FA Updates: Brown, Oden, Iguodala, Pistons
We passed along a few free agent updates this morning, but while that may have been our first round-up of free agency notes for the day, it certainly won't be the last. Here's another set:
- Euroleague standout Bobby Brown is drawing plenty of interest from teams on both sides of the Atlantic, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Stein names the Knicks, Clippers, and Trail Blazers as potential NBA suitors for Brown, while noting that he also has "multiple big offers" to continue playing overseas.
- One source tells Stein (Twitter link) that the Spurs and Heat are likely in the lead ahead of the Cavs and other teams for Greg Oden, though that list could continue to evolve, given the complexities of his comeback.
- The Warriors, who had previously been named as a potential suitor for Andre Iguodala despite a lack of cap flexibility, met with the free agent swingman yesterday, says Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Pistons are talking to agent Mark Bartelstein about bringing back free agent point guard Will Bynum, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The team has also talked to Bartelstein about Jose Calderon, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
- Although talks aren't serious at this point, the Timberwolves have exchanged text messages with Andrei Kirilenko's camp, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Nuggets Considering Trading Andre Miller?
Veteran point guard Andre Miller could be traded by the Nuggets this summer, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Tomasson tweets that Miller isn't part of the team's long-term plans and was a favorite of George Karl, who is no longer coaching the team. Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer tweets that Denver put Miller on the table during draft-night trade talks with the Grizzlies, but Memphis wasn't interested.
While Ty Lawson is firmly entrenched as the starter at the point in Denver, Miller provided solid numbers for a backup in 2012/13, averaging 9.6 PPG and 5.9 APG while appearing in all 82 games. The 37-year-old is under contract for $5MM in '13/14 and about $4.63MM in '14/15, though only $2MM of that second figure is guaranteed.
When a report yesterday indicated that the Nuggets had been in contact with free agent point guard Jarrett Jack, I noted that, with Lawson and Miller on board, the position wasn't really a spot of need for Denver. But if the club is considering moving Miller, a pursuit of Jack would make more sense.
Mozgov, Nuggets Negotiating Multiyear Deal
Timofey Mozgov has engaged in negotiations with the Nuggets to return to the team on a multiyear deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Denver extended a qualifying offer to Mozgov, making him a restricted free agent, so even if he were to sign an offer sheet with another team, the Nuggets would have the opportunity to match it.
Of this year's restricted free agents, Mozgov was one of the players whose qualifying offer surprised me most. Still, the Nuggets traded away one of their other centers, Kosta Koufos, in a draft-night deal, so the team appears to be committed to Mozgov, whose QO was worth approximately $3.93MM.
As I noted when I assessed Mozgov's free agent stock back in May, there could be a few potential suitors for the big man besides the Nuggets. The Knicks' interest in the 26-year-old was reported both before and after the trade deadline. The Timberwolves also reportedly made a play for Mozgov, with the Bobcats and Heat making inquiries as well.
If the Nuggets and Mozgov reach an agreement, it could for three years with an option on the final season, a source tells Charania.
Kyler On Pekovic, Spurs, Iguodala, Pelicans, C’s
Here's the latest on free agency from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld:
- The Trail Blazers are expected to extend a "massive" offer to Nikola Pekovic, according to Kyler. After acquiring Thomas Robinson, Portland won't have the necessary cap room to make a huge offer, but perhaps the team has another move in mind to clear some space.
- Al Jefferson, who is expected to meet with the Bobcats this week, has been linked to the Spurs as well. Kyler also hears from sources that San Antonio "kicked the tires" on a possible Marcin Gortat trade, so the Spurs are exploring ways to add a big man.
- The Mavericks may make Andre Iguodala a "serious offer" if they miss out on Dwight Howard, says Kyler.
- If Tyreke Evans wants to join the Pelicans, New Orleans would be open to moving Greivis Vasquez or Austin Rivers, either in a sign-and-trade with the Kings or in a separate deal, according to Kyler. However, the team seems more inclined to hang on to Eric Gordon.
- Sources close to Rajon Rondo say the Celtics have pledged to be aggressive in putting together a roster around him that will be competitive in 2013/14 and beyond, writes Kyler.
Carl Landry To Meet With Clippers
Unrestricted free agent Carl Landry will meet with Doc Rivers and the Clippers tonight, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As Wojnarowski notes, Landry and Chris Paul were teammates in New Orleans during the 2010/11 season.
Landry declined his $4MM player option to remain with the Warriors, and figures to be seeking a multiyear commitment this month. The 29-year-old indicated to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com a few days ago that he expects there to be about a half-dozen teams pursuing him in free agency, including the Trail Blazers.
If the Clippers were to get serious about signing Landry, the team would likely have to either use its mid-level exception to sign him or explore a sign-and-trade deal with the Warriors.
Knicks Preparing Offer For Elton Brand
10:45am: While Brand is interested in the Knicks, he also has a strong interest in returning to the Mavs, who remain fond of him, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
10:33am: Although there's definitely mutual interest between Brand and the Knicks, no deal is imminent, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times, adding that Brand is fielding offers from several contenders.
10:15am: The Knicks are preparing to make a contract offer to power forward Elton Brand, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). According to Zwerling, mutual interest is "high" between the Knicks and Brand, who is interested in joining a winning team.
Brand, 34, is coming off a mammoth five-year deal that paid him in excess of $18MM in 2012/13, but will be in line for a significant pay cut this summer. If he signs with the Knicks, he'd only be able to sign for the veteran's minimum or a portion of the team's mini mid-level exception ($3.18MM).
After reaching an agreement to acquire Andrea Bargnani, the Knicks will add a stretch four to a frontcourt that also includes Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. With Marcus Camby heading to Toronto though, and Kenyon Martin and Kurt Thomas on the open market, New York will likely to be looking to add a tough inside presence or two to complement its current lineup.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported over the weekend that Brand was on the Knicks' radar.
Clippers, Mavs Talking Mayo Sign-And-Trade
10:35am: Rivers is "strongly inclined" to keep Bledsoe, so the Clippers may offer Caron Butler and/or Jamal Crawford instead, in hopes of landing Mayo, says Broussard (via Twitter). I'm skeptical that Dallas would have a whole lot of interest in a non-Bledsoe package.
TUESDAY, 10:02am: As talks continue between the Clippers and Mavs on a possible deal, Rivers will meet Mayo for lunch today, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
MONDAY, 6:14pm: Matt Barnes could be part of the deal, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Barnes, told McMahon that Dallas was one of 12 teams to express interest in his client. The Mavs also have interest in Chauncey Billups.
5:10pm: The Clippers and Mavs are involved in discussions about a Mayo-for-Bledsoe deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas is holding off on a major move until Dwight Howard makes his decision, but the team is becoming increasingly confident that it will find a sign-and-trade partner for Mayo, Stein also tweets.
11:51am: Clippers coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers has "serious interest" in O.J. Mayo, and the shooting guard was the second free agent the team called after speaking to Chris Paul last night, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. The team may pursue a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks involving Eric Bledