Category: Cleveland Cavaliers (Page 24 of 88)

To go along with Drew Gooden, Anderson Varejao, and Donyell Marshall, forward Scot Pollard will be joining the Cavaliers.

Pollard averaged 3.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 45 games — 32 starts — last season for the Indiana Pacers, his third NBA team. The wild-haired, 6-foot-11, 265-pounder will give the Cavs more inside muscle and can provide needed energy along with Anderson Varejao.

“Adding Scot to our roster gives us more depth, size, toughness and experience,” Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said. “We believe Scot can be a valuable contributor to our team as we continue to build a championship level team here in Cleveland.”

The Cavs also traded young project Martynas Anriuskevicius to the Bulls for guard Eddie Basden.

Sounds like some decent moves. Pollard will add some playoff experience when it comes time for that next season. At 6’11”, he should be serviceable when it comes to backing up Z at the center position as well. As far as Marty is concerned, he most likely never was going to pan out anyway so let’s see what this Basden guy can do for us in the backcourt.

Reghi firing aside, owner Dan Gilbert is continuing to build the Cavaliers into a first-class organization.

The team unveiled a model and architectural renderings of Cleveland Clinic Courts at a news conference Thursday. The approximately $21 million facility is set to be completed at this time next year.

The new state-of-the-art practice facility is yet another step taken by Ferry and Gilbert to build a comfortable working environment for the Cavaliers as well as to ensure LeBron’s satisfaction.

“We’re building an environment where people can excel,” Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said. “When you have a facility like this… I really believe it will affect the outcome, the winning, the championship culture that we’re building.”

There seemed to be mixed opinions on whether or not the Cavaliers should bring restricted free agent Drew Gooden back next year, but considering the uneventful offseason the team has had thus far, this news is suprisingly encouraging:

Gooden’s representative, Calvin Andrews, told ESPN.com on Monday that his client has agreed to terms with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract worth about $23 million.

Re-signing Gooden was the Cavs’ other main priority this offseason, after securing LeBron James’ signature on a contract extension last month. The lack of further free-agent activity in Cleveland isn’t surprising after its spending spree last summer to re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas and bring in Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones.

“It was a long negotiation, but ultimately Danny Ferry was very fair and professional throughout the process,” Andrews said of the Cavaliers’ general manager. “At the end of the day, Drew is very excited to re-sign with what he feels is a team on the cusp of a championship. He feels he has found a home with the Cavaliers.”

Once Gooden and his agent came down from their outrageous initial demands (six years, $60 million), getting him signed became a much more sensible move. At almost $8 million a year, the team isn’t necessarily getting off cheap here, but in this market and considering their need for productive big bodies, it’s a very reasonable contract.

It’d also be nice to see them now get Reggie Evans, nut-grabbing incident aside. Rumor has it Evans could be had for just a couple million, and he’d instantly become a tough-minded rebounder off the bench, someone who could provide some much needed depth behind Gooden and, more notably, Z.

The Cleveland Cavaliers took the first step in becoming a nationally recognized organization. Ronnie “Slam” Duncan was released as the PA announcer. If I had a dollar for every mistake Duncan made during the course of a game, I’d be living on easy street. The Cavs are drawing national attention and need to eliminate the childish drama that Duncan put into every sentence. This is another example of a Cleveland sports team leaving the past behind them.

After hearing that Cavs play-by-play announcer Michael Reghi was fired by the team yesterday, I was totally shocked. Many fans in Cleveland, including myself, loved his colorful passion that he brought to each and every game. Reghi is as good as they come in the broadcasting business and it’s just a shame that his 12 years as the Cavaliers’ TV announcer had to end on such a sour note.

“While I understand an owner of a professional sports franchise has the right to make the decisions he chooses with his organization, I am extremely disappointed and disillusioned by the timing of my removal,” Reghi said in a statement.

“Cleveland is my home and where my heart belongs,” he said. “I’ve poured extreme passion into my work with the Cavaliers.”

The decision was not that of FSN Ohio, but that of the Cavs organization. The firing came from up top because owner Dan Gilbert wanted to bring in his own guy, Detroit Piston announcer Fred McLeod. Reghi had two more years left on his contract and the timing of this whole thing was just horrible. While Gilbert has done everything in his power to build the Cavaliers organization into a first-class environment and while he has made all the right decision thus far, the firing of Reghi was not one of them.

What makes Cavs games so enjoyable and exciting isn’t just number 23, but Reghi’s signature calls and announcing style. Nothing pumps me up more than to hear Reghi’s “Bang” or “Flight #23” when a Cavs player makes a big shot or LeBron glides through the air to throw down a dunk. True, he’s only an announcer and they can be replaced, but Reghi was special. He had become a fan favorite in this city and the Cavs and Reghi were almost one in the same. I’m not taking anything away from McLeod because I’m sure he will do a decent job and it’s unfair to judge him yet because we don’t know much about him. But, Reghi was a part of Cleveland basketball and his firing was unfair. He had poured so much enthusiasm into Cavalier games and his voice behind the mike at The Q will be missed.