Entering the playoffs of the past season, the Cavaliers landed the fourth seed by winning the now infamous game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Reports have now come out that one of the three teams ahead of us last year has made another effort to improve, as the Orlando Magic have signed former Golden State gunner Mickael Pietrus. Adding Pietrus to a corps of swingmen that already features Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and rookie Courtney "Rock's boy" Lee is just icing on the Orlando-made cake.
But this news out of Philadelphia is even more disheartening.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has verbally agreed to sign a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million with the Sixers, who feared as recently as late last week that they wouldn't be able to compete financially for Brand with the Clippers and Golden State Warriors.
What makes matters worse is that Philly had just cleared said cap space not even 24 hours prior to signing Brand - a guy that Cavs fans everywhere were hoping could just somehow don the wine and gold next season. Now we can scratch him off of the list; the same one that featured Michael Redd, Corey Maggette, and Baron Davis. How did Philly clear the space? The same way that Danny Ferry would have to; ship of expiring deals. I know that Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak are overpaid and all, but come on. Calvin Booth? Plus, the Sixers received a second round pick from Wolves as well.
Couple this with the fact that Brand has reportedly agreed to terms that are considerably less than those he was offered by Golden State, and it makes you really think that it could have happened. It wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed. Yes, we don't have next to any cap space. And yes, our expiring deals are a lot more attractive mid-season. But we now have another team in the East that wasworse than the Cavaliers per their record that now has six guys that are arguably better (or higher ceilings) than every player on our roster save LeBron James.
Overreaction? Possibly. But I just cannot take another offseason of other teams around us making moves to get better while we run in place. Tigers. White Sox. Now we can add in the Magic and Sixers. With all of these names getting checked-off, this summer just wreaks of another Donyell Marshall-type addition. Wonderful. Just wonderful.
But this news out of Philadelphia is even more disheartening.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that Brand has verbally agreed to sign a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million with the Sixers, who feared as recently as late last week that they wouldn't be able to compete financially for Brand with the Clippers and Golden State Warriors.
What makes matters worse is that Philly had just cleared said cap space not even 24 hours prior to signing Brand - a guy that Cavs fans everywhere were hoping could just somehow don the wine and gold next season. Now we can scratch him off of the list; the same one that featured Michael Redd, Corey Maggette, and Baron Davis. How did Philly clear the space? The same way that Danny Ferry would have to; ship of expiring deals. I know that Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak are overpaid and all, but come on. Calvin Booth? Plus, the Sixers received a second round pick from Wolves as well.
Couple this with the fact that Brand has reportedly agreed to terms that are considerably less than those he was offered by Golden State, and it makes you really think that it could have happened. It wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed. Yes, we don't have next to any cap space. And yes, our expiring deals are a lot more attractive mid-season. But we now have another team in the East that wasworse than the Cavaliers per their record that now has six guys that are arguably better (or higher ceilings) than every player on our roster save LeBron James.
Overreaction? Possibly. But I just cannot take another offseason of other teams around us making moves to get better while we run in place. Tigers. White Sox. Now we can add in the Magic and Sixers. With all of these names getting checked-off, this summer just wreaks of another Donyell Marshall-type addition. Wonderful. Just wonderful.
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