Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason: Cavs Enter Talks With Kyrylo Fesenko, Host Workout For Other Free-Agent Centers

Earlier we noted that the Cleveland Cavaliers had agreed to terms with free agent forward Jawad Williams.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Cavaliers have now officially signed forward Jawad Williams to a one-year contract.

The Cavaliers officially announced the signing of forward Jawad Williams on Wednesday.

The Cleveland native, who decided to take the team’s one-year, $1 million qualifying offer last week, will begin his third season with the team when training camp opens next week.

Windhorst also notes that Williams is expected to compete for a starting position with fellow Cavaliers forwards Joey Graham and Jamario Moon.

Brian Windhorst reports that the Cavaliers are in the market for another center, just a week before the start of training camp. In addition to discussing contract parameters with restricted-free agent Kyrylo Fesenko, the team hosted a workout for Earl Barron, Chris Hunter, and Greg Stiemsma.

The 7-foot-1 Fesenko won’t turn 24 until Christmas Eve, but has already played three NBA seasons, all with the Utah Jazz, who have the right to match any offer Fesenko receives from another team. He has per-game averages of 2.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks, playing about 8 minutes per contest. Given a larger role in last year’s playoffs—the Jazz’s starting center, Mehmet Okur, was injured—his minutes more than doubled to 18 per game, yet he still only averaged 3.3 points and 3.9 boards. His biggest problem is staying on the court, as on average he fouls once per every 4.8 minutes he plays. But as a project big man, the Cavaliers could certainly do worse.

Barron, a 29-year-old veteran of two teams in four seasons, broke out for the New York Knicks after signing with them last April. In seven appearances—with six starts—Barron averaged an 11.7-point, 11-rebound double-double in 33.1 minutes per game, by far the best productivity of his career. Of concern for the Cavaliers, however, is his poor shooting percentage, as he converted a mere 44.1 percent of his shots last season, and posts a career mark of 38.7 percent.

Hunter made his NBA debut last season for the injury-stricken Golden State Warriors, averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game in 60 appearances.

Stiemsma has yet to play at the NBA level, though he did join the Minnesota Timberwolves’ roster for the final two games of last season. Prior to signing there, he had a stellar season for the Sioux Fall Skyforce, leading the NBA D-League in shot-blocking at 3.5 per game en route to winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Though he likely won’t ever develop into an offensive force, his D-League performance suggests he could become an above-average defensive center at the NBA level. In a competitive Eastern Conference which includes the likes of Andrew Bogut, Al Horford, Dwight Howard, and Brook Lopez looking to score from the low block, such a defensive commodity could prove valuable.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that free-agent small forward Jawad Williams has agreed to return to the Cavaliers by accepting their one-year qualifying offer. Negotiations wore on, Windhorst says, because Williams and his agent were “hoping to secure a multi-year deal.”

Williams’ new deal is worth $1.02 million, but is not fully guaranteed. In his two-year career, he has averaged 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds. Windhorst expects him to battle Jamario Moon and Joey Graham for the starting small forward job.

Bob Finnan of the News Herald reports the Cavaliers would like to re-sign forward Jawad Williams, but that Williams is still waiting to see if he can find a better offer elsewhere. Finnan says Williams could have an opportunity to start at small forward were he to remain in Cleveland.

Because Williams is a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers reserve the right to match any offer he receives from an opposing team. If no such offer materializes, Williams could simply take Cleveland’s $1.03 million qualifying offer to stay with the team.

We’ve reached the low point in the NBA offseason news cycle, but there are a few tidbits about the Cavaliers that merit our attention.

First, Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes in this news roundup that the Cavs simply don’t know what Jawad Williams’ plans are; there’s “no news” on that front, she says. Because Cleveland extended him a qualifying offer, he is a restricted free agent, and it can match any offer another team makes to him. Williams has spent his entire two-year career with the Cavs and owns averages of 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game on 39.3 percent shooting. He spent last season as LeBron James’ backup at small forward.

Also on the free-agent front, guard Quincy Douby is at least interested in joining the Cavs, as he told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that his agent is in touch with Cleveland’s management. Douby spent last season overseas. In three NBA seasons split between Sacramento and Toronto, Douby has averaged 4.1 points on 39.3 percent shooting. In the interview with Kennedy, the 6-foot-3 Rutgers product says he’s working to improve his passing skills so he can play more at point guard.

With regard to trades, Boyer’s colleague Brian Windhorst passes this scoop along via Twitter, saying that the Cavs aren’t working on anything at the moment. But he believes Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, and Jamario Moon to all be available at the February trade deadline if the Cavs are already out of the playoff picture; in other words, Cleveland may soon enter a rather drastic rebuilding project, which can’t be too surprising considering James’ departure via free agency. And Windhorst pegs the odds that the Cavs trade Jamison at 60 percent, in response to a reader question.

