Kevin Love becoming a member of the Cavaliers is pretty much a lock at this point, but the two sides don't have an agreement on a new max deal in place, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
NBA news roundup: Kevin Love, Cavs don’t have agreement for extension
The latest on Kevin Love’s situation in Cleveland, the Pistons adding former players to their coaching staff and more from around the NBA.
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While it’s been expected that a Love-to-Cavs deal would require a long-term commitment from the All-Star forward, he appears to be in wait-and-see mode:
If Love opts out next summer, he could get a five-year, $120 million deal from the Cavs. But with James, the sole trigger for the deal, working on a two-year deal with a player option next summer, the two people familiar with the discussions said Love may want to wait and see how long of a deal James agrees to next summer so the two stars can synchronize their plans.
That doesn’t seem like great news for Cleveland, which stands the risk of losing both James and Love one season after acquiring them. However, don’t overreact to the news, as Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times points out this may simply be a formality:
Kevin Love simply cannot have an agreeement on a new contract w/Cavs - doesn't mean he doesn't - but it's non-binding/techincally illegal
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) August 7, 2014
It's hard to imagine the Cavaliers building this team only to watch it fall apart in a year, but Love is primarily coming to the Cavs to partner with LeBron, and may not want to commit long-term when the four-time MVP won't. Nobody expects LeBron to leave, though, so Love may be ready to sign his max deal whenever he's allowed.
Pistons hiring former players as coaches
Following in the footsteps of some other recent players, longtime NBA swingman Quentin Richardson isn't wasting any time finding his next gig after hanging up the jersey. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Detroit Pistons plan to hire Richardson in a player development role for the upcoming season.
The move signals something of a reunion for Richardson, who will be partnering with Pistons head coach and president Stan Van Gundy in Detroit after playing under him as a member of the Magic. It also spells the end to Richardson's 13-year NBA career, which began in 2000 when the Clippers drafted him out of DePaul.
Further details on Richardson's future role in Detroit remain uncertain, but he will likely work with the team's young wings in a mentoring role. The Pistons have a number of young guys, including Kyle Singler, Luigi Datome and 2013 first-round pick Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who could be students under Richardson.
At 34, Richardson has played just one game in the past two seasons due to injuries, making his retirement unsurprising. He averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds over 783 career games, and shot 36 percent from three. In 2004-05, Richardson led the NBA in three-pointers made and attempted as a member of the Suns.
Richardson isn’t the only former SVG player joining the team, either:
Malik Allen -- once a player under Stan Van Gundy -- will join Detroit's coaching staff, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) August 7, 2014
Cavs considering E’Twaun Moore
The Cavaliers already made their big move on Thursday, nearing a deal for superstar big man Kevin Love, but now the cracks in the roster must be filled. That has the team considering former Magic guard E’Twaun Moore, according to David Pick:
Hearing E'Twaun Moore is in strong consideration to land deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) August 7, 2014 Moore was reportedly close to signing with Italy's Olimpia Milano earlier this week, but held off once NBA teams started showing interest. One of those teams is apparently Cleveland, and understandably, Moore would have a hard time turning down the chance to play alongside LeBron James.
Last season, Moore averaged 6.3 points and 1.4 assists per game as a member of the Magic.
DeAndre Daniels heading to Australia?
Raptors second-round pick DeAndre Daniels will likely be signing with Australia's Perth Wildcats for the 2014-15 season, reports Shayne Hope of The West Australian. The move would allow Daniels to get some much-needed playing time overseas rather than compete for minutes in a stacked Toronto rotation.
A key contributor to UConn's championship team last season, Daniels was drafted by Toronto with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2014 draft. His size and shooting ability make him appealing as an NBA prospect, but he was unlikely to get significant minutes on a Raptors team that already boasts DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and others on the wing.
Instead, he will head to Perth, where the Wildcats could use reinforcements after losing James Ennis to the Miami Heat this summer. Ennis finished third in the Australian league's MVP voting last season, and Daniels is likely aiming for similar success before a jump to the NBA.
Heat bring Shawn Jones to camp
The Heat made a minor move Thursday, inviting undrafted rookie Shawn Jones to their training camp this fall. The former Middle Tennessee State star will compete for one of the final spots on the team’s roster and, most likely, a minimum-salary contract for the upcoming season.
Jones was considered a middling prospect before the draft, being rated by ESPN’s Chad Ford as the No. 99 player in the class. He played quite well at the senior-only Portsmouth Invitational, but not well enough to make significant waves around the league.
This summer, Jones played for the Clippers' Summer League team, averaging five points and 5.2 rebounds over five games. He'll be competing with some of the other players Pat Riley has brought in this offseason, including recent signees Shawne Williams and Tyler Johnson.
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