Varajao and Bennett Cleared for Camp

Anderson Varajao and #1 pick Anthony Bennett have both been cleared for basketball activities.

Rumors are that Varajao might become available if Bennett is ready.

They are short on 3s.  They have Alonzo Gee, 6'6" CJ Miles (who usually plays 2) and that's about it.

How about Gerald Wallace ($10M) for Varajao ($9.1M)?  Give GM Chris Grant a call, Danny.  I'll pay the dime for the call.  At 6'10", 260# he's not exactly what I'd like in a center, he's more of a power forward, but he has played center. Him and Kenneth Faried are the NBA energizer bunnies.  Also, his $9.8M contract in 2015 is a team option.  So at the very worst we're out from under his contract, assuming he just never comes back from his injury from last year, one year sooner than we would have with Wallace.

Pick up the phone, Danny.  If Varajao's truly back, he's quality and he's only 30. That's veteran, which we could use on this team, but not old.


bob


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We would have to sweeten the pot in any trade for Varajao by adding one of our #1 picks, possibly more. Then, if Wallace is traded, who backs up Green?

gyso

gyso wrote:We would have to sweeten the pot in any trade for Varajao by adding one of our #1 picks, possibly more.  Then, if Wallace is traded, who backs up Green?

gyso

gyso,

Wallace is an all-star.  Varajao has never been one.

Varajao is coming off an injury (if one calls a life-threatening blood clot in his left lung an "injury") that significantly limited his play to only 25 games last season, Wallace is just coming off a bad year in which the system he played in didn't suit him.

Cleveland needs 3s.  They don't need another 4/5.  They have Zeller, Bynum, Bennett, Earl Clark, Tristan Thompson.

We need a 5 and can keep Sims for depth behind Green and Bogans.  Not as strong as Green/Wallace, but this year is all about the next 2-3 years.

I know the rule of thumb is that you don't trade a big for a small straight up, but roster needs outweigh adages.  They need a 3 and we need a 5.

If the only way to get Varajao for Wallace is by throwing in a #1 pick, I'd probably have to pass.  I'm not convinced an Anderson Varajao coming off of a medical emergency is worth a #1 pick, period, and a #1 pick and a quality player like Wallace? Seems a little rich to me. MAYBE if they were talking about the 2016 pick.  Maybe.  Next year's?  No way.  2018's?  Nope, because by that time Brooklyn's window will have closed and they're going to suck and that pick will be worth more.  Unfortunately, with Irving, Jarrett Jack, Dion Waiters and this year's pick Sergey Karasev they probably wouldn't be interested in either Crawford or Brooks as a sweetener.


bob


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Outside,

I don't see any logjam at the 3, short term or otherwise.  There's Pierce and Wallace, that's it.  That is a dynamic duo, IMO.

The logjams are at the 2 and 4.  I know that averages out to 3, perhaps that is what is confusing you. (LOL)

gyso

tjmakz wrote:bob,

Varejao is 6'10" but he absolutely is a center. He does not play PF.
He would play PF this year IF Bynum plays.
I can't see Cleveland trading Varejao and leaving only Zeller and maybe Bynum at center.
Karasev and Earl Clark can and will play SF too.
Wallace was an all-star in 2010 but so was Jason Kidd, Amare Stoudemire, Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash and Chris Kaman. Yes, things have changed quite a bit in 3 years...
Wallace's contract is terrible for a team under the new CBA.
I don't think Cleveland would give up Varejao for Wallace and a 1st round pick that would probably be in the 20's.
Cleveland is finally a win now team. They are a much better team with Varejao over Wallace.
The last thing Cleveland needs is more young players and draft picks.
They could possibly have (5) 1st round and (4) 2nd round picks over the next two years.

TJ,

Varejao played PF for years when Z was there.  If he'd be playing PF if Bynum plays then he'd be playing the same position he played for most of his career.  But what would happen with Cleveland's starting PF, Tristan Thompson?  It's a logjam, just like we have at 4 and 2.

Earl Clark playing SF?  I'll believe it when I see it.  They're talking about starting him at 3, but my money says that experiment won't last, not against any SF with speed.

Sure, Karasev will play 3.  He's also a rookie, so who knows how well he'll do in the NBA?

