The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to be in intense negotiations with Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith about bringing them back for the 2015-16 season. Both deals are likely to get done, but an under-the-radar negotiation going on for the Cavaliers is the one with Sasha Kaun. All summer, it has been reported that the Cavaliers were likely to bring Kaun over but a deal has yet to be reached. Now the reports are that a deal between the Cavaliers and Kaun is "only a matter of time," according to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Kaun was reportedly in Cleveland earlier this week to take a tour of the city and potentially look for houses. The fact that Kaun was looking for houses is a good sign for the Cavaliers getting a deal done with him, but the reports are that Kaun has left Cleveland without a deal being finalized. Right now, the Cavaliers have made it their top priority to lock down Thompson for the long term, so Kaun's deal is on the backburner.
Kaun will have to take a major pay cut to come over to the NBA as he was making $2.9 million per season in Russia, but he has made it clear that money won't be an issue for him. His contract in the NBA will likely be for the minimum amount of a little more than $1 million.
Kaun is now 30 years old and is coming off his best season in the Euroleague, where he averaged 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers see Kaun as a guy that could play rotational minutes and potentially backup Timofey Mozgov if Anderson Varejao is not fully recovered from his Achilles injury.
Kaun was a second round draft pick of the Seattle Supersonics back in 2008 out of Kansas before being traded to Cleveland but has yet to play an NBA game. Kaun has played for Cavaliers head coach David Blatt before, though, on the Russian national team, so that familiarity should be helpful for him.
Once the Cavaliers get the Thompson, Kaun and Smith/another shooting guard deals done they will likely be done for the offseason. Those three signings would put the Cavaliers at 14 players, and that's reportedly as many as they will carry into the season because of their cap situation.
