‘Twas the week before the NBA season, and already the Cavs have been involved in three rumors involving player transactions.

The first was the rebirth of a Zydrunas Ilgauskas-for-Stephen Jackson swap with Golden State. The second — and most absurd — was about Larry Hughes returning to the Cavs after a buyout with the Knicks.

And now the third one? How about whether or not a mystery conversation with Jamaal Tinsley’s people occurred?

From Brian Windhorst:

Over the weekend, there was an item in the New York Post suggesting the Cavs may have some interest in free-agent point guard Jamaal Tinsley. It was plausible, Tinsley is one of the most talented players without a job and had a good relationship with Brown when both were members of the Indiana Pacers. Plus the Cavs have a roster spot for another guard. However, according to two sources, the team has not been in contact with Tinsley as of this week.

You would think that the stars are aligned for this. The Cavs only have one true point guard on their team in Mo Williams. Delonte West can play point, but he’s more of a combo guard. So is Daniel Gibson. LeBron James can definitely play some point, but with the Cavs expecting him to do so many other things, having a diverse roster might help both LeBron and the Cavs out.

There’s also the issue of West. The team has really been mum about his progress as of late, and although it was reported that team doctors cleared him for the start of the regular season next week, nothing appears to be a guarantee. The Cavs have plenty of depth this year, but adding Tinsley on the roster as a precaution certainly wouldn’t hurt.

In addition to all that, Tinsley has a good rapport with Cavs coach Mike Brown dating back to Brown’s days as an assistant with the Pacers. The 31-year old Tinsley had a rocky ending to his tenure in Indiana after losing his job to T.J. Ford, but he could be a perfect backup for a team looking to raise a banner in June.

The 6′3″, 185-pounder out of Iowa State is averaging 10.4 points and 7.0 assists over seven seasons. He did not play last season after the Pacers deactivated him, but Tinsley played a big role in getting Indiana to the playoffs during his time there.

Tinsley definitely carries a lot of baggage with him, especially after the way things ended in Indianapolis, but if the Cavs can get him on a low-risk contract, he could pay off with a high reward. Plus, it’s not like the Cavs want to make him a starter. If West isn’t available for a long stretch of time, Anthony Parker can fill in at the two while Tinsley can back up both the shooting and point guard positions.

It’s an interesting proposition to look at, and GM Danny Ferry is known for making low-risk moves with the potential of a high reward. But as far as we know, the two sides aren’t talking.

That could change.