Kori Ellis
06-30-2005, 07:53 PM
Help wanted
Cavs, Ferry prepared to spend on free agents
Posted: Thursday June 30, 2005 7:20PM; Updated: Thursday June 30, 2005 7:20PM
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has all kinds of resources to help him woo free agents, and the most important one isn't LeBron James.
It's George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin. In the end, money is usually the difference maker.
Ferry will enter arguably the most important three-week stretch in Cavaliers' history on Friday with upward of $29 million to spend as the NBA's free-agency period gets under way.
Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Antonio Daniels are among the players who are expected to hear from the Cavaliers. Ferry, who only took over as GM on Monday, said Cleveland was still completing its shopping list.
"We're setting our priorities," Ferry said. "We have a Plan A and Plan B, and if this happens, then this. That's all stuff we're going through right now. We're going to try and stay as close as we can to the plan."
Ferry knows he better be ready when the market opens. Last year, one of the biggest deals was struck in the first hours of free agency as the Phoenix Suns shook things up with their huge Day 1 offer and landed point guard Steve Nash, who went on to become league MVP.
Ferry said it's difficult to gauge how quickly deals may get done this summer. His only objective initially will be to let players know the Cavs are interested.
"Tonight, I think everyone will call and say 'Hi' as much as anything else," he said. "I don't know if there are going to be a lot of big offers thrown around. I think the real heavy stuff will start in the morning."
With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement not completely finalized, Ferry doesn't know exactly how much money he'll have to spend on quality players to put around James. Ferry said most of the league was operating with the idea that the salary cap will $47-48 million.
That number could go as high as $50 million, however, which would give the Cavaliers nearly $29 million to throw around.
But just because their coffer is overflowing with cash, the Cavaliers aren't guaranteed anything. Ferry recalled that while he was with San Antonio, the club thought it had a deal with All-Star Jason Kidd but came up short.
Could having too much salary-cap space be a liability?
"With that much money to spend, you feel like you kind of need to walk away with something," he said. "You have to spend it wisely."
One of Ferry's first calls could be to Ilgauskas, his former Cleveland teammate and good friend who is now an unrestricted free agent. On Wednesday night, Ferry went to dinner with Ilgauskas and Lithuanian center Martynas Andriuskevicius, acquired by the Cavs in a draft night trade with Orlando.
Ferry remains hopeful that Ilgauskas, a two-time All-Star, will decide to stay with Cleveland.
"He's got some tough decisions ahead and hopefully this is a place that he wants to play," he said. "I think it is."
In years past, Cleveland might be one of the last places a free agent would consider signing. But the chance to play with James, not to mention the chance to make a lot of money, heightens the Cavaliers' appeal.
"I think people see that they can come here and make a big difference," Ferry said. "Hopefully, they choose to do so."
This will be Ferry's first journey into free agency as a GM. But in addition to having resources that would make any GM jealous, Ferry has 13 years of experience as a player and two seasons as San Antonio's director of basketball operations to guide him.
"I've played against a bunch of them so I have a better feeling for how hard they'll go through a pick, how well they shoot it and how quick they really are -- when they blow by me," he said. "With the agents, hey, I'm walking into this with a couple of years of experience. I'm going to have to work really hard and rely on the people around me and hopefully we can make good decisions."
Cavs, Ferry prepared to spend on free agents
Posted: Thursday June 30, 2005 7:20PM; Updated: Thursday June 30, 2005 7:20PM
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry has all kinds of resources to help him woo free agents, and the most important one isn't LeBron James.
It's George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin. In the end, money is usually the difference maker.
Ferry will enter arguably the most important three-week stretch in Cavaliers' history on Friday with upward of $29 million to spend as the NBA's free-agency period gets under way.
Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Larry Hughes and Antonio Daniels are among the players who are expected to hear from the Cavaliers. Ferry, who only took over as GM on Monday, said Cleveland was still completing its shopping list.
"We're setting our priorities," Ferry said. "We have a Plan A and Plan B, and if this happens, then this. That's all stuff we're going through right now. We're going to try and stay as close as we can to the plan."
Ferry knows he better be ready when the market opens. Last year, one of the biggest deals was struck in the first hours of free agency as the Phoenix Suns shook things up with their huge Day 1 offer and landed point guard Steve Nash, who went on to become league MVP.
Ferry said it's difficult to gauge how quickly deals may get done this summer. His only objective initially will be to let players know the Cavs are interested.
"Tonight, I think everyone will call and say 'Hi' as much as anything else," he said. "I don't know if there are going to be a lot of big offers thrown around. I think the real heavy stuff will start in the morning."
With the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement not completely finalized, Ferry doesn't know exactly how much money he'll have to spend on quality players to put around James. Ferry said most of the league was operating with the idea that the salary cap will $47-48 million.
That number could go as high as $50 million, however, which would give the Cavaliers nearly $29 million to throw around.
But just because their coffer is overflowing with cash, the Cavaliers aren't guaranteed anything. Ferry recalled that while he was with San Antonio, the club thought it had a deal with All-Star Jason Kidd but came up short.
Could having too much salary-cap space be a liability?
"With that much money to spend, you feel like you kind of need to walk away with something," he said. "You have to spend it wisely."
One of Ferry's first calls could be to Ilgauskas, his former Cleveland teammate and good friend who is now an unrestricted free agent. On Wednesday night, Ferry went to dinner with Ilgauskas and Lithuanian center Martynas Andriuskevicius, acquired by the Cavs in a draft night trade with Orlando.
Ferry remains hopeful that Ilgauskas, a two-time All-Star, will decide to stay with Cleveland.
"He's got some tough decisions ahead and hopefully this is a place that he wants to play," he said. "I think it is."
In years past, Cleveland might be one of the last places a free agent would consider signing. But the chance to play with James, not to mention the chance to make a lot of money, heightens the Cavaliers' appeal.
"I think people see that they can come here and make a big difference," Ferry said. "Hopefully, they choose to do so."
This will be Ferry's first journey into free agency as a GM. But in addition to having resources that would make any GM jealous, Ferry has 13 years of experience as a player and two seasons as San Antonio's director of basketball operations to guide him.
"I've played against a bunch of them so I have a better feeling for how hard they'll go through a pick, how well they shoot it and how quick they really are -- when they blow by me," he said. "With the agents, hey, I'm walking into this with a couple of years of experience. I'm going to have to work really hard and rely on the people around me and hopefully we can make good decisions."