Brendan Haywood, Mike Miller to Trail Blazers (Photo : Reuters)
Cavs have agreed to trade Miller and Haywood to the Portland Trail Blazers in an agreement aimed at creating future opportunities and save luxury tax expenses.
The Blazers will probably cut Haywood, could ultimately develop a buyout with Miller, and will get two prospective second-round choices from the Cleveland Cavaliers for enabling the trade with their cap space, ESPN reported.
It is alleged that the Cavaliers will establish two trade exceptions with the deal, one for $10.5 million, which will form the biggest active transaction exemption in the NBA league, and the second for $2.94 million. The Cavs will also have monetary gains attributed to the deal.
Meanwhile, the Cavs have been suspending Haywood's agreement, which is not a guarantee if he is relinquished by Aug. 1, for weeks seeking for an offer, USA Today unveiled. However, unable to get a desirable deal, and concerned about the luxury tax, the team changed in the past two weeks and chose to make a move to establish a trade exemption.
Miller was a major signing last offseason due to his skills, 3-point-shooting capability, and relationship with LeBron James. However, the superstar hardly played in the second half of the season and playoffs, aggregating 5.6 points and shooting only 33 percent from the 3-point distance.
Luxury-tax savings triggered Cavaliers' trading of Miller. Based on where the final payroll settles, the team could have saved approximately $10 million in salary and tax by eliminating Miller, who got a trade kicker payout of $430,000 in the deal.
James was greatly disappointed in 2013 when Miami heat utilized the amnesty offer to relinquish Miller. At that moment, the deal estimated savings of up to $17 million in luxury tax for the Heat.
For the deal to be workable in the case of Cavs, the Blazers will receive a second-round pick in 2019, which will be the better of the Minnesota Timberwolves or Los Angeles Lakers picks owned by Cavaliers.
Haywood, who played in 22 matches and averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds the previous season, intends to proceed with his career after his trade. It may not be the case for Miller because of the battled hand, shoulder and back injuries gotten in the last season.
