The Cleveland Cavaliers have some decisions to make when it comes to their free agents this offseason. After falling to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, LeBron James might want some changes made and the Cavaliers will need to free up some money to chase after specific free agents. When it comes to their two main free agents, the word from Cavaliers beat writer Joe Vardon is that Cleveland is more likely to bring back Kyle Korver and let Deron Williams go.
Kyle Korver
When it comes to Kyle Korver, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a clear advantage when bringing him back into the fold.
The Cavaliers traded away a first round draft pick when they acquired Korver so they hold his Bird Rights. What this means to the Cavaliers is that they can actually spend money above the salary cap to hold onto him, which is very important since Cleveland has the largest payroll in the NBA right now.
Kyle Korver is also a huge weapon for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A huge moment in the NBA Finals came when LeBron James passed the ball to Korver to make a shot, which he missed, leading to Cleveland losing Game 3 of the NBA Finals. When asked, LeBron said he would pass it to Korver again in the same situation. That makes sense because, at the age of 36, Korver led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season.
Korver is a huge offensive weapon for the Cavaliers.
Deron Williams
Deron Williams is younger than Korver, at the age of 32, but the Cleveland Cavaliers need to consider money when making these decisions. They can’t pay Williams as well as they can Korver because Williams was a bargain pickup for the team this past season. When the Dallas Mavericks grabbed him last year, he picked up a hefty salary and Cleveland won’t be allowed to match that to bring him back.
There is also the fact that Deron Williams struggled with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals this year. Williams will also make $5.5 million for the next three years thanks to an old deal with the Brooklyn Nets. Because of this, Vardon said that Williams is not likely to sign a deal to return to Cleveland for the $5.1 million exception.
Of course, there is also the fact that LeBron James likes both Deron Williams and Kyle Korver but his personal admiration for the players means little when it comes to the fact that LeBron just wants to win more championships. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to bring in a big name this offseason and that is where James focus is likely resting.
