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Well this is certainly surprising. The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Patrick McCaw to a two-year deal worth $6 million.
The deal is an extra $1.3 million a season compared to the qualifying offer given by the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors now have three days to decide whether or not they will match the offer for the 23-year-old wing.
The news was first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Pat McCaw is signing a two years, $6M offer sheet with the Cleveland Cavaliers, per league sources.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 28, 2018
Later ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski clarified that the contract is non-guaranteed. Meaning that even if the Warriors match or if he ends up on the Cavs, there’s no guarantee that he’ll stick around for the remainder of the season at either destination.
Sources: McCaw’s two year, $6M deal is non-guaranteed. Warriors can match and keep him, or waive him by January 7. For McCaw, it gets him to freedom of unrestricted free agency and out of constraints of restricted. https://t.co/YrsvYACmKU
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 28, 2018
Now the question is whether or not the Warriors will match the offer. While McCaw hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, depth is something Golden State values and they have been high on him at times. Plus the offer isn’t much more than the team had offered to him.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic has reported, McCaw no longer has any interest in playing for the Warriors:
Pat McCaw made it clear he doesn’t want to be a Warrior. Considering money commitment beyond 1 year, desire to keep 15th roster spot open for another center (Cousins experiment still without an answer), McKinnie’s capable play, gotta think GSW would have tough time matching.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 28, 2018
If McCaw ends up suiting up for the Cavs, this feels like the right type of chance for the Cavs to make. It isn’t much of a commitment and McCaw has shown flashes of being a decent rotation player. He has good length and athleticism for a shooting guard at 6’7” and his age fits with the Cavs youth movement.
Even if this signing is just a favor to an agent and the plan is for the Warriors to match and waive McCaw, building positive relationships around the league is a step in the right direction for the Cavs.