Magic, Turkoglu Making Progress On Buyout Talks
The Magic have engaged in buyout talks for Hedo Turkoglu's contract, and are making progress, according to Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Turkoglu is in the last year of his deal, but only $6MM of his $12MM salary is guaranteed, so Orlando could save at least $6MM by releasing him.
GM Rob Hennigan had indicated late last month that he expected to talk to the agents for Turkoglu and Al Harrington in the near future, presumably to discuss buyouts. Like Turkoglu, Harrington has a contract that's only 50% guaranteed, though his deal is for two more years rather than just one.
If the Magic and Turkoglu were to reach an agreement, he'd be waived, would become an unrestricted free agent, and would be able to sign with any team besides Orlando. However, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets, there's no real rush to complete a buyout. Turkoglu's contract has no guarantee date on it, so the Magic aren't on the hook for that full $12MM until January 10th.
2013 Amnesty Primer
Today is the last day of the July moratorium, which means NBA teams can officially resume full activity beginning tomorrow. In addition to signaling the end of the moratorium, July 10th also marks the first day that teams are eligible to amnesty players. This year's amnesty period will run from the 10th until the 16th — after that, teams that still haven't used their amnesty clause won't get another chance to do so until next July.
With amnesty week upon us, here's a refresher on how the process works, which teams still have the amnesty option available, and which players remain amnesty-eligible….
How does it work?
The amnesty provision provides a team an opportunity to clear a bad contract from its books for salary cap and luxury tax purposes. Although a team still has to pay the remainder of the amnestied player's salary, as it would for any released player, the player's salary no longer counts against the team's cap (except for minimum payroll purposes) when the amnesty clause is used. For instance, if and when the Lakers amnesty Metta World Peace, they'll still pay him his full $7,727,280 salary for 2013/14, but will remove that figure from the cap, significantly reducing the team's tax bill.
The amnesty provision can be used on any player, as long as the following rules are observed:
- A team can only amnesty one player — not one player per season.
- The amnesty provision can only be used on a player who signed his contract prior to July 1st, 2011. If a contract was signed, extended, or renegotiated after that date, the player cannot be amnestied.
- A team can only use its amnesty provision on a player who was on its roster on July 1st, 2011. If a player was traded after that date, he cannot be amnestied.
- The amnesty clause can only be used during the seven days following the July moratorium. If a team doesn't amnesty a player during that week, it won't get another chance to do so until the following July.
- A team that has yet to use its amnesty clause can do so in any of the next three years. The 2015/16 season is the last year in which a player can be amnestied under the current CBA.
Amnestied players are placed on waivers, but the waiver rules are slightly different than usual. An under-the-cap team can still place a full waiver claim on an amnestied player, if it doesn't mind being on the hook for the rest of the player's contract. However, clubs also have the option to submit partial waiver claims, in what essentially amounts to an auction for the player's services. If no team places a full claim, the team with the highest partial claim is awarded the player. If two teams bid the same amount, the club with the worse record wins out. If neither a full or partial claim is submitted, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.
For a few more details on the amnesty process, check out our complete explanation in the Hoops Rumors glossary.
Which teams still have the amnesty provision available?
Exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used the amnesty provision in the last two offseasons, leaving 15 clubs with the option of amnesty still at their disposal. These are the teams still in play, per our amnesty provision tracker:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Bobcats
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
- Utah Jazz
The Pelicans no longer have any amnesty-eligible players left on their roster, and reports have suggested the Bobcats will amnesty Tyrus Thomas, while the Lakers will amnesty World Peace. That would leave just 12 teams with the amnesty option available.
Which players are still eligible to be amnestied?
While there are 35 players still eligible to be amnestied, some are likelier candidates than others. I examined a few of this summer's potential amnesty candidates back in March, but here's the complete list of players that technically remain amnesty-eligible, along with the total money left on their deals:
- Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford ($36MM)
- Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo ($24.86MM), Avery Bradley ($2.51MM)
- Charlotte Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas ($18.08MM)
- Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah ($36.7MM), Carlos Boozer ($32.1MM), Luol Deng ($14.28MM)
- Detroit Pistons: Charlie Villanueva ($8.58MM), Greg Monroe ($4.09MM)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant ($30.45MM), Pau Gasol ($19.29MM), Metta World Peace ($7.73MM), Steve Blake ($4MM)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph ($34.3MM), Mike Conley ($26.08MM)
- Miami Heat: LeBron James ($61.77MM), Chris Bosh ($61.77MM), Dwyane Wade ($60.49MM), Mike Miller ($12.8MM), Udonis Haslem ($8.96MM), Joel Anthony ($7.6MM)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden ($13.37MM), Larry Sanders ($3.05MM)
- New Orleans Pelicans: No players eligible
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant ($56.99MM), Kendrick Perkins ($18.63MM), Nick Collison ($4.83MM), Thabo Sefolosha ($3.9MM)
- Sacramento Kings: John Salmons ($14.58MM), DeMarcus Cousins ($4.92MM)
- San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker ($25MM), Matt Bonner ($3.95MM)
- Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson ($13.6MM), Linas Kleiza ($4.6MM)
- Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors ($6.01MM), Gordon Hayward ($3.45MM)
FA Updates: Brewer, Teague, Hawks, Knicks, Lucas
With the July moratorium scheduled to be lifted tomorrow, free agent contracts can finally become official, and tomorrow should be a busy day, as teams and players formally finalize their agreements from the last nine days. However, there are still plenty of players on the market in search of a new team, or a deal with their old team. Here's the latest on a few of them:
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that the Timberwolves have spoken to Corey Brewer's reps, and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune hears from a source close to Brewer that the Wolves "would love him" (Twitter link).
