Cavs to sign Larry Hughes - 5 yr/$65-70m

[Young Drachma]

Story

Larry Hughes has come to terms with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a five-year deal, his agent, Jeff Wechsler, told ESPN Insider Chad Ford.

"Larry intends to sign a contract with the Cavs when the moritorium ends," Wechsler said.

Wechsler wouldn't comment on the actual numbers of the deal, but it's believed to be a five-year deal between $65 million and $70 million.

Wechsler told Insider that he informed Washington Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld on Thursday that Hughes is going in a different direction.

Grunfeld told ESPN.com that he was prohibited from commenting on the situation, citing league rules that prevent teams from commenting on free agency until the moritorium passes.

For the Cavs, Hughes gives them a great scorer and defender to put at the two alongside LeBron James. He isn't a great shooter (something the Cavs desperately need), but he's a fantastic ball handler and rebounder making him -- like LeBron -- a very versatile piece in the puzzle.

With Hughes on board, the Cavs will now focus their atttention on bringing back free agent Zydrunas Ilgauskas. They're also in hot pursuit of Lithuanian point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, widely regarded as the best international player not playing in the NBA.

The news comes as major blow to the Wizards, who were confident they could re-sign Hughes. The Wizards eventually offered up to six years, $70 million.

The Wizards now have to start over from scratch. The team now has a big hole at the two to fill and must also deal with the likely departure of Kwame Brown. The Wizards can get about $9 million below the cap if they don't re-sign Brown. However, the market for two guards is getting thin.

The last major two guard on the market is Joe Johnson. However, Johnson is a restricted free agent and most teams believe that the Suns will match any offer. There's also talk from multiple league sources that Johnson is in serious negotiations with the Atlanta Hawks about signing a max offer sheet.

That leaves Bobby Simmons, Cuttino Mobley and Latrell Sprewell as the top two guards left on the board. The Wizards could also, at this point, try to work out a sign-and-trade with Brown that brings them back a top-flight shooting guard.

[rkmsuf]

that's big dough for him.

so is a max deal for Johnson. I guess if you are the Hawks you have to overpay to get guys.

[Subby]

dammitt

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, I've thought most of the off-season deals this year have been a bit high..but I guess that's what they get for basically cutting the deals these young kids are getting coming out of the draft now.

I mean, still millionaires..but teams aren't having to invest free agent bucks in unproven players. I wonder where Kwame Brown will go. I think he'll go somewhere else and try to prove the Wiz wrong. It's not like it can hurt you much, since he's done basically nothing. But, he's basically a college senior just now.

So he's still got some upside, I'd say. Not much...but far more than some of these guys.

Oh and Tyler Coppenrath of Vermont fame is going to be on the Celtics summer league team. I hope this kid gets a shot to play, even if it's in the D League for a while. Could be a marquee player there and could move up...though I guess he's 6'7" 260...and so that's big and kinda small for any real position in the NBA or is it?

Story

[rkmsuf]

Good luck to Coppenrath. He has many guys to go through to even make the team for several years.

Hughes is a nice player but I have to believe you can find 41% shooting for less. Good rebounder from the guard spot though like Lebron.

[stevew]

Hughes should complement Lebron very nicely. Is there an NBA offseason thread yet?

[MikeVic]

Hughes is good all-round, yeah... but I would think they'd go after someone that could shoot an open shot when people are double-teaming Lebron as he drives to the basket?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by stevew

Hughes should complement Lebron very nicely. Is there an NBA offseason thread yet?

No, someone should start one.

Hughes is good all-round, yeah... but I would think they'd go after someone that could shoot an open shot when people are double-teaming Lebron as he drives to the basket?

I think their new owner Dan Gilbert is trying to show the media that he's serious after the Larry Brown debacle and missing out on Jesus to Seattle.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

that's big dough for him.

so is a max deal for Johnson. I guess if you are the Hawks you have to overpay to get guys.

