Rockets Considering Trading Royce White
After agreeing to send Thomas Robinson to the Trail Blazers, the Rockets have had discussions about trading another one of last year's first-round picks, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen reports that Houston is considering trading Royce White, who will not participate in Summer League play with the club.
White, 22, was perhaps last season's most-discussed rookie, despite not appearing in a single NBA game. His much-publicized anxiety disorder kept him from traveling with the team, as the two sides attempted to work out an agreement that was amenable to all involved parties. White, who is currently communicating with the Rockets through the Players' Association, ended up appearing in 16 games with the team's D-League affiliate, averaging 11.4 PPG and 5.7 RPG for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
While White doesn't have a whole lot of trade value at this point, only his 2013/14 salary ($1.72MM) is guaranteed, so he's certainly not on a bad contract. His rookie deal includes team options for the following two seasons, with a decision on the '14/15 option due this fall. Feigen points out that a team interested in taking on White could potentially also acquire a second-round pick or two from the Rockets for their troubles, while avoiding taking on any long-term salary.
Feigen also writes that if the Rockets are able to secure a commitment from Dwight Howard, the team's focus will shift from developing prospects like White to acquiring veteran talent. So if Howard decides to come to Houston, it may signal the end of White's stint with the team.
Chauncey Billups Plans To Play Two More Years
Back in April, Chauncey Billups indicated that he wasn't considering retiring, and it doesn't sounds like retirement is an option he wants to entertain next year either. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter), Billups is looking to continue his NBA playing career for at least two more seasons.
It's not clear whether or not that means Billups is seeking a multiyear deal in free agency, but the 36-year-old doesn't seem to have a shortage of suitors. Broussard suggests in his tweet that a reunion with the Pistons isn't out of the question, and we heard yesterday that the Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Kings, Nets and Wolves have also shown some interest in the veteran guard. The Clippers likely wouldn't mind bringing Billups back as well.
Even though injuries limited him in the last two seasons in Los Angeles, Billups still earned a spot in the starting lineup in all 44 games he played for the Clippers. Wherever he lands in free agency though, Billups figures to be a backup, which he understands, according to Broussard.
Acie Law To Re-Sign With Olympiacos
Former NBA lottery pick Acie Law has agreed to re-sign with Greek powerhouse Olympiacos, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Law's deal will be for two years and $2.8MM, says Wojnarowski.
Law, 28, was drafted 11th overall in 2007 by Atlanta, and spent parts of four NBA seasons with the Hawks, Warriors, Bobcats, Bulls, and Grizzlies. He has played for Olympiacos for the last two years, most recently averaging 8.1 PPG in 30 Euroleague contests in 2012/13.
Wojnarowski reports that Law's deal will include an out clause that will allow him to accept an NBA deal prior to July 25th. It's not clear whether that out clause just applies to this season, or whether he'll receive the same opportunity next summer.
Bulls Rumors: Aldridge, Adams, Robinson
The Bulls have made some noise in free agency so far, reaching an agreement with Mike Dunleavy and agreeing to re-sign Nazr Mohammed to a minimum-salary deal. The club also reportedly plans to release Richard Hamilton before his contract becomes guaranteed next week. Here are a few more updates out of Chicago as the Bulls continue to tweak their roster:
- Within a piece about the relationship between head coach Tom Thibodeau and star point guard Derrick Rose, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune passes along an intriguing tidbit on LaMarcus Aldridge. According to Johnson, the Bulls "continue to rebuff attempts" by Aldridge's reps to bring the All-Star big man to Chicago. The Bulls have been unwilling to discuss a hypothetical deal that would see them give up Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler for Aldridge, sources tell Johnson.
- As Hoops Rumors' agency database shows and as Johnson suggests, Aldridge and Rose are both represented by Wasserman Media Group.
- Johnson notes within the same article that GM Gar Forman's decision to part ways with lead assistant Ron Adams was related to Adams' "complaining about personnel matters."
- The Bulls have been in touch with Nate Robinson and have offered a minimum-salary deal, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). However, Robinson is seeking a bigger multiyear contract after a successful season in Chicago.
Knicks Likely To Re-Sign Prigioni, Not Copeland
Holding only non-Bird rights on a pair of restricted free agents this summer, the Knicks aren't expected to be able to re-sign both Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni unless both players are willing to accept discounts. With Copeland drawing plenty of interest from rival teams, it appears he's on the verge of signing an offer sheet that would end his time as a Knick, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Berman hears from sources that Copeland has three offer sheets to choose from. The Pacers, Lakers, and an unknown team, perhaps the Cavs, are the clubs believed to have offers on the table for Copeland. The Lakers, like the Knicks, have limited cap flexibility, so New York could potentially match an L.A. offer sheet. However, the Pacers intend to use a portion of their $5.15MM mid-level exception, while the Cavs have a chunk of cap space available. Both teams could offer Copeland a starting salary that exceeds $3.18MM, which is the maximum the Knicks could match with their own mini MLE.
