But for how much?

Future ESPN rumor: Daniel Gibson will demand to be traded to the Nets in 2011.

LeBron's little brother just inked a 5 year deal (3 years past 2010) with the Cavaliers. This is good news for multiple reasons, A) Gibson is one of the only non-LeBron Cavaliers that has major cojones and moxie B) it happened early in the offseason, so Gibson will be in training camp and C) he's tight with James (which never hurts).

Now all I want to know is how much of Gilbert's money Danny Ferry just spent. Was it the MLE? Was it simply Bird Rights and they went (more) over the cap? Do they have stuff left over to go after Josh Childress or C.J. Miles? Can they still take a flier on Shaun Livingston (which I really really really really really want to happen)?

Details please.

Not a terrible way to start

Not that it means a whole lot, but J.J. Hickson kicked some ass in his Summer League debut:

Cavaliers first-round pick J.J. Hickson had 26 points and nine rebounds, but a balanced attack led the New York Knicks to a 97-94 summer-league victory Monday in Las Vegas.

Hickson, a 6-9 power forward from North Carolina State who was playing at center, was 11-of-15 from the floor.

Not that this matters in the grand scheme of things, but it's always nice to see the rookie putting up some points (from the paint no less). The farther away we get from the draft, the more comfortable I feel with Hickson's selection.

In other news, Tractor Traylor played and scored 8 points for the Cavaliers. I always liked Robert (I thought his passing was way underrated) and if he and Hickson could provide some depth off the bench, it'll make the inevitable loss of Anderson Varejao much more palpable.

Really? A four game win streak?

Can we fire Eric Wedge yet? It seems that every time that the Indians face some pressure or have expectations placed upon them, they fold. The make or break road trip? EPIC FAIL. Season is done, facing the first place Rays? Four game sweep. Thanks guys.

This has happened before... start of the 2006 season... the 2007 playoffs... this season.... there's a distinct pattern emerging. At what point does Wedge take the fall for this? I mean, I know you can't blame him for the entire team slumping or the bizarre faith in Joe Borowoski (and the lack of backup plan) but some of this has to go on him, no? When Wedge's teams can fly under the radar, they play well. But when we actually expect them perform? Notsomuch.

Anyways, let's hope Grady doesn't screw up his swing tonight.

James Posey

This is at least something:

Free agent forward James Posey of Twinsburg is likely to sign a multi-year deal in "a day or two," agent Mark Bartelstein said Wednesday evening.

Asked if the Cavaliers were still in the mix, Bartelstein said, "We're still talking." Posey, who played a key role in the Boston Celtics' 2008 NBA championship run, remains the most attractive unrestricted free agent on the market, after Elton Brand and Corey Maggette agreed to terms with Philadelphia and Golden State, respectively.

With his strong defensive abilities and 3-point shooting, he'd be an interesting addition to the Cavs' lineup, even if he's not the perimeter scorer or low-post resence many thought the team was looking to add.

Posey, 31, is believed to be seeking the mid-level exception, which will be $5.585 million for the upcoming season. In addition to the Cavs, his suitors are believed to include the Celtics, Lakers, New Orleans, Washington and Houston -- at least. Posey lives in Texas in the off-season. The San Antonio Spurs, who had been interested in aggette, are another possibility.

I like James Posey quite a bit and I think he'd really give the Cavs a solid veteran presence off the bench (in addition to his actual basketball skills) but I'm wary of over paying another role player.

Don't get me wrong, he's produced for championship teams in the past and he's a local kid, but he is 31 years old and he's won championships... so he might be looking to get paid. I don't think anyone is going to offer him a ton of money per year, but if it might take a 4-5 year deal to sign him... and I'm not sure if I want the Cavs to be paying a 36 year old James Posey $6-7 million (3 years with a club option for the 4th would be ideal).

Of course, his resume has some pretty good recommendations:

The Globe adds this from the Heat's Dwayne Wade, Posey's former teammate."I don't think Boston is letting Posey go," Wade said recently. "I was looking at Posey the whole playoff series and thinking, 'Man, he was good for us.' It's indescribable what he does. He's one of those guys that won't get the national attention, but he will get the locker room respect. That's probably more important, when you get the locker room respect. I miss him and miss what he does on the court, for sure. I'll be surprised [if he leaves Boston]."

Signing Posey won't propel the Cavs to the Finals, but it is a step in the right direction (provided they make another trade or four).

C.C. Ya

(just felt like I had to get my obligatory stupid pun out of the way)

So it's official, the Tribe traded away a 28 year old, reigning AL Cy Young award winner.

Great.

The Tribe picked up four prospects, with the 'name' being OF Matt LaPorta, who is currently batting .288 with 20 HRs in AA. They also grabbed two pitchers and the always fun 'player to be name later'. Now, I have no clue about any of the prospects, but I tend to trust Mark Shapiro when it comes to trades like this (no one bring up the name Alex Escobar, please).

