Cavs to make strong push for Redd, Ilgauskas
Michael Redd, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and one more quality free agent to be named
later.
That's how the Cleveland Cavaliers' wish list looked early Friday morning when
the NBA's annual free-agent frenzy began at 12:01 a.m.
Sources familiar with the Cavaliers' plans told ESPN.com that new general
manager Danny Ferry has identified a Redd-Ilgauskas combo as his ideal
free-agent haul to flank budding superstar LeBron James, with the pitches to
both players starting immediately.
The Cavaliers, furthermore, just might have enough salary-cap room above the
league's $4.9 million mid-level exception to pursue another coveted free agent
-- in the Antonio Daniels class -- even if they're successful in stealing
Redd away from the Milwaukee Bucks and re-upping Ilgauskas. Tuesday's predraft
trade of Jiri Welsch to Milwaukee for a 2006 second-round pick, in which
sources say Cleveland agreed to pay Welsch's $2.1 million salary next season,
sets Ferry up to have $27-30 million in spending money ... provided the
official cap number announced by the league July 22 reaches the $48-50
million projected.
Of course, all of that assumes that the Cavs can get Redd away from the Bucks
and their bucks. Which isn't especially likely.
Despite all of the ongoing uncertainty in Milwaukee, where Redd's bosses are
still trying to convince Flip Saunders to sign on after the June 22 firing of
Terry Porter, Cleveland's best offer to the lefty sharpshooter can't exceed
five years at an estimated at an estimated $60 million to $70 million.
Milwaukee is the only Redd suitor that can offer six years, which would take
the value of a maximum contract closer to $90 million. Redd is a Columbus-born
alumnus of Ohio State, but he'd have to feel especially good about the
Cavaliers' situation to leave $20-plus million on the table. Especially since
the Bucks just landed Andrew Bogut with the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday's
draft and remain cautiously optimistic that point guard T.J. Ford will be able
to return from a year-long injury absence next season.
The ability to offer a contract one year longer than the rest of the field has
Seattle similarly optimistic about re-signing Ray Allen, even though Allen
has already rejected a five-year extension offer from the Sonics believed to
be in the $75 million range.
Allen received immediate interest from Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers
when the free-agent season commenced one minute after midnight Thursday.
Cleveland, New Orleans and Charlotte are the only other teams with the cap
space to offer a contract to compare to what Seattle can offer, and clearly
only the Cavaliers can reasonably promise a better on-court future than the
Sonics.
No new contracts can be signed until July 22, but as seen with Steve Nash just
one day into free agency last summer, teams and free agents can reach verbal
agreements rather quickly.
Other developments and disclosures from the first few hours of free agency
early Friday:
‧ Knowing that unrestricted free agent Shareef Abdur-Rahim will generate
fierce competition at the bargain price of roughly $5 million for next season,
New Jersey took a proactive step at the first permissible moment. Nets coach
Lawrence Frank, according to league sources, took a flight Thursday so he'd be
able to see Abdur-Rahim right after midnight ... and not just to reminisce
about their days together in Vancouver.
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