Although the Knicks may be preparing to lose Copeland, the team appears to be a good bet to re-sign Prigioni. According to Berman, New York has made the point guard a two-year offer worth about $2.3MM. Since such a deal would exceed the minimum salary, the club would have to use a portion of its mid-level on the offer, leaving a little more than $2MM to try to bring back Copeland or sign an outside free agent.
Speaking of outside free agents, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Knicks continue to pursue Sebastian Telfair, reaching out to the player himself rather than just his agents. It's not clear whether the Knicks are interested in signing both Prigioni and Telfair, or whether Telfair is viewed as a Plan B. But having lost Jason Kidd to retirement, the Knicks figure to be in the market for a third point guard.
Bucks Nearing Agreement With O.J. Mayo
THURSDAY, 8:02am: If Mayo finalizes an agreement with Milwaukee, expect the club to just sign him outright, since the Mavs and Bucks aren't discussing sign-and-trade scenarios, says Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
WEDNESDAY, 9:21pm: The deal is still not finalized as of Wednesday night, Wojnarowski tweets, but the Bucks and Mayo will continue to work into Thursday to complete the multiyear pact.
1:45pm: The Bucks are closing in on a multiyear contract agreement with unrestricted free agent guard O.J. Mayo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
After the Timberwolves agreed to sign Kevin Martin and the Clippers reached an agreement to acquire J.J. Redick, two potential destinations for Mayo were eliminated yesterday. With Martin and Redick both agreeing to contracts in the neighborhood of $7MM per year, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Mayo match or exceed that figure.
The Bucks have been linked to a number of guards this week, including Martin, Tony Allen, Eric Bledsoe, J.R. Smith, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, and Devin Harris, among others. It's also not clear whether the team intends to bring back Brandon Jennings and/or Monta Ellis, though an agreement with Mayo would seem to reduce the chances of both those players returning to Milwaukee.
Milwaukee was also reported to have a three-year offer on the table for Korver, and was viewed as perhaps the leading candidate to land Smith. While we'll have to wait and see whether either player remains a target for the Bucks, it's hard to imagine Mayo and Smith sharing a backcourt.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Dwight Howard has been visited by five teams since free agency opened, meeting with the Rockets late Sunday night, the Hawks and Warriors on Monday, and the Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday. It appears Howard will decide on one of those five options, with no dark horse suitors like the Clippers lurking as possibilities. Happy Walters, one of Howard's reps at Relativity Sports, tweeted earlier this morning, "Great meetings with @DwightHoward. Group Going 2 get some Mountain air to clear the mind and make some decisions."
Here's more on Walters' tweet and Howard's free agency in general:
- In the Lakers meetings with Howard, Kobe Bryant essentially challenged his teammate to learn how to become a champion, insisting that Bryant should be the one to teach him in L.A., writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, via Twitter, Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash, Bryant and Howard all openly talked about last year's issues, leaving nothing unsaid yet still leaving the meeting on a positive note.
- Regarding Stein's report that Golden State had forced their way into the conversation, Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News hears that Mark Jackson was very impressive and that the pitch included Howard being surrounded by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes (via Sulia string). This would all but rule out a blockbuster sign-and-trade.
- Tim Kawakami, also of the Mercury News, provides an extensive breakdown of what is and is not possible when it comes to the Warriors and Howard. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld also gives his take on the potential match.
Earlier updates:
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Warriors made a real impression on Howard during their Monday meeting, and shouldn't be written off as a potential destination, though they still probably trail the Lakers, Rockets, and Mavs (Twitterlinks).
- Howard hopes to decide by this Friday on which team he'll sign with, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter. A source tells Schefter that D12's decision is "totally up in the air."
- There are still teams interested in further making their cases to Howard, but he appears to have shut down all takes to decide now, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to various reports, Howard and his camp are heading to Aspen to discuss their options.
- Howard and his camp will be heading "off the grid" to either a resort area in Colorado or a remote ranch in Montana to weigh the big man's options over the next few days, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- One source to Berger, on Howard's meetings this week: "The meetings were all very interesting. Each [was] very individualized for the team and city they repped. Super impressed by all."
- Berger also speculates on how Howard will announce his decision, predicting that while a LeBron James-esque production won't happen, D12 could make his announcement via a YouTube video.
- A decision could come from Howard by Friday, but it's also possible he'll "let it bleed into the weekend," says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source with knowledge of Howard's decision-making process still believes the Rockets are the favorites, according to Wojnarowski. "The Rockets have put themselves in position to pull this off," the source said. "If he wants to win right now – and be set up to keep winning – it's hard to make a case for anyone but Houston."
