Marreese Speights Has a Player Option

[Jon]

Because you need to fill out a roster, we have many first round picks coming, and getting Speights doesnt happen every day. But, to Grant's favor, he pulled the trigger quickly when the opportunity came up.

I think they do. Speights was on the open market this past off-season, as was OJ Mayo.

Perhaps a better defense of Chris Grant would be to say he'd rather not bid on these guys as free agents when he can convince his fellow GMs to hand them over with draft picks. lol

[chrisrich91]

Cavs.com just added interviews with Speights and Ellington from after practice today...and damn does Speights sound dumb.

It's not a big deal I guess, but I can totally understand why he's got Drew Gooden/JJ Hickson syndrome. He sucks at team defense because he probably just can't grasp it.

[daytripper]

Cavs.com just added interviews with Speights and Ellington from after practice today...and damn does Speights sound dumb.

It's not a big deal I guess, but I can totally understand why he's got Drew Gooden/JJ Hickson syndrome. He sucks at team defense because he probably just can't grasp it.

Speights was the player I wanted the Cavs to draft in 2008 until I listened to his pre-draft interviews. Of course as it turns out Hickson wasn't any smarter.

[daytripper]

I don't see him helping other than making the games easier to watch. I hope the Cavs make him look like a star and then flip him for a 2014 pick before Feb 21. That's probably the best outcome.

I was looking through the CBA to try and find out if there was any significance to the trade happening exactly 30 days before the trade deadline, but I couldn't find one.

Speights would have to approve any deal similar to how he approved his trade to the Cavs. The Cavs can deal him but cannot package him with any other players before the deadline. I agree trading him to a playoff team for a pick would be a great coup for Grant. The Heat are actually a team that could desperately use someone like Speights for their playoff run but they only have the Philly pick to deal.

[ClevelandOwnz]

Cavs.com just added interviews with Speights and Ellington from after practice today...and damn does Speights sound dumb.

It's not a big deal I guess, but I can totally understand why he's got Drew Gooden/JJ Hickson syndrome. He sucks at team defense because he probably just can't grasp it.

He sounds ... "dumb" but I was surprised at everything he knew about his past 5 years. Even when JJ was picked. Him just remembering that, I think he may have wated to come to cleveland for a long time.

[Ben]

Speights would have to approve any deal similar to how he approved his trade to the Cavs. The Cavs can deal him but cannot package him with any other players before the deadline. I agree trading him to a playoff team for a pick would be a great coup for Grant. The Heat are actually a team that could desperately use someone like Speights for their playoff run but they only have the Philly pick to deal.

In addition, teams cannot trade players under the following circumstances:

For two months after receiving the player in trade, if the trade aggregates the player's salary with the salaries of other players. However, the team is free to trade the player immediately, either by himself or without aggregating his salary with other salaries. This restriction applies only to teams over the salary cap.

When the player is playing under a one-year contract (excluding any option year) and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the season. This includes first round draft picks following their fourth (option) season, who accept their team's qualifying offer for their fifth season. When the player consents to such a trade, his Larry Bird/Early Bird rights are not traded with him, and instead becomes a Non-Bird free agent2.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q98

[Zone]

In addition, teams cannot trade players under the following circumstances:

For two months after receiving the player in trade, if the trade aggregates the player's salary with the salaries of other players. However, the team is free to trade the player immediately, either by himself or without aggregating his salary with other salaries. This restriction applies only to teams over the salary cap.

When the player is playing under a one-year contract (excluding any option year) and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the season. This includes first round draft picks following their fourth (option) season, who accept their team's qualifying offer for their fifth season. When the player consents to such a trade, his Larry Bird/Early Bird rights are not traded with him, and instead becomes a Non-Bird free agent2.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q98

Do you know what happens next year if he remains with the team? Does he have a Player Option, or is it a Qualifying Offer?

[Dr. Gymbo]

Do you know what happens next year if he remains with the team? Does he have a Player Option, or is it a Qualifying Offer?

He has a player option for next year. In all likelihood, he picks it up. It's for $4.51M next year.

[Rimage]

I felt uncomfortable while watching that.

So you are saying you aren't comfortable with the ball in his hands?

[KI4MVP]

Speights would have to approve any deal similar to how he approved his trade to the Cavs. The Cavs can deal him but cannot package him with any other players before the deadline. I agree trading him to a playoff team for a pick would be a great coup for Grant. The Heat are actually a team that could desperately use someone like Speights for their playoff run but they only have the Philly pick to deal.

yes we can, the packaging to retrade restriction is on teams over the cap.

And he wouldn't have to approve a new trade, he already lost his bird rights, which is why the previous trade had to be approved.

[MNCavsfan]

He sounded inarticulate, but not dumb. As I listened to him, I thought that he had trouble putting his thoughts together in an interview, but when I listened to what he said not just how he was saying it I was actually impressed. I really think that he fits in well with what we do on offense and that he will have the best chance to make an impact that he has had yet in his career.

[buzzdog]

When I was comparing him to Drew Gooden I did have intellectual ability in mind as well as the other similarities.

I do see him as a very useful piece especially with AV out. I actually didn't mind Gooden as a player, if you understood his limitations along with his abilities he could fit into a team's rotation well enough.

But hearing him interviewed drove me crazy.

[red.]

I like this dude. Didn't really sound dumb to me. I liked his attitude towards Cleveland too.

[Cavatt]

I am optimistic, but CJ is another guy we brought to the team to rehabilitate. So far so bad.

[kovanovich]

I don't see him helping other than making the games easier to watch. I hope the Cavs make him look like a star and then flip him for a 2014 pick before Feb 21. That's probably the best outcome.

I was looking through the CBA to try and find out if there was any significance to the trade happening exactly 30 days before the trade deadline, but I couldn't find one.

Hmmm...I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I wonder if the desire to showcase Speights had anything to do with Scott rethinking his philosophy of requiring a full practice before a player can play in a game. Adhering to that philosophy would have caused Speights (and Ellington) to miss two weekend games, and there are only 11 games between now and the trade deadline...