The Cleveland Cavaliers retained the services of one of their most popular bench players in Richard Jefferson.
Richard Jefferson is 36 years old, but the Cleveland Cavaliers decided they loved him too much to let him depart for another team. Jefferson is a wily veteran who lifts the spirits of the Cavaliers dressing room, and with his new deal, he’s likely going to retire with the defending NBA champions:
Richard Jefferson has announced he's re-signing with Cavs on a 2-year deal
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 7, 2016
While he isn’t a scoring threat anymore, he is relentless on defense, and he brings lots of energy to every game. Jefferson helped turned the Finals around when he started in place of Kevin Love for Game 3 and the Cavaliers won by 30.
It’s a low risk move that’s sure to keep the starters fresh and make Cavs fans happy. After winning the championship, the Cavaliers have decided not to take any gambles, as their off-season has consisted of a lot of under-the-radar moves. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Sure the Golden State Warriors improved tremendously by getting Kevin Durant, but as sappy as it sounds, it was the Cavs’ team spirit that eventually won them the Finals. Richard Jefferson was at the core of that, and they would rather keep the band back together instead of join the growing arms race in the NBA.
Visit our NBA free agency page for more news and signings throughout the off-season.