Cavaliers Running Out of Options

With signing day less than 12 hours away the Cavs don’t have many options left in free agency but that doesn’t mean they won’t get something done. The Cavs have already made a splash by picking up The Big Freeze, but they seem to be coming up short of getting another impact player. One that I think they must get to be able to contend for a championship.

I’m not going to count out Trevor Ariza yet. He told Houston that he’ll sign with them but there are still little rumors flying around. Apparently LeBron has reached out to Trevor in an attempt to bring him to Cleveland, telling Trevor that he (LeBron) will still be in Cleveland after 2010. Whether that’s true or not, I’m hearing that Trevor Ariza could be backing out of his agreement with Houston (aka pulling a "Boozer"). Could this be why Ferry and Coach Brown flew out to the Left Coast?

An off the wall option could be Josh Childress. After playing a year overseas he seems to be ready to come back to the NBA. He’s a lanky small forward who has a lot of hustle in him. Doesn’t really have an outside game but can crash the boards and play solid defense.

One way or another the Cavs are going to get an impact player before the trade deadline comes next February. Don't forget about the Mo Williams trade last summer that nobody saw coming. If the Cavs fail to pick up that impact free agent this summer there will still be teams trying to dump salary at the trade deadline or maybe even sooner. If a team finds itself struggling to stay in the playoff race around the trading deadline in February they may be looking to cash in on a 2010 free agent who they don't expect to re-sign: Chris Bosh, anyone?

Shaq Crackle and Pop

We might as well keep going with the rumors. It seems to be the trend around the Cleveland Sports Flow.

The latest rumor has the Cavs trading for Shaq Fu or if traded to Cleveland, he could become know as The Big Walleye or Shaq Magnum.

Last winter these same rumors were floating around and Danny Ferry did say there were talks with Phoenix but both sides were never close on working something out. The deal breaker was Delonte West. Phoenix wanted him and Ferry wouldn’t consider trading his starting SG.

What it comes down to is Phoenix is in salary cap hell and they are rumored to be trying to unload Amare Stoudamire and Shaq.

I would have to imagine they would want some young talent in exchange for Shaq. As much as I would like to think we could give them Ben Wallace and Sasha, we all know that’s not possible. The money adds up but chances are they'll still want Delonte and unless we plan on signing a free agent guard I don’t see this trade happening because Boobie Gibson is not the man.

My plan would be to get Shaq. If Phoenix wants Delonte, give him to them, along with Big Ben. We can sign a free agent point guard and move Mo to the SG position. I don’t see any free agents at the SG position that I like accept Trevor Ariza. I would like to see Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, or Mike Bibby in a Cavs uniform.

Shaq is due $20 next season and we still have Big Z on the roster. With both Shaq and Z being old it would be an ideal situation for them to split time at center. Also both players will be free agents in 2010 so we don’t have to worry about extra money on the books in that crucial free agent year.

Top 5 Unrestricted Free Agent Targets For Cleveland

Ron Artest – A true lock down defender. At 6’7” he’s really a SF but can play PF and create a lot of mismatches for opposing teams. Ron Artest is at the top of my list of free agents. Despite his past troubles, he seems to of matured a lot over the last couple of years. Last season he averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Chris Andersen – The Birdman. A 6’10” F/C, would be an excellent replacement for Anderson Varejao or Ben Wallace. He is 30 but has only played in the league for 6 seasons due to a drug suspension. The Birdman brings a lot of energy to the defensive side of the ball, would be a quick fan favorite here in Cleveland. Last season he averaged 20.6 minutes, 6.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Trevor Ariza – A 23 year old 6’7” SF that has really shown what he’s capable of in the playoffs this year. Could be a solid back up for LBJ. Ariza is a great defender and even though his jumper could use a little work he couldn't be any worse than Sasha. Last year he averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

Matt Barnes – Could be a solid back up for LBJ or help defend against bigger SG’s in the league. Barnes is a 6’7” SF but is also able to play shooting guard. He made the league minimum last year so he could probably be attained for cheap. Last year he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Lamar Odom – I love his versatility. Lamar is a 6’10” PF that can dribble the ball coast to coast and finish strong at the rim or pull up short and finess it in. He can also play the SF position with ease. But he does have his knocks too, the main one being he doesn’t show up for every game. Last year he averaged 11.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.