NBA delves into McCaw signing

Patrick McCaw. The NBA is looking into the circumstances surrounding Patrick McCaw's short-lived stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. AP Photo

The National Basketball Association is looking into the circumstances surrounding Patrick McCaw’s short-lived stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday that the league has opened a review at the request of the Golden State Warriors, the team that McCaw had spent the previous two seasons with. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details of the probe have been revealed publicly.

The New York Times first reported that the NBA was reviewing the matter. It’s unclear how long the NBA’s review will take, or what — if anything — the Warriors are seeking.

The Warriors held McCaw’s rights as a restricted free agent, then elected not to match the two-year, $6 million offer sheet that he signed with the Cavaliers on 28 December — with the potential luxury tax ramifications among the many reasons that factored into their thinking.

Speaking Tuesday before Golden State’s game with New York, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he wasn’t aware that his team was involved in the review of the McCaw matter.

NBA Photo. “I’ve got enough to worry about,” Kerr said, before adding, “The whole thing was kind of strange. I don’t know that there’s been a totally non-guaranteed offer sheet before.”

The league has opened a review at the request of the Golden State Warriors.

McCaw played three games with the Cavs, who waived him Sunday and did so before his contract would have been guaranteed for the remainder of this season. McCaw cleared waivers and is now an unrestricted free agent.

McCaw averaged 4.0 points in 128 regular-season appearances with the Warriors in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. He scored five points in the three appearances with the Cavaliers.