The Cleveland Cavaliers are hard-capped at the first apron after making a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson earlier this week. Signing James Harden to a new deal that is expected to start just below $30 million pushes the Cavs closer to the apron. That means they either needed to move one of the players on the roster, find a trade partner for Cam Whitmore, or waive him outright.
Cleveland landed on that final option for Whitmore, as he will be released according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The
Cavs acquired Whitmore in the deal for Watson to make the salaries line up.
Whitmore is a former first-round pick with the Houston Rockets. He spent last season with the Washington Wizards and averaged 10.5 points in 17.3 minutes per outing.
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With the move, the Cavs have 13 players on the active roster. Teams must carry a minimum of 14 players, not counting two-way deals. This would mean the Cavs will need to sign someone else before the start of the season.
Given the lack of space under the first apron, the Cavs will only be able to sign someone with no years of service time barring other moves. The minimum contract for someone with no years of service is $1.36 million, while the minimum for someone with one is $2.19 million.
There’s only a select number of players that fit into the no years of service category. Cleveland will likely be looking at someone they have the draft rights to, such as Khalifa Diop, or a recent undrafted player.
We’ll see what direction the Cavs go to round out the roster. As of now, it’s safe to assume that the majority of the roster is set heading into the start of training camp in just about a month.