Kings Won’t Match Evans Offer, Discussing Trade
3:51pm: Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that the proposed three-way deal would see Evans go to the Pelicans, Lopez to the Trail Blazers, and Vasquez to the Kings, with the Blazers sending out picks and cash. The specifics on the Portland picks and money aren't known, nor is it clear which team would receive them.
3:39pm: Jose Calderon has passed on an opportunity to sign with the Kings, clearing the way for the team to complete the three-way agreement that would see Vasquez land in Sacramento, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the Pelicans had been hoping to sign Calderon and move Vasquez elsewhere.
11:11am: Sam Amick of USA Today confirms that trade talks are ongoing, but says the proposed scenario would be a three-way deal, with Vasquez going to Sacramento and Lopez heading to Portland. According to Amick, the Kings have "other situations still in play" but are looking to get something in return for Evans rather than just letting him walk (Twitter links).
7:49am: With Tyreke Evans preparing to sign a four-year, $44MM offer sheet with the Pelicans, the Kings do not plan to match the offer, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee. However, according to Voisin, the Kings and Pelicans are working on an agreement that would send Greivis Vasquez and Robin Lopez to Sacramento in exchange for a signed-and-traded Evans.
For Evans to be part of a sign-and-trade deal, he'd have to hold off on officially signing the Pelicans' offer sheet — once he signs, the Kings would only have the option of matching the offer or letting him walk. With the July moratorium extending into next week though, the two teams have plenty of time to work out an agreement, avoiding the need for that offer sheet.
The Pelicans had been attempting to move Lopez in order to make room under the cap for their offer sheet to Evans, so involving the two players in the same deal makes sense. Meanwhile, with New Orleans putting together a backcourt that includes Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Eric Gordon, Vasquez appears to be the odd man out.
It's not clear if only Vasquez and Lopez would be heading to Sacramento in the proposed move, or if more pieces would be involved, but the Pelicans would be able to absorb Evans into their cap space, so no further players would be required.
According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee, the Kings' price to bring back Evans was something in the $8-9MM range, annually, which is significantly less than the $11MM annual salary the Pelicans offered. For him not to agree to New Orleans' offer, Evans was seeking a $12MM starting salary from Sacramento, says Jones.
While they debated whether or not to try to bring back Evans, the Kings also pursued Andre Iguodala, making him a four-year, $52MM offer. However, the club rescinded the offer when Iguodala was noncommital about signing it. With Evans seemingly on his way to New Orleans, the Kings could revisit Iguodala, but if they take on Vasquez and Lopez, their ability to make another big-money offer would be limited.
This post was first published on July 4th at 7:49am CST.
FA Latest: Jefferson, Nets, Copeland, Collison
Let's have a look at the latest offseason news and notes from this Wednesday evening:
- Al Jefferson has spent the past day and a half with the Bobcats, as we know, but apparently the former Jazz center wants to wait until Dwight Howard signs before making any commitments, reports ESPN's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). According to Broussard, this is because if the Mavericks lose out on Howard, they could come calling on Jefferson. Jefferson is looking for a four-year deal, starting at $15MM per season, per Broussard (via Twitter).
- Considering the make up of the Nets roster, head coach Jason Kidd needs to hit the ground running, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Assistant coach Lawrence Frank ran much of Kidd's first practice on Wednesday while Kidd mainly observed, according to Bondy. Ian O'Connor of ESPN New York reports that the Nets deal with Frank is for four year and is worth more than one million dollars a year, making him the league's highest paid assistant.
- We rounded up the latest on Chris Copeland a bit earlier, but now Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York is reporting, via Twitter, that the Cavaliers are "in play" on Copeland with a potential multiyear offer and the Pacers are exploring roster options to create room for the 6-foot-8 forward. Sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that Copeland has three offers to choose from, which will make it next to impossible for the Knicks to retain him (via Twitter). None of the three are from the Jazz, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Mavericks free agent Darren Collison, in the process of sorting through his options, is intrigued by four potential destinations and hasn't ruled out a return to Dallas, writes RealGM's Shams Charania.
J.R. Smith Nearing Deal With Knicks
9:28pm: Frank Isola of the New York Daily News writes that the proposed deal from the Knicks is for four years and worth $24MM.
7:30pm: Earl Smith, J.R.'s father, told several reporters, including ESPN's Ian Begley, that they have a "couple" offers on the table, and that nothing will be signed until Friday (Twitter links here). The Smiths are hoping for a better offer, and none of the ones on the table have bowled them over.
7:02pm: Unrestricted free agent J.R. Smith is nearing an agreement to re-sign with the Knicks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News tweets that nothing is official yet, but the two sides are finalizing a deal. Wojnarowski adds, again via Twitter, that the amount of years and options in the deal are still being discussed.
Today alone, we've seen several reports indicate Smith would be difficult for the Knicks to retain. Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni are also free agents that the team may be interested in bringing back.