Sometimes I know what I'm talking about

I want to move the current conversation up the page a bit (and give myself a pat on the back in the process). From June 30th, 2005:

And I think the Cavs chances of signing Joe Johnson diminished greatly since the Suns traded Richardson. However, Pluto just brushes over Hughes poor shooting. It's not Redd is a better shooter than Hughes, but Ira Newble is!

If you watched any Cavalier games this year, you know Newble can't shoot worth a damn. Other teams left him open, daring him to shoot. So Pluto wants the Cavs to lay down a big chunk of money on Hughes? Lets compare stats.

Newble: FG% - .429 3PT FG% - .358
Hughes: FG% - .430 3PT FG% - .282

And why not, here's another terrible shooter, Eric Snow's stats:

Snow: FG% - .382 3PT FG% - .289

Is Hughes a better player than Newble and Snow? Yes, but that's not the point. The point is the Cavs need players who can shoot the 3 more than Rob Schneider needs Adam Sandler to keep making movies. Hughes more of a slashing player and the Cavs need someone who can hit open shots. Especially 3s. If they are going to spend a ton of money on a shooting guard, my hope would be that he shoots the 3 better than Eric Snow and Ira Newble. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I would rate the SG in this order (Allen is lower because of his age and money demands):
1. Johnson
2. Redd
3. Allen
4. Hughes

Johnson would be ideal, and if they overpay for him (and I think they are going to have to overpay to get anyone of these guys), the Suns may not be able to match because of the contracts of Nash and Marion, plus Stoudamire's coming up (keep Amare over Joe).

Here's what Windhorst is saying now (because Cavs fans are pissed that he's not ripping Ferry):

One more thing before I go. I have been accused of defending Danny Ferry, especially today because I wrote a realist column in the paper that talks about the $30 million in expiring contracts the Cavs have next year to use in trades. What I attempt to do in stories in the paper and on this blog is to add perspective to the Cavs, which fans don’t have to worry about and that’s fine. When the Cavs made those signings in 2005, I agreed with all of them. I felt Larry Hughes’ contract was an overpay, especially the fact that there were $10 million in incentives on top of the $60 million guaranteed. I felt the contracts given to Jones, Donyell Marshall and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were also each one year longer than they had to be. But that is what the market dictated that summer.

But I didn’t disagree with any of their additions, they each gave the Cavs something they needed. To sit here today and criticize those signings would be hypocritical and not fair. At the time, Hughes was one of the most productive players in the NBA, Marshall was one of the best-shooting big men and Jones just hit 225 3-pointers and was coming to a team that was 29th in 3-point shooting. To help make it happen, as I have said many, many times, Z took a massive pay cut. He then even took less money when the Cavs screwed up his contract and accidentally renounced his rights, meaning he could only get 8 percent raises and not 10.5 percent raises. I didn’t like the David Wesley signing when they made it and therefore I felt I was fair when I ripped it all of last season. Also, before this season I said not getting a point guard, even an average one, was a mistake and it would hold them back. Which I also stand by.

Yup.

I didn't agree with all the moves, but I can at least understand them. And remember, Ferry was on the job roughly 10 minutes before he had to spend his cap room. Plus, the Cavs hadn't been to the playoffs with LeBron yet, so they weren't an attractive destination to veteran ring chasers (meaning they had to overpay guys in order to convince them to come to Cleveland).

And this is why they're currently stuck. Due to those contracts as well as poor drafts (Luke Jackson, Shannon Brown) and lack of picks (Jiri Welsch debacle). This is the reason why the Cavs haven't made any moves lately.

This offseason, they'll have a first round pick (barring a trade) and a roughly 5 kajillion dollars in expiring contracts to play with. Those matter more than you might think:

Iverson traded to Nuggets:

This deal will bring Philly a former league assist leader in Miller, Smith's expiring salary of nearly $7 million and those two first-round picks in June -- projected to be in the 20s -- to go with their own lottery pick. Miller is averaging 13 points and 9.1 assists per game -- third-best in the NBA -- while Smith, an 11-year veteran, has played little this season, averaging only 13.5 minutes and 5.1 points per game.

Garnett traded to Celtics:

The package going back to Minnesota, sources say, is built around two assets Wolves vice president Kevin McHale has long coveted: Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract.

Gasol to Lakers:

Griz general manager Chris Wallace didn't try to spin the transaction any other way for his squad: It's about financial flexibility and future talent.

Period.

Don't expect Brown to be a part of the Grizzlies' plans once his contract -- paying $9 million -- expires after this season. Brown, 25, is widely considered a bust despite being selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 draft.

Davis to Warriors:

Claxton was in his second year with the Warriors, but the former Hofstra guard never got comfortable. He fought off challenges for his starting job from Nick Van Exel and Derek Fisher, but couldn't score consistently enough to help Golden State become a winner.

Dale Davis, a 14-year veteran, is in his first season with Golden State, which acquired him from Portland in a deal for Van Exel. He hasn't played consistently with the Warriors, but his contract expires this summer.

Korver to Utah:

The deal, though, was more about salary cap flexibility for the Sixers than it was getting a player who could help them this season. Giricek's $4 million contract expires at the end of the season, giving the Sixers about $10 million in cap space for next summer.

Things will be looking up come the offseason. The Cavs will be in a much better position to make moves. But unless Ferry somehow convinces Rod Thorn that Hughes is better than Jason Kidd, I don't see anything big happening.