Cavs will reportedly be investigated by NBA for Patrick McCaw situation

The Cleveland Cavaliers will reportedly be investigated by the NBA for their signing, and then releasing, of Patrick McCaw after only three games.

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had much go right for them this season, as you know by now. Now, things might be getting even worse, as the NBA will reportedly be investigating Cleveland’s signing, then quick releasing of Patrick McCaw after only three games (at the request of the Golden State Warriors) according to the New York Times‘ Marc Stein.

The Cavaliers initially signed McCaw (a then-restricted free agent) to a two-year, $6 million offer sheet, of which the Warriors did not match (per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski).

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They would then go on to release McCaw before his contract became guaranteed for the rest of the season on Sunday (per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic). Cleveland would also sign guard Cameron Payne to a 10-day contract, as Charania noted.

Cleveland is smart to add a young player like Payne, considering they don’t have much to loose at this point.

So why would the Cavs be investigated for this McCaw ordeal?

This bit from Jack Maloney of CBS Sports provided a few logical reasons as to why that is reportedly going to be the case.

"“On the one hand, the Cavaliers could now try to sign McCaw for a much cheaper deal, one they couldn’t have signed him to originally because the Warriors would have matched. There’s also the chance that they were just doing McCaw a favor, and helping him escape restricted free agency because by waiving him he’s now an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere he wants without worrying if the Warriors will match it. And if they could do that by messing with their nemesis, well that’s just an added bonus.”"

Maloney would also go on to add that “it’s unlikely that the league will be too thrilled with the Cavaliers signing McCaw to what was essentially a sham contract.”

Nope, Mr. Maloney, that’s not likely, and the Warriors wanted to call the Cavs on it (if that was indeed the move).

This could be very costly for the Cavs, as was demonstrated by Mark Medina of the Mercury News.

If the NBA finds the Cavs guilty of this sort of thing, it could be absolutely disastrous, and the McCaw-Warriors situation (which involved McCaw sitting out the whole season until appearing with the Cavs) would again be awkward.

Here’s the gist of the Cavs’ potential punishment and the McCaw-Warriors situation, per Medina.

"“Fines could range anywhere between $3 to $6 million as well as the loss of future first-round draft picks. The Warriors would not receive anything in return, per terms of the NBA’s labor deal. But if the NBA voided McCaw’s contract, he could become a restricted free agent again. That would give the Warriors an asset in a potential trade since they would have the ability to match any offer McCaw receives.”"

If the Cavs were to lose future first-round draft picks, with the way their roster is probably still going to struggle in the coming years, that would be a crushing blow.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need picks in the coming years, and they need top-end talent to develop. Hopefully this McCaw investigation doesn’t cause the hammer to be dropped on them.