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The Cavaliers have struggled since the departure of LeBron James, but management cannot be faulted for not trying to improve the team through all possible means. Less then two years after taking on Baron Davis’s salary in return for a draft pick, which ended up being the first pick, the Cavaliers have completed a multiplayer trade with the Grizzlies that reduces salary cap for the Grizzles and helps the Cavaliers improve little by little.

The Grizzlies have sent big man Marreese Speights, guard Wayne Ellington and guard Josh Selby to the Cavaliers for big man Jon Leuer. The Cavaliers will also receive a future first-round draft pick in the deal. The deal hinders the Grizzlies depth, but it had to be done to ensure that their stellar starting five remains intact.

The move slashes more then $6 million off the Grizzlies payroll, which places them under the luxury tax threshold. The Cavaliers had more than ten million in cap space so the move makes sense for both team’s future goals.

The Cavaliers continue to try to improve their team while adding as many draft picks as possible, while the Grizzlies continue to look for ways to reduce their salary cap both long and short term.

The Cavaliers will not get a lottery pick out of the deal like they did from the Clippers, but they acquired a solid shooter in Ellington, a productive big man in Speights and a guard with potential in Selby. The Grizzlies did what had to be done to ensure that they are able to retain the main pieces behind their fast start to this season.

After making his third return to Cleveland as part of the Miami Heat, LeBron James believes that the town’s justifiably irate fans have seemingly thawed from his perspective. Obviously, he is happy playing for a championship-contending team, alongside Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, but revisiting Cleveland made him think about the memories of his Cavaliers past. LeBron, for your safety, I think your time in Cleveland is over. It wouldn’t be such a ridiculous thought if he’d left in the offseason two years ago on normal terms. There is no problem leaving for more money, or a better shot at winning a title. But, the sideshow, all about me act the was “The Decision” two summers ago, along with playfully saying he’s going to “take his talents to South Beach” like some premadonna rock star all but sealed his fate of genuine disdain from fans. Over time, sure fans may be able to get over it, but that doesn’t mean they’d want you back. Although you may see yourself someday coming back to the Cavs again, that doesn’t mean the fans can see you wearing a jersey you once wore proudly and then publicly embarrassed. People understand that you need to do what’s best for you in sports. What’s best for you LeBron, is not located in Cleveland.

The Boston Celtics sent LeBron James and the Cavaliers back to Cleveland to admire all of their regular-season accomplishments and ponder their future.

It’s the Celtics who are still in the chase for an NBA title.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and added 12 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 12 assists to beat Cleveland 94-85 in Game 6 on Thursday night and advance to the Eastern Conference finals. They’ll play the Orlando Magic, who are undefeated in the playoffs.

“Winning is gratifying,” Garnett said. “You’re playing the best team in basketball; the challenge is there; you don’t have to dress it up. One thing we don’t lack is confidence. We’re a veteran team and we understand when it’s time to lock in as a group. I think we did just that. I think the experience is taking over.”

Despite his sixth career playoff triple-double, James is headed for another early offseason after winning a second MVP award and leading the Cavs to an NBA-best 61 wins and a home-court advantage they never got to use.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPNBoston.com

LeBron James seemed to reinjure his right elbow in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ series-clinching victory over the Chicago Bulls.

James scored 19 points — 16 in the second half — and added 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Cavs finally saddled the stubborn Bulls to win the series 4-1.

James doesn’t know when he injured the elbow, which he said bothered him the entire second half. TNT showed replays of James landing on the elbow and grimacing after trying to block a shot early in the second half.

James revealed after the game that he underwent an MRI and X-rays on Monday. Results came back clean, according to the Cavaliers.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

Shaquille O’Neal now has another nickname.

“Grandpa” went through a full contact practice with the Cavaliers on Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts and will be ready to go when the playoffs start this weekend, though it now looks like the 7-foot-1, 325-pound center won’t play in the regular-season finale tonight in Atlanta.

“He looked great,” reserve swingman Jamario Moon said. “He was out there the entire practice being the grandfather, telling everybody what it is. I can’t wait to see him out there.”

