As each day passes and the Cavaliers demands in return for Kyrie Irving seemingly get higher and higher, it feels less and less likely that Irving is suiting up for another team next season.
So now in addition to requesting a really good veteran that can help them win now, a young star for the future and a draft pick, the Cavaliers also want teams to take back some potentially bad contracts.
Here is what Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders Reported Thursday morning:
“Another stated goal is to dump off some salary and reduce the luxury tax bill.”
While adding this stipulation to any potential trade muddies the water even more for anything to actually get done, it makes sense from a business perspective for the Cavaliers.
They are in line to pay the luxury tax repeater tax and a bill that could be more than $78 million for the 2017-18 season. The Cavs paid a $54 million luxury tax penalty in 2015-16 and currently have $142 million in committed salaries for the 2017-18 season.
That is a heck of a lot of money, but it is the price of business for having a player like LeBron James.
Owner Dan Gilbert reportedly promised LeBron he would spend unconditionally when LeBron came back in 2014 and he has up until this summer, now with the desire to shed a contract that may only push LeBron further in the direction of leaving next summer.
Because the Cavaliers are not dumb enough to trade one of LeBron’s boys in Tristan Thompson, who makes roughly $17.5 million for the next three seasons, or J.R. Smith, who makes about $14,8 million over the next three seasons, the salary dump is likely to be Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye.
Shumpert seems to be the best option as he is owed $21.3 million over the next two seasons, compared to Channing Frye’s $7.4 million this season. Shumpert has also had more injury issues and has been less consistent and productive than Frye when each have been called upon.
Let’s see if any team is willing to meet all of the Cleveland’s demands to acquire a 25-year-old star guard in his prime.
