Let Free Agency Palooza 2009 Begin

Let the madness begin on July 1st at exactly 12:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time.

Phone calls will be made. Negotiations will start. But no deals can be signed until July 7th.

For the first time in a while, it’d be right to speculate that the Cavs will actually sign a free agent during the off-season. The last time Danny Ferry and Co. used a significant amount of cap space to sign free agents, was in the Summer of 2005 when he first got the job. The Cavs ended up with Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones after hoping to get a top-notch sidekick to put next to LeBron.

4 years later and it finally looks like the Cavs are willing to spend significant money again.

This time the Cavs won’t have the $20 some million they had when Ferry first got hired, but rather the Mid-Level Exception (expected to be around $5.8 million) and the Bi-Annual Exception (expected to be around $2 million). And of course on top of those exceptions, they can also sign as many minimum contract players as possible.

So with the Free Agency madness ready to go, here are some players that are expected to be connected to the Cavs in one way or the other.

PGs

While a point guard isn’t expected to be at the top of the Cavs shopping list, it is expected to be a position their going to be shopping for.

Delonte West had to play major minutes last year during the season and playoffs because the Cavs needed him to play point guard when Mo Williams wasn’t on the floor. What it seems the Cavs want to do is add a veteran point guard to be there as insurance policy but to also run the offense off the bench, if need be, for 8-10 minutes a game.

It’s not expected the Cavs will spend a lot on a point guard, if any at all.

Jason Kidd - while the Cavs do already have 3 point guards (Gibson, Williams, and West) Kidd is just too talented to pass up if he wants to come here. The Cavs have other, more pressing needs, but Kidd’s talent could be just as impactful as any other piece out there.

Tyronn Lue - Lue could help the Cavs from prior experiences, in that Lue played with Shaq while he was in Los Angeles and also played in Orlando last year. He has always been a solid, consistent point guard with a streaky shot and solid defense.

Bobby Jackson - after being a spark-plug for many years off Sacramento’s bench, it looks like Jackson might be in “Ring-Mode” and searching for a Finals contender to play with. While Jackson is more of a combo guard, he can still get the job done.

Anthony Carter - after rejuvenating his career in Denver the past few seasons, Carter could be a viable option for the Cavs. While he’s not the best shooter, he’s still a solid floor general and defender coming off the bench.

Shaun Livingston - one of the very few interesting options I’d love to see the Cavs take a chance on. This is the type of low-risk, high-reward moves that GMs can really gain a lot from.

Others: Ronnie Price; CJ Watson; Jason Hart

Wings

The Cavs would really like to acquire a SG to fit into the starting lineup to fit next to Mo Williams and LeBron James, and move Delonte West to the bench. While their are some possible replacements for Delonte at the SG spot, the Cavs have limited assets to use and may end up having to settle for a SG that would end up coming off the bench.

Right now the two characteristics that seem most important in a wing for the Cavs, are defense and shooting. The Cavs need more perimeter defenders and that will probably be the number one requirement for any wing player they bring in, but they will also have to shoot the ball decently as well.

The Cavs could end up using part of the MLE on a wing player but it’s not expected the Cavs will have to. They might end up using the BAE on whatever wing player they sign.

Anthony Parker - a player the Cavs chased 3 years ago and will almost definitely chase again. Parker is pretty much exactly what the Cavs want at the SG spot.

Matt Barnes - a guy that Ferry has seemed to admire for a while. The former Cavalier, would fit right in with his defense, versatility and spot-up shooting.

Ron Artest - with Yao Ming’s future now looking very murky, Artest could shop elsewhere and the Cavs may be one of his top possible destinations. Amar went in-depth on this topic yesterday.

Josh Childress - Childress hasn’t decided whether or not he’s coming over from Europe and he’s a restricted free agent with the Hawks but should he get a good enough offer from the States, then Childress could bolt. Wherever Childress ends up, a sign-and-trade ultimately looks like the most realistic option at this point.

Grant Hill - even though Hill has a desire to stay in Phoenix, the Suns rebuilding and him wanting a ring could change things for Hill.

Others: Marquis Daniels; Shawn Marion; Jamario Moon

“Stretch” Bigs

Ah, the stretch big. What was once not too popular in the NBA, has all of a sudden exploded onto the scene and has become a “must have” for every NBA team.

The stretch big has become so popular because it not only creates instant match-up problems but it also creates a lot more floor spacing with their being 4 capable perimeter shooters, instead of the normal three in a lineup.

The stretch big seems to be on the top of the Cavs shopping list and is where the Cavs will likely spend their MLE.

Whatever big the Cavs end up putting next to Shaq, will likely determine what road the Cavs end up going, in their pursuit of a wing player and maybe of a PG.

Rasheed Wallace - he’s been linked to the Cavs and many contending teams for awhile now and it almost certainly seems he’s hungry for another ring. His attitude is in question, as well as his possible declining game. At this point in time, even though he may fit, it may be in the Cavs best interest in letting him go elsewhere.

Charlie Villanueva - since becoming an unrestricted free agent not too long ago, it seems like Charlie has become an instant Cavalier fan favorite. While Charlie does have some deficiencies in his game, it’s hard not to like a skilled, 24-year old big man with a lot of potential.

Antonio McDyess - one of the all-time classiest guys in the game, McDyess looks hungrier than ever for a ring. McDyess was supposedly telling friends last year, that he was upset he didn’t sign with the Cavs after being released by the Nuggets in the Chauncey Billups deal. It’s very likely the Cavs still have interest in him, as he’d be a Udonis Haslem type fit next to Shaq.

Lamar Odom - with Los Angeles due to have two big free agents, Ariza and Odom, it’s looking like the Lakers will have a hard time keeping both and that Ariza is their #1 priority. While Odom isn’t too likely to get away, if he does you can expect the Cavs to be one of the first teams to call him.

Others: Channing Frye; Hakim Warrick

While there may be more players the Cavs are looking at or are interested in, those are pretty much the names and positions that the Cavs will be associated with.

Now it’s time to sit back, kick the feet up, and enjoy the summer ride that Free Agency always is.