There are rumblings that agent Rich Paul could deliver another client to his hometown team in the near future. Several league executives believe Canadian Tristan Thompson may head north to Toronto in the summer of 2016 if he signs his one-year, $6.8 million qualifying offer with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I always thought he was going to end up (in Toronto) this year,” one Eastern Conference general manager told SheridanHoops. “There’s going to be so much money next year so I think he
Count US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as among those impressed by LeBron James’ willingness to pay for thousands of local kids to go to college. Through a partnership between the University of Akron and the LeBron James Family Foundation, the 1,100 children currently in his “I Promise” program will receive a fully-sponsored scholarship covering tuition and the university’s general service fee — currently $9,500 per year. In addition to the 1,100 students currently in the program, an estimated 1,200 are expected
The kinder, gentler NBA schedule is out. First, here’s the stuff you want. Opening Night is Tuesday, Oct. 27 and has a TNT doubleheader with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Chicago Bulls and the New Orleans Pelicans visiting MVP Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who will be handing out rings and hoisting their title banner. Both are rematches of playoff showdowns. The following night, it’s ESPN’s turn with Kevin Durant returning for the Oklahoma City Thunder
As I said recently on NBC Sports Radio and in my previous free agent rankings — there are still bargains to be had on the free agent market. Just ask the New York Knicks, who landed Kevin Seraphin on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. Seraphin was No. 1 on our previous free agency rankings. Seraphin turned down several significant offers for a better chance at playing time with the prospect of cashing when the salary cap spikes next summer. [Read more…]
Free agency shopping at the end of July is similar to waiting all month for the giant coupon booklet from your neighborhood grocery store. With that in mind, which players will be this year’s bargains on the clearance shelf? Can you find a scoring guard and a big man off the bench with a $2.8 million mid-level exception? Yes, that is somewhat akin to a two-for-one deal on soon-to-expire potato chips at your favorite grocery store. Some of the unrestricted free agents in
Day 3 of our midsummer report card distribution process brings us to the Central Division, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers and owner Dan Gilbert, whose company, Quicken Loans, will soon be offering 24 percent mortgage rates in order to cover the boss’ luxury tax bill. Just kidding. We think. It has been a busy summer for the former top pizza deliveryman in Detroit. After watching his team lose to the Golden State Warriors in Games 4, 5 and 6 to surrender the
The dust has pretty much settled on the NBA offseason. Sure, there’s still a player or two out there and a move or two some teams can make. But for the most part, teams have put together their rosters for the 2015-16 season. Have any teams in the Eastern Conference improved enough to climb out of the lottery and into the playoffs? And can any team threaten the Cleveland Cavaliers for conference supremacy? The Sheridan Hoops staff offers its take in this edition
You won’t find Neil Olshey, Sam Hinkie or David Griffin on a beach at some island resort this week. We are deep into summer, but those three general managers have plenty of unfinished business as we head into the latter third of July. If you want to take pity on one of the three, pick Olshey. His Portland Trail Blazers lost four-fifths of their starting lineup from a team that ran away with the Pacific Division, and his only center heading