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Daily News - September 21, 2016

**NOTE: The news clips and articles listed don't necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of the Cleveland Cavaliers or their Basketball Operations staff, partners, or sponsors.**

Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone hires Canton Charge's Jordi Fernandez
Author: Joe Vardon
Publication: Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jordi Fernandez is leaving his position as coach of the Cavs' D-League affiliate Canton Charge to join Mike Malone's bench on the Denver Nuggets, the Charge announced Tuesday.

There was no immediate word on a replacement for Fernandez who, for what it's worth, leaves as the winningest coach in Charge history with a 62-38 record in two seasons. The Charge reached the conference finals in each of Fernandez's two years. - CLICK HERE to read full story.

LeBron James, Mark Wahlberg working on movie together
Author: Joey Morona
Publication: Cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Actor Mark Wahlberg shed some light on that Instagram photo LeBron James posted of the two of them earlier this month.

"He and I are talking about doing a movie together," Wahlberg told Jimmy Fallon during an appearance on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday.

"It's actually a great idea," Wahlberg, whose latest film "Deepwater Horizon" comes out next week, said. "These guys get to go to one of these fantasy camps and me and LeBron have a 'situation.'"

Wahlberg said the photo was taken at his home in Los Angeles. James has spent a good part of the summer at the $21 million mansion he bought in Brentwood last year. - CLICK HERE to read full story.

Canton Charge promote assistant and former KSU star Nate Reinking to head coach
Author: Jason Lloyd
Publication: Ohio.com

Former Kent State guard Nate Reinking will be named the new head coach of the Canton Charge, a league source told the Beacon Journal.

Reinking, 42, left KSU as the seventh-leading scorer in school history in 1996 before playing overseas for nearly two decades. - CLICK HERE to read full story.

#CavsRank: J.R. Smith comes in at No. 5
Author: Michael Drapcho
Publication: Fear the Sword

J.R. Smith’s reputation precedes him. For some, mention of Smith conjures thoughts of his questionable behavior on the court and perhaps even more questionable behavior off it.

However, the problems that maligned Smith for much of his career have been largely absent in the year and a half that he has been with the Cavalier, which is a major reason why he was such a major contributor to a championship team.

When the Cavaliers traded for Smith in January of 2015, many saw him as the necessary evil in the trade that brought a strong perimeter defender in Iman Shumpert to Cleveland. They did not envision Smith staying out of trouble and playing arguably the best basketball of his career, but that is exactly what he has done in his tenure with the Wine and Gold. - CLICK HERE to read full story.

Amico: JR Smith’s LA absence irrelevant
Author: Sam Amico
Publication: AmicoHoops.net

J.R. Smith won’t be attending the Cavaliers’ team-bonding experience in Los Angeles this week, and here is why it doesn’t matter:

1. This isn’t training camp. That starts a week from Tuesday (Sept. 27). In fact, this isn’t even a workout as much as it is a chance for the team to hang out and relax near LeBron James’ second home in Southern California.

2. The basketball aspect will be fairly limited and occasionally playful. It will mostly consist of the players putting up some shots, having some laughs and getting re-acquainted. It can get intense — but nobody will be running sprints here and no one will mistake this for camp. - CLICK HERE to read full story.

Kevin Love matches Russell Westbrook's record donation to UCLA
Author: Associated Press
Publication: ESPN.com

LOS ANGELES -- Kevin Love is making what UCLA's athletic department calls "a significant financial contribution" to the university where he helped the Bruins reach the Final Four in his lone season.

The UCLA athletic department said Love's unspecified donation announced Tuesday matches the amount Russell Westbrook gave last December, which was the largest by a former Bruins basketball player in school history.

In return for his gift, UCLA's strength and conditioning facility, to be located in the new Mo Ostin Basketball Center, will be named for Love. - CLICK HERE to read full story.