Izzo Will Not Coach in Cleveland

Contradictory to a previous report published by many Cleveland area websites, Tom Izzo will not become the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers next year. Izzo has declined a five year, $30 million dollar contract which would have doubled his annual salary from what he currently earns at Michigan State.

Now that the Cavaliers have missed out on the opportunity to sign former Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, Byron Scott will likely become the primary target for the Cavs. Scott was the coach of the year with the New Orleans Hornets. If the Cavs sign Scott, this could possibly persuade Chris Paul to join the Cavaliers via trade with New Orleans.

This decision by Izzo to return to MSU offers some valuable insight about the LeBron James sweepstakes this summer. If Izzo had known that James would return to Cleveland, my guess is that he would have taken the job. However, since LeBron has offered no hints as to where he will call home next year, the decision became more of a risk for Izzo. If the Cavaliers could land Scott though, Paul and James could be a formidable combination next year.

Chris Paul is known as a passing point guard and often is in the top three in the league with assists. However, he also is a legitimate scoring option which LeBron is in desperate need of in Cleveland. The trade would likely involve Mo Williams, Antawan Jamison, and/or Jamario Moon.

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Free Agency Update: June 15

I will be posting a weekly Tuesday article dealing with all the latest news about NBA Free Agency from now until July 1. Check back frequently for all of the latest stories and scenarios!

Not much has changed this week in terms of free agency. However, some new developments have surfaced about on-going stories.

First of all, did you know that LeBron James is a wanted man next year? However, he does not know where he will call home just yet. He did endorse the hiring of Tom Izzo by the Cleveland Cavaliers, retracting a previous statement that he would prefer to play for a coach with NBA experience. Izzo is still "undecided" about the head coaching vacancy in Cleveland, but he will likely make up his mind this week. A previous story has him already telling Michigan State players that he will leave the team for Cleveland next year.

Dwyane Wade is attempting to recruit the "best player in free agency" to join him on the Miami Heat next year. Wade has expressed his desire to re-sign with the Heat, and we all know that the Heat will gladly oblige to his request. There's one free agent that has made up his mind. However, he realizes that he cannot take Miami to the Finals alone. He has had dinner with Chris Bosh and talked with Joe Johnson at a Jordan Brand event about a possible future with the Heat. Sources have not indicated whether or not he has spoken with Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer. When asked about the possibility that LeBron James will join him next year Wade simply said, "He's an interesting guy. He's going to do what he wants. He doesn't even know where he's going yet." I'm still betting on the fact that Bosh will play the power forward position for Miami next year.

Amare Stoudemire has stated that he will explore other options if the Phoenix Suns do not offer to re-sign him for a maximum contract. While Stoudemire says that he is excited about the direction that the Phoenix organization has been moving in the past few years, he is also aware that he is a superstar who deserves big money. If the Suns are unwilling to sign him for a maximum contract, I still think that he would be a great fit for the New York Knicks with former head coach Mike D'Antoni. My guess is that Phoenix will re-sign him though.

Lastly, Ray Allen is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has also expressed his desire to remain a Celtic and probably retire in Boston as well. Allen is aware that he will take a pay cut from the almost $19 million that he earned this past year. However, if a team does not land any big ticket free agents, that team (most likely New Jersey) could attempt to lure Allen with one final big payday and offer him more money to sign with their club. Where will Ray Allen be playing next year? I still believe that he will remain with Boston as will Paul Pierce who has an early termination option. If the Celtics win the NBA Finals this year, the Big Four will remain intact. If not, I still think that they will give the Finals one last shot next year.

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Tom Izzo to Cavaliers, Avery Johnson to Nets

In a decision that will be likely be announced Friday, Tom Izzo will be the next head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Izzo met with the Michigan State basketball team before the deal was confirmed by Waiting for Next Year. The contract will likely be for 5 years and somewhere around the amount of $30 million, but what does this mean for LeBron?

Like I said before, LeBron will probably not be impacted greatly by this signing. However, something interesting to think about is the fact that Tom Izzo did agree to this deal when he already ran a successful program at Michigan State. Would he leave that for a Cavaliers team that will be without LeBron next year? My gut is telling me no, and that Izzo knows something that the rest of us don't about the LeBron James free agency market. Perhaps the two have talked and LeBron has expressed his wishes to stay in Cleveland, or maybe Izzo knows for certain another big ticket player will be in a Cavaliers uniform. Either way, he wouldn't have left the success he had at MSU for a mediocre Cavaliers team next year. Big moves will be happening in Cleveland.

Avery Johnson, the former coach of the Dallas Mavericks, also verbally agreed to a contract to become the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. This move will reunite him with Devin Harris, who he coached in Dallas. Johnson is probably the best coach on the market, and may have the power to persuade star free agents to join his campaign in New Jersey. With Brooke Lopez and Harris, the Nets are a better team than their record showed last year. A possible free agent signing? Dirk Nowitzki. He also played for Johnson in Dallas, and the two had a great relationship. With Dirk's frustrations with the Mavericks, I wouldn't be surprised if this move takes place.

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Tom Izzo in the NBA?

Ever since the firing of Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo has been named as one of the possible candidates to take over the vacancy. However, Izzo has insisted that he will remain a Spartan and will return to MSU next season.

Today a report surfaced that Izzo is the main candidate now for the job in Cleveland if he chooses to take it. He has not been officially offered a contract yet, but will probably begin talks with the Cavaliers' front office sometime this week. Izzo has been quoted as saying that he would like to win one more NCAA national championship with Michigan State before he considers leaving and coaching elsewhere.

The main question involving any decision the Cavaliers make within the next month will be the impact that it will have on LeBron James staying in Cleveland. With the possibility of Tom Izzo taking control of the coaching staff, I do not think that this will have to much of an impact on whether James decides to leave or go. I still believe that in order for LeBron James to succeed in the NBA on a championship level, he needs to be coached by a well respected and established coach that has been around the league for awhile. Examples would be Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Jerry Sloan, or Greg Popovich. LeBron needs to have someone to tell him what to do in crunch situations, not be walked over like Mike Brown was for years.

If I had to assign a percent chance that Izzo accepts the Cavaliers job, I would say 20%. He has been very clear with his intentions of remaining the head coach of the Spartans, but I think he could be lured to the NBA for the right amount of money.

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Mike Brown Fired

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Mike Brown era has ended. Brown was the head coach of the organization for the past five years, but he failed to win a championship with Cleveland so he was fired earlier today. This move was expected after the Cavaliers' early exit from the playoffs due to the Boston Celtics. How does this affect the LeBron James sweepstakes? By firing Mike Brown, the Cavaliers have all but said "we will do whatever you want in order to keep you". This will allow LeBron to hand pick his next head coach if he decides to remain in Cleveland.

There are four main options for the Cavaliers' next head coach. However, none of these names will be brought in unless LeBron James approves them based on the stipulation that he will sign with Cleveland this offseason. The front-runner at this point is Avery Johnson, formerly the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Johnson is currently an NBA analyst, but he has expressed interest in returning to the NBA this next season. Byron Scott, the former New Orleans Hornets head coach, is also a proven winner and has experience. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is also an option, and he has a history with LeBron through coaching the recent gold medal team at the Olympics. The fourth option for Cleveland is Tom Izzo of Michigan State. However, I believe that Izzo will stay with the Spartans just as I believe that Krzyzewski will remain the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils next season. Although many college coaches are always considered for head coaching jobs in the NBA, few make the jump, and even fewer are successful. Look for Johnson, Scott, or a different coach to be calling the shots for the Cavaliers next season.

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