If the Cleveland Cavaliers have one need, it’s a backup point guard. Matthew Dellavedova is now in Milwaukee and Mo Williams recently declared he is retiring from the NBA. Outside of Kyrie Irving (and LeBron James) the Cavs do not have anyone to run the point.
They may have fixed that issue, however. The team announced on Monday that it has signed veteran guard Toney Douglas. In order to do so, they have waived Eric Moreland.
Douglas, a seven-year veteran, can provide just enough off the bench. He is a solid shooter, with a 36% career mark from the three point line. He will not be asked to do much, but he can make the dropoff from the starters to the bench unit a markedly smaller one.
That said, the Cavs are not fully sold on Douglas’ ability, apparently. His current contract with the team is a non-guaranteed one, basically allowing him to compete for a roster spot:
Toney Douglas' deal includes zero guaranteed money, a league source tells ESPN. It's a make-good contract. Will have a chance to earn a spot
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 3, 2016
The most interesting aspect of Toney Douglas’ deal is how it may relate to J.R. Smith. Smith has been aiming to get re-signed by the Cavs to no avail. Seeing Douglas, a similar, albeit not-as-good, player get a deal from the team has to be a little discouraging to the shooting guard:
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— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) October 3, 2016
Regardless, everything still points to the Cavs and Smith figuring something out. I doubt the non-guaranteed contract of Toney Douglas has a real effect on the situation.