A couple of friends (who support other teams) have asked me if I'm "mad" about the deal. Mad that they traded him at all, mad that they should've gotten more, mad that it was with the Brewers.... mad.

Am I mad they traded him? At this point... no. I don't think you can be. The Tribe is in a complete free fall, two of their three best hitters are on the DL and they definitely 'broke' on their make-or-break road trip. Shapiro had to trade C.C., because the longer they lost, the more likely it was he was going to head elsewhere anyways. It's one thing to take a hometown discount to stay with a franchise that is winning... but when you're last in the AL Central...

While I'm not mad a Mark Shapiro for making this deal, I am mad at Shapiro for letting it come to this. This team was one win away from the World Series (where I thought they'd be favored over Colorado) and they're now mired in last place and trading their Number 1 starter for prospects. I always thought C.C. would leave because of more money, I never thought it would be because the front office couldn't field a competitive ball club.

For instance, while no one thought that the offense would be this bad, it wasn't a secret that they needed another power bat (specifically a right handed one), for sometime now. I didn't expect Hafner and Victor to go down (and I expected some kind of return to form from Pronk), but those guys could've used some help last year, let alone this season. No help + injuries = lots of 2-1 games. Jason Michaels, Dave Dellucci, Casey Blake and Ryan Garko. Those were the players in the "power positions" to start the season. What? We're shocked that this team couldn't score runs?

And the bullpen... I mean, Christ... If Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge actually thought that Joe Borowoski was going to make it through another season armed with only smoke, mirrors and a fastball that tops out at 88 mph, they should be fired on the spot. They absolutely needed to shore up the back end of the pen or at least have some kind of contingency plan in place just in case JoeBo couldn't replicate last season's (unlikely) heroics.

What makes this deal somewhat palpable for me is the fact that Sabathia ended up A) in the National League and B) on a small town team. Shapiro didn't ship the hefty lefty to the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers, C.C. ended up in the land of beer and brats. I'm cool with that. Plus, I'll get to see the big fella swing the stick every time he starts, so that should be neat.

Though I do have one question, when was the last time the Tribe was on the opposite side of a deal like this? When is the last time an Indians team was having a good year and they added a major talent in a mid-season trade? The closest thing I can think of is Ken Hill in 1995... In the 1990s they were always rumored to be in the running for somebody like Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling or Pedro Martinez, but they never pulled the trigger on a blockbuster in mid-season. They always added auxiliary pieces like Hill, John Smiley or Kenny Lofton Round III.

Just once I'd like to see a Tribe GM say, "fuck it, we're going for it all this year". I'm actually somewhat happy for Brewers fans out there. Their team is going for it. Their team just picked up the reigning Cy Young winner.

I'm jealous.

And only 3 months too late...

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Freedom:

CLEVELAND -- Indians closer Joe Borowski, last year's American League
saves leader, was designated for assignment on Friday. The right-hander blew his fourth save in 10 chances on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, and was 1-3 with a 7.56 ERA in 18 games this season.

Pack Your Bags Andy

Cavs select J.J. Hickson at 19.

From ESPN:

Positives: Athletic big man with an NBA body. Explosive leaper. Physical.
Good finisher around the basket. Does most of his damage inside the key. Can hit the midrange jumper. Can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Excellent rebounder. Good shot-blocker.

Negatives: Still lacks some basketball IQ. Post moves are raw. Not especially quick.

Summary: A rising young player who has had a stellar freshman season for NC State. Teams love his body and athleticism. One of this year's draft sleepers. A mid-first-round pick if he stays in the draft. A potential lottery pick in 2009.

Kinda a project, but I can definitely see him getting some playing time as the 4th PF, especially if he works hard. I like the fact that they got a big with some athleticism, I just hope his size doesn't hurt him too much. I'm not sure he's a guy you'd want starting on a Finals team (6-9 PF?), but if he can get a handle on some of his post moves, he could end up being a valuable role player off the bench).

I think this definitely clears way for Anderson Varejao and the Cavaliers to part ways. Hope Andy likes bratwurst (think Michael Redd might be available?)...

(also, John Hollinger is a douche: Jefferson-for-Yi Deal all about LeBron and Nets. I love some of the comments:

ridethetsunami (3 hours ago)
Notice no one ever says: Clearing Cap space for Wade - or Clearing Cap Space for Carmelo, of Clearing Cap Space for Bosh.

only LeBron could possibly want to leave - even though the Cavs went farther the last 2 years than ANY of those other players...

and

johndogg31 (3 hours ago)

LeBron can't play for the Nets wearing a Knicks uniform.

Seriously ESPN, is he a sure thing for the Knicks or for the Nets? Which one?)

