The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to be aggressive in acquiring support players for LeBron James.
In a report by USA Today, Shawn Marion was the latest player to join the Cavaliers. The small forward committed to play alongside James on August 17, 2014. Initially, Marion shared that he was decided to pursue a championship ring with James but preferred to stay anonymous until an official announcement was made.
Shawn Marion, a free agent, had other choices available such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, but decided to go to Cleveland and will take on the role of small forward, just like LeBron James. It is not yet certain whether the Cavs will put Marion on the starting lineup or make him a reliever for James. When Marion was with the Dallas Mavericks, he usually had the task of guarding James.
According to SB Nation, Marion is 36 years old with 15 years of NBA experience under his belt. He will be a good addition to the Cavaliers, after the team acquired Kevin Love. Marion has the playoff experience that Love lacks, and is known for being very versatile on the court, offensively and defensively. He is one of four players to garner 17,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks and 1,500 steals in his career. Marion last played with the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 10.4 points per game in the 2013-2014 season. His best years were with the Phoenix Suns, who signed him in 1999.
Even though his average points per game has declined much since his glory days, Marion started in 76 out of 82 games last season. He averaged 6.5 rebounds in the past season and helped bring the Mavericks to the playoffs with a record of 49-33.
Experts opined that Marion wanted another championship ring before he retires. He last appeared in the 2011 NBA Finals where the Mavericks won overall. The 4-time All Star would complement the team well as the Cavs continue to bring in key players in its roster such as Mike Miller and James Jones. The Love-Wiggins trade has been confirmed and is bound to be executed on August 23, 2014.
At this point, the Cleveland Cavaliers can only afford to offer Marion a deal worth $1.4 million for one year, which is the minimum for veterans. Although Marion wanted to receive more than the minimum, many of the teams that wanted him are very near or above the salary cap. The Mavericks could have offered him something bigger, but opted to go for the younger Chandler Parsons to take on the role of small forward, writes Cleveland.com.
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