The Cavaliers offered the Clippers guard Maurice Williams and forward Jamario Moon in exchange for guard Baron Davis earlier this offseason, according to a league source.

Cleveland, at the time, was desperate to please LeBron James, who eventually left for Miami as a free agent.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Desperate times, desperate measures.

This is the only way to describe reports the Cleveland Cavaliers tried to convince LeBron James to sign an extension by acquiring Baron Davis from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Davis wouldn’t have been enough. Not even close. Miami would still have won out for James' services.

After all, Davis - an overrated and overweight point guard - can’t compete with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and the lure of South Beach.

If the Cavaliers had acquired Davis, they’d be on the hook for the remaining three years and $43 million of his contract. 

This, of course, would be problematic. James would be long gone. Davis would be bored, angry, and hibernating through the Ohio winter.

Davis is a sad story. He has such potential.

A few years ago, he was the toast of the NBA –leading his ‘We Believe’ Golden State Warriors to a playoff upset over the league-leading Dallas Mavericks.

And TNT Broadcaster Kenny Smith has gone on record saying Davis has the game to be a first team all-NBA player each year.

While this may be hyperbole, Davis should be better than he is.

Right now, he’s the problem for the Clippers -a team he picked as a free agent. And he’d have been a bigger problem for the Cavaliers, especially without James.

--Oly Sandor.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.    

CSNBayArea.com cites two sources in reporting that Don Nelson is set to step down as head coach of the Warriors. Keith Smart will take over duties at the start of training camp. Smart is a longtime assistant coach in Golden State.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Finally, Don Nelson is out as coach of the Golden State Warriors. Frankly, it’s time.

For too long, he’s run the Warriors as his own private fiefdom. For too long, he has wrecked relationships with young and old players. And for too long, his antics have turned off the team’s loyal fans.

No more.

The club has new owners. Nelson is out. Veteran assistant Keith Smart is in. Look for Smart to energize his young, talented team. And look for the Warriors to finally start resembling a professional sports franchise.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

According to one report, the Nets are not willing to include Brook Lopez in an attempt to trade for Carmelo Anthony. But New Jersey's offer of Devin Harris, Derek Favors and draft picks may still give the Nuggets the best pieces in return for Anthony.

The Nuggets have had discussions with the Bulls that center around Luol Deng and Taj Gibson. The Warriors may offer Stephen Curry, Andris Biedrins and draft picks but are not sure that they will make Curry available. The Clippers are called a long shot with Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon the likely two targets whom Denver would look to acquire.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: When reading today's NBA news, you surely thought who is Anthony Tolliver? And why should I care if he's now with the Minnesota Timberwolves?

Well, you're not alone.

Yesterday, Tolliver signed with the lowly Wolves. It wasn't where he signed, but how he signed that made news. He announced his contract in a spoof to LeBron James, creating a short video called The Decision Part Deux.

Somehow, the news he was taking his talent 'north' didn't result in Warrior fans burning his jersey, his former owner pulling a Dan Gilbert and publishing a nasty letter on the club's website, or Jesse Jackson making comparisions that sparked a national outcry.

Nevertheless, The Decision Part Deux is still amusing. Watch the video and get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below. 

Since losing Tony Allen to the Grizzlies, the Celtics have warmed to the idea of signing Matt Barnes, according to an NBA source.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Losing Tony Allen may be a positive for the Boston Celtics.

While Allen's defensive game improved during the playoffs and in the NBA Finals, he had limits on offense. Defenders would slough off the athletic swing and dare him to fire away from the perimeter.

Matt Barnes is Allen's equal as a lockdown defender, but also stretches defense with his three-point range and intimidates. For instance, Barnes averaged 9 points per game last year with Orlando, mostly on a steady diet of outside shots.

However, the Mohawk's greatest asset is his intensity. In 2007, he was an integral part of the Golden State Warriors improbable upset of the Dallas Mavericks. And last season he declared viral jihad via twitter against the Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom.

Barnes is reportedly announcing where he'll sign today. The mighty green-and-white is hoping he'll pick Boston and provide an upgrade on Allen. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

There are rumors of three-way trade discussions among Golden State, Minnesota and New York, in which Al Jefferson would be sent to the Warriors, David Lee to the Timberwolves, and Monta Ellis to the Knicks.

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An associate of former NBA player Manute Bol says Bol has died at a Virginia hospital, where he was being treated for severe kidney trouble and a painful skin condition known as Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Manute Bol was a lovely character.

Tall, lanky, and personable, the 7-6 Bol was a favorite of teammates and fans for his shot blocking and unique form on his three point shot.

A fringe player for most of his 10 seasons with Golden State, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington, Bol sits at 14th on the all-time blocks list.

However, Bol was an MVP in his native Sudan for his humanitarian work which promoted reconciliation in the war-torn African nation. And Bol was also part of the league going global, where teams started looking outside the United States for talent.

Rest In Peace to the lovable Manute.

(Manute Bol: One of a kind.)

Get at us with your memories of the 7-6 Sudanese post!

Oracle Corp. CEO Larry Ellison is among "more than a dozen" suitors who have submitted non-binding bids for the Warriors, a source close to the negotiations said Tuesday.

"He is a part of it," the source said.

According to another source, so are the San Francisco Giants, 24 Hour Fitness owner Mark Mastrov, an NFL owner, a former Lakers star and a group of prominent Chinese businesspeople, among others. Galatioto Sports Partners and Warriors owner Chris Cohan will choose the best prospects in the next week.

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HoopsVibe's Call: Give Larry Ellison a cape, tights, and Dwight Howard/Shaquille O'Neal's phone booth because he could be Superman and save the sorry Golden State Warriors.

Ellison, if approved as Golden State's owner, would bring something to The Bay that has been in short supply: sanity. Simply put, Cohan and Coach Don Nelson have ruined the Warriors. There's zero plan. Players, both past and present, have had significant issues with the club (see Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, and Al Harrington). Even their loyal fans are disgusted.

The right owner, Ellison, would surely hire the right basketball people -not Nelson and his group of faithful lackeys on the bench and in the front office. Talented youngsters like Andris Biedrins, Stephen Curry, and Ellis could then blossom with proper mentorship.

A change at the top would do Golden State good. It starts with Cohan cashing out as owner and being replaced with someone such as Ellison.

Is Cohan the problem with the Golden State Warriors? Does he have to sell for the team to turn things around? Get at us in the comment box below with thoughts.

Evans received 67 first-place votes (491 points) from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Golden State’s Stephen Curry finished second with 391 points and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings finished third with 204 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

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NBA spokesman Tim Frank says Dell Curry will be allowed to vote for all the other postseason awards, but the league did not want to put him in an awkward position with the rookie award. 

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