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Patrick McCaw, an unsigned restricted free agent for the Golden State Warriors just before the New Year found himself a free agent on Thursday, January 10th, 2019. Free to sign for the remainder of the season with the Toronto Raptors. Its how he was able to flip his restricted free agent status to an unrestricted free agent that will bring scrutiny from the NBA.
"The NBA will review the Cleveland Cavaliers' signing and release of forward Patrick McCaw at the request of the Golden State Warriors, according to The New York Times' Marc Stein."
Under the terms of the CBA, between the league and the players, a 2nd round draft pick like McCaw was in 2016, becomes a restricted free agent after his second year. The Golden State Warriors with a huge luxury tax bill to pay and concerns about contract negotiations with Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant coming this summer did not make an overwhelming commitment to negotiate with McCaw in the summer of 2018.
They did provide a qualifying $1.71 million dollar offer that McCaw allowed to expire and he declined the Warriors subsequent 2 years $5.2 million dollar offer.
McCaw presumably wanted to leave Golden State for a place where he could get a bigger role and perhaps better pay. Enter the Cleveland Cavaliers offering McCaw a non-guaranteed 2 years $6 million dollar offer guaranteed if he remained on the roster past January 7th, 2019.
The Warriors had 48 hours to match the offer which would have cost them $11 million dollars in luxury taxes under the salary cap rules. The Warriors decided to let McCaw go. However, after just three games in a Cavaliers uniform, McCaw found himself an unrestricted free agent waived by the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers could lose at the very least their 1st round pick this season in a year in which they are forced to rebuild because of the defection of LeBron James via free agency in the summer. If Kolby Altman signed and released McCaw as a revenge tactic for losing three of the last four NBA titles to Golden State he just set his franchise’s rebuilding phase back dramatically.
If one uses the Joe Smith contract saga in the early 2000s with Minnesota as an example the Timberwolves lost their next 5 consecutive 1st round picks, the owner Glen Taylor was suspended, the series of 1-year deals Joe Smith signed were voided (eliminating the Timberwolves desire to obtain Smith's Bird Rights under the CBA) and the team was fined $3.5 million dollars.
Kolby Altman the Cavaliers general manager just got burned by a player option in the LeBron James contract. It allowed the mega superstar to opt out of his contract in Cleveland this past summer. Now, Altman has now provided players who are potential restricted free agents a viable loophole in the CBA to become unrestricted free agents.
Essentially restricted free agents need only sign a non-guaranteed contract with a new team forcing the team holding their rights to match or not match the offer. The player then needs to get waived or released by the new team making 2nd-year players free agents.
This tactic would apply to former 1st round draftees after their 4-year rookie deal expires. This tactic does, of course, require the signing team to cooperate and release the player, which is why Cleveland's motives are in question with McCaw. The Cavaliers can use players and all the help they can get so why steal talent from another team if you didn't want or need it?
If the NBA does not move to sanction Cleveland and then tighten this loophole in the CBA in 2024, when the CBA is due for renegotiation general managers in the NBA will be under siege trying to keep their young players and manage their payroll under the cap rules.
On Thursday, January 10th, 2019 the Toronto Raptors added free agent Patrick McCaw to their line up on a minimum veteran’s deal for the remainder of the year. If the Cavaliers sign and release of McCaw is a mystery so too is the Raptors signing McCaw and here’s why.
#1 Raptors could use a 3-point shooter but is that McCaw?
The Toronto Raptors take approximately 33 three-pointers per game. Currently, they are 23rd in the NBA in three-point shooting. Their field goal percentage is at 34.3%. Three-pointers are more than a 1/3 rd of the Raptors offense. They tend to either shoot the lights out or shoot themselves out of games.
Kyle Lowry is shooting just 32% from behind the arc. C.J. Miles is getting less and less playing time and is a miserable 27% from the 3-point arc. Fred Vanvleet is shooting 36.7% from the three-point line but is 4-5% behind last years average. Pascal Siakam has expanded his game and gotten much better from three point range but only shoots at a 33% clip.
Patrick McCaw comes to the Raptors with a career average of 29.5% from behind the arc. McCaw is not the answer in this area of need for the Raptors. Also, McCaw only averages 15.9 minutes and 3.9 points per game. With all due respect, while he brings championship experience from the Warriors, McCaw is not yet a game changer.
#2 No 1st round draft pick and the future for the Raptors
The Toronto Raptors' management, general manager Bobby Webster and president Massai Ujiri, sent the Raptors 2019 1st round draft pick to the San Antonio Spurs along with Jacob Poeltl and DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. This means the Raptors have no known interest in this year's draft. Further, the 2019 NBA Draft Class may not yield the type of star power other years have.
However, good General Managers are always looking to improve their teams and searching for available talent. The Toronto Raptors did not have a draft pick in 2007 and signed wing player Jamario Moon to a two-year deal after holding a three-day mini-camp for players.
Is McCaw the latest Raptors signing an attempt to replace a draft pick? The other consideration here is that with the uncertainty over Kawhi Leonard’s future, after this season, the Raptors might have been looking for insurance in case Kawhi Leonard opts out of his deal this summer.
If that is the case, the Raptors will most likely also try to trade Kyle Lowry and are then looking to rebuild. McCaw might be a bit of a project but is a young player who has played in a winning NBA environment and might just need an opportunity to play. If his audition goes well, the rest of this season, the Raptors could commit to him long term.
#3 McCaw does not fit team needs of a veteran scorer and back-up point guard
In addition to the three-point shooting, the Raptors have other needs that McCaw doesn’t really address. This team is loaded with wing player depth. Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, O.G. Anunoby, and Norman Powell.
This is an NBA title contending type roster. With Kyle Lowry missing time due to back problems, C.J. Miles’ inability to fill the role as the sharpshooter this team requires, and defensive rebounding an issue McCaw is a somewhat odd addition to the Raptors.
His addition might be less unusual if he is an additional piece at the end of the roster thrown into a deal to satisfy the Atlanta Hawks. The Raptors need a proven scorer/shooter like Vince Carter and perhaps back-up point guard Jeremy Lin as insurance for Kyle Lowry. One would expect the Raptors to add experienced veteran depth to the roster at this time. The addition of Patrick McCaw suggests that the Raptors are not done tinkering with their lineup.
Perhaps the Toronto Raptors have a different reason for the signing of Patrick McCaw but they have yet to disclose it. Adding a championship battle-tested player is never a bad thing to round out your team’s depth. Its just McCaw is not an obvious fit with the Raptors.
However, Bobby Webster and Masai Ujiri if expecting to make the NBA Finals, in June, just ensured that McCaw does not have the option of rejoining the Warriors for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
The other consideration is the Raptors now have a player who can divulge secrets about the Golden State Warriors tactics, strengths and weaknesses should the Warriors and Raptors meet in the Finals. Otherwise, the Raptors signing Patrick McCaw is a little mysterious.
