NBA Rumors: Andrew Bogut to sign with Cleveland Cavaliers after buyout

If the Philadelphia 76ers do buyout center Andrew Bogut’s expiring contract, expect him to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the rest of the season.

In essentially a salary dump, the Dallas Mavericks traded center Andrew Bogut to the Philadelphia 76ers for center Nerlens Noel before the 2017 NBA trade deadline. Philadelphia had no intention of using the veteran Australian big man the rest of the season.

Philadelphia is expected to buy Bogut out of the final year of his contract here shortly. When the 76ers do part ways with Bogut, expect him to end up with the Cleveland Cavaliers. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that “Bogut will choose to join the Cavaliers once he receives a buyout from the 76ers.”

While there was a loophole that would have allowed Bogut to go back to the Golden State Warriors within a calendar year, he is opting to sign with Golden State’s biggest competition for an NBA title in the form of Cleveland.

Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has marvelously orchestrated deals this season that would allow the Cavaliers to sign players playing on expiring contracts if they got bought out to play on the veteran’s minimum.

That would be the case for both Bogut and his former Mavericks teammate in point guard Deron Williams. Interestingly, Bogut and Williams went No. 1 and No. 3 in the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut went to the Milwaukee Bucks and Williams to the Utah Jazz.

Both former lottery picks are past their prime as professionals, but would still be huge rotational pieces for a championship contender this season. Should Williams and Bogut end up with the Cavaliers, the best team in the Eastern Conference will have gotten even better.

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There does not seem to be a Bay Area return for Bogut on the horizon. That is unless the Cavaliers meet the Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals like many anticipate.