Danny Ferry's contract expires in 30 days, but if it is his last month as the Cavaliers GM, no one within the organization seems to be worrying about it.
Danny Ferry and owner Dan Gilbert had an intense post-playoff meeting in assessing the Cavaliers, but insiders say Ferry continues to call the shots as the off-season gets underway.
DRIBBLES
• Andy Miller, the agent for several Cavs, including guard Sebastian Telfair, said Saturday that Telfair has elected to pick up his $2.7 million option for next season. The Cavs have not yet received the paperwork, but it is expected to become official next week.
Telfair was limited to just four games with the Cavs after being part of the Jamison trade in February as he recovered from a ruptured muscle in his leg. The quick point guard averaged 9.8 points in games at the end of the season.
Telfair’s future with the team is uncertain. He is a trading chip because of his expiring contract, but the Cavs are expected to attempt to trade backup guard Delonte West and that could make Telfair more valuable.
West has a partially guaranteed contract of $4.6 million that is worth just $500,000 if he’s waived by August 5. That type of deal that could provide more than $5 million in savings for another team depending on how a trade is structured.
• Dwyane Wade made plenty of waves last week in an interview with the Chicago Tribune when he talked about the top free agents getting together for a summit before deciding where to sign. He also ripped his hometown team, the Bulls, by saying the organization didn’t show loyalty. And loyalty, said Wade, is what is important to free agents.
“I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty,” Wade told the Tribune. “I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball ... how loyal they are. I don’t know about the Bulls.”
This created plenty of conjecture about the free agents’ plans. But if anyone was paying attention, it shouldn’t have. Wade’s remarks are quite transparent and gives away exactly he’s trying to do. He’s attempting to recruit James, Chris Bosh and others to Miami and ripping the Bulls and getting everyone together (perhaps in lovely Miami) is part of the plan.
It has been Heat president Pat Riley’s not-so-well guarded secret that he wants to re-sign Wade, sign James or Bosh and then make a sign-and-trade for the other in July. The Bulls are the only other team that could pull off such a move, which is probably why Wade is jabbing them.
Meanwhile, the loyalty commentary could come back to bite Wade. First, he’s stepping out on a ledge because he’s preaching loyalty and perhaps trying to talk to his star friends about leaving their franchises who have paid them millions and constructed teams around them. That would be quite hypocritical on Wade’s part.
Second, the Heat do not have the sterling record of loyalty. Just ask former coach and longtime Riley employee Stan Van Gundy, who was pushed out of his job when Riley wanted to coach in 2005. Now Riley may do the same to coach Erik Spoelstra, hinting he might demote him after two years on the bench because Riley might feel like coaching again.
• In a reminder of what might await James if he were to sign with the New York Knicks or New Jersey Nets, recently a New York newspaper had a reporter stake out Gloria James’ Akron-area home. At the time there were unsubstantiated Internet rumors involving the James family.
The family’s Cleveland-based attorney and New York-based publicist have had to threaten Web sites and media outlets with legal action recently to attempt to stop the spread of rumors.
-- Brian WindhorstCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Danny Ferry's contract expires in 30 days, but if it is his last month as the Cavaliers general manager, no one within the organization seems to be worrying about it.
Since last summer, Ferry has firmly declined to talk about his future in any setting. Owner Dan Gilbert has declined several interview requests on the matter.
The signs are there, however, that Ferry plans on staying and that Gilbert wants him back. It is possible one of the reasons for the silence is that the two sides are talking about a new contract.
According to league sources, Ferry is indeed running the point as the Cavs begin to do background research on coaching candidates, an indication that he plans on being around.
Despite doing a strong overall job -- Ferry finished second in the Executive of the Year race, which is voted on by his peers, in each of the last two seasons -- it was not a given that Ferry would want another contract.
Three years ago, as the team was facing some serious pressure for a makeover, Ferry told some of his close friends in the business that he wasn't sure he wanted to do the job long term. For one, being an executive was never his dream job. Being a player was and Ferry lived out that dream, playing 13 seasons and winning a championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs.
Ferry also saw the toll that 17 years as a general manager took on his father, Bob, who did the job for the Washington Bullets from 1973-90.
In the high pressure and comparatively low-paying world of NBA executives, that is not an uncommon reaction. However, at 43, Ferry is still one of the NBA's youngest GMs. Though he has a reputation for being hard-headed when it comes to contract and trade negotiations, he's established a solid reputation.
League sources have indicated that Gilbert and Ferry's season-ending meetings were intense and in-depth, but that both men eventually walked away on the same page and with a stronger relationship.
Part of those discussions likely focused on some of Ferry's own shortcomings. If there is one issue where Ferry could be critiqued, it would be the type of players he brought in during his makeover.
Ferry leveraged Gilbert's willingness to spend money by working one-sided trades, bringing in Mo Williams, Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison without giving up much from his roster. From a chemistry and character standpoint those stars fit. The offensive diversity they brought was badly needed to help out LeBron James.
But all three have defensive issues. While the offense improved over the last two seasons, the playoff defense was not as strong as in 2007 when the Cavs made the Finals.
Looking at these types of decisions are what the Cavs and Ferry have been doing. The end results seems to include Ferry going forward.
It is possible that he could follow the path of his close friend, Indians GM Mark Shapiro, and seek a promotion to team president with broader responsibilities and less day-to-day operations.
Ferry's assistant, Chris Grant, is seen as a future GM and may get a promotion to that role. Grant already runs the draft and handles some player contract negotiations. Not unlike Indians GM-in-waiting Chris Antonetti, Grant has turned down chances to leave to run his own team.
When talking about the job in 2005, Ferry played hardball with Gilbert and walked away from the table at one point. It wasn't until his five-year contract was fully guaranteed and he was promised full control over basketball decisions that Ferry signed on just days before the draft and the start of free agency.
With all of the issues the Cavs have right now, it is possible that the details of a new contract will take a while to work out. But expect for Ferry to remain in his role as the top decision-maker in the franchise.