Word is the Suns have offered Johnson 6-years at 60-65 million. The most the Hawks can offer Johnson is 5-years at $65-70 million. The Suns have said they will match any offer and if they are willing to pay Johnson $65 over 6, I don't see why they wouldn't match an offer at $70. So, all Atlanta would end up doing by offering Johnson a contract is tying up their money for the next two weeks (when the rest of the FAs like Ilgauskas, Brown and co sign).

Given Phoenix is already offer Johnson 60-65 and he is a RFA, it makes no sense for Atlanta to offer $70.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Arles

Word is the Suns have offered Johnson 6-years at 60-65 million. The most the Hawks can offer Johnson is 5-years at $65-70 million. The Suns have said they will match any offer and if they are willing to pay Johnson $65 over 6, I don't see why they wouldn't match an offer at $70. So, all Atlanta would end up doing by offering Johnson a contract is tying up their money for the next two weeks (when the rest of the FAs like Ilgauskas, Brown and co sign).

Given Phoenix is already offer Johnson 60-65 and he is a RFA, it makes no sense for Atlanta to offer $70.

Its only 7 days now, that you tie up yoru cap money.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Arles

Word is the Suns have offered Johnson 6-years at 60-65 million. The most the Hawks can offer Johnson is 5-years at $65-70 million. The Suns have said they will match any offer and if they are willing to pay Johnson $65 over 6, I don't see why they wouldn't match an offer at $70. So, all Atlanta would end up doing by offering Johnson a contract is tying up their money for the next two weeks (when the rest of the FAs like Ilgauskas, Brown and co sign).

Given Phoenix is already offer Johnson 60-65 and he is a RFA, it makes no sense for Atlanta to offer $70.

It's the Hawks. They can tell they 53 fans that go to every game that they tried.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by stevew

Its only 7 days now, that you tie up yoru cap money.

Yeah, but if he announces his plans to sign today, it's 7 days from the start of the new collective bargaining agreement (July 22). So, from the day they announce the signing until July 29, they lose the ability to sign another bigname FA. And it's a safe bet that guys like Brown, Swift, Ilgauskas and most other UFAs will be long gone by the 29th. If Atlanta gives Johnson an offer, it's Joe or bust from a standpoint of impact players. And, given it would only be an extra $5 million over what Phoenix is currently offering (and the fact they traded Q), it's a big longshot to think they won't match a $70 million offer.

[CentralMassHokie]

Atlanta is so far under the cap that they could sign 2 players to max deals and *still* be under the cap. So it's not like they need to worry about a fall back plan -- they can just go offer multiple deals.

They need to sign someone to a max deal, or trade for one, since they're under the payroll floor.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Arles

Yeah, but if he announces his plans to sign today, it's 7 days from the start of the new collective bargaining agreement (July 22). So, from the day they announce the signing until July 29, they lose the ability to sign another bigname FA. And it's a safe bet that guys like Brown, Swift, Ilgauskas and most other UFAs will be long gone by the 29th. If Atlanta gives Johnson an offer, it's Joe or bust from a standpoint of impact players. And, given it would only be an extra $5 million over what Phoenix is currently offering (and the fact they traded Q), it's a big longshot to think they won't match a $70 million offer.

Ilgauskus will probably sign within the next couple days in Cleveland. Supposedly they were very close, and he's leaving for a 3 week vacation. He could theoretically leave enough space open so that we could sign someone in the 6-7 million dollar a year range....Perhaps that Euro PG who was the bestman in Z's wedding, Saras(nickname).

[amdaily]

So, roughly $14 million a year. Hughes plays about 60 games per year, so this should make him one of the wealthiest players per game played.

Huge mistake for the Cavs

[Galaxy]

How does the NBA cap and salary system work? I've always found it confusing, along with the trade situation.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by rkmsuf

Good luck to Coppenrath. He has many guys to go through to even make the team for several years.

That's a shame. He and that big guy from Nevada, Fazekas were two of the more fun players to watch when they played KU last year and I doubt either will make the NBA.

SI

[jbmagic]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

How does the NBA cap and salary system work? I've always found it confusing, along with the trade situation.

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm