Rumor: Cavs calling around for Richard Jefferson trade
The Cleveland Cavaliers are calling around about Richard Jefferson.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been calling teams about 37-year-old small forward Richard Jefferson.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers needing to remove a guaranteed contract of their books before the start of the regular season, Jefferson has found himself on the trade bubble. Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye were two other veterans who were on the trade block.
However, trade interest in Shumpert has seemingly cooled over the course of the offseason and there never was too much talk of team’s being interested in trading for Frye to begin with. Both could still be traded but it’s unlikely. Part of that is due to the size of their contracts as well.
Jefferson will make $2.5 million this season while Shumpert will make $10.3 million and Frye will make $7.4 million. It’s a lot more difficult to get teams to absorb the salary of Shumpert or Frye (which would have to happen since neither has high trade value) than Jefferson. Center Ante Zizic, a 20-year-old second-year pro who was acquired in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, also has a guaranteed deal.
Though he’s unlikely to play regularly, Zizic has nice two-way potential and is a fit on a roster that’s been lacking a traditional big man since Timofey Mozgov. After the Cavs waived center Edy Tavares on Wednesday, Zizic’s chance of sticking on the roster increased. Zizic has also played significantly more than either Jefferson of Frye in the postseason, if that’s any indication of where players stand on the roster bubble.
Keeping Zizic on the regular season roster would allow the team to sign second-year point guard Kay Felder to a two-way contract if he cleared waivers. That would seemingly allow the Cavs to invest in the youth (Zizic, Felder and Cedi Osman) while having a deep, talented and dangerous roster full of veterans.
Depth, talent and productivity that may have pushed Jefferson off the team with LeBron James, Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith all players the Cavs can expect to get minutes at forward ahead of Jefferson. With Shumpert, Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade all projected to play some shooting guard, there isn’t really playing time in the backcourt for Jefferson either.
That’s unfortunate as Jefferson has been a fun, intelligent and talkative player who enhanced the locker room chemistry. He kept the ball moving on offense and could hit open shots while having a few highlight-reel plays in-between.
As of today, there are only three teams with the cap space to absorb Jefferson’s salary: the Philadelphia 76ers, the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers. It’s unlikely a deal would get done with the Pacers after they backed out of the Paul George trade after there was a tentative agreement completed on draft night. Both the 76ers and Suns are young clubs that already have a couple of veterans but could use another veteran influence in won’t be expected to be playoff-contending seasons, however, a a second-round pick may have to be attached to the trade in order to move him off th roster.
Last season, Jefferson averaged 5.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist while shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 74.1 percent from the free-throw line. In his first season with the Cavs, Jefferson averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from three-point range and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Jefferson is a 16-year NBA veteran and whatever his next club is, I’d expect him to finish the year playing on a title contender.