Richard Jefferson to Cavaliers: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to stockpile depth this summer with the addition of veteran forward Richard Jefferson.ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Jefferson's agreement with the Cavaliers:Chris Haynes of theCleveland Plain Dealer confirmed the agreement and reported that Jefferson will be making the league minimum with the Cavaliers.According to RealGM.com, the NBA veteran minimum for 2015-16 season is $525,093.Stein also noted that Jefferson's addition gives the Cavaliers an insurance policy as they remain in negotiations with free agent J.R. Smith.This is a bit of deja vu for the Dallas Mavericks, though not at the same level as DeAndre Jordan. ESPN Dallas' Tim MacMahon reported on July 3 that Jefferson agreed to a one-year deal with the Mavs for the same money he's getting from Cleveland.However, because of the Jordan situation, Jason Lloyd of theAkron Beacon Journal reported the Mavericks opened the door for others to re-examine their status:Jefferson spent last season in Dallas, averaging 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 74 games. He wasn't a high-volume shooter in 2014-15 but hit 44.4 percent of his attempts, including 42.6 percent from three-point range.Given the uncertainty with Smith's status, the addition of Jefferson on a cheap short-term deal makes sense for the Cavaliers. No team better understands the value of quality depth than Cleveland after what happened during the playoffs.The 35-year-old Jefferson isn't going to play a huge role for the Cavaliers, but he will bring another strong veteran presence who can occasionally make a big shot. That's well worth the league-minimum contract he will be receiving.
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