Cook a Cleveland Cav?

[theAlaskanBear]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bls1969/s...38293890895873

I imagine it's a training camp invite - non guaranteed. Caves roster will be full if they resign Thompson and smith iirc.

[CDu]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bls1969/s...38293890895873

Great news if true, but it seems unlikely to be a full contract. The Cavs currently have 13 players (assuming they resign JR Smith and Tristan Thompson) on the roster. They have 3 point guards (Irving, Dellavedova, and Mo Williams). Seems unlikely that they'd add a 4th PG given their current salary commitments.

Seems more likely that (if anything) it is a non-guaranteed, training camp contract while Irving is out.

But would be great news for him if it is a real contract.

Edit: apparently during the time I took to respond, AlaskanBear came to the same conclusion I did. So, I agree.

[Pghdukie]

Unless signing Cook may be for salary cap issues. Will Cavs cut a higher priced player.

[CDu]

Unless signing Cook may be for salary cap issues. Will Cavs cut a higher priced player.

They could only get salary relief by cutting a player under contract, unless the contract is non-guaranteed. But I think all of the 13 players under contract are guaranteed, so there is no salary relief to be had.

[Henderson]

They could only get salary relief by cutting a player under contract, unless the contract is non-guaranteed. But I think all of the 13 players under contract are guaranteed, so there is no salary relief to be had.

My understanding as well.

There are several sites that track NBA contracts team-by-team. Here's one: http://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/

[awhom111]

It has been interesting following this on social media. Quinn was on the Basketball Insiders podcast (which I have not listened to but is apparently very good) and their writers insist that they heard from him that the agreement has not been finalized because he has a couple of different options to choose from at this point. Picking a training camp deal is pretty tough.

With the Cavs, not only do they have roster spot scarcity, but they have such a big tax bill that they might not want to spend any money unless they know that they need to do so. On the other hand, if they do need a player like Quinn, undrafted rookies are one of the more efficient ways of filling the spot. Quinn has also shown that he is a team-first guy who can impact the team positively without being the primary ballhandler, which has to look good to some NBA teams. If you plan for the worst case scenario, the Cavs are certainly one of the teams with an established D League system that could be a good landing spot for up to four players cut from their training camp. Last year Andre was a longshot and made it to opening day and beyond so lets make it Quinn's turn this year!

[zoroaster]

It has been interesting following this on social media. Quinn was on the Basketball Insiders podcast (which I have not listened to but is apparently very good) and their writers insist that they heard from him that the agreement has not been finalized because he has a couple of different options to choose from at this point. Picking a training camp deal is pretty tough.

Thanks for mentioning that podcast with Quinn -- good find. I haven't listened all the way through yet but it seems the full 42 minutes is given over to the interview with Quinn. Here's the link for those who are interested:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/po...l-nba-rookies/

[duke blue brewcrew]

Unless signing Cook may be for salary cap issues. Will Cavs cut a higher priced player.

What is everyone's thoughts on Cook beating out one game wonder, Delledova? Can Cook eat Delli's lunch on the court?

[JasonEvans]

What is everyone's thoughts on Cook beating out one game wonder, Delledova? Can Cook eat Delli's lunch on the court?

Dellavadova's $1.2 million contract is guaranteed and he has shown he can be an effective NBA player in pressure-packed playoff games. I suspect that even if Cook outplays him in practices (which won't be easy, Delly is not a bad player at all) the Cavs would probably keep Delly anyway. The gap between them will have to be very large.

The reality is that Cleveland will be a tough nut to crack for Cook. But, if he plays well in camp they will certainly keep an eye on him and have him in mind should the reckless Delly or the 32-year old Mo Williams or injury-prone Kyrie Irving get hurt at some point. Barring an injury to one of the Cavs guards currently under contract, I think Cook will start the season in the D-League.

-Jason "some NBA teams carry extra guys beyond the active roster (you can have 15 guys under contract but only 13 active) but Cleveland won't do that because they take a big cap hit for every extra dollar they spend" Evans

[CDu]

What is everyone's thoughts on Cook beating out one game wonder, Delledova? Can Cook eat Delli's lunch on the court?

As I said above and Jason Evans said below, the problem for Cook is that Cleveland has a ton of guaranteed contracts. They are paying Dellavedova one way or the other. And they are paying 12 other players as well, regardless of whether or not they make the team. So cutting these guys makes no financial sense for the Cavs.

In addition, Cleveland is WAY over the luxury tax line. So any additional salary would cost them extra in tax payments.

For Cook to make the Cavs, he'd have to REALLY shine. He probably can't just play as good or a little better than Dellavedova - he has to play so clearly better so as to warrant the additional money. It's just hard to see a scenario where Cleveland decides to go even further into the tax for a 4th PG.

