Category: Cleveland Cavaliers Blog

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Cavaliers sign Danny Green

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed forward Danny Green for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Green (6-6, 215), who appeared in three games this season with the Memphis Grizzlies, was traded to Houston as part of a three-team deal on February 9 before being waived on Feb. 12. Over his 14-year NBA career, Green has played in 822 games (709 starts) with Memphis, Philadelphia, L.A. Lakers, Toronto, San Antonio and Cleveland, owning career averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.03 steals in 25.3 minutes per contest while also shooting .399 from the three-point line. Green has made at least 100 three-pointers in 11 of his 14 seasons and his 1,465 career three-pointers rank 14th among active NBA players. Additionally, he has appeared in 165 career playoff games (159 starts) with averages of 8.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes. His 165 playoff games are the 3rd-most of any active NBA player, behind only LeBron James (266) and Andre Iguodala (177).

A three-time NBA Champion with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers (2014, 2019, 2020) and one of just four players in NBA history to win championships with three different franchises (LeBron James, Robert Horry and John Salley), Green was an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2017. The veteran forward was drafted 46th overall by the Cavaliers in the 2009 NBA Draft after a four-year collegiate career at University of North Carolina (2005-2009), where he was part of the Tar Heels National Championship team in 2009.

Cleveland’s roster now stands at 17 players, including two Two-Way players. Green will wear jersey #14 for the Cavaliers.

Dillon Brooks suspended, Donovan Mitchell fined

Memphis Grizzlies guard-forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game without pay and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has been fined $20,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations.

After missing a layup and falling to the floor, Brooks initiated the altercation by striking Mitchell in the groin area in an unsportsmanlike manner. Mitchell then escalated the situation by throwing the game ball at and pushing Brooks, after which both players continued to physically engage with one another.

Brooks was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, and Mitchell was given a technical foul and ejected.

The incident occurred with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter of the Cavaliers’ 128-113 victory over the Grizzlies on Feb. 2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Brooks will serve his suspension Sunday, Feb. 5 when the Grizzlies play host to the Toronto Raptors.

Cavaliers hire Anderson Varejao as a Player Development Consultant and Global Ambassador

The Cleveland Cavaliers have hired Anderson Varejão as a Player Development Consultant and Global Ambassador, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The longtime Cavaliers center and fan-favorite returns to Cleveland in a full-time capacity after retiring from a 14-year NBA playing career and will help lead the organization’s international partnership efforts.

The Cavaliers will honor Varejão with a special presentation and video tribute at halftime of the Cavs vs. Milwaukee Bucks game on Saturday, January 21st.

“Andy embodies all that the city of Cleveland stands for and beyond, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring his experience, leadership and character back into the Cleveland Cavaliers family,” said Altman. “His infectious work ethic and commitment to our community have earned him his rightful place in the fabric of this organization and all of Northeast Ohio, and his impact on the game internationally will benefit our global outreach. We are thrilled to welcome Andy and his family back fulltime to the Cavaliers.”

In his new role, Varejão will engage with coaches, front office and Cavaliers players in varying on-court development roles during the season, as well as travel internationally for both basketball and corporate activities. Varejão will also assist the Cavaliers in their on-going mission to grow the game of basketball globally, including in Latin America. The organization has already launched an official team Portuguese Instagram channel called @cavsinbrasil in partnership with award-winning Brazilian digital and social media agency, Play9. The channel, which is filled with daily fresh content and game coverage, already has over 16,000 followers since launching last October.

“In Cleveland, we’ve seen first-hand the passion that fans in Brazil have for the game of basketball as they cheered on their hero, Anderson Varejão, during his incredible 14-year NBA career,” said Nic Barlage, Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO. “As we celebrate Andy and all that he has meant to our franchise, we are committed to helping to grow the sport across the globe in an authentic and thoughtful way. Our hope is that we can organically create generations of new Cavs fans internationally that will carry on that same passion for the game that Andy brought to the court every night.”

“I am thrilled and honored once again to be a formal part of the Cavaliers family,” said Varejão. “This is a unique opportunity to start a new chapter of my life with the team I love and in the city I love. I want to thank Dan Gilbert, Koby and Nic for welcoming me and my family back to Northeast Ohio with open arms. I am truly excited to be back here where it all started and contribute to growing the game of basketball in areas that hold a meaningful place in my heart.”

