Richard Jefferson burns Mavericks, signs with Cavaliers

He is prepared to hear a number from the Cavs that is less than the $6.4 million he walked away from when he declined his player’s option in June.

It had been expected that James would wait to see if forward Tristan Thompson, who is also represented by his agent, Rich Paul, would sign before he negotiated with the Cavs. This time, Richard Jefferson took cues from DeAndre Jordan and has backed out of an agreed deal with the Mavericks to sign with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. “No, because I’ve gotten offers that I wanted, I mean that I wanted, it’s just different situations”. General Manager David Griffin still has hopes to sign Thompson who is a restricted free agent, meaning the cavaliers can match any other offer given to him.

“I definitely want to come back to Cleveland”, he said.

Parting ways with the Cavs won’t be the end of the world for Thompson, who could still get the money he’s looking for elsewhere.

The tough Australian shot to fame in the playoffs after coming up with big plays and helping the Cavaliers reach the finals after only one season of being together.

Last season, Jefferson made 42.6 percent of his attempts from long range and 46.2 percent of his shots inside the three-point arc. His salary would start at $1.5 million, the minimum for a veteran of 12 years. The 35-year-old averaged 5.8 points in 16.8 minutes for Dallas last season, and he’ll likely play a reduced role for a Cavs team deep with talent on the wing. Sure, they may have got in second place, but that is a pretty good achievement.

Tristan Thompson wants to be back, JR Smith chooses no other team and James is eager to continue bringing names in the likes of Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson. Unlike McDaniels and Monroe, Smith’s bet hasn’t paid off. The mercurial guard remains unsigned, and few teams have approached him.

Reports of Smith’s upcoming meeting with the Cavs surfaced soon after an ESPN.com story in which Knicks team president Phil Jackson said the veteran’s behavior had worsened prior to being traded to Cleveland.

Kaun, who was spotted watching a Summer League game with LeBron James, has previously addressed his intention of playing in the National Basteball Association, regardless of the amount of money on the table.