It is sounding more and more like this is a non-guaranteed, training camp contract offer. I'd have to think that, if Cook has other similar offers elsewhere, that would be a better fit.

[JasonEvans]

It is sounding more and more like this is a non-guaranteed, training camp contract offer. I'd have to think that, if Cook has other similar offers elsewhere, that would be a better fit.

It sure sounds, from the reports, like this is a done deal, not something where Cook might go elsewhere for training camp. In terms of fit, I agree that Cleveland is not the best place to try to make a roster because they have so much depth at the PG and so many guaranteed contracts, but it is a good chance for Cook to show the Cavs what he is made of and perhaps get in good with the team to be a D-League call-up when/if injuries impact the Cavs roster.

I've done a bit of digging, to try to find out exactly what a non-guaranteed player typically makes during a NBA training camp in terms of salary. Though I haven't found anything concrete, I found a couple references to it being a decent sum of money. In many cases, a player can make more for being in training camp then he would make during an entire D-League season (D-League salaries are just $20-$25k, though the team generally pays you an additional stipend for meals and housing).

One last thing to point out, though almost everyone expects JR Smith to re-sign with the Cavs, that is not a done deal. Smith opted out of a deal that would have paid him $6.4 mil for this coming season and the Cavs are reportedly offering him far less than that in a 1-year deal. Smith had hoped he would get other offers and be able to leverage them against each other to make more than $6.4 mil. It now looks like he won't come close to that amount. If someone else steps up and makes Smith an offer or if he decides to play overseas (one cannot rule out a myriad of crazy options when thinking about what JR Smith will do), that would open up a backcourt spot on the Cavs. We will see...

-Jason "there is also talk that Jamal Crawford would not mind being dealt from the Clips to the Cavs if the JR Smith talks go south, though I am not sure what the Cavs would send back for Crawford" Evans

[Steven43]

Dellavadova's $1.2 million contract is guaranteed and he has shown he can be an effective NBA player in pressure-packed playoff games. I suspect that even if Cook outplays him in practices (which won't be easy, Delly is not a bad player at all) the Cavs would probably keep Delly anyway. The gap between them will have to be very large.

The reality is that Cleveland will be a tough nut to crack for Cook. But, if he plays well in camp they will certainly keep an eye on him and have him in mind should the reckless Delly or the 32-year old Mo Williams or injury-prone Kyrie Irving get hurt at some point. Barring an injury to one of the Cavs guards currently under contract, I think Cook will start the season in the D-League.

-Jason "some NBA teams carry extra guys beyond the active roster (you can have 15 guys under contract but only 13 active) but Cleveland won't do that because they take a big cap hit for every extra dollar they spend" Evans

I think Delladova is one of the worst players in the league. For one thing, he is a cheap-shot artist and a hack. He's slow, can't make shots when guarded (and is wildly inconsistent even when left alone), is not a good passer, has below average handles, and below average athleticism. If Quinn can't beat this guy out it will only be because Cleveland likes him playing the role of goon.

[JasonEvans]

I think Delladova is one of the worst players in the league. For one thing, he is a cheap-shot artist and a hack. He's slow, can't make shots when guarded (and is wildly inconsistent even when left alone), is not a good passer, has below average handles, and below average athleticism. If Quinn can't beat this guy out it will only be because Cleveland likes him playing the role of goon.

While your "eye test" says he is one of the worst in the NBA, there is no statistical measure that bears that out. His .67 win shares/48 minutes placed him 10th on the Cavs, ahead of fellow backcourt players Shumpert, Waiters, Mike Miller, and Joe Harris. In fact, the .67 ws/48 ranked him 291st out of 492 players in the NBA last season. That makes him pretty close to being an average NBA player.

It may also be worth noting that win shares and other stats do not really account for toughness/grit/tenacity, which are traits Dellavedova has in spades (in addition to being chippy, which I do not like). If I had to choose whether to have a tough guy or one who shies away from conflict, I'm probably picking the tough dude every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Look, I'm no great fan of Delly and I'm not saying that win shares/48 are the end all, be all of ways to measure the quality of a player**, but the notion that he is the worst player in the NBA seem more than a little overblown in this case.

-Jason "**- among players who played at least 500 minutes, the ws/48 leaders last season were (in order) Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul, James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook... it might be a decent stat" Evans

[CDu]

It sure sounds, from the reports, like this is a done deal, not something where Cook might go elsewhere for training camp. In terms of fit, I agree that Cleveland is not the best place to try to make a roster because they have so much depth at the PG and so many guaranteed contracts, but it is a good chance for Cook to show the Cavs what he is made of and perhaps get in good with the team to be a D-League call-up when/if injuries impact the Cavs roster.

