Magical deals become norm for Cavs' GM Danny Ferry
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By R-C Staff
March 3, 2010
Staff report
When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Danny Ferry on June 28, 2005, to become the franchise’s eighth general manager, his $10 million deal gave him final say in all basketball operations.
Judging by the choices Ferry has made with the Cavaliers, it appears that his “final say” is one that can be trusted.
Not only has Ferry been a huge part in creating an identity for the Cavaliers, along with majority owner Dan Gilbert and head coach Mike Brown, but he has also created a roster absolutely loaded with depth and talent.
Ferry has been unable to secure a perennial All-Star alongside megastar LeBron James, but the cumulative talent of what the Cavs have now may trump that.
No one is perfect, with Ferry having some black marks on his choices that looked good initially, including the signing of Larry Hughes, then Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall in the same off-season. He also drafted Shannon Brown in the first round of the 2006 draft, but he never caught on in Cleveland and now is a key contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers after he was scooped away from the Cavs.
However, since those flops, Ferry has hit a home run on nearly every pitch he has seen.
• He was able to unload Hughes’ overpriced contract in a multi-team deal on Feb. 22, 2008. The deal brought in Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. Only West remains from that quartet, but the other three made positive contributions. West was the gem in that deal, though. The fact that he remained in Cleveland made the deal a positive one in itself.
• Acquired guard Mo Williams on Aug. 14, 2008, from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade that also involved Oklahoma City. Part of the deal sent Joe Smith and Damon Jones packing only for Smith return after the Thunder bought out his contract and waived him. In essence, the Cavs traded Jones for Williams, who has blossomed into an All-Star.
• Signed undrafted free agent Jawad Williams, who took awhile to mature, but worked hard and developed himself into a player that is now part of the rotation.
• Drafted forward J.J. Hickson in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft. Hickson has shown flashes of brilliance as he still develops into a consistent player, but has shown he can make an impact on the game as a starter or off the bench.
• Acquired Shaquille O’Neal on June 26, 2009, from the Phoenix Suns. Ferry sent Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a second-round selection to the Suns to obtain the Hall of Fame center. The Suns bought out and waived Wallace and Pavlovic — both of which were role players for the Cavs.
• Signed highly sought after free agents Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Leon Powe during the 2009 off-season. All three have quickly become a integral part of the team’s current rotation, with Parker the team’s starting shooting guard.
• Acquired Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards on Feb. 18 in exchange for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a first-round draft pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic. With Preldzic currently playing in Europe and Ilgauskas being bought out and waived by Washington — with all signs pointing to his return to Cleveland on March 22 — the Cavs essentially received Jamison, an All-Star, for only a first-round draft pick. The key to considering that deal a steal is whether or not Ilgauskas does officially return the Cavs — a decision he is expected to make in the next couple of weeks.
The argument can be made that there is no team deeper than the Cavs, with many of the team’s bench players having the capabilities to start for many of the NBA’s other teams.
The talent is in place, but the ultimate goal of an NBA championship will be the only prize that will measure of Ferry’s moves go from good to great.
Hey look, Lebron never got any help, especially when they basically got Jamison and O'Neal for free
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