It may be the end of July, but the NBA news is still rolling in at a steady pace. So this is what is happening around basketball, in full breakdown form.
Cleveland Finds A Rose
The Cavaliers signed Derrick Rose, formerly of the New York Knicks, to a $2.1 million contract for the 2017-18 season. While Rose had well-documented knee problems in Chicago and mysterious off-court family issues in New York, this is still a good option for a Cavs team that has done next to nothing in the offseason, except maybe lose Kyrie Irving.
Rose averaged 18 points and 4.0 assists per game last season, still showing burst to the basket and has not lost his shot. It is also easy to forget that the former MVP is only a 28-year-old and still can burn opponents in transition. His offense is also dangerous enough to spread the floor and pull defenders away from the paint to let LeBron James slash to the basket.
Brandon Knight Looking At 2018-19 Return
This came after Knight tore his ACL in a pro-am game in Miami on Tuesday. Soon afterward, it was determined he would need surgery on the ACL and will most likely miss the entire upcoming season. There are lots of people who would argue that this is a minor setback, but this could be a bigger problem for the young Suns offense.
While the injury will not derail this team, the offensive setback will be noticeable as the season gets into the spring. Leaning heavily on rookies for offense could backfire for the young roster over a punishingly long NBA season, which is something sixth man Knight would have compensated for. Having Knight as a solid sixth man is an underrated luxury, as his 11-point average last season was more likely an anomaly than the norm, backed up by the 19.6-point average the season before. His offensive boost will be missed on the roster.
Deep Dive Kyrie
The Kyrie Irving dilemma is a fascinating debacle in Believeland. As more and more stories pour out about how Irving wanted to get out of James’ shadow, the last few seasons sound more like a bit of a trial for the young guard than playoff bliss. Whether it has been a daily struggle for Irving or not, he still is under contract for another two years, so the team does not have to move him if the deal is not out there. Whatever team he suits up for next season, the last week has offered a few takeaways about both the Cavs and Irving:
- The player/general manager experiment has failed. James trying to order the front office who to bring in on the roster and who the coach should be had some bright spots. But it has also made for a weak front office, which has not been helped by a poor owner. James has had problems with Kevin Love when the report was he wanted him out and now has seemingly overshadowed one of his young stars into departure. Players who still do work on the court need to stay just that, players.
- Kyrie probably does not go to a team on his list. The Cavs have little cap room, and fewer assets. They will most likely be looking for a king’s ransom to move Irving and give their roster a boost, along with young pieces. The Spurs have no assets to move that would bring him in, the Knicks would be moving Carmelo Anthony to bring him in which would need Anthony’s approval, the Wolves may not have enough even if they package Andrew Wiggins and the Utah pick and in Miami the Dion Waiters/Irving drama they had in Cleveland may be something the Heat look to avoid after extending Waiters.
- Is Irving ahead of the curve? The very real possibility in all this is Irving is getting out ahead of the James departure and avoiding the possibility of becoming the next point guard left by his star counterpart. James has never taken the multiple opportunities through all of this to say he is staying in Cleveland, instead letting the possibility of his departure (maybe to Los Angeles?) hang in the air. While it could be oversimplifying things, this could be Irving trying to get out of town before the team sinks.
- Realistic landing spots: Phoenix Suns and L.A. Clippers. The Suns have emerged over the last few days as a very strong bidder in the Irving race, with plenty of young talent to throw at Cleveland, along with draft picks. The Clippers could move some of their newly-acquired Houston assets to Cleveland to put Blake Griffin with an All-Star point guard yet again. The other scenario is that the Cavs cannot find any deal that they deem worthy of Irving, keeping him in Cleveland, making for the most awkward locker room in the NBA.
Wherever he ends up, the wrong approach is to attack him for wanting out of Cleveland. For athletes to want to be the best version of themselves and make All-Star games and All-NBA teams is what keeps these great athletes in contention. To become great enough to control where you head is the dream of anyone in any business, and the power is swinging more in the basketball player’s favor every season. This is what the NBA is now, and stars like Irving caring about being the number one guy is what is expected of elite-level talent.
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