- The Bucks' interest in Jeff Teague is "undeniable," but it's not clear if the Hawks are ready to take back Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis in a sign-and-trade, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter).
- After passing along a handful of Knicks updates this morning, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com provides a couple more. According to Zwerling, there's still mutual interest between the Knicks and Aaron Brooks, and the team also has some interest in Shawne Williams, though there's "nothing firm" there (Twitter links).
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports that John Lucas III met with the Jazz in Orlando yesterday, and hears from agent Bernie Lee that Lucas will meet with another team today in his hometown of Houston. According to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter), four teams, including the Jazz, are interested in the free agent point guard.
- Before he agreed to sign with the Pistons, Italian forward Gigi Datome drew interest from the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets, Suns, Spurs, and Grizzlies, tweets Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Salmons, Lakers, Scalabrine
Let's round up a few Tuesday morning items out of the Pacific Division….
- Having missed out on Andre Iguodala, the Kings are still seeking a small forward, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. Within his piece, Jones notes that the Kings haven't shown interest in Andrei Kirilenko or Corey Brewer, and explores some trade possibilities for the club.
- The Kings continue to have interest in Monta Ellis, and ESPN.com's Marc Stein points out in a tweet that the team could potentially amnesty John Salmons to create the cap space necessary to sign Ellis. Of course, that would create an even bigger hole at small forward.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post is the latest to speculate that Carmelo Anthony might decide to sign with the Lakers next summer, especially if the Knicks underachieve in 2013/14. However, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com is skeptical about the Carmelo-to-L.A. rumblings, explaining in his latest piece why he thinks it's a comical idea.
- Warriors head coach Mark Jackson tweeted word last night that the team has brought Brian Scalabrine aboard as an assistant.
Knicks Talked To Pietrus, Childress; Brand Unlikely
10:48am: The Knicks have also spoken further to Mickael Pietrus, according to Zwerling (via Twitter). Pietrus is expected to return stateside in a couple weeks, and will work out for interested teams at that point, says Zwerling.
10:28am: As they continue to search for inexpensive bench help, the Knicks have explored the possibility of signing Josh Childress, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Zwerling reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have had discussions, and that Childress may be open to the veteran's minimum.
With only the mini mid-level exception and the minimum-salary exception at their disposal this summer, the Knicks have run into trouble adding veterans to the roster so far. The team reportedly had interest in players like Carlos Delfino, Francisco Garcia, and Will Bynum, but those three free agents, and many others, have already reached agreements with other clubs.
The Knicks have agreed to re-sign Pablo Prigioni using a portion of their mini MLE, so there's still about $1.7MM left on that exception. However, presumably if talks became serious with Childress, New York would push for a minimum-salary deal to maintain some flexibility. Still, even if the Knicks can hang on to the rest of the MLE, the team is unlikely to sign Elton Brand, according to Zwerling (Twitter link).
Childress, 30, appeared in 14 games with the Nets last season before the team released him.
Spurs Likely To Re-Sign Neal; Bucks Interested
10:35am: Neal is likely to re-sign with the Spurs, a league source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
8:41am: Updates on Gary Neal have been scarce so far this month, with the 28-year-old's name only surfacing in discussions about how the Spurs' agreement with Marco Belinelli affects Neal's future in San Antonio. When the Spurs and Belinelli agreed to terms, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that there were "strong indications" Neal would be leaving San Antonio, since he was receiving interest from rival clubs at a higher price than the Spurs were willing to offer.
At the time, it wasn't clear which teams were in play for Neal, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reports (via Twitter) that the Bucks are a potential suitor. According to Woelfel, Milwaukee is one of four teams interested in the restricted free agent guard.
With Neal's Bird rights in hand, the Spurs will have the opportunity and the means to match any offer sheet he signs with another team. However, with Belinelli on board, it's not clear whether there will be enough minutes to go around. I would guess the Spurs will still be open to bringing Neal back if the price is right, but it sounds like they'll have plenty of competition.
Andrew Bynum Decision Coming Today?