Shaquille O’Neal, brought in before last season to try to bring Cleveland its first NBA championship, has left the Cavaliers and has signed a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics for a reported $3 million.

Shaq, who averaged 12 points and 6.7 rebounds a game in 53 appearances for the Cavaliers, becomes the fifth player over 30 on the Celtics, as Boston tries to fill the void left by the injury to center Kendrick Perkins that will keep Perkins out until February.

All the best to you, Shaq.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports on Twitter that the Cleveland Cavaliers will open the 2010-2011 NBA season at home on October 27th against the Boston Celtics.

The NBA is set to officially announce the rest of the year’s schedule later this week.

Marc J. Spears reports, via Twitter, that the Cavaliers have added to their frontcourt rotation by signing combo forward Joey Graham to a two-year deal of undisclosed terms.

A five-year veteran, Graham has career averages of 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds. He played the first four years of his career with the Raptors before signing with Denver last summer.

As Rob Mahoney notes at ProBasketballTalk, Graham can help the Cavs, but he’s already 27, and thus not a great fit: "He’s not getting any better, he won’t be around for the long haul, and frankly, it seems like he’d be a more intriguing piece for a veteran team."

Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie believes Damien Wilkins, who’s among the three free-agent wings who worked out with the Cavs earlier this week, still belongs in the NBA, and could “help a team that’s rife with good finishers but lacking in creativity.” With Von Wafer, one of the other workout invites, signing with Boston yesterday, Wilkins might be the next-best option. Besides, “rife with good finishers but lacking in creativity” certainly applies to the Cavaliers, doesn’t it?

After bolstering their backcourt with the trade for Minnesota’s Ramon Sessions Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers moved on to upgrading the wing position Tuesday.

Veteran swingmen Damien Wilkins, Von Wafer and Antonio Anderson all worked out in Cleveland Tuesday in hopes of securing a contract for the upcoming season according to AOL Fanhouse’s Chris Tomasson.

Wilkins, who averaged 5.6 points last season for Minnesota and has a six-year NBA career average of 7.2 after being undrafted in 2004, said he left without a contract offer from Cleveland.

Wafer, 25, began his season in Greece last season before finishing his year with the Dallas Mavericks.

Anderson, 27, hasn’t played in the NBA since making the Charlotte Bobcats on a 10-day contract in 2007. He played with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv last season.

The Cavaliers are also interested in Nuggets free agent Joey Graham according to Tomasson, though he was not reported to be at the workout.

Jerry Zgoda of StarTribune.com is now reporting that the deal also includes Ryan Hollins, who will be sent from Minnesota to Cleveland, as well as draft considerations.

Confirmed: Timberwolves trade Sessions and Hollins — two guys Kahn signed last summer — and 2013 2nd rd pick to Cavs for West, Telfair

Zgoda also writes that the Wolves plan to waive Delonte West, who has had legal issues over the past few seasons.

West will be waived, Telfair likely will be traded or bought out of last yr of 3 yr deal Timberwolves originally signed him to

The rumored trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves appears to be adding pieces.

The latest rumor is that the Cavaliers will trade Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to Minnesota for Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins and a second round draft pick in the 2013 NBA Draft according to Bob Finnan of the News-Herald.

If the Cavaliers trade both West and Telfair, they’ll be left with just Mo Williams and Sessions – both typically regarded as combo guards – to run the point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced that they’ve agreed to terms with 2009 NBA Draft pick Christian Eyenga.

The Cavs selected Eyenga in the first round, 30th overall, but the 21-year-old played in Spain last season to develop his skills. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 29 games for DKV Joventut Badalona.

The 6-foot-5 Eyenga played on the Cavs’ Summer League team earlier this month in Las Vegas and averaged 11.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, via Twitter, that the Cleveland Cavaliers have made their first successful free-agent addition of the summer, signing undrafted PF Samardo Samuels to “a multi-year deal” with a partial first-year guarantee, which means he “is likely to make the team.”

Samuels, 21, averaged 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds on 52.6% shooting during his sophomore season at Louisville, according to DraftExpress. He most recently played for the Chicago Bulls’ summer-league squad in Las Vegas, averaging 12.6 points and 7.4 rebounds there. His best outing came against the Cavs, when he poured in 19 points and 9 rebounds in just 25 minutes.

Daryl Morey, the GM of the Houston Rockets, just went on Twitter to announce he intends to match the offer sheet Kyle Lowry signed with the Cavs, which means Lowry returns to Houston. Cleveland must turn its attention elsewhere if it still wants to add another point guard.

Although the Cavs lost their first target, they can at least take comfort in the fact that the Rockets decided to match quickly, which means their money is no longer tied up in that offer.