According to reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reached an agreement to sign former Golden State Warriors point guard Jarrett Jack. The deal is thought to be for four years and $25 million, with the fourth year being a team option.
The arrival of Jack will take pressure off Cleveland’s centerpiece, Kyrie Irving. Photo Credit: Erik Daniel Drost (Flickr.com)
Jack brings versatility and veteran leadership to a young Cavs team. During his spell in California with the Warriors, Jack was deployed in many different lineups. He also played minutes with Stephen Curry on the floor at the same time. This bodes well for Kyrie Irving. Having both Irving and Jack on the court will take some pressure away from the All-Star point guard, affording him the option to occasionally be content with just spotting-up and jacking 3s — which by the way, he’s very good at, in case you missed the 3-point contest.
The backup point guard role is an area Cleveland has been struggling with ever since they drafted Kyrie Irving. Jarrett Jack’s calming influence will be a safe option to have. Irving has also suffered with injuries recently (he missed 23 games last season and 31 the year before) and having Jack as an insurance policy isn’t a bad move. Jack scored 12.9 points per game last season and also dished out 5.6 assists. Very respectable numbers behind Stephen Curry.
Along with the addition of former Lakers forward Earl Clark, the Cleveland Cavaliers are constructing quite a solid NBA team. There is also a lot of versatility in the roster. Jack can play at the 1 or spend some minutes at the 2; Clark can play at the 3 or the 4, as can Anthony Bennett, and Tristan Thompson is another versatile player, along with Dion Waiters. The options and variations of lineups are endless for Cleveland.
Jack signing is a really interesting move for Cleveland. Cavs are gonna be feisty next season.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 6, 2013
Having Jack in the locker room is essential for a team looking to make the playoffs. Here’s been there as recently as last season, so his experience and guidance will be invaluable for the likes of Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving, both of whom haven’t experienced the thrill of playoff basketball.
It finally seems as though Cleveland basketball is going somewhere. After the dark days of the post-Decision era, there is a renewed sense of hope in Cleveland. A hope that is justified: Cleveland has  a top-10 point guard along with a plethora of nice supporting pieces. Maybe some more shooting is needed, but I really like the direction the Cavs are going in at the moment.