During his playing days in Cleveland, Varejão was a key member of the Cavaliers back-to-back 60-win teams (66-16 in 2008-09 and 61-21 in 2009-10) and six playoff teams (2005-2010, 2015), including two Eastern Conference Finals runs (2007 and 2009) and the franchise’s first ever NBA Finals appearance during the 2007 Playoffs. Over 13 seasons with the Cavaliers, Varejão appeared in 596 regular season games (208 starts) with averages of 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per contest. Nicknamed the “Wild Thing,” Varejão still ranks among the Cavaliers all-time Top 10 leaders in offensive rebounds (fourth, 1,486), defensive rebounds (seventh, 2,968), total rebounds (seventh, 4,454), games played (eighth, 596), blocks (eighth, 399) and steals (eighth, 529). He also earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2009-10 and owns a share of the team’s single game record for rebounds with 25 boards on January 2, 2014 versus Orlando. Additionally, Varejão played in 71 playoff games with Cleveland and ranks among the Cavaliers’ all-time postseason leaders in games played (71, tied for fourth), steals (67, fourth), offensive rebounds (147, fourth), defensive rebounds (258, sixth), total rebounds (405, sixth) and blocks (39, tied for seventh).

Before entering the NBA and becoming one of only seven players in Cavaliers history with 4,000 points and 4,000 rebounds, Varejão first started playing basketball for Clube de Regatas Saldanha da Gama (Vitória-ES) during his youth. From there, he signed to play for Franca Basquete (Franca-SP), where he joined the professional team and the Brazilian National Team. He played for Franca for four years, and his stellar play elevated him to join Liga ACB in Spain, where he won multiple championships playing for F.C. Barcelona, including the Liga ACB MVP trophy in 2001-02 and their first-ever EuroLeague title in 2003. After enjoying much success internationally, Varejão was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 30th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft before being acquired by the Cavaliers in a trade on July 23, 2004.

In addition to his 13 NBA seasons in Cleveland, Varejão had a brief stint with the Golden State Warriors where he appeared in 36 games during parts of the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, as well as 17 postseason contests during the Warriors’ NBA Finals run in 2016. Following his stint with Golden State, Varejão played for Flamengo in the NBB (Novo Basquete Brasil) league in 2017-18 and 2018-19, where he was MVP of the All-Star Game (2018) and champion of the Copa Super 8 and NBB 2019 title. In 2021, Varejão made his final appearance for the Brazilian National Team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Qualifier in Croatia. He represented Brazil for over 20 years.

Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio will reportedly make season debut soon

Via ESPN.com:

After a full year of rehabilitating an ACL tear in his left knee, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio is targeting a return against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, sources told ESPN.

Rubio will practice Wednesday, and if all goes well, he will play in Portland on Thursday, the sources said.

The Cavaliers — 26-16 and fifth in the Eastern Conference — are anxious to make Rubio a part of the team’s guard rotation with All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 12 (games played Monday, January 2, through Sunday, January 8).

This marks Mitchell’s second player of the week honor this season, winning the award in Week 9 (games played from Dec. 12-18), and is his fifth of his NBA career (once in 2021-22 and twice in 2018-19). His honor also marks the 66th time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly award, as he becomes the first Cavalier to win player of the week multiple times in a single season since LeBron James in 2017-18.

The Cavaliers went a perfect 3-0 in games Mitchell appeared in this past week. The sixth-year NBA guard averaged an Eastern Conference-best 37.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 38.7 minutes. He also shot .530 from the field and .861 from the foul line, while scoring at least 20 points in all three games. In addition to leading the conference in points per game, Mitchell ranked sixth in assists per game and was the only player in the East to average at least 30.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists.

Mitchell started the week with one of the highest scoring games in NBA history, registering a franchise-record 71 points (22-34 FG, 7-15 3FG, 20-25 FT), 11 assists, eight rebounds and one block in 50 minutes during a 145-134 overtime win over Chicago on Jan. 2. It marked the most points scored by any NBA player since Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006. Mitchell also became just the seventh player in NBA history to record 70 points or more in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor and Devin Booker. No other NBA player in league history accomplished a 70-point, 10-assist effort until Mitchell’s performance. With 24 points in the third quarter, 18 in the fourth and 13 in overtime, Mitchell combined to score 55 points after halftime, tying Bryant for the most points by any NBA player after intermission in the last 25 seasons, and helping the Cavaliers overcome a 21-point deficit. His 71 points shattered the franchise’s single game scoring record, beating the previous mark of 57 by LeBron James (11/3/17 at WAS) and Kyrie Irving (3/12/15 vs. SAS). The 99 points Mitchell scored or assisted on were the second-most ever behind the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points on March 2, 1962 (104 points created). Additionally, Mitchell became only the fourth NBA player to make 20 field goals and 20 free throws in a single game, along with Chamberlain (March 2, 1962), Booker (March 24, 2017) and Michael Jordan (March 28, 1990).

