The Cavaliers have signed 28-year old small forward Joey Graham to a 2-year deal. Graham played in 63 games (18 starts) for the Nuggets last season and he averaged 12.0 minutes, 4.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game. He has now played in 338 games (76 starts) in his five years in the NBA and he has averaged 16.4 minutes, 6.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game. Small forward is wide open for the Cavaliers so Graham could earn himself a lot of P.T.

The Cavaliers have acquired 24-year old point guard Ramon Sessions, 25-year old center Ryan Hollins and a 2nd round pick in 2013 for 27-year old shooting guard Delonte West and 25-year old point guard Sebastian Telfair. Sessions was the key to the deal for the Cavs as he is a physical, pass-first point guard. He played in 82 games (1 start) for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 21.1 minutes, 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Sessions has now played in 178 games (47 starts) in his three years in the NBA and he is averaging 24.5 minutes, 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Ryan Hollins is a big guy at 7’0″, 230 pounds but he has a lot to learn yet in the NBA. He played in 73 games (27 starts) for the T-Wolves last season and he averaged 16.8 minutes, 6.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. Hollins has now played in 205 games (31 starts) in his four years in the NBA and he has averaged 11.6 minutes, 3.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.

Delonte West is now more famous for having fun with Prince James’ momma than his basketball ability. West played in 60 games (3 starts) for the Cavs last season and he averaged 25.0 minutes, 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He played in 150 games (93 starts) in his three years with the Cavs and he averaged 29.7 minutes, 10.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Sebastian Telfair played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Cavs last season and he averaged 19.3 minutes, 9.8 points, 1.0 rebound and 3.0 assists per game.

I like this deal for the Cavaliers but I think it might foreshadow a trade of Mo Williams with the idea of Sessions replacing him in the starting lineup rather than backing him up at the point.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed 24-year old point guard Kyle Lowry to a 4-year, $24 million dollar offer sheet. Lowry played in 68 games (0 starts) for the Rockets last season in which he averaged 24.3 minutes, 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He has now played in 237 games (30 starts) in his four years in the NBA and he has averaged 23.6 minutes, 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game. The Rockets will have seven days to either match the offer to Lowry or let him become a Cleveland Cavalier. This signing doesn’t surprise me because Byron Scott likes pass first point guards if you look at the teams he has coached in the past. If Lowry comes to the Cavs I see them trying to trade Mo Williams to a team like the Kings looking for a upgrade at small forward.

UPDATE: (7/15/2010) – The Rockets didn’t take too long to think about it as they matched the Cavs’ offer to Lowry sending Cleveland back to the drawing board.

LeBron James continues to stick it to the Cavaliers as he has convinced Ilgauskas to take less money to play with him in Miami next year. The Cavs wanted Big Z back but he instead signed a 2-year, $2.8 million dollar deal with the Heat. Ilgauskas played in 64 games (6 starts) for the Cavaliers last season and he averaged 20.9 minutes, 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Ilgauskas played in 771 games (673 starts) in his career with the Cavaliers and he averaged 28.3 minutes, 13.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Ilgauskas leaves Cleveland as the Cavs’ all-time leader in games played (771), rebounds (5,904) and blocked shots (1,269). Big Z was also the Cavaliers’ #2 leading scorer with 10,616 points behind only LeBron James. Unlike LeBron James, I think the Cavs could retire Z’s number someday. It will hurt to watch Ilgauskas playing for the Heat next year.

The Cavaliers have decided to take what the Miami Heat were willing to offer them in a sign and trade deal for LeBron James. The Cavaliers will get two first round picks (believed to be in 2013 and 2015), two second round picks (believed to be in 2011 and 2012), the right to swap first round picks in 2012 and a $16 million dollar trade exception. In essence the Cavs will be able to add a player or players using up to $16 million bucks but they only have it for one year (2010-11). They also snag four picks from the Heat that they wouldn’t have gotten if they just let him walk away. Although the Cavs didn’t get nearly enough for James it was smart business to make this deal.

LeBron James might be the Cavs’ all-time leader in points scored (15,521) and steals (955) but he didn’t show any class in how he left the Cavaliers so I don’t think his jersey should be retired and be next to Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance’s. Mark Price played 9 years for the Cavs appearing in 582 games (495 starts) in which he averaged 31.1 minutes, 16.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Price also shot 40.9% from three point range and 90.6% from the free throw line in his time with the Cavaliers. Price is the Cavs’ all-time leader in assists with 4,206. He is also #2 in three pointers made (802), #2 in steals (734) and #5 in points scored (9,543) in Cavs’ history. Price was also a class act as he often had christian concerts after Cavaliers games. Brad Daugherty played in 548 games (546 starts) in his 8 years with the Cavs and he averaged 36.5 minutes, 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Daugherty is #2 all-time in rebounds (5,227) in Cavs’ history. He also is #6 in assists (2,028), #9 in steals (422), #7 in blocked shots (397) and he is #3 in points (10,389) in Cavs’ history. Larry Nance came to the Cavaliers later in his career. He played seven years for the Cavs appearing in 433 games (406 starts) in which he averaged 34.6 minutes, 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 blocked shots per game. He is #3 all-time in blocked shots (1,087) in Cavs’ history. He is also #6 in rebounds (3,561) and #8 in points scored (7,257) in Cavs’ history. These three guys exuded class both on and off the court and each of them won as many games in the NBA Finals as LeBron James……0!

25-year old small forward LeBron James decided tonight to leave home and sign with the Miami Heat. James leaves Cleveland as the all-time leader in both scoring (15,521) and steals (955). He also finishes his time with the Cavs #4 in games played (548), #2 in assists (3,810), #4 in rebounds (3,861), #2 in blocked shots (936) and #2 in three pointers made (771). No matter how he tries to spin it “Prince” James couldn’t hack it in Cleveland. The Cavs did everything they could going way over the salary cap and paying the luxury tax every year to bring in big time talent to put around James. Did anyone ever think that he might be a big part of the problem in not winning a championship? He must think so as he needs to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami. Still, he has a right to make that decision and I don’t have a problem with him leaving. I have a BIG problem with how he did it. An hour long special on ESPN for a player who has never even won a game in the NBA Finals to decide where he’s going to play? Really? And he had to give it a moniker “The Decision”. Wow that will go down with “The Drive”, “The Shot” and “The Fumble” in Cleveland sports lore. He might go down as the best player in Cleveland Cavaliers’ history but I wouldn’t dare retire his number until he takes a dirt nap. James is now the second most hated man in Cleveland next to Art Modell but he can’t run away because the Heat will have a couple of games at the Q next season.

The Cavaliers have signed 49-year old Byron Scott to a 3-year contract to be the next head coach of the team. He was only 3-6 (33.3%) last season when he was fired by the Hornets. He has been a head coach 10 years for the Nets & Hornets in which he compiled a 352-355 record (49.8%) during the regular season. Scott also has a post season record of 33-24 (57.9%) as a head coach and he has been to the NBA Finals twice (2001-02, 2002-03 with the Nets). Scott was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2008 with the Hornets when he led the team to a 56-26 (68.3%) regular season record. Scott won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers as a player. He played 14 years in the NBA in which he played in 1,073 games (717 starts) and he averaged 28.1 minutes, 14.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Personally I think Scott was signed because he fits what LeBron James wants and that is a good coach who was a NBA player too unlike former coach Mike Brown.