NBA News and Rumors: Alex Kirk Joins Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed free agent center Alex Kirk according to official NBA news. The Cavs general manager David Griffin himself announced the team's newest acquisition from the Cleveland Clinic Courts. The 245-pound Kirk appeared in 101 games over three seasons at the University of New Mexico where he averaged 10.0 points on 0.488 shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game, and where he was two-time All-MWC Defensive Team selection. During the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer in Las Vegas, Kirk playing for the Cavaliers Summer League team entry averaged 5.2 points on 0.523 shooting and 3.4 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game.
With Kirk's addition as center, the Cleveland Cavaliers now has twenty-one players making up its 2014-2015 team roster. The other players are: Anthony Bennet (forward), Matthew Dellavedova (guard), Joe Harris (guard), Brendan Haywood (center), Kyrie Irving (guard), LeBron James (forward), James Jones (forward), John Lucas III (guard), Mike Miller (forward), Erik Murphy (forward), Dwight Powell (forward), Malcolm Thomas (forward), Tristan Thompson (forward), Anderson Varejao (center), Dion Waiters (guard), and Andrew Wiggins (guard). The Cavaliers head coach is David Blatt.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' team roster may however still change in the next few days. According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski's league sources, the Cleveland Cavaliers has already reached an agreement in principle with the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick in exchange for All-Star forward Kevin Love, who will join LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to "create the most devastating trio in the NBA." Since that agreement cannot be finalized until August 23 because Wiggins, being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, cannot be officially traded until one month after the signing of his rookie contract, the trade deal still has to be kept confined within the category of NBA rumors. With the addition of Love to their lineup, the Cleveland Cavaliers now has an even bigger chance at making it to the NBA finals.
Miami Herald reports that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing the Miami Heat on Christmas Day. By-lined by Barry Jackson, the report says, "Barring an unexpected change of heart by the league, Christmas in Miami will feature LeBron James' much-anticipated return to Miami, in an opposing uniform. Though the NBA's schedule will not be finalized and released until mid-August, an unofficial internal schedule of select games has Cleveland playing the Heat in Miami on Christmas on ABC..."
