Cleveland Cavaliers should re-sign Antawn Jamison next season - NBA Update
Antawn Jamison, the 35 year old Cleveland Cavaliers forward has had a great run with the franchise and his two year contract will be maturing after this season.
Over the years, Jamison has shared a lot of appreciation and scepticism alike. On one hand, he mentored players like Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson while proving to be a reliable offensive force on the court averaging 17.9 points
and 6.5 boards per game this season while he has also drawn a lot of ire from the fans over his defensive frailties.
The veteran will be becoming a free agent in July and considering a return to Cavs will result into $10 million pay cut. He is currently accumulating $15 million per year but will probably be getting only $5 million if he stays
with the Cavs, who are looking to promote Thompson as a starter.
The question is that whether Jamison will be willing to accept that.
Antawn is ageing and before every game he has to undergo a 10-15 minutes stretching routine. Sure he has started all 55 games for the Cavs this season, but you cannot rule out the fact that half of the team has been injured or
playing through injuries this season.
Although he has never proved to be a reliable option at the death (clutch shooting), and is often tagged as a choker, but the range of his offensive ability make him a very good option for many offense stricken teams in the league.
He is 2nd in the team in scoring and rebounding with 19.6 points and 7.9 per game this season.
Cleveland is way out of the playoffs picture with 19 wins and 36 loses and are amongst the bottom teams in Eastern Conference, but the veteran has been the one consistent option on the offense. With Irving and Thompson quickly
coming to terms with the NBA, his presence can be a key for the Cavs.
Sure he doesn’t help his team much when it comes to defence but the Cavs don’t stand a chance without him offensively as well, that is if they don’t rope in a quality forward. Cleveland allowed 11 or fewer points with him off court
but they scored 15.6 or more with him on court in this season.
In a nutshell, Jamison is a valuable asset, one which teams like the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers would love to have in their roster. The Cavs need to up their end of bargain and retain AJ next season.
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