INDEPENDENCE: The Cavaliers added a point guard to the roster Monday who they hope can contribute behind starter Kyrie Irving.
Cavs General Manager David Griffin announced the signing of point guard Toney Douglas to a contract and waived forward-center Eric Moreland. Per league and team policy, terms of the contract were not released.
“He was here watching [practice] on the side,” coach Tyronn Lue said of Douglas on Monday. “Just coming in and getting through training camp, not wearing Kyrie down playing a lot of games and a lot of minutes [is important]. We don’t have a third point guard right now, so when Kyrie is off the floor we have to have at least two point guards that can play. That was the thought behind it.”
Mo Williams’ decision to retire last week before training camp began left the Cavs with just two pure point guards — Irving and rookie Kay Felder — and forced the team to think about adding another. Lue is also evaluating combo guards DeAndre Liggins and Jordan McRae, who already are in camp.
“We like the way he can shoot the basketball,” Lue said of Douglas, 30. “We like his patience, tempo and ability to push the basketball. And he is a tough player who can pick it up full court and guard the basketball. He just plays with a toughness that we need.”
The 6-foot-2 and 190-pound Douglas appeared in 61 games for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 20.7 minutes per game. He has played for six teams — New York, Houston, Sacramento, Golden State, Miami and New Orleans — in his seven-year NBA career and has career averages of 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 19.2 minutes per game.
“He was a teammate of mine in Miami for a little while,” Cavs forward LeBron James said. “He is a veteran guy. You know you are going to get a professional out of him, and that is what we like having around. We like veterans and guys that have been around and know what it is like to be a professional.”
Douglas, a Florida State University product, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 29th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and then traded to the New York Knicks.
Lue said Monday he is monitoring Irving’s minutes — much like he does with James and forward Kevin Love — and hopes Douglas and Felder can provide Irving with needed rest.
“Playing and winning a [NBA] championship, and then playing this summer over in Brazil and winning the gold medal [on the United States team], we thought that added a lot of wear and tear on his body,” Lue said of Irving.
“In the playoffs, he was playing probably 38 or 39 minutes a game. So for the preseason we want to let him get his legs under him and bring him along slowly and then kind of pick it up as the season progresses. We don’t want to wear him out and get to the point where his body is aching.”
LeBron James update
James practiced Sunday and Monday with his teammates, but rested and did not play in the Wine & Gold Scrimmage at the Q on Sunday.
“We did a great job of not turning the ball over, and that is very uncommon for a first scrimmage,” James said. “I think the young guys came in and played extremely well. It was fun to see my guys get back out there and play in front of our fans.”
Be patient, Ben
James said he feels for Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft who is now out after fracturing a foot during training camp.
“I don’t know the severity of it, but I heard [he is out] three to four months,” James said. “I know he is getting an MRI and more tests today. … He will be fine. He is a young guy. He’s got to make sure he stays patient and not get frustrated with the process, because obviously I know I would want to get on the floor.
“He has a long career in front of him. He has to stay patient and let the foot heal, and when he gets back on the floor he’ll show why he is the No. 1 pick.”
Simmons was courtside during some of the Cavaliers’ playoff games in 2016 and played in pickup games with James and others this past summer.
James said he has been counseling Simmons for the last four or five years, and that the 20-year-old is “like a little brother of mine.”
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the #ABJVarsity high school blog at www.ohio.com/preps. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBeavenABJ.