Report: Cavs likely to sign Jordan Farmar, not Lance Stephenson or Mario Chalmers

Farmar reportedly is willing to accept a 10-day contract, which means no LeBron-Lance reunion

If the Cleveland Cavaliers sign anybody from Wednesday's workout, it will be Jordan Farmar, via ESPN's Dave McMenamin. This is because he reportedly would be willing to join the team on a 10-day contract, unlike Mario Chalmers and Kirk Hinrich. Farmar also was apparently more impressive in a Wednesday workout than Lance Stephenson, who famously blew into the ear of then-Miami Heat star LeBron James in the 2014 playoffs.

From ESPN:

Farmar was given assurances that if anyone was to be signed by the Cavs from the workout, it would be him, a source familiar with the workout told ESPN.

Aside from an impressive showing by Farmar on Wednesday, there was a practical side to Cleveland's interest. According to a source, Farmar is open to signing a 10-day contract -- as is Lance Stephenson -- while a league source told ESPN that both Mario Chalmers and Kirk Hinrich would only agree to join the team if the Cavs tendered a guaranteed contract for the rest of the season.

Going into the workout, Chalmers was considered the favorite to earn a spot on the Cavs considering his history alongside LeBron James as the Miami Heat's primary starting point guard during the franchise's four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals from 2011 to '14.

However, Cleveland does not want to commit to a long-term solution with its only remaining open roster spot at the moment, preferring to keep it open to see what deals present themselves as the Feb. 23 trade deadline draws nearer.

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Farmar is in a "holding pattern," a source told ESPN, as he flew back to L.A. following the workout in Cleveland and is awaiting the Cavs' decision.

Farmar, 30, has been on the fringes of the NBA for years -- he hasn't played in more than 41 games since 2010-11. Last season, he played 12 games for the Memphis Grizzlies (after Chalmers raptured his Achilles); this season, he played two games for the Sacramento Kings (when Darren Collison was serving a suspension for domestic violence).

If Chalmers and Stephenson, who had groin surgery in November, are not fully healthy, then Farmar might make the most sense of all these veterans. If he signs a 10-day contract, competently runs the offense and hits open 3-pointers, then he could wind up competing for a championship. That'd be an amazing outcome for a guy who was waived by the Kings three months ago.

If those other guys can get healthy before the playoffs, I wonder if the Cavs might be better served with one of them. Stephenson is without question the most versatile and skilled of these players, though he's also the one who comes with the most risk. Chalmers has history with James and was effective for the Grizzlies last season. Cleveland appears to want to keep its options open by only committing to a 10-day contract, and ESPN also reported that the team is trying to unload the contract of injured big man Chris "Birdman" Andersen to create another roster spot.