Cleveland Cavaliers Blog – Page 49 – NBA Blog

LeBron to wear jersey number 23 in return to Cavaliers

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting:

LeBron James is finished with the Miami Heat. He’s also finished with the No. 6 he has worn during the past four NBA Finals and to celebrate his only two NBA championships.

As had been expected, James has elected to return this coming season to the No. 23 he wore during his initial tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers. James never wore No. 6 with the Cavaliers.

James made the announcement Sunday on Twitter, when he posted:

“23 it is! It’s only right I go back. 2·3=6 We still family 6.”

He also posted an Instagram collage of his career in No. 23, including a picture of his uniform in high school at St. Vincent-St. Mary. Accompanying those photos were hash tags that read: “#HomeTeam #StriveForGreatness.”

Most NBA teams have set aside No. 23 in honor of Michael Jordan, with the Heat having gone as far as to place Jordan’s No. 23 jersey in the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena. The last Heat player to have worn No. 23 was Cedric Ceballos in 2001. Jordan’s No. 23 was formally retired by the Heat on April 11, 2003, at the request of Heat President Pat Riley.

Andrew Wiggins signs Cavs rookie contract

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed their 2014 NBA Draft picks, Andrew Wiggins and Joe Harris, to contracts, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Per NBA rules, rookies cannot be traded for 30 days once they sign their initial contract.

According to ESPN.com, “Wiggins has been involved in trade discussions between the Cavs and Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a deal that would send Kevin Love to Cleveland. Because of league rules on rookie contracts, such a deal now cannot be completed for 30 days. Wiggins, who signed a four-year deal, will have a starting salary of $5.5 million after the Cavs gave him the allowed 20 percent premium on the rookie scale, sources said.”

But for at least the next 30 days, and perhaps much longer, Wiggins is a member of the Cavaliers.

Wiggins was the first overall pick in the June draft. An early entry candidate from Kansas University, Wiggins, 19, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-League in his only year at Kansas. In 35 contests with the Jayhawks last year, the 6-8, 194-pound guard averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 32.8 minutes per game. In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Wiggins averaged a team-high 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game.

Harris was selected 33rd overall after playing four years at Virginia where he was named Second Team All-ACC as a senior and First Team All-ACC as a junior. The 6-6, 225-pound guard averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes for his career at Virginia (135 games). In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Harris averaged 7.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.

Maverick Carter says inner circle did not push LeBron back to Cavs

Here’s ESPN.com sharing insight on LeBron James leaving the Miami Heat to return to the Cavs:

Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner, says he didn’t push James to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, nor did anyone else in the NBA superstar’s inner circle.

“This was a decision that LeBron made in his heart,” Carter told ESPN.com’s Jason Whitlock on the Real Talk podcast. “We didn’t push him to do it. We don’t push him to do anything. If he asks our opinion or what did we think about the pros and the cons, we help him think through it. We don’t push him.”

James decided to return to the Cavaliers on July 11 after spending four years with the Miami Heat. He opted out of his contract with Miami and signed a two-year deal to return to Cleveland, where he spent his first seven seasons in the NBA.

Jazz trade John Lucas III, Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy to Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard John Lucas III and forwards Malcolm Thomas and Erik Murphy from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guard Carrick Felix, Cleveland’s 2015 second round draft pick and cash considerations, General Manager David Griffin announced tonight from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Lucas appeared in 42 games (six starts) for the Jazz in 2013-14 with averages of 3.8 points and 1.0 assist in 14.1 minutes per game. Over his six-year NBA career, the 5-11 guard out of Oklahoma State has played in 216 games (eight starts) with Houston, Chicago, Toronto and Utah, averaging 4.8 points and 1.4 assists in 12.2 minutes per game.

Thomas, a 6-9 forward from San Diego State, played in eight contests for Utah and San Antonio last season and averaged 1.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game, while Murphy, a 6-10 forward out of Florida, appeared in 24 games for Chicago with averages of 0.3 points and 0.3 rebounds in 2.6 minutes per game in 2013-14.

Felix was selected by the Cavaliers in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2013 NBA Draft. He appeared in seven games and averaged 2.7 points, 0.9 rebounds and 5.4 minutes. He also appeared in nine games with the Cavaliers D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, where he averaged 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes.

