Cooling Down the Marion-to-Cavs Rumors

When Brian Windhorst talks Cavs, you take it seriously. That's why I've got to take heed of his perspective on the Marion/Cavs rumor:

Right now the Cavs are not sure what they want to do, but they don't want to mess with this team's chemistry ... What the Cavs need is another big man and Marion isn't a big man and Varejao is. So if they made such a deal they'd be in worse shape. Which is why I said before, it doesn't make much sense.

Also, if the Cavs are going to use Wally Szczerbiak's contract they are going to go for a home run. This next trade very well may be the most important in Cavs history. So it has to be just right. I will write about this a lot more in the coming weeks, just know that right now this rumor isn't true.

For what it's worth, down in Miami The Herald is just as skeptical, even repeating Riley's assertion that "Marion would be key to the team this season."

There seem to be two looming questions here. One, is Marion deteriorating, or is he just a bad fit for the Heat? Granted, his numbers were down slightly before the trade, but you got the sense that a lot of things were off in Phoenix before they shocked the world by trading for Shaq. Second, even if Marion doesn't quite represent a "home run," he comes off the books this summer. So there still could be another "most important trade in history" on the horizon, if this one doesn't work out. It might come down to how highly the team regards Varejao -- whether they'd be able to live with breaking even in a Marion deal, and then this summer would find themselves wanting a player exactly like him.

Something tells me that, while Varejao can contribute, with Marion's salary to spend they'll be able to aim a little higher. Things only get tricky if the plan's been to sign 'Bron and Amare or Bosh, in which case they'd have to find another Varejao, ideally one with an expiring contract. Since, most likely, that earth-ending plan would've depended on letting Andy walk, anyway.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.