Timofey Mozgov has cemented his star power during the playoffs as he continues to dominate with players like Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving out with injuries. Mozgov was originally acquired after Anderson Varejao suffered a torn Achilles at the start of the year. Mozgov proved his worth and then some for the Cavaliers and with a team option for next season, does his return mean the departure of others?
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, picking up the option of Mozgov should be a no-brainer. The center would only cost $4.95 million which is a bargain considering his value to the team. The issue is all of the other contracts the Cavaliers have to deal with as they will try and keep a good portion of the team together next year. Picking up the options and extending restricted free agents would leave the Cavaliers well over the salary cap which is something Cleveland must make some hard calls in the coming months.
James has already made it clear that re-signing Tristan Thompson should be a priority. The power forward will likely command a max deal after raising his stock this season. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, he turned down a four-year, $52 million deal. A max contract for Thompson would be more than that which is what he is looking for. The following year, both James and Love will be aiming to receive the same thing. There is also the option for JR Smith while Iman Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova are restricted free agents. So who gets left out?
The first player likely gone is Brandan Haywood who has no guaranteed money left on his deal. He is an easy release. The question mark could be Varejao. The center signed a new contract just before the start of the season that guantees him $9.6 million in 2015 and $10 million over the following two seasons. If Movgoz and Thompson both return, is it necessary to have that much money allocated to a player that could potentially be a backup? Varejao's trade value is really unknown. He has been a mainstay in Cleveland, but if the Cavaliers need to make hard decisions, he could be on the wrong end of them. He continues to get healthy after the Achilles injury, but whether or not a team is willing to take the risk is relatively unknown.
The Cavaliers would be wise to keep everyone together. WaitingForNextYear.com details the potential outcome of contracts for Cleveland. They suggest Shumpert signed a two-year, $20 million contract. Smith gets his $6.4 million option. James gets a long-term deal in 2017, but one-year max contracts over the next two years. Love gets a max contract next season. Thompson signs a four-year deal while Dellavedova signs a two-year, $6 million deal. Will this all happen? That is really unknown, but if the Cavaliers take home the trophy, the entire roster will want to return next season.