Scottie Pippen not surprised LeBron went back to Cleveland

Here’s ESPN Chicago reporting Scottie Pippen’s reaction to LeBron James leaving the Miami Heat to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen doesn’t know what it’s like to lose in the NBA Finals, but he figures LeBron James learned a lesson in doing just that for a second time in four tries with the Miami Heat.

After judging the slam-dunk championship at the Nike Chi League all-star festivities Saturday, Pippen was asked if he was surprised James left for the Cleveland Cavaliers following Miami’s one-sided loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.

“I wasn’t surprised, I kind of figured he’d go back [to Cleveland],” Pippen said at Whitney Young High School. “I don’t know if he could hold that team up. I think [Dwyane] Wade’s physical ability had him thinking like, ‘Hey, maybe this is not the place I need to be.’

“It was a great run for them. They weren’t as successful as they thought they would be, but you went to the Finals four times, so you can’t hold your head down too much about that.”

Erik Spoelstra comments on LeBron James leaving Heat

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on Heat coach Erik Spoelstra as he comments on LeBron James leaving Miami and taking his talents back to Cleveland:

“He seemed at peace with the decision,” Spoelstra said. “We don’t have any regrets. He shouldn’t have any regrets. It was a historic four-year run.”

The move caught the Heat brass by surprise. James exited despite leading Miami to the NBA Finals four straight years, winning twice. His departure left the Heat scrambling to rebuild a roster via free agency that included the additions of Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger and Luol Deng. They also re-signed Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, who both opted out of their contracts with hopes of luring James to stay.

Last Friday, James revealed his time was up in South Florida.

“This league does teach you that it’s inevitable that there’s constant change and you always have to continue to embrace change, adapt with change,” Spoelstra said. “This is a big, monumental change that we didn’t necessarily anticipate but you have to respect it because when you’re a free agent in this league you have the right to make a decision that’s best for you and your family. When he made that decision that was best for his family, where his heart is, all you can do from our side is respond with respect and love.”

LeBron James officially back with Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed free agent forward LeBron James, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today.

According to ESPN.com, “James signed a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the goal of re-signing with the Cavs before the 2016-17 season when a new television deal is expected to create a large jump in value of the maximum contract.”

“We could not be happier to welcome LeBron James home. Yesterday, LeBron, through his essay, told us he wasn’t going anywhere except Cleveland and that ‘Cleveland is where he always believed he would finish his career.’ These words and commitment put all of us, including LeBron, in the best position to build our franchise the right way and achieve the kind of goals we all know are possible. Expectations will be at the highest levels but no one should expect immediate and automatic success,” said Griffin.

“LeBron’s motivation to return home is clearly fueled by the kind of emotions and ideals that we can and should embrace. The contract and those details are secondary to his commitment to Northeast Ohio and the Cavaliers. It extends well beyond the boundaries of basketball and speak to his love and passion for his family, home, and our fans. He communicated his role and growth as a husband, father, teammate, community leader, and business person. This resonated in a special and personal way for all of us. LeBron put it well when he stated; ‘In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned.’ We can’t wait to get started and look forward to his leadership, on and off the court, for many years to come.”

The Akron, Ohio native returns to the Cavaliers where he remains the franchise’s leader in points scored (15,251), scoring average (27.8 PPG) field goals made (5,415) and attempted (11,403), free throws made (3,650) and attempted (4,917), steals (955) and minutes played (22,119). He also ranks second in team history in three-pointers made (771), second in assists (3,810), third in defensive rebounds (3,183), fourth in blocks (482), fifth in total rebounds (3,861) and is tied for seventh in games played (548).

An advocate for change and community responsibility, James launched the LeBron James Family Foundation in 2004 with a mission to positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives. In 2011, in partnership with the Akron Public Schools, his foundation launched its pillar program, “Wheels for Education”, with its mission to improve graduation rates in Akron. In 2012, James pledged $1 million to renovate his old stomping grounds at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School as the completion of The LeBron James Arena had its ceremonial grand opening on December 14, 2013. He and his foundation also work regularly with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, renovating a local Boys and Girls Club in every All-Star host city each year, an initiative that began in 2008 in New Orleans.