Draft Day Rumors:

Trading up:

The Cavs reportedly talked to Portland (No. 13) about moving up to get Kansas swingman Brandon Rush (6-6, 210). But a source said teams are asking for a first-round pick and maybe an established player to move up that far in the first round.

The Cavs have also reportedly talked to Charlotte about many of its players. The Bobcats, who traded a future first-rounder for Denver's No. 20 selection, have been shopping forward Adam Morrison, forward/center Sean May and possibly guard Raymond Felton.

Trading for an established player:

What kind of deal? In the days and weeks leading up to the draft, the rumor mill is on overdrive. The names of Michael Redd, Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington are among those tied to possible trades with Cleveland. An ESPN report on Wednesday had O'Neal coming to Cleveland for the No. 19 pick, Wally Szczerbiak and Anderson Varejao -- way too much for a player who appeared in just 42 games last season after knee surgery. Redd may not be the Michael Redd of years past, but he's closer than Jermaine O'Neal is to being Jermaine O'Neal, or Wally Szczerbiak was to being Wally Szczerbiak, for that matter.

As it turned out, the Pacers reportedly settled on dealing O'Neal to Toronto instead, for guard T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic and the 17th pick in the draft. The deal won't become official until July 1, when Ford's base-year compensation tag comes off the books.

Varejao figures in most of the rumors -- no surprise given his appeal, not to mention his holdout last season, when the Cavs matched the offer sheet Varejao signed with Charlotte. He is valuable because he's the only player in their regular rotation of bigs under 30 years old.

Staying at 19:

If the Cavaliers stand pat and hold onto their first-round pick, they are likely to select a big man in a draft Ferry believes is deep in quality centers and power forwards. Among the players who could be available when the Cavs are on the clock: Georgetown's Roy Hibbert, Ohio State's Kosta Koufos, Stanford's Robin Lopez and Rider's Jason Thompson.

More Michael Redd:

As always, trade rumors are rampant in the hours leading into the draft. The biggest one surrounding the Cavs involves Milwaukee Bucks shooting star Michael Redd, a player whom the Cavaliers pursued but couldn't sign as a free agent a few seasons back.

Redd, who this week was named to the U.S. Olympic team along with Cavs All-Star LeBron James, could be had for the right price. He has three years and $51 million left on his contract, and Ferry would need to give up some key parts — perhaps Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao — along with some top picks to bring Redd to the Cavs.

And some mock drafts...

SI's Ian Thomsen has the Cavs taking J.J. Hickson at 19 (he also has the Bobcats drafting D.J. Augstin at #9, in case anyone wants to start dreaming of Raymon Felton):

A hungry inside player who could provide the Cavs with rebounding and toughness for the long term.

ESPN's Chad Ford has the Cavaliers taking Robin Lopez... fucking kill me now, I'd rather have Hibbert:

The Cavs need help inside and are hoping that Koufos falls to them. If he doesn't, they'll still go big. Lopez is kind of a clone of Anderson Varejao. But no one believes Varejao will be in Cleveland much longer.

NBAdraft.net (via Foxsports) has the Cavs taking Darrell Arthur from Kansas (I have no opinion):

Arthur is yet another upside pick who may slip due to teams' trepidation about player readiness. Arthur is a thin big forward with excellent length and a promising offensive touch. Cleveland might not have time to wait for him, but he would offer an athletic building block for the team's frontcourt.
Previous mock draft selection: Kosta Koufos

Draftexpress.com (via Yahoo!) has the Cavs picking Anthony Randolph from LSU (again, no opinion):

Randolph will need time to develop, but this could end up being a steal if he drops this far.

and on NBA.com, Josh Coehn chose Ryan Anderson (um, who????):

The Cavaliers were basically a 3-point make away from upsetting the eventual NBA champion Celtics in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Although Daniel Gibson, Cleveland’s most proficient 3-point threat, didn’t play in that game due to an ankle injury, it was apparent that the Cavs need another consistent 3-point option.

The player to draft is Ryan Anderson, a 6-foot-10 forward who can hit long-range shots and utilize his length to outwork his opponents. Anderson led the Pac-10 in scoring this past season and became the first Cal player to compile at least 600 points and 300 rebounds in one season. I expect him to flourish alongside LeBron James and capitalize off of Cleveland’s outstanding ability to grab offensive rebounds for second-chance opportunities.

So there you have it, there is absolutely no consensus on who the Cavs will draft. None of the major mock drafts have them picking the same person.

They could move up! They could stand pat! They could make a crazy trade! They could pick someone like Roy Hibbert! Or someone even worse like Robin Lopez!

The one bet I'm willing to make, Cavs fans will end the night pissed at Danny Ferry for not turning Varejao, the 19th pick and expiring contracts into O.J. Mayo, Michael Redd and Elton Brand...