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With it being confirmed that Ray Allen and Michael Redd are staying put in Seattle and Milwaukee, I wonder if the Cavs can still lure Antonio there? I know money talks in the NBA and Seattle and Milwaukee threw a ton at these two, but it would have been a huge land for Cleveland to get either of these guys. Personally, I was hoping it would have been Ray Allen. I guess no one wants to play second fiddle to LeBron. Hopefully the Cavs will land someone to help them out (since they actually have some money to throw around) and I would still love to see Daniels running the floor with James. But why do I have a feeling James' days in Cleveland are numbered? I know the rumors started surfacing after the season ended that he might test the waters after next season, but it would just be the Cavs' type of luck to actually get him and then lose him without ever really being able to build up anything around him. I'll say this much, they'd better make the Playoffs this year if they hope to see #23 in town.

Redd must have chased all the $$$. The Bucks were 30-52 last year. The Cavs are heading up. When it comes to $94 Mill or $72 Mill....is there REALLY a difference??

I don't get it. I know people wanna make as much jack as possible....but this kind of thing I don't get. Hopefully the Cavs will get a solid FA. Get Antonio!!!

Falconfreak90 wrote:When it comes to $94 Mill or $72 Mill....is there REALLY a difference??

To quote LaTrell Sprewell: "I gotta feed my family."

Falconfreak90 wrote:Redd must have chased all the $$$. The Bucks were 30-52 last year. The Cavs are heading up. When it comes to $94 Mill or $72 Mill....is there REALLY a difference??

I don't get it. I know people wanna make as much jack as possible....but this kind of thing I don't get. Hopefully the Cavs will get a solid FA. Get Antonio!!!

The Cavs are headed up? How so? They were in the playoffs and than blwe up and fell apart.

Channel 5 in Cleveland is reporting that Larry Hughes from Washington will sign with the Cavs. Hughes is not quite Ray Allen, but he is at least equal or better then Michael Redd. If Hughes does sign, it would make Cleveland more attractive for Antonio:

Cavs May Sign Larry Hughes
Deal On Table

POSTED: 8:26 am EDT July 8, 2005

CLEVELAND -- A free agent shooting guard may be coming to Cleveland

After flirting with Ray Allen and Michael Redd, only to have them re-sign with Seattle and Milwaukee, it appears the Cavs have finally found a running mate for LeBron James, NewsChannel5's Chris Miller reported.

Numerous news sources are reporting the Cavs have offered restricted free agent Larry Hughes of the Washington Wizards a five-year contract worth an estimated $12 million a year.

Hughes is a restricted free agent. Washington will have 14 days to match the Cavs' offer if they choose.

Miller said sources say Washington's initial offer to Hughes was in the $6 to $8 million range. It appears they will not match the Cavalier's offer.

This wouldn't be the big signing they had hoped for, but it would help. It's a shame for the Cavs because they actually have solid money to sign a very quality player and there were some real targets out there to try and sign. It just didn't pan out.....yet. If they do sign Hughes, they still need help, but it would be a start.

I don't know about it not being a big signing. Larry Hughes is a MUCH better all around player than Michael Redd is. He scores about as much (22 compared to 23), but he's a much better passer, rebounder, and defender. I think he lead the league in steals per game last season. The guy averaged 22 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists last year, that ain't too shabby.

What is disappointing is that the ONE place that Redd is noticeably better than Hughes is 3 point FG %. The Cavs still must go out and sign a shooter, because they are sorely lacking one, but Hughes & LeBron together should scare the heck outta most NBA teams.

I still haven't seen it confirmed that they got Hughes for sure, but it would be a great start. I think Antonio could join this group and be a valuable addition as well. AD at the point, Hughes at the 2, and LeBron at the 3.

hammb wrote:AD at the point, Hughes at the 2, and LeBron at the 3.

That would make the Cavaliers a great defensive team.

Agree with your points about Hughes, but he scares me. The guy has been in the league seven years already. Why did he finally have a breakout year? Was it because it was a contract year or has he finally figured it all out? I hope it is the second, especially if he does sign with the Cavaliers.

Hopefully getting Hughes a little cheaper then Redd or Allen means they will have a few extra dollars to throw Antonio's way.

I'm a touch weary of him as well, but he's probably the best the Cavs can get. If he continues to produce like last year he'd be a great addition. Remember he was a HS guy so they always take awhile to develop. He's still only 26 years old. Its conceivable he could regress or improve, so we'll see.

