The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially signed the number one overall pick of this years draft, Andrew Wiggins. The team announced the signing Thursday afternoon. Besides getting the top pick in the draft secured to a deal, the signing is significant because it impacts the recent trade rumors circling around Kevin Love. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported that due to NBA rules, any trades with Wiggins would have to be postponed.
Wiggins has been involved in trade discussions between the Cavs and Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a deal that would send Kevin Love to Cleveland. Because of league rules on rookie contracts, such a deal now cannot be completed for 30 days. Wiggins, who signed a four-year deal, will have a starting salary of $5.5 million after the Cavs gave him the allowed 20 percent premium on the rookie scale, sources said.
As for what offers Minnesota favors at this time, Marc Stein of ESPN provides insight:
ESPN sources say that, as things stand, Minnesota likes the Cavs’ Wiggins-led offer better than anything else on the table for Kevin Love
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 24, 2014
But fact Cleveland now must wait 30 days before Wiggins can be legally dealt does put Cavs at risk for someone else trumping their offer — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 24, 2014
It would seem that the Love trade rumors will continue to swirl for at least another month, as this puts a hold on any deals Cleveland can make with their top draft choice. While they could certainly present other offers for Love, any package without Wiggins seems unlikely to gain interest. Something to watch will be how the Golden State Warriors take advantage of this delay, if they’re still serious about making an offer for Love. They’ve expressed their desires before about acquiring Love, and could very well present a package that makes them the front runners.
Chris Paul suggests a possible “boycott” if Donald Sterling remains owner
Chris Paul says that there is a possibility that he will sit if Donald Sterling remains the owner of the Clippers next season. The controversy extending around Sterling remaining in control of the Clippers has been on-going for months. Despite having found a buyer in former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Sterling’s lawsuit against the NBA has delayed any progression on the sale of the team. At this rate there is a strong chance that Sterling will still be in ownership when the 2014-15 season opens. Jeff Goodman of ESPN has the report:
Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul told ESPN.com it’s “unacceptable” if Donald Sterling is still the owner of the team when the season begins. Paul also said he has spoken to coach Doc Rivers about the possibility of sitting out if Sterling remains in control when the seasons starts in a little more than two months. Chris Paul says he has spoken to coach Doc Rivers about the possibility of sitting out if Donald Sterling remains in control of the Clippers when the seasons starts in a little more than two months. “That’s something me and Doc are both talking about,” Paul said on Thursday after coaching his AAU program, CP3. “Something has to happen, and something needs to happen soon — sooner rather than later.”
If Sterling is indeed still the owner when the Clippers enter the upcoming season, it will be very interesting to see what stances Paul or Rivers take. A team boycott would speak volumes, but it’s not as simple as some would think, and there will most likely be other options explored. This is certainly a situation to watch in the coming months.
Other News Around The League:
The Dallas Mavericks announced that they have officially signed free agent Jameer Nelson. Nelson provides more depth at the point guard spot for the Mavericks, as he’ll be in a rotation with Devin Harris and Raymond Felton. Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas reports: “I feel like this team is really good,” Nelson said Thursday on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM. “I’ve been watching the Mavs from afar for my entire career. I admire what they’ve done over my 10 years and even before that. The organization, from everyone I know, is top of the line.”
- Blake Griffin has withdrawn from participating in Team USA activities for the 2014 FIBA Tournament to focus on the upcoming NBA season. Sam Amick of USA Today reports: When Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo heard the news on Thursday afternoon that Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin would not take part in this summer’s FIBA World Cup tournament, the element of surprise that he endured was all too familiar. “I’m disappointed he’s not going to be with us,” Colangelo told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s unfortunate (because) it’s been two competitions in a row (that Griffin has missed), but it sounds like a broken record because it happened recently with someone else.”
Also in FIBA news, John Wall has reportedly been added to the Team USA Basketball’s upcoming training camp set to begin in Las Vegas next week. Marc Stein of ESPN reports: Sources told ESPN.com that USAB has wanted Wall in camp for weeks and merely wanted to make sure that the Wizards’ All-Star was able to play at full capacity after a longer-than-expected season before making it official. In a breakout season for both him and his team, Wall made the Eastern Conference All-Star squad and led the Wizards to the second round of the playoffs after his omission from Team USA’s original pool of players announced in January.
Esau Howard is a regular contributor to Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter @EsauTheFirst.
The boycott talk is nothing more than talk by players to show their dissatisfaction with Sterling. They are not going to boycott anything at the end of the day because legally they can’t. Their contract to the team requires they play if able or face fines, suspension, or contract terminations. The players union also waived their rights to strike or boycott in the current CBA. This means if they were to do so they would face legal action from the NBA. They would end up having to pay for any and all lost revenue due to their boycott.
It sounds good and it makes a nice headline, but it’s simply not going to happen.