NBA Free Agency Rumor: Cavaliers express interest in Chauncey Billups

You can probably chalk this one up as one of the more unlikely Cavalier rumors to actually come to fruition. The team is apparently interested in guard Chauncey Billups, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Billups, 36, has been receiving interest in free agency from the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

One league source said it "may be tough" for the Clippers to now keep Billups.

Because of the Clippers' trade for J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley, Billups has officially lost any remote chance that he had at retaining the starting spot he owned in Los Angeles while healthy. There might be some minutes available as a backup PG, but there are very limited minutes behind the two former players mentioned and Jamal Crawford. But the Clippers are also a definite title contender next season, meaning that Billups may be brought in as "veteran leadership" for a team that lacks championship experience. They still have their full mid-level exception, but I imagine that he'd be forced to play for them on the veterans' minimum as they'll need to use that on another big man.

As far as the Cavaliers are concerned, Billups still wouldn't even be starting in front of either Kyrie Irving or Dion Waiters. I can't see him wanting to come to Cleveland in order to sit behind two sub-22 year-olds. This seems like another example of Chris Grant and the rest of the front office doing their fair due diligence on a free agent that would help their younger guys grow and mature. Good job, good effort. As a fan, I'm glad you tried.

But I sincerely doubt it works out.