The one thing this made me think about though was that Hughes is not the shooter they want. They could very well look for a PG who can be that shooter, and AD, as much as I love him, is still not that light it up from outside shooter. Supposedly that foreign guy that they've been trying to woo is a better outside shooter than AD is. Adding Hughes instead of Redd could make them want to throw some extra $$$ at the European guy as opposed to Daniels

hammb wrote:Remember he was a HS guy so they always take awhile to develop.

Hughes technically didn't come straight from High School. He played a year at St. Louis where he was the National Freshman of the Year. That isn't much of college career, but with the new collective bargaining agreement you are going to see more guys like Hughes, Stefan Marbury, and Marvin Williams who were all one and done. What Hughes did show in that one year of college is that he could compete at a higher level then what he faced in High School. Of course your point was to say that he is still relatively young, so it is probably irrelevant to point out he did go to college for a year.

You are dead on that Hughes is a much better all around player then Redd, who is primarily a shooter. He is a good defender and he will give you more assists and rebounds then you would get from Michael Redd. Of course what the Cavs were looking for is somebody who Lebron could kick the ball out to when he was double teamed on the drive, and could hit the outside shot. A guy that would fit in perfectly for the Cavs at the point with Lebron and Hughes would be Chauncey Billups. Of course as a Pistons fan, I am glad that he has found himself a nice home and he won't be leaving Detroit anytime soon!

You're right Goose, I had forgotten that he played a year in college first!

Chauncey would be a great fit in Cleveland, but it ain't happening.

Unfortunately for the cavs they are in the worst situation. This is the year they finally have the cash to spend on that premier free agent that can really elevate their team and their choices are....

Ray Allen?

Michael Redd?

Larry Hughes?

These are solid players that can certainly improve the team, but they aren't exactly First-tier NBA superstars. ray allen is and has been a heck of a player, but his decline in skill is going to be sharp and fast. It almost always is with 2-guards his age. Giving him a 5-year max deal would have been a terrible decision. Redd is a good player and a great shooter, but there aren't too many teams besides Milwaukee where he would be the first option. Hughes is decent but too inconsistent and imo, not a good compliment to Lebron. Unfortunately for the Cavs they got screwed by bad timing this year.

Anytime you can add a quality player it is a good thing. Hughes put up fantastic numbers in Washington this year alongside Gilbert Arenas and can play on both sides of the ball. I agree with hammb. I think he is an equal to Michael Redd is cheaper and certainly carries less ego than someone like Ray Allen.

Certainly Hughes isn't the 3-point threat that Redd is, but the Cavs signed a guy last year for his shooting by the name of Luke Jackson from Oregon. He was hurt for the majority of the season but he's a white kid that is long and can stroke the 3 if he gets healthy.

If they can resign Zydrunas for less money and still get Antonio...that's a huge improvement over last years team. No more Jeff McGinnis, Ira Newble, Tractor Traylor or Eric Snow. Getting them off the floor is an improvement in itself.

1 Antonio Daniels
2 Larry Hughes
3 LeBron James
4 Drew Gooden
5 Zydrunas Illgauskas

That looks pretty decent in the Eastern Conference.

And the more I think about it, the more I would like that starting five, should it evolve to that. With conservative numbers, look at the points you now would be getting on average from your starters...

Daniels -- 10 ppg.
Hughes -- 18 ppg.
James -- 25 ppg.
Gooden -- 10 ppg.
Illgauskas -- 14 ppg.

That is 77 points from just five guys. A big improvement considering that by the end of the season, LeBron had to score 40 just to give them a shot at winning.

Also, the Cavs have traded a future 2nd-Round pick and cash for Orlando Magic draft pick, forward/center Martynas Andriuskevicius. He may turnout to be a stiff, but he is 7'2'' 240...which is at least a good start.

basketballcontact wrote: Also, the Cavs have traded a future 2nd-Round pick and cash for Orlando Magic draft pick, forward/center Martynas Andriuskevicius. He may turnout to be a stiff, but he is 7'2'' 240...which is at least a good start.

I know very little about this guy. The one thing I do know is that they said he would've been a lottery pick if he would've come out last year. This year he went back to Europe and didn't get as much Playing Time as the season before, and didn't perform as well.

I wonder if this past season was a fluke and the Cavs may have gotten a steal? Its so hard to know with these foreign guys. Even the GMs and scouts haven't seen that much of them.