Cavaliers get Drew Gooden from Magic

[ALinChainz]

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer


July 23, 2004


CLEVELAND (AP) -- Needing to replace Carlos Boozer, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Drew Gooden in a four-player trade with Orlando on Friday, sending the Magic forward Tony Battie and two second-round draft picks.

In their second major deal this week, the Cavaliers also got rookie forward Anderson Varejao and 7-foot center Steven Hunter -- a former first-round pick -- from Orlando.

Gooden should help Cleveland offset the surprising loss of Boozer, who bolted as a free agent when he signed a six-year, $68 million offer sheet with Utah last week.

The 6-foot-10, 242-pound Gooden isn't quite as good as Boozer, but he's young, talented and inexpensive.

Gooden averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 79 games -- 17 starts -- for the Magic last season. Drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in 2002 by Memphis, Gooden was traded by the Grizzlies to Orlando during his rookie year.

Gooden's raw talents had the Magic believing he could be a big man to build around.

The former Kansas star capped the 2002-03 season by averaging 14 points and 12.7 rebounds in a seven-game playoff series against Detroit in which he outplayed Pistons star center Ben Wallace.

The Magic signed free agent Juwan Howard before last season, hoping he and Gooden could play together. However, the experiment was quickly shelved, and Gooden was sent to the bench.

Last season, Gooden recorded a team-high 18 double-doubles (points-rebounds), 23 fewer than Boozer got for the Cavaliers.

Orlando, which lost a league-high 61 games last season, has been overhauled since John Weisbrod was hired as general manager in March. Of the 15 players, active and injured, on the roster when the Magic ended the season, only five remain: Keith Bogans, Andrew DeClercq, Pat Garrity, Grant Hill and Britton Johnsen.

Meanwhile, this was the second trade in four days for Cleveland, which is attempting to regroup following Boozer's unexpected departure.

On Tuesday, the club acquired point guard Eric Snow from Philadelphia for Kevin Ollie and Kedrick Brown. The Cavaliers may not be done making trades, either. They have reportedly shopped guard Dajuan Wagner and center DeSagana Diop.

Battie, 27, was a solid defender and role player in Cleveland, averaging 5.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 50 games after coming over in a December trade from Boston.

Varejao and Hunter, too, can help the Cavaliers recover from losing Boozer, the club's leading rebounder last season.

The 6-foot-10 Varejao was drafted by the Magic with the first pick in the second round (No. 30 overall) in last month's draft. The 21-year-old averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds for F.C. Barcelona last season, but the Brazilian national team player has some work to do before he can be a contributor in the NBA.

Hunter, 22, averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds and blocked 73 shots in 69 games last season. He was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2001 draft by Orlando after playing just two years at DePaul.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...if you ask me...a job well done...

frankly surprised they got someone as good a Gooden for virtually nothing...

Now...we'll see what happens when Gooden starts with LeBron...

I'm guessing that offense will immediately lump up his numbers...

Now...if they can fish out Dujuan Wagner and Diop...

they may end up BETTER than before Boozer...

we shall see...

Love this deal...

and piss on Boozer...

[twonabomber]

more Cavs moves rumored...

[POJO_Risin]

What do you got twona?

[twonabomber]

just that lol. fuckin' guy on the news didn't say much more. he mentioned Wagner's name too.

[Lou]

Wow, that is amazing that they were able to rebound (no pun intended) that quickly from losing Boozer. They never should have let Boozer get away but at least they're mitigating their damages.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...Gooden certainly has upside...no doubt...

and if used the way that Boozer was...and he has a good motor...

I like the two others they got as well...certainly projects...or trade bait...

It's interesting...it looks like Cleveland is moving extra parts for some guns...realize the importance of surrounding LeBron...

Paxson may be saving his job...

[twonabomber]

no new rumors mentioned on three newscasts. fuckers.

the Cavs had to do something, the front office is getting hammered. there's been a lot of season ticket holders calling and complaining about the Boozer thing. i guess payments for the upcoming season are due and people are threatening to cancel their ticket plans.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...he's certainly better than Vin Baker...

any news on him?

[twonabomber]

Baker was supposed to be in town Thursday...

The Cavaliers filled a need on Tuesday when they acquired point guard Eric Snow in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavs hope a visit today by forward Vin Baker will mean a more glaring void will be filled.

According to a league source, Baker, an unrestricted free agent, will arrive in Cleveland today to discuss the possibility of joining the Cavs. If Baker signs with the Cavs, he would fill the vacant starting power-forward position left open when Carlos Boozer signed a free-agent deal with the Utah Jazz last week.

The acquisition of Snow is just the beginning of more possible deals. General Manager Jim Paxson said on Tuesday that the Cavs are not finished in trying to improve the team. That improvement could come via more trades or through free agency.

Baker, 32, is a four-time All-Star. He played for the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks last season. The Celtics released Baker in February with 2½ years and $35 million remaining on his contract because he violated terms of his alcohol-treatment program. Baker filed a grievance and he and the Celtics reached a settlement. Baker, who is 6-11 and 250 pounds, finished the season with the Knicks, averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds.

[twonabomber]

and this was on the PD Cavs' weblog:

Wagner on his way out?
The rumors have been swirling that Dajuan Wagner probably won't be in a Cavaliers uniform next season.

I would have to say that rumor is most likely true.

