Update: Cavaliers refuse to include Waiters in deal

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramon Shelburne, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles have reentered talks centered around a Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and the Cavaliers are hoping to complete the deal on Sunday. From the report:

"The Cavs have been involved in talks with other teams looking to take advantage of Bynum’s contract. The deal is for $12.3 million this season but if a team waives Bynum by Tuesday it will owe him nothing because the $6.3 million left on the contract is not guaranteed if he’s released by that date.On Friday, ESPN.com reported the Cavs have been in talks with theJazz for veteran forward Richard Jefferson in a money-saving move for Utah. Cleveland also has considered keeping Bynum and using him as a trade asset before next month’s trade deadline, sources said.The injury-ravaged Lakers have been considering whether to execute a Gasol-for-Bynum trade because it would get them out of the luxury tax for the first time in seven years. More important than the $20 million in instant savings would be easing the pressure of going into the repeater tax in either 2015 or ’16, sources said. If a team is in the luxury tax in four out of any five years, it triggers the repeater tax.Sources say the Lakers, who broke a six-game losing streak with a victory against the Jazz on Friday night, also are seeking a package that would include a young player or a draft pick from the Cavs, which has been holding up the talks."

To have the salaries matchup, the Cavaliers would have to send someone from this list: Earl Clark, Jarrett Jack, C.J. Miles, Alonzo Gee, Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson or Kyrie Irving. You can safely assume Irving, Bennett, Waiters and Thompson are safe because they are young parts of the Cavaliers future and thus far the Cavaliers have been smartly unwilling to part with any meaningful pieces.

But all things considered, I don’t see the benefits of adding Gasol. He is a winner, but the Cavaliers would be unwise to add a player like Gasol in pursuit of making the playoffs. Considering the draft class of 2014 is loaded with top shelf, elite prospects, the Cavaliers would be crazy to make the playoffs to just make the playoffs and meet a goal that was publicly put out there Dan Gilbert. I just don’t see the upside to this. There is no point in adding Gasol (who is not the same Gasol who helped the Lakers contend just a few years back) to get marginally better and then slaughtered by Indiana or Miami in the first round.

Also, Gasol would take away key developmental minutes from Bennett and Tyler Zeller. These minutes just opened up when Bynum was put on paid leave and taken out of the rotation. Adding Gasol puts these two back on the bench and for what purpose?

Either way, expect a resolution in these talks on Sunday. What ultimately happens will say a lot about the Cavaliers own mindset and outlook on this season.

UPDATE

After a report from ESPNLA 710 stating that the deal was imminent, Shelburne refuted that report.