James is a four-time MVP (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), a two-time NBA champion (2012, 2013) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012). The 6-8 forward has also garnered other numerous achievements over his career including: Ten-time NBA All-Star (2005–2014), two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP (2006, 2008), eight-time All-NBA First Team selection (2006, 2008–2014), two-time All-NBA Second Team selection (2005, 2007) and five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection (2009–2013). James was originally drafted by the Cavs with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and went on to earn the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2003-04.

James has played in 842 games (841 starts) with career averages of 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals in 39.5 minutes per game with Cleveland and Miami. LeBron has the third highest scoring average in NBA history to go along with 37 career triple-doubles and 267 career double-doubles. He has scored in double figures on 834 occasions, including 701 games with at least 20 points, 339 games with 30-or-more points, 52 40-point performances and 10 50-plus efforts. James will begin the 2014-15 season having scored in double figures a career-high 572 consecutive games, a streak that began on Jan. 6, 2007. He has scored over 2,000 points in nine of the last 10 seasons and has averaged at least 20 points in all 11 of his NBA seasons.

This past year, James was selected to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team after averaging 27.1 points (ranked third in NBA) on a career-best .567 shooting from the field (fourth in NBA), 6.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.6 steals in 37.7 minutes over 77 games (all starts). He was the only player in the league to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. The two-time NBA Finals MVP also led Miami to its fourth straight NBA Finals appearance during the 2013-14 season. For his postseason career, he has appeared in 158 playoff contests with averages of 28.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals in 42.5 minutes per game.

Hornets trade Brendan Haywood to Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Brendan Haywood and the draft rights to forward Dwight Powell, the 45th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Scotty Hopson and cash considerations, General Manager David Griffin announced today.

The 6-7 Hopson played in two games for the Cavaliers last season after signing with the team on March 31, 2014. Prior to that he played internationally in Greece (2011-12), Israel (2012-13) and Turkey (2013-14).

Haywood has played in 794 career NBA games (548 starts) over his 12-year career for Washington, Dallas and Charlotte with averages of 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23.4 minutes. His career field goal percentage of .528 ranks ninth among active players. Haywood was a member of Dallas’ 2011 NBA Championship team, and has appeared in 53 career postseason games, averaging 6.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while shooting .564 from the field. The New York native played four seasons at the University of North Carolina before being selected by Cleveland with the 20th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. His rights were traded on draft night to Orlando, who later traded him to Washington. The 7-0, 263-pound center missed the entire 2013-14 season due to a stress fracture in his left foot.

Powell played four years at Stanford, appearing in 136 games (105 starts) with averages of 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. The 6-11, 240-pound forward from Ontario, Canada is a two-time First Team All-Pac 12 selection. He averaged 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals during his senior season and was the Pac 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Powell also played for Canada in the World University Games in the summer of 2013.

Cavs season tickets selling fast

Here’s ESPN.com reporting good news from Cleveland:

Cleveland embraced the return of the “King” as expected, as the Cavaliers had all but sold out of season tickets less than eight hours after LeBron James announced he would come back to accomplish some unfinished business with the team.

A Cavaliers source confirmed to ESPN.com that the team capped season-ticket sales at slightly more than 12,000 tickets Friday, leaving roughly 8,000 tickets per game to be used for group sales and ticket plans.

Shortly before 12:30 p.m. ET, when James’ decision was revealed, the Cavaliers’ ticket phone lines were so jammed that the team began rerouting lines in the office to be used for ticket sales. The Cavaliers sell season tickets only over the phone.

Pat Riley statement on LeBron James decision to leave the Heat

The following statement was released today by Pat Riley of the Heat, on the decision by LeBron James to leave Miami and once again become a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers:

“While I am disappointed by LeBron’s decision to leave Miami, no one can fault another person for wanting to return home. The last four years have been an incredible run for South Florida, HEAT fans, our organization and for all of the players who were a part of it. LeBron is a fantastic leader, athlete, teammate and person, and we are all sorry to see him go.”

“Over the last 19 years, since Micky and I teamed together, The Miami HEAT has always been a championship organization; we’ve won multiple championships and competed for many others. Micky, Erik and I remain committed to doing whatever it takes to win and compete for championships for many years to come. We’ve proven that we can do it and we’ll do it again.”