Sources tell NBADraft.net that the Cleveland Cavaliers will sign Washington Wizards' free agent guard Larry Hughes. The deal is reportedly worth an estimated $12 million a year and will run through the 2010 season.
After losing out on Michael Redd and Ray Allen (both of whom resigned with their original teams), the Cavs have landed their shooting guard and LeBron James' running mate. Hughes fills a massive hole for a team in need of perimeter scoring and defense.
Hughes averaged 22 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.9 steals a game in his breakout season for the Wizards. He was also named to his first All-NBA Defensive First Team. His stellar play was one of the main reasons the Wizards were able to surprise nearly everyone and snag a 5-seed in the 2005 playoffs. Their first-round defeat of the Chicago Bulls was the first Washington playoff series victory since 1982.
While Hughes was one of the league's most sought-after free agent 2-guards, there are concerns surrounding him. First, durability is a issue. He missed 21 games last season due to a broken thumb. He's missed large chunks of time during his seven-year career due to other various injuries. He's only played more than 70 games in a season twice, in 1999-2000 and again in 2001-2002.
Second, for everything he does well, he does not shoot a high percentage from 3-point range. Last season, he shot 28%, which is a slight improvement over his 27% career average. This weakness was especially evident during the Wizards' playoff defeat to the Miami Heat, where he shot 33% from the floor and 25% from three. One of Cleveland's big weaknesses last season was their inability to knock down open threes, and at this point, it's hard to say whether Hughes will help fill that void.
Third, the 2004-2005 season was clearly Hughes' best season as a pro. Some feel that he might've kicked it up a notch in a contract year. He's bounced around a little, playing for three teams (the 76ers, Warriors, and Wizards) during his seven-year tenure. Some even considered him a mild disappointment until the past two seasons. Personally, I think Hughes has always had the ability to put up numbers like he did last season, but he just needed the right situation to prosper. Now we'll be able to see whether he can continue his fantastic play teaming up with King James.
These possible concerns are far outweighed by the positives he brings to this Cavalier ballclub. He is tremendously gifted athlete and can effectively defend three positions. His ability to force steals creates many easy baskets for his teammates. He's also a terrific penetrator who can create open looks for his squad. He's a versatile player who brings a lot of good things to the floor and will allow LeBron James to run wild at the small forward spot.
This is a big move for the Cavs, but they're far from finished. They still need to sign a quality point guard (both Antonio Daniels and Earl Watson's names have been mentioned). In a pinch, Hughes can fill in at the point, but he's built to play the off-guard. They also need to decide what to do with Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Depending on what happens with Big Z, they've expressed interest in signing another athletic bigman to go alongside Drew Gooden (Dalembert, Swift, Brown, etc.). Let's not forget, the Cavs are still in need of a permanent head coach. Signing Hughes is a big first step, but new General Manager Danny Ferry still has a lot of work ahead of him.
Where does this leave the Wizards? Their promising young nucleus has lost a big talent in Hughes. Jarvis Hayes will be expected to shoulder a much bigger scoring load and take over Hughes' role alongside Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. They'll still be an exciting team to watch, but they'll be hard-pressed to replicate their 45-win output of 2004-2005 without Hughes' contributions.
The Clippers and Nuggets had also expressed interest in Hughes.