While at the Eric Snow press conference yesterday at Gund Arena, I asked Snow if he felt he could help Dajuan take his game to the next level. During Snow's textbook response I glanced over at Jim Paxson and could just tell in his body language that Dajuan was no longer in the Cavs' plans.

Now before you go off the handle and say that by assuming Wagner will be gone based on body language is absurd, consider these comments made by Paxson when asked if Wagner's spot on the roster was safe. "No. 23 is safe. Basically, look at the team in October. We're going to help the team any way we can. If it means making some more moves trade-wise, we'll do that. We need to address our needs up front."

Ouch.

Something is brewing and should go down relatively soon.

[twonabomber]

shit, i guess upon further digging, the Baker thing ain't happening. yesterday:

Vin to Cleveland? Or Vin to New York?
It was reported yesterday in the Akron Beacon Journal that Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Vin Baker, was still in contract talks with the Cavaliers. The Plain Dealer reported today that Vin Baker will be in town to discuss the possibility of joining the team. Baker, 32, is a four-time All-Star. He is also a recovering alcoholic and is still recuperating from minor heart surgery he had this off-season.

Because we currently have no power forward worthy of a starting role on our roster, Baker's negatives would most likely be overlooked by Cleveland fans. Baker averaged 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game last season. Those aren't quite Carlos Boozer numbers, but his work on the defensive end would make up for his lack of offensive output.

However, there is always a catch 22 when the word free agent and Cleveland are used in the same sentence. The New York Post reported today that Knicks GM Isiah Thomas and head coach Lenny Wilkens met yesterday with Baker about re-signing with the Knicks and a deal could be imminent.

Round and round we go.


then today:

Baker in a New York state of mind

As reported yesterday in this Blog, Vin Baker appears set to remain in New York. The Cavaliers and Baker were reportedly scheduled to meet yesterday in Cleveland, but Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, stated that his client prefers to stay with the Knicks.

[POJO_Risin]

Well...certainly the game is afoot...

Wagner and Diop would make an interesting package...

[Lou]

Wagner isn't going to be anything in the NBA. When he came out I knew he was going to be just another low-percentage shooting guard.

[POJO_Risin]

Lou...he's been hurt almost from the start...

Same size as Iverson...and some say same skills...

I'm not one of them...

but it's hard to say that a guy who just turned 20 will never amount to anyone...;)

of course...who knows...or cares...

[twonabomber]

not much on this deal in the papers today...but here's some interesting stuff:

Gooden has plenty of baggage in tow

While Cavaliers manage ment publicly dances around the issue, why - really - is newly acquired forward Drew Gooden now on his third team in just two years?

Word is it's because Gooden has wasted little time earning a rep around the NBA as one of the league's biggest partiers - a guy who seems more enthusiastic about hitting spots after games than he does hitting the boards during them.

And Gooden also comes with a sizeable personal entourage, one that causes constant headaches and ranks among the NBA's most obnoxious.

To be fair, Gooden, a college All-American at Kansas, hasn't been a total NBA flop. During his two pro seasons, he's recorded a respectable 12.0 scoring average.

But for an overall No. 4 draft pick in 2002, Gooden has been an underachiever. And that's a big reason why neither of Gooden's previous two teams, Memphis and Orlando, could tolerate his off-court baggage for long.

The Cavs acquired Gooden from Orlando in a multiplayer deal that sent Tony Battie to the Magic.

Cavs big man DeSagana Diop, now entering his fourth season, has the look of a soon-to-be-former Cav. The kiss of death for Diop surely came when General Manager Jim Paxson recently admitted the player isn't ready to be a starting NBA center. Previously, Paxson - who made Diop a 2001 first-round pick - would make endless excuses for the center's slow progress.

You can bet Cavs coach Paul Silas shed few tears when the team traded reserve swingman Kedrick Brown and backup point guard Kevin Ollie to Philadelphia for guard Eric Snow. It's no secret Silas regarded Brown as a complainer and a growing cancer in the locker room. And, fairly or not, Silas never seemed to forgive Ollie for performing poorly last year, especially when starting point guard Jeff McInnis got hurt late in the season.

Snow, part 2: The Cavs deserve credit for acquiring the veteran point guard. Snow, a former Canton McKinley High star, approaches basketball with a coach's mentality, and many think he's future NBA head-coaching material.

also read that Hunter will be gone soon, as he was just a "throw-in" to balance the salary rules...and LeBron's longtime girlfriend is knocked up. hopefully he won't end up like Shawn Kemp.

[POJO_Risin]

Yeah...I read that article earlier...interesting on Gooden...shows you the desperation in the Cleveland camp...

interesting about LeBron's chick...

christ...

at least he didn't rape her...that we know of...

[twonabomber]

maybe they're hoping Gooden won't do much bar-hoppin' in a December blizzard.

[POJO_Risin]

Thing is...if Gooden starts...keeps his head outta his ass...and plays just to his capabilities...

people will forget about Boozer (cept when that homo comes to Cle) quickly...

Of course...that would be to ez...

Gooden will probably become some kind of posse drinker...in the december blizzards...probably impregnate LeBron's girl...;)

wouldn't it be funny if we find out LeBron's girl is having BOOZER's baby!!!!

Manning/Eck all over again...;)

[twonabomber]

i dunno...CeCe Boozer looks like she may break her foot off in some bitches' ass if Carlos were to cheat on her.

[POJO_Risin]

She's a whore...