Cavaliers trade Richard Jefferson,Kay Felder...

Photo Courtesy: David Liam Kyle/NBAE/GettyImages

The Cleveland Cavaliers needed to do something to make the 15 man limit with the season starting next week and they tried several different ways to make it to the limit before finally being able to make a deal.

Cleveland moved salary and lost money on another player as they shipped veteran Richard Jefferson and second-year man Kay Felder to the Atlanta Hawks for the rights to two Euro players that I don't know much about and two trade exceptions.
The Cavaliers also included two future second-round draft picks and three million dollars to cover the salaries of Jefferson and Felder.
Atlanta is expected to release both players, which mildly surprises me as I would think the Hawks, who are starting a rebuilding process, wouldn't at least take a look at Felder.

The 37 year old Jefferson averaged just under six points a game last season for the Cavaliers after arriving before the 2005-06 season as a free agent from Dallas.
Jefferson was used as the defensive stopper off the bench and was the main defender against Kevin Durant in the 2017 NBA Finals.
Jefferson's days were likely numbered when Dwyane Wade was signed as Wade is a better offensive player at a similar position and Wade is younger as well.
The question that I have is will Jefferson even play anymore as he considered retiring after the Cavaliers championship so he may decide to retire or at least take some time and wait to see if you catch on with a contender later in the season.

Felder was a second-round pick from Oakland that the Cavaliers acquired before last season, paying 2.4 million to the Hawks ironically and averaged four points in 42 games in a season that saw Felder spend time with both Cleveland and Canton of the "D League".
Felder was the player that the Cavaliers appealed to the league to be allowed to sign one of the new "two-way" contracts between the NBA and D League, but the league turned it down since Felder was already signed.
Cleveland wanted to keep Felder but after that decision Felder was going to be caught up in a numbers game after bringing in Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, and Jose Calderon all during the last off-season, the Cavaliers simply couldn't carry four guards at the point, if they didn't have the ability to move Felder up and down from Canton, where he was ready if needed, but could have used the everyday playing time for his game.
Felder averaged 29.9 (That's not a typo!) points per game for the Charge in eleven games in Canton.

This is what I know about the two European players that the Cavaliers received the rights to.
Dimitrios Agravanis is a 22 year old,6'10 Greek center that averaged four points and three rebounds for his Greek league/Euroleague teams last season.
Sergiy Gladyr is a 28 year old, 6'5 shooting guard from the Ukraine that played in the French league last season and averaged nine points per game.
I wouldn't bet very much (about a penny maybe) that either of these two ever spend a minute in Cleveland.

Cavaliers leap into round two and late note.

I know the second part of this post is very late,but it fell between the cracks and I decided to combine
it with tonight's post...

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not have a draft pick in the NBA draft,but they saw something that they liked and they were willing to write a check for 2.4 million to the Atlanta Hawks to bring that player into the fold of the World Champions.
In the NBA,you are allowed to purchase draft picks and even though it is extremely rare to buy a first rounder (I don't even remember it happening offhand),it does happen that a second rounder will change hands for some cold hard cash.

The player that will wind up in Cleveland is Kay Felder of Oakland (Michigan),a 5'9 point guard that was a third team All-American last season.
Think about that,a player from a small school,not even considered a mid-major was one of the top 15 players in the country.
Felder proved his skills against two of the best teams in the country as he almost singlehandedly willed Oakland to a win over top ranked Michigan State as he finished with 37 points and 9 assists in an overtime loss along with 30 points in a loss to then-fifth ranked Virginia.
Felder plays the point,led the country in assists with over nine a game and averaged over twenty four points as well.
Take those facts with a reputed mad dog defensive style and a leap that makes you think that he has springs in his legs (his 44 inch vertical was the 2nd highest EVER in NBA combine history) with the youtube highlights below and you wonder what's not to like about Felder and why wasn't he long off the board before the 54th pick in the draft?



Well,Felder is 5'9 and the league has a bias against small guards.
Other than that and a need to improve his outside shot a little,there isn't much that I can find to hold against Felder.
Felder is most often compared to the current Isaiah Thomas (not the Piston Hall of Famer),but watching those highlights,he brought another player to mind-Allen Iverson.
Now,I'm not saying Kay Felder is anywhere near what Allen Iverson was,but some things that he does with the ball makes me think of Iverson.
It's never a guarantee from a second rounder,but looking at the ability,the numbers,the skills and past the size to listen to this guy talk-I have a feeling this could be a very well spent sum by the Cleveland Cavaliers.


The San Francisco Giants had just one selection on the draft's first day.
The Giants had no compensation picks and lost their first rounder for the signing of Jeff Samardizja.

However,the Giants may have gotten lucky at the 59th pick as the team selected Vanderbilt outfielder Bryan Reynolds,who was rated by many as a top 30 player in this draft.

The 6'4 Reynolds switch hits and most scouts like his developing power along with having the athletic ability to perhaps stay in center field.

The Giants haven't exactly been successful in recent season in drafting outfielders with success,although the jury is still out on Mac Williamson and Reynolds doesn't have to do much to surpass the contributions of the Gary Brown types of fairly recent drafts.
San Francisco seems to prefer college outfielders high in the draft as compared to high schoolers,so this pick seems right up their alley,but still from the reports that I have read-Bryan Reynolds was a terrific pick at 59....