Trying to dump salary and bolster their assets for free agency maneuvers, the Cavaliers were in serious talks Saturday to trade Iman Shumpert to the Houston Rockets, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Cavs are seeking a draft pick and a trade exception for Shumpert, which would free up salary-cap space to re-sign Kyle Korver and help them in future deals.
According to Wojnarowski's story on ESPN.com, trading Shumpert would drop the Cavs' committed salaries for 2017-18 from $125 million to $115 million guaranteed, $4 million below the luxury tax, and save the team $17.1 million in taxes.
Shumpert carries a $10.3 million salary for 2017-18 and $11 million in his player option year in 2018-19, according to spotrac.com.
Shams Charania of The Vertical reported that teams interested in Shumpert have discussed altering the player option, but that caveat is not in play in the talks with the Rockets.
Shooting guard Korver received a contract offer from the Cavs on the opening day of free agency Saturday, a source familiar with the decision confirmed to the Beacon Journal.
Acquired in a three-team trade in January, 2015 that also brought J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks, 6-foot-5 guard Shumpert averaged 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25.5 minutes for the Cavs last season. In the playoffs, Shumpert posted averages of 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and one assist in 16.2 minutes.
Shumpert fell out of Cavs coach Tyronn Lue's rotations as he struggled down the stretch, getting in for only six minutes in a home loss to Atlanta on April 7. Lue chose Richard Jefferson, then 36, over Shumpert, 27, to play with the second unit in the Cavs' postseason opener against the Indiana Pacers.
Shumpert redeemed himself with his defense on Pacers star Paul George in Game 2 after Smith injured his left hamstring just before halftime. That day LeBron James lauded Shumpert as a "true professional" and friend Kyrie Irving said Shumpert's energy sparked the Cavs, while adding, "We just need Shump to stay focused and understand the task at hand."
But Shumpert has not proven to be the shut-down defender former Cavs general manager David Griffin thought he'd acquired.
Griffin parted ways with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert on June 19, with assistant GM Koby Altman now second in command behind Gilbert.
Chauncey Billups, reportedly offered a five-year contract to become the Cavs' head of basketball operations on June 21, showed up in Charlotte Saturday to participate in Ice Cube's Big 3 three-on-three basketball league Sunday in the Spectrum Center. Billups' arrival was heralded by a tweet and Instagram post by Jim Jackson, a former Ohio State star now working as a basketball analyst after a 14-year NBA career.
In Houston, Shumpert would be reunited with former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, who directed Shumpert during his rookie year in New York.
Players cannot be officially signed or trades consummated until Thursday, but agreements came even before the free agency period officially opened.
Also on Saturday, a league source confirmed that the Cavs have talked to Zach Randolph and Jose Calderon, two who could strengthen their second unit.
A league source said the Cavs were interested in center/power forward Randolph, although David Aldridge of NBA.com said on Twitter that Randolph had meetings set with the Kings, Clippers and Thunder.
Jose Calderon of the Hawks has also drawn the Cavs' interest to become their backup point guard, according to a league source, confirming a Friday night report by Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.
Randolph, 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, was a first-round pick of the Trail Blazers in 2001 and has been with the Grizzlies for the past eight seasons. In 2016-17, he averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 73 games with five starts. Randolph, who turns 36 on July 16, is a product of Michigan State, Gilbert's alma mater.
Calderon, 35, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, would take over the role held by Deron Williams, who joined the Cavs on Feb. 27 after receiving a buyout from the Dallas Mavericks.
Calderon, 35, averaged 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists, shooting 41 percent from the field and 31 percent from 3-point range in 41 games last season with the Lakers and Hawks. He started 13 games, 11 with the Lakers.
Williams, 33, struggled in The Finals, hitting 2 of 16 field goals, 1 of 9 from 3-point range, against the Warriors. In five games, the two-time All-NBA player also totaled just six assists with five turnovers.