Mitchell followed his historical 71-point outing with a near double-double of 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds during Cleveland’s 90-88 victory over Phoenix on Jan. 4. He closed out the week by tallying 22 points (7-12 FG, 6-6 FT), one steal and one block in 30 minutes of a 112-98 win at Phoenix on Jan. 8. Through his 36 appearances this season (all starts) with Cleveland, the 6-3 guard is averaging a career-best 28.8 points (eighth-best in NBA) on career highs in field goal percentage (.488), three-point percentage (.405) and free throw percentage (.874), to go with 3.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.44 steals in 36.5 minutes per contest. He is one of two NBA players averaging 25.0 points or more while shooting at least .400 shooting from beyond the arc (Stephen Curry), and his 136 three-pointers made rank third in the NBA. The Cavaliers’ 26-15 record is the fourth-best mark in the Eastern Conference and the franchise’s best 41-game start since 2017-18 (26-15).

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James won Player of the Week accolades for the Western Conference.

Donovan Mitchell reflects on trade from Jazz to Cavs

Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell reflects on the trade that sent him from the Utah Jazz to Cleveland, via the Salt Lake Tribune:

Donovan Mitchell: “I look at it as a win-win. Everybody’s flourishing, doing well, happy, and sometimes a new beginning is just what you need. That’s for both sides. I don’t know what the vibe is in the locker room over there, but when I talked to the guys it just seemed like a fresh breath. Sometimes your time just runs out. I just think for me personally, I’ve said this on several occasions, I’m happy in a different way. They seem to be that as well, they’re playing well as a group. I’ve watched a bunch of games. It’s great to see both sides thriving after something that took a whole summer to kind of figure out.”

Donovan Mitchell and Nikola Jokic named NBA Players of Week

The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic have been named the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Players of the Week for Week 9 (games played Monday, December 12, through Sunday, December 18).

This marks Mitchell’s fourth career player of the week award (once in 2021-22 and twice in 2018-19) and the 65th time a Cavalier has ever won the weekly honor, including the first time this season.

Mitchell led the Cavaliers to a 3-1 record this past week, will all three victories coming against teams with winning records. The sixth-year guard averaged 32.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting .539 from the field, .425 from three-point range and .882 from the foul line. He topped the 25-point mark in all four games and was one of only two players in the East to average 30.0 points with at least a .500 clip from the field and .400 mark from beyond the arc (Kevin Durant). Among Eastern Conference leaders, Mitchell ranked first in field goals made (48, no other NBA player made more than 36), second in three-pointers made (17), third in points per game (32.0) and 16th in field goal percentage (.539). Additionally, he made at least six three-pointers in a game twice last week and now has seven such games this season, which is already tied for second-most in a season in Cavaliers history behind only JR Smith’s nine games of six threes or more in 2015-16.

Mitchell opened the week by nearly helping the Cavs overcome a 19-point deficit in San Antonio after tallying a game-high 28 points and five rebounds in 37 minutes on Dec. 12. He followed that up with 34 points (27 in the first half), a 6-9 (.667) clip from beyond the arc, three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 38 minutes during Cleveland’s 105-90 win at Dallas on Dec. 14. In the 118-112 victory over Indiana on Dec. 16, the Cavaliers overcame 13-point fourth quarter deficit by going on a 28-9 scoring run in the last nine minutes of the game, with Mitchell scoring 16 points during that run and finishing with a game-high 41 points and eight three-pointers made. He also scored his 9,000th career point that night (his 371st game), becoming the fourth-fastest active NBA player to reach 9,000 points, behind LeBron James (336 GP), Joel Embiid (343 GP) and Kevin Durant (346 GP), and is the quickest in NBA history to total 9,000 points and 1,000 three-pointers. The 6-3 guard closed out the week with another come-from-behind victory after his 25-point, four-rebound, three-assist and one-steal performance in a 100-99 overtime win against Dallas on Dec. 17.

Through his 27 appearances this season (all starts) with Cleveland, Mitchell is averaging a career-best 29.5 points (eighth best in NBA) on career highs in field goal percentage (.503), three-point percentage (.424) and free throw percentage (.889), to go with 3.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.37 steals in 36.9 minutes per contest. He is one of two NBA players with at least 100 three-pointers made on at least .400 shooting from deep (Stephen Curry), and his 106 three-pointers made rank fifth in the NBA. The Cavaliers’ 20-11 record is the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference and the franchise’s best 31-game start since 2017-18 (23-8).

Jokić wins the award for the first time this season and has now earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors 12 times in his career, the most in franchise history.

