Magic Sign Ronnie Price
JULY 25th, 2:03pm: The Magic confirmed the signing via press release.
JULY 16th, 8:30pm: The deal will be for one year at the veteran's minimum and is fully guaranteed, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
4:00pm: Price will receive the veteran's minimum, according to Haynes (via Twitter). It's not clear yet whether the contract will be for one year or multiple seasons.
1:41pm: Ronnie Price and the Magic have reached an agreement on a contract, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (via Twitter). Price is represented by Excel Sports, as our agency database shows.
Last week, a report surfaced suggesting that the Magic were in the market for depth at point guard and center. While Victor Oladipo and E'Twaun Moore could see some time at the point behind Jameer Nelson, Price is a more traditional fit at the position.
Price, 30, signed a one-year deal with the Trail Blazers last summer, but only appeared in 39 games with the team, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.9 APG. The eight-year veteran was released by Portland at the trade deadline when the team acquired Eric Maynor to replace him as Damian Lillard's primary backup.
The terms of Price's agreement aren't yet known, but he signed for the veteran's minimum last year, and didn't exactly show he deserved more than that, so I'd expect another minimum-salary deal this time around.
Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Daye, Jordan, Clippers
The voting on the worst $40MM+ signing of the summer is still ongoing, but the Clippers' Chris Paul appears to be more than safe. While a five-year, $107MM+ deal is anything but cheap, it's hard to argue that the league's premier point guard isn't worth it. Here's more out of the Staples Center..
- The Lakers have expressed interest in free agent Austin Daye, sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). The 6'11" forward, who became an unrestricted free agent when the Grizzlies declined to make him a qualifying offer, auditioned for the Lakers earlier today. For his career, Daye has averaged 5.6 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 15.4 minutes per game.
- Sources close to the process tell Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld that the Lakers might add one more player before camp, but their plan is to keep some roster room open in hopes of luring some talented guys that fall through the cracks. Daye could wind up being that addition, provided that he has a strong showing in L.A.
- DeAndre Jordan is over the fact that he was nearly traded from the Clippers to the Celtics, writes Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. “Boston is cold, man,” Jordan said. “It’s not really something I’m concerned about. If you get traded, you get traded — it just means someone else wants you.”
Poll: Worst $40MM+ Signing Of The Summer
A year ago, Deron Williams was the only unrestricted free agent to sign a maximum-salary deal, and his $98.77MM contract falls short of the $107.34MM pact inked by Chris Paul earlier this month. Still, even with Paul and Dwight Howard landing max deals this summer, the amount of $40MM+ contracts signed this time around is just six, compared to nine a year ago.
That number still figures to increase by at least one, if and when Nikola Pekovic finalizes a new contract with the Timberwolves. Even Brandon Jennings has a shot at a $40MM deal, though that's appearing less and less likely. Still, overall, it looks like we'll see slightly fewer massive free agent deals this year than last.
With 12 months of hindsight, it's easier to look back at last summer's $40MM+ signings and determine which ones look like bargains and which ones are potential albatrosses. Players like Brook Lopez and Roy Hibbert got off to solid starts in justifying their lucrative long-term deals, while JaVale McGee's and especially Gerald Wallace's big contracts look questionable.
Without the benefit of hindsight, it's a little harder to tell which deals will work out and which ones won't. But in today's poll, we're asking you to weigh in on which of this summer's six biggest contracts appears most ill-advised. A few factors to consider when placing your vote:
- Paul's contract with the Clippers includes a fifth-year early termination option.
- Howard's deal with the Rockets includes a fourth-year player option.
- Al Jefferson's contract with the Bobcats includes a third-year player option.
- All of the other deals are fully guaranteed.
Knicks Re-Sign Kenyon Martin
THURSDAY, 12:22pm: The Knicks have officially re-signed Martin, the team announced today (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 3:32pm: Martin will make the minimum on a one-year deal, Wojnarowski reports.
2:51pm: Kenyon Martin and the Knicks have reached an agreement that will see the veteran big man return to the team, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Multiple reports over the last ten days have indicated the team and agent Andy Miller were moving toward a pact. Martin is eligible to sign for up to 120% of the minimum salary via Non-Bird rights.
Martin sat out the first half of last season hoping for a deal worth the mini mid-level, but settled for a pair of 10-day contracts from the Knicks, who followed in February with a deal for the rest of the season. The 35-year-old paid dividends, averaging 7.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game during 18 regular season contests, 11 of them starts. Those numbers were only down slightly in the playoffs, when he mostly appeared off the bench.
The former No. 1 overall pick may have his greatest influence on defense, as Grantland's Zach Lowe points out via Twitter. The Lakers, Clippers, Spurs and Nets all reportedly had interest as free agency began, with San Antonio perhaps the most aggressive suitor. Martin appeared to have his eyes on the Lakers at one point, but it became increasingly apparent that a return to New York was in the offing.
Contract/Cap Details: Pressey, Ledo, Roberts
As various reporters and cap experts continue to fill on the gaps on team salaries, let's check out the latest details….
