Jan. 24, the ninth-best single game total in the NCAA this season. He started his collegiate career at the University of Memphis before transferring to Eastern Michigan and was named the 2020 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year.

Mobley (6-10, 240) appeared in 12 games for the Cavaliers during his rookie year this past season and recorded a career-high 18 points on 7-12 (.583) shooting from the field, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 29 minutes on April 6 at Orlando. As a Two-Way player during the 2022-23 season, Mobley also appeared in 22 games (all starts) in the NBA G League for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively owned and operated NBA G League team, holding averages of 21.0 points (.522 FG%, .353 3FG%, .730 FT%), 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.14 blocks in 33.0 minutes. He was selected 49th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by Cleveland after spending three seasons (2019-2022) at University of Southern California.

Porter Jr. (6-2, 178) spent last season at Wichita State University, averaging 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.52 steals and 1.48 blocks in 33.5 minutes, becoming the first player in program history to lead the team in rebounding, assists, blocks, and steals in the same season. He also became the second Shocker in the last 50 years (Fred VanVleet) to record a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists on February 26 at Tulane. Porter Jr. played three seasons total at Wichita State, appearing in 75 games (59 starts) for the Shockers during his Division-I collegiate playing career and averaged 8.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 26.1 minutes. He also played two Junior College seasons at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, helping lead them to an NJCAA national championship in 2019.

Cavaliers sign Georges Niang and Ty Jerome

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Georges (George) Niang and guard Ty Jerome, President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today.

Niang (6-7, 230) has appeared in 383 games (19 starts) during his seven-year career with Philadelphia, Utah and Indiana, holding career averages of 6.5 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes and shooting a .403 three-point percentage. He has also shot .400 or better from beyond the arc in each of his last five NBA seasons and once recorded a 31-game streak with at least one made three-pointer (1/15/22-3/23/22), the sixth-longest streak in Sixers franchise history. Last season with the 76ers, Niang appeared in a career-high 78 games (one start), averaging 8.2 points and 2.4 Rebounds in 19.4 minutes while shooting .401 (154-384) from the three-point line. He also had the 13th highest three-point percentage among all NBA players with at least 150 threes made.

Niang appeared in 46 career postseason games with Philadelphia (23 games) and Utah (23 games), averaging 4.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.2 minutes while shooting a .423 from the field (80-189 FG%) for his postseason career. Niang was selected 50th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers following four seasons in college at Iowa State.

Jerome (6-5, 195) has played in 157 games (seven starts) over four NBA seasons with Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Golden State. Last season, Jerome appeared in 45 games (two starts) for the Golden State Warriors, averaging 6.9 points and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes while shooting a career-best .927 from the free-throw line (38-41 FT) as well as a career-high .488 from the field (118-242 FG). Jerome has scored in double figures in 52 games in his career, as well as six occasions with 20 or more points. Last season, Jerome recorded a season-high 22 points (9-13 FG, 3-4 3P, 1-1 FT), a career-high-tying eight assists, one steal and one block in a career-high 41 minutes on Jan. 20 in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Jerome was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, following three seasons at University of Virginia, winning the NCAA National Championship in 2019.

Niang will wear jersey #20 and Jerome will wear #2 for Cleveland this season.