9:28am: In spite of rumors that Bynum could make his decision today, the Mavs still expect him to visit tomorrow, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the Cavs are hammering out the specific terms of their offer to Bynum, according to the Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
9:05am: After sitting down with the Cavaliers on Monday, Andrew Bynum will meet with Hawks officials today, and could have a contract agreement in place within the next 24 hours, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger hears from a source that there "should be a deal today."
When the Cavs met with Bynum yesterday, they reportedly made him a two-year offer worth $24MM, with a team option on the second year. Despite Cleveland's serious interest, the free agent big man planned to proceed as scheduled to meetings with the Hawks and Mavericks, as ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweeted late last night.
Presumably, Bynum's meeting with Dallas isn't also scheduled for today, so if he makes a decision tonight, that may rule out the Mavericks. Berger's report seems to be somewhat at odds with Stein's, as the ESPN.com scribe also tweeted that he thought the Cavs viewed Dallas as a much more serious threat than Atlanta.
In any case, it seems Bynum will end up committing to either the Cavs, Hawks, or the Mavs at some point this week, perhaps as soon as today. All three clubs figure to be interested in the 25-year-old on a short-term, incentive-laden contract. As Stein tweeted last night, the Cavs' interest in Bynum stems from the fact that he's a potential All-Star center whose lost 2012/13 season makes him very attainable, and I'd imagine the Hawks and Mavs are thinking along the same lines.
Odds & Ends: Bell, Billups, Datome, Grizzlies
Knicks coach Mike Woodson is trying to convince Chauncey Billups to rejoin the club, sources tell Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). However, the veteran is unlikely to accept a minimum deal. The Knicks saw another one-guard target come off the board tonight when the Pistons agreed to a deal with Will Bynum. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Raja Bell worked out for the Knicks today and stood out to the point where he could receive consideration for a roster spot, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Bell, who sat out all of last year, shot well and outplayed New York’s incoming rookies in one-on-one drills.
- Although an overseas report over the weekend suggested that the Grizzlies had made Italian forward Gigi Datome a contract offer, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says the two sides aren't close to a deal. Datome doesn't seem inclined to accept a one-year offer with his potential playing time in question, according to Tillery, who adds that he expects the Grizz to sign someone like Anthony Morrow (Twitter links).
- After checking in with the T'Wolves, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) gets the sense that Metta World Peace isn't a fit in Minnesota. There's one caveat, however – Rick Adelman has yet to chime in and could conceivably fight for him. But right now, there's no interest there.
- The representatives for free agent center Jason Collins have only had preliminary discussions with teams, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). It's still early for the reserve center market and Collins probably has to wait for the bigger fish to sign before he can.
- C.J. Leslie's deal with the Knicks will be partially guaranteed until January 7th, even if he is cut or waived before that date and will be fully guaranteed after that date, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. New York signed the N.C. State product as an undrafted free agent. He was widely regarded as a mid-second round talent prior to draft night.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Cavs Offered Bynum Two-Year, $24MM Deal
The Cavs are pushing for free agent center Andrew Bynum to accept a two-year, $24MM+, incentive-based contract offer, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Cavs execs met with Bynum in Cleveland on Monday, but could lose patience with waiting on him to make up his mind.
Cleveland's offer includes a team option in the second year of the deal, sources told Wojnarowski. The 25-year-old met with Hawks officials after his Ohio pow-wow and Cleveland has begun to engage free agents Andrei Kirilenko and Elton Brand on possible one-year deals that would preclude the Cavaliers from the ability to sign Bynum, according to league sources.
The incentives of a possible Bynum contract have incentives tied to completing training camp and reaching minutes and games-played plateaus in the regular season. The team option on year two could be giving the center pause as his camp has been looking for one-year, high-money deals that would allow him to hit the market again next summer.
The Cavaliers see the possibility of a Bynum reclamation project coupled with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving making for a strong recruiting pitch to LeBron James next summer. They'll have competition for his services though. In addition to the Hawks, Bynum is also set to sit down with the Mavericks this week.
Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Howard, Odom
Chris Kaman wasn't exactly what Lakers fans had in mind this summer, but he'll help man the middle after the departure of Dwight Howard. Mitch Kupchak & Co. agreed to sign the former Clipper to a one-year, $3.18MM deal earlier today. Kaman had multiple suitors this summer but reportedly was excited about the idea of returning to Southern California. Here's more on the Lakers..
- After losing Howard, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonders where the Lakers go from here. While they'll have quite the challenge ahead of them, it's something that the club has long been prepared for. Shelburne writes that the relationship had become so toxic between D12 and the team that some Lakers officials were almost as afraid of what would happen if he decided to stay as the fallout if he left.
- The Lakers are still interested in signing Lamar Odom, but today's signing of Kaman means that they only have the veteran's minimum to work with, Shelburne tweets.
- The Clippers announced that they have hired Alvin Gentry as an associate head coach. He'll be on Doc Rivers' staff along with Kevin Eastman and Tyronn Lue.
- Earlier tonight, we learned that the Lakers will use the amnesty provision to trim Metta World Peace's contract.