Cleveland is a "win now" team?  What?  Are you kidding me?  They won 24 games last season.  I know about their injuries but projecting them to being a "win now" sans injuries requires more Jameson's than I can drink without turning Irish myself.  Zeller's has only played one year, Thompson only 2, Waiters only 1.  That's three of their starters (Irving has only played 2 years, but I'm willing to give him credit for being more advanced than his experience suggests he should be).  Their starting SG, Gee, has only 4 years experience.  You've got an entire starting lineup on their rookie contracts, none of whom have played in a playoff game anywhere, and they're a "win now" team?  They add a rookie, Bennett, and a maybe Bynum and Earl Clark, who never averaged 13mpg his entire career until last year in LA because of their ridiculous injury problems and they're going from a 24 win team to a "win now" team?  Not only haven't they made the playoffs since LBJ left, there are only 5 players on their roster that have even played in a playoff series in their entire career (although, as I said, a lot of their team hasn't had much of a career yet)!  Varejao (only 2 'a's), and that was back when LBJ was there and none since; Earl Clark has played in only 13 playoff games in his life, averaged less than 15mpg in them and never made it out of the first round; Bynum, who may not even play; Jarrett Jack who played in 18 games, going into the 2nd round with GSW last year; and "old man" CJ Miles, who has played in 23 playoff games with Utah over 4 years but only made it out of the first round once in those 4 years.  This is your core of grizzled playoff veterans you're going to "win now" with?

Your comment about Wallace being an all-star in 2010 and then whipping out those names as proof of anything is not proof of anything.  C'mon.  Every one of those players, except Wallace and Kaman, were past the halfway point in their careers and, off the top of my head, I don't believe any of them made the all-star game again.  They were old in 2010 and yes, that includes Amar'e, who's game has taken a big hit even though he's unbelievably only 30 years old now.  Trying to suggest that it was a bazillion years ago and "where are they now" completely overlooks the fact that Kidd was 36 years old in 2010, Billups was 33 and Steve Nash was 35.  Maybe I'm just showing my cranky old age here, but 2010 isn't exactly back before the earth cooled.  Furthermore, it's hard to be an all-star when you're on a bad team and haven't already established your reputation and credentials as a perennial all-star.  Gerald Wallace was playing in Charlotte that year.  It's hard to look good enough to be an all-star on a team that bad and that has always been bad.  Varejao, on the other hand, played for years on a Cavalier team that made the playoffs consistently and went pretty deep into the playoffs too.  He had the good fortune to play with a player that elevated everybody's game and made everybody look good and he still never made the all-star game, other than as a spectator.  

The last thing Cleveland needs now is more young players and draft picks?  Gee, you're making them sound like they're not ready to win now.  Besides, if we can trade a draft pick for a veteran player what makes you think they couldn't do it too?  Do you really think that, just because we have 9 1st round picks over the next 5 years, that means we should expect to have our first 11 players (these 9 plus Sully and KO) with less than 6 years experience 5 years from now?  Sure, Cleveland could have 5 first round picks over the next 5 years, just like most teams would, but they wouldn't be very good picks if they're a "win now" team, would they?

Wallace's contract does suck under the new CBA, absolutely, but Varejao is getting almost the same amount this year and next (if it's picked up).  That means that Wallace's contract is bad for only one more year than his.  Bad?  Hell yeah, Wallace's contract was the obvious negative in that deal, but we're not trading him for an expiring contract.  We're trading him for a player that would be getting the same money as him.  If Varejao is as good as all that then he's a player that you're going to want to re-sign for good bucks after year 2 and, in doing so, create a longterm financial commitment.  Gerald Wallace is a player that will be traded after year 2 for his expiring contract.

I do agree that leaving Zeller unprotected, what with Bynum's questionable readiness, is not highly likely.  A lot depends upon Bynum's return and effectiveness.  If he's back, then Varejao will be moved by the trade deadline.

Besides, I didn't just pull this out of thin air (or anywhere else stuff like this is said to be pulled from).  Here's a link to a Cleveland blog that mentions how Varejao's team defense suffered last year, how they're thin at 3 and will possibly trade for a 3 by the deadline and how Bynum's return is key to Varejao's staying on the team or not.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index.ssf/2013/09/post_9.html


bob


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Outside,

I am content to have Wallace come off the bench. He can get additional minutes when he and Green both play in a small ball scenario. I see it playing out like this for a season or two, unless we get lucky and trade him. I think he will have a huge advantage over most of the backup 3's in the league.

gyso