Antawn Jamison Discusses His Free Agency
Charlotte isn't exactly a top destination for free agents these days, but at least one veteran has interest in signing with the Bobcats. Antawn Jamison spoke to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer about the mutual interest between him and his hometown team, and his priorities as he explores his options in free agency. Here are a few highlights from the veteran forward:
Nets Sign Tyshawn Taylor
The Nets have signed second-round pick Tyshawn Taylor, according to the team (via Twitter). Brooklyn acquired the 41st pick from the Trail Blazers on draft night in order to select the Hoboken native.
As a second-rounder, Taylor figures to earn the rookie minimum of $473,604. Adding a charge that small to the cap will have a negligible impact on the Nets' flexibility as they look to re-sign their own free agents or pursue a larger fish, such as Dwight Howard.
Rockets Sign Donatas Motiejunas
The Rockets officially announced today in a team release that they have signed 2011 first-round pick Donatas Motiejunas to a rookie scale contract. The 21-year-old was the 20th overall pick a year ago, so he figures to receive a rookie contract equivalent to what this year's 20th overall pick (Evan Fournier) would be eligible for — if he signed for the maximum 120%, Motiejunas will make $1,361,400 in his rookie season.
The Rockets acquired the rights to Motiejunas last June in a trade with the Timberwolves. The Lithuanian big man spent the 2011/12 season overseas, playing for Prokom Gdynia in Poland.
Lou Williams Won’t Return To Sixers
Shortly after the 76ers reached an agreement to sign Nick Young, Lou Williams announced via Twitter that he would not be returning to Philadelphia: "Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction." John Finger of CSNPhilly.com confirmed (via Twitter) that the Sixers will not attempt to re-sign Williams.
Latest On O.J. Mayo
11:18am: Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says the Pacers have "great, great interest" in Mayo, and that he's the team's top choice among outside free agents.
9:13am: As the Grizzlies agree to re-sign one of their free agents, Marreese Speights, another Memphis free agent continues to seek a new contract. O.J. Mayo almost certainly won't be returning to the Grizzlies, but he "may be close to something" with the Pacers, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).
Victor Claver To Join Trail Blazers
Victor Claver has officially informed Spain's Valencia BC of his decision for next season, and will leave the Spanish club to join the Trail Blazers, according to ElMundo.es (Spanish translation via HoopsHype). There's no word on an agreement with the Blazers yet, but Claver will have to pay an approximate buyout of $740K to come to the NBA.
Nicolas Batum, Timberwolves Agree To Offer Sheet
Nicolas Batum and the Timberwolves have agreed to terms on a four-year, $45MM offer sheet with bonuses that could push the total value of the deal to $50MM, reports Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press (via Twitter). Once the offer sheet is signed, Portland will have three days to decide whether it wants to retain Batum or allow the forward to leave and join the Timberwolves.
Free Agent Rumors: Jamison, Sessions, Lewis
Five days into free agency, a number of big names, such as Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, are off the market. But there are still plenty of players out there looking for contracts. We'll wrap up many of today's free agent updates right here, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Antawn Jamison had dinner in Charlotte with Bobcats executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The former UNC star has also been talking to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Jamison's former agent, and will chat with head coach Mark Jackson in the near future.
- The Mavericks have reached out to Ramon Sessions for a second time and pitched a starting job to the veteran point guard, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Rashard Lewis will visit the Heat this weekend after having his contract bought out by the Hornets, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). The Hawks and the Knicks are among other teams interested in the veteran forward.
Earlier updates:
Ray Allen To Sign With Heat?
The Heat have reached agreement on a deal with free agent guard Ray Allen, Heat owner Micky Arison announced via Twitter. The agreement was confirmed by agent Jim Tanner, tweets Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. The veteran is widely expected to sign for the mini mid-level exception, worth $3.09MM per year.
"Its 2:30am in London and I was just woken up with great news. Welcome to the family #20!!," Arison announced.
Allen met with Miami on Thursday night without giving them an answer on their contract offer. The 36-year-old reportedly widdled his choices down to the Heat and Celtics, despite interest from other clubs including the Timberwolves and Grizzlies.
Cavs Sign Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller
The Cavs have signed first-round picks Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller to rookie contracts, according to a team release. Waiters, 20, was selected fourth overall by Cleveland after starring at Syracuse in the backcourt. Zeller, 22, was drafted 17th overall by the Mavericks and dealt to the Cavs in a draft night trade. The former UNC forward/center won the ACC Player of the Year award during his senior year. Bob Finnan of The News-Herald says Waiters received a four-year $16.7MM deal while Zeller obtained a four-year, $7.4MM contract (Twitter links).