O’Neal, who injured his right thumb on Feb. 25, has been cleared to play by team doctors, but coach Mike Brown is leaning toward not playing the 38-year-old tonight.

There are several reasons for that, foremost among them being the fact superstar LeBron James will likely sit for the fourth straight game.

Click here to read the full article – By Rick Noland of http://medinagazette.northcoastnow.com

LeBron James is expected to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while Antawn Jamison will be a game-time decision.

They were just two of six players to miss practice Wednesday for the Cavaliers, who took advantage of a break in the schedule to rest all five of their regular starters.

James missed two games after twisting his right ankle last Friday against Detroit, but is likely to play at Philadelphia, Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. James has played the sixth-most minutes in the league this season, averaging 39 per game.

Jamison won’t practice the rest of the week after revealing Wednesday he has a cyst behind his left knee that is filled with fluid. Shaquille O’Neal continues to rehab following surgery on his right thumb, while Anthony Parker and Mo Williams also took Wednesday off to rest nagging injuries. Key sub Anderson Varejao also missed practice, but it wasn’t clear if he had an injury or just took the day off.

All are expected to play Friday except for O’Neal and perhaps Jamison. An MRI earlier this week showed no damage to the knee and Jamison said it’s the same injury that hampered him early in the season when he was with Washington.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

When he arrived in Cleveland, Shaquille O’Neal made it clear there would be no more double-teaming Orlando’s Dwight Howard.

He’d handle things himself, as he did Thursday night. Oh, and he wants his cape back.

“I don’t really consider it manning up until you play me straight up,” O’Neal said. “I’ve never doubled anybody. So you tell me who the real Superman is.”
LeBron James had 32 points and 13 assists as the Cavaliers — with a big fourth-quarter defensive effort from O’Neal — matched their franchise record by winning their 13th straight game with a 115-106 victory over the Magic.
It was a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, and both teams are again on top of the East this year, but O’Neal, who had 10 points and six rebounds on Thursday, has made a huge difference for Cleveland.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Shaquille O’Neal had one regret about moving into elite NBA scoring air. It should have happened long ago.


O’Neal became the fifth player to score 28,000 career points, and the Big Diesel made his enormous presence known at both ends of the floor as the Cleveland Cavaliers began a long stretch of home games with a 108-100 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

O’Neal reached the major milestone with a layup in the first minute. He was proud of the achievement, but felt it was overdue.

“I’ve missed like 5,000 free throws,” O’Neal said. “If I had at least hit half of those, then I would be at 30,000 right now.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was named today as the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 21st through Sunday, December 27th.

In four games during the week, James averaged an Eastern Conference-best 29.5 points on .511 shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 38.0 minutes per game. James wins the award for the second time this season and the 22nd time in his career. He led the team to four consecutive wins during the week (all over Western Conference opponents) and the Cavs have now won nine of their last 10 games, bringing their record to 24-8 on the season, 11-3 overall against the Western Conference and 14-3 (.824) against teams that had at least a .500-record the day of the game.

James finished with 29 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 109-91 victory over the Suns on December 21st, helping the Cavs become the first team to defeat Phoenix at home this season and handing Phoenix its first home loss since March 12, 2009, a span of 285 days. The Cavaliers are the only opponent to win in Phoenix in the Suns’ last 21 home games. In that span, the Suns are 19-0 against the rest of the NBA and 0-2 against the Cavs.


Click here to read the full article – By of woio.com

Last year, when Mo Williams attached the “All-Star” prefix to his name for the first time, it seemed that he’d entered a more high-profile phase.

There were signs of it, too. A year after not even having a shoe contract, over the summer Williams appeared in his first Nike commercial and now sports his own line of shoes complete with his nickname, “Mo Gotti,” on the tongue.

But on the same team with LeBron James — whose off-court statements can generate as much interest as his on-court play — and Shaquille O’Neal, Williams has shed some of the spotlight. Add in the attention paid to Delonte West and the fast-rising J.J. Hickson, and the first month of the season has left Williams overlooked.


Click here to read the full article – By Brian Windhorst of cleveland.com

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