One last thing to point out, though almost everyone expects JR Smith to re-sign with the Cavs, that is not a done deal. Smith opted out of a deal that would have paid him $6.4 mil for this coming season and the Cavs are reportedly offering him far less than that in a 1-year deal. Smith had hoped he would get other offers and be able to leverage them against each other to make more than $6.4 mil. It now looks like he won't come close to that amount. If someone else steps up and makes Smith an offer or if he decides to play overseas (one cannot rule out a myriad of crazy options when thinking about what JR Smith will do), that would open up a backcourt spot on the Cavs. We will see...

I can't imagine that Smith's situation has much relation to Cook's chances. He's a PG, whereas Smith is a SG. The Cavs signed Mo Williams to be the backup (or third) PG behind Irving and Dellavedova. I can't see them wanting a 4th PG either way. If the Cavs don't re-sign Smith, I'm sure they'll bring in an NBA veteran SG (for the vet minimum) instead. But I suspect they'll re-sign Smith. This seems like a "we need a PG to participate in training camp practices while Irving is recovering" kind of deal.

Still, you're right, it can't hurt to impress in the event of a later injury. And maybe he didn't get any other training camp contract offers.

[wilson]

...below average athleticism...

But would you say his level of athleticism is alarmingly low?

[rsvman]

Cook a Cleveland Cav?

I think I would probably start by marinating it in a little olive oil, orange juice, and soy sauce with some minced garlic, minced ginger, and maybe some thinly sliced scallions and a dash of sesame oil. After that I would probably put the Cav on a hot skillet to get a good sear. Then, into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the desired level of doneness.


I would probably serve the cooked Cav over sticky rice and with a side of edamame or steamed broccoli.


I mean, that's just one way to cook a Cav. Feel free to add your own recipes.

[devildeac]

Cook a Cleveland Cav?

I think I would probably start by marinating it in a little olive oil, orange juice, and soy sauce with some minced garlic, minced ginger, and maybe some thinly sliced scallions and a dash of sesame oil. After that I would probably put the Cav on a hot skillet to get a good sear. Then, into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until the desired level of doneness.


I would probably serve the cooked Cav over sticky rice and with a side of edamame or steamed broccoli.


I mean, that's just one way to cook a Cav. Feel free to add your own recipes.

Might not taste very good with any Curry in it however.

[awhom111]

It sure sounds, from the reports, like this is a done deal, not something where Cook might go elsewhere for training camp. In terms of fit, I agree that Cleveland is not the best place to try to make a roster because they have so much depth at the PG and so many guaranteed contracts, but it is a good chance for Cook to show the Cavs what he is made of and perhaps get in good with the team to be a D-League call-up when/if injuries impact the Cavs roster.

I've done a bit of digging, to try to find out exactly what a non-guaranteed player typically makes during a NBA training camp in terms of salary. Though I haven't found anything concrete, I found a couple references to it being a decent sum of money. In many cases, a player can make more for being in training camp then he would make during an entire D-League season (D-League salaries are just $20-$25k, though the team generally pays you an additional stipend for meals and housing).

One last thing to point out, though almost everyone expects JR Smith to re-sign with the Cavs, that is not a done deal. Smith opted out of a deal that would have paid him $6.4 mil for this coming season and the Cavs are reportedly offering him far less than that in a 1-year deal. Smith had hoped he would get other offers and be able to leverage them against each other to make more than $6.4 mil. It now looks like he won't come close to that amount. If someone else steps up and makes Smith an offer or if he decides to play overseas (one cannot rule out a myriad of crazy options when thinking about what JR Smith will do), that would open up a backcourt spot on the Cavs. We will see...

-Jason "there is also talk that Jamal Crawford would not mind being dealt from the Clips to the Cavs if the JR Smith talks go south, though I am not sure what the Cavs would send back for Crawford" Evans

0, 25k, and 50k are the general partial guarantees built into deals for training camp invites, but of course it depends heavily on demand for the player (Seth reportedly got 150k last summer). In fact Dallas is signing players to fully or nearly fully guaranteed deals this summer to try to make sure they get the guys they want into camp. Cleveland is probably operating on a tighter budget, but if Quinn has multiple offers, he will probably end up getting more than 0, which always helps. It's a tough decision for these guys, especially rookies who do not know whether they should stretch out that NBA dream or head overseas.

[mattman91]

Might not taste very good with any Curry in it however.

Would probably pair well with an IPA...

[devildeac]

Would probably pair well with an IPA...

A very Pernicious and Wicked thought...