Jokić, 27, averaged 36.0 points, 17.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 3.66 steals while shooting .623 from the field en route to a 2-1 week. He ranked first in the NBA in total rebounds for the week and among the Western Conference he ranked first in steals, second in assists and third in points. The Nuggets have now won four of their last five games and currently sit tied for second in the Western Conference at 18-11.

Joker kicked off the week by registering 43 points (17-20 FG’s, 9-10 FT’s), 14 rebounds, eight assists and five steals in a home win against Washington on 12/14, becoming the first player in NBA history to post those numbers in game. He followed that up with 25 points (8-15 FG’s), 11 rebounds and eight assists in Denver’s lone loss of the week on the road against the L.A. Lakers on 12/16. He capped the week by posting 40 points (12-26 FG’s), a career-high 27 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in a 119-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets. His 20 rebounds in the first half set a new franchise record for most rebounds in a single half and was the most by any NBA player since Dwight Howard in 2018.

Jokić joined Wilt Chamberlain as only the second player in NBA history to post a triple double with at least 40 points, 27 rebounds and 10 assists. Additionally, over this past week, he became the Nuggets NBA franchise leader in rebounds passing Dan Issel (5,707) for first all-time.

The Sombor, Serbia native, leads the NBA in PER, is third in assists per game, sixth in rebounds per game and seventh in field goal percentage while averaging 25.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.50 steals in 32.9 minutes per game.

Former NBA star player and coach Paul Silas has passed away

STATEMENT FROM CHARLOTTE HORNETS CHAIRMAN MICHAEL JORDAN

Charlotte Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan released the following statement today regarding the passing of former Head Coach Paul Silas:

“Our Hornets family mourns the passing of Paul Silas. Paul was an incredible leader and motivator who served as our head coach on two occasions. He combined the knowledge developed over nearly 40 years as an NBA player and coach with an innate understanding of how to mix discipline with his never-ending positivity. On or off the court, Paul’s enthusiastic and engaging personality was accompanied by an anecdote for every occasion. He was one of the all-time great people in our game, and he will be missed. My thoughts, and the thoughts of our entire organization, are with his wife, Carolyn; his children, Paula and Stephen; and the entire Silas family.”

ABOUT PAUL SILAS

Paul Silas spent eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets across two different stints with the franchise. During his first tenure, in which he spent two-and-a-half seasons as an assistant coach before becoming interim head coach to conclude the 1998-99 season, he posted a record of 161-120 (.573). In each of his three full seasons, the Hornets won at least 44 games and made the playoffs, advancing to the second round in both 2000-01 and 2001-02. He returned to Charlotte to once again become interim head coach during the 2010-11 season and remained the team’s head coach in 2011-12.

Silas ranks third in franchise history in games coached (401), games won (193) and winning percentage (.481), and is the all-time leader in each of the three categories for playoff games with an overall record of 11-12 (.478) in 23 games total. He is the only head coach in franchise history to lead the team to three playoff appearances and two Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances. The team’s three straight playoff berths from 1999-2000 through 2001-02 is the only time in franchise history that the Hornets have gone to the playoffs in three straight seasons.

Following four years at Creighton in which he became one of only five players in NCAA history to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in his college career, Silas played 16 seasons in the NBA, where he was a three-time NBA Champion (1973-74 Celtics, 1975-76 Celtics and 1978-79 SuperSonics) and a two-time NBA All-Star (1971-72 and 1974-75). He retired after the 1979-80 season and immediately became head coach of the San Diego Clippers, spending three seasons in the role. In 12 seasons overall as an NBA head coach, Silas had a career record of 387-488 (.442).

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS STATEMENT ON PAUL SILAS

Paul Silas served as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2003-05. His engaging presence and huge personality inspired legions of NBA players and coaches. We send our deepest condolences to the Silas family and everyone that loved him. Rest in power Coach!

Tons of traveling and carrying calls made in Cavs at Knicks game

Via the New York Post:

Julius Randle was still stunned 30 minutes after the game had finished.

Fourteen traveling and carrying calls were made in the Knicks’ 92-81 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday night, the most in an NBA game this season.

“I’ve never seen that in my life,” the Knicks forward said…

The 14 travels and carries were the most in a game in the last 25 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Since it is a play-by-play stat, that type of information is not readily available for all of NBA history, and Elias couldn’t go back any further.

FULL ARTICLE

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland out with eye injury

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland sustained a left eye injury in the Cavaliers season opener at Toronto on Wednesday night.

Garland missed the remainder of the game versus the Raptors.

Additional examination at the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute today revealed no structural damage. Surgery was not required.

Garland will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days and his status will be updated as appropriate.