- Phil Pressey's deal with the Celtics is a three-year, minimum-salary pact, with a fully guaranteed first season, tweets Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Because it's a three-year contract, the C's likely used a portion of their mid-level execption to get it done.
- Ricky Ledo's four-year deal with the Mavericks will pay him $550K in year one, but will be worth the minimum for the other three years, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The first two years are guaranteed.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com examines how much cap space the under-the-cap teams actually still have, and how much more they could theoretically create.
- Since he wasn't waived by last Saturday, Brian Roberts' salary for the upcoming season appears to be guaranteed, per ShamSports' breakdown of the Pelicans salaries.
- The Hawks are close to buying out Lucas Nogueira's contract, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Atlanta is allowed to contribute up to $550K toward a contract buyout, and the price for this year's 16th overall pick will be somewhere below $1MM, says Carchia.
Northwest Rumors: Team USA, Pekovic, Nuggets
Two Northwest stars, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, announced yesterday that they'll play for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup of basketball, but we don't know exactly who'll join them. USA Basketball Executive Director Jerry Colangelo says he'll narrow the pool of prospects to 25 or 30 by January, and he'll have until 48 hours before next summer's event begins to name a final roster, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com points out (Twitter links).
Here's more from around the Northwest division:
- Durant believes current Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook and former teammate James Harden will play in next summer's World Cup as well, ESPN.com's Marc Stein writes in his latest round-up of tidbits from Team USA's camp. That would leave just eight of 12 roster spots to be filled.
- Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor remains confident that the team will finalize a new deal with Nikola Pekovic, and doesn't think he'll have to call Pekovic personally, though he'd be open to doing so, says Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Within his latest piece on the Nuggets, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post writes that Denver remains likely to re-sign Timofey Mozgov, and hears from GM Tim Connelly that the team "absolutely" plans to keep Andre Miller.
International Notes: Kleiza, Samuels, Jenkins
So far this offseason, we haven't seen many NBA free agents sign with teams overseas, but that could change in the coming weeks, as NBA roster spots dry up. In many cases, a player's best chance at guaranteed money could come in Europe. Here are the latest updates and rumors on NBA players signing overseas:
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports confirms the Kleiza news below, tweeting that the ex-Raptors has signed a two-year contract with Fenerbahce Ulker to become one of the highest-paid players in Europe.
Earlier updates:
- According to various reports out of Turkey, Linas Kleiza and Fenerbahce Ulker have reached an agreement in principle on a lucrative two-year contract, as Uğur Türker of EuroBasket.com tweets. Kleiza was amnestied by the Raptors earlier this month, with reports at the time suggesting he was likely to return overseas.
- Former Cavs big man Samardo Samuels has officially reached an agreement with Italy's Olimpia Milano, the team announced on its website. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides an English translation of the club's press release.
- Carchia also reports that former Warrior and Sixer Charles Jenkins has agreed to terms with Red Star of Belgrade. Jenkins' agent, Misko Raznatovic, tweets that his client has yet to sign anything, but according to Carchia's source, the deal is done.
Odds & Ends: Team USA, Clippers, Ledo
A few random notes from around the NBA.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein writes about Team USA and its long time head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was wary of staying on to coach the team through the 2016 Olympics but now appears committed to the task.
- Grantland.com's Zach Lowe has further information on rookie guard Ricky Ledo's contract with the Mavericks. It's a four-year deal, with the last two years non-guaranteed, Lowe tweets.
- According to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, John Lucas III's contract with the Jazz is a two-year deal, with the second year being completely non-guaranteed. The first year is for $1.6MM.
- Also from Deeks, in a tweet, the Clippers currently have the highest total committed future salary in the NBA. The Mavericks have the lowest.
Western Notes: Camby, O’Neal, Jordan, Pekovic
A few notes from around the Western Conference
- According to a tweet from the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen, Marcus Camby's agent insists that the Rockets are atop his list of teams to play for next season.
- New Warriors center Jermaine O'Neal says he is ready to help his new team in any role, any way he can, writes the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons.
- Clippers center DeAndre Jordan found himself in a major trade rumor earlier this summer, with constant speculation of him being involved in a deal to the Celtics. Today, Jordan says he looks at those rumors as a sign of respect, according to RealGM's Shams Charania.
- Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders will fly to New York City early next week to sit down with restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic's agent with hopes to finalize a contract in the area of four years and $50MM, according to the Star Tribune's Kent Youngblood.
LeBron James Set To Leave Team USA
LeBron James has likely already played his last game for Team USA, according to Yahoo! Sports reporter Marc J. Spears. Widely regarded as the world's best player, coming off a historic stretch that's seen four MVP trophies in five seasons and two straight NBA championships, James will not play for Team USA in the 2014 World Championships in Spain, and probably won't compete in the 2016 Olympics either.
As he ages, James will likely focus on rest, his family, and other endeavors that he'll need in order to have as much success as possible in the NBA during its offseason. He's already competed in three Olympic games, winning two gold medals.
USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo recently said Kevin Durant was "kind of the face of USA Basketball going forward," indicating James would no longer be a part of the program.