Cleveland Cavaliers waive Edy Tavares
The Cleveland Cavaliers have waived center Edy Tavares.
According to an official press release from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team waived center Walter “Edy” Tavares on Wednesday. Tavares was acquired by the Cavs last season on a call-up from the NBA G-League’s Raptors 905 where averaged 10.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors for the league. He was acquired on the last day of the regular season as Larry Sanders was waived.
He made an instant impact in his first action with the Wine and Gold with six blocks but fractured his hand in May. The Cavs are, and were, a team lacking true rim-protecter aside from Tristan Thompson (who is undersized for the position). Tavares fit a niche that the Cavs needed and because of that, there was a great chance for him to stick around past last season.
For those that have been watching the Cavs in preseason action, his release isn’t a surprise though.
After the team acquired 20-year-old center Ante Zizic, a promising prospect, and added center Kendrick Perkins in training camp, Tavares’ roster spot was already in trouble. When the Cavs signed wing John Holland to a two-way contract (with second-year pro Kay Felder, a player who was once set to be the Cavs backup point guard as a rookie, still on the team), it was all but a guarantee that Tavares wouldn’t make the cut for the expanded 17-man roster (which includes two players signed to two-way contracts) let alone the 15-man regular season roster.
In a slightly underwhelming Summer League circuit, Tavares averaged 7.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game (in just 20.1 minutes per game) but only shot 42.3 percent from the field. A feat that should be hard for a player who is 7-foot-3. In preseason action, Tavares only played 9 total minutes (2 games) while Perkins played 22 total minutes in 2 games. Zizic has played 52 minutes (4 games) and even started a preseason game.
As far as the pecking order for the Cavs’ traditional centers was concerned, Tavares seemed to be at the bottom of the totem pole.
The Cleveland Cavaliers still have to cut three players, including one guaranteed contract before the end of the regular season. Veterans like Perkins, Jose Calderon and Richard Jefferson are considered to be on the roster bubble due to the Cavs’ depth and the minimum deals they’re signed to. Meanwhile, Zizic and Felder are two second-year players who qualify for the Cavs’ remaining two-way contract.
Who will the Cleveland Cavaliers waive next? My bet would be on Perkins, a valuable leader and a a veteran with an intimidating presence but who hasn’t played a game since the 2015-2016 season. In that season, Perkins averaged 6.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.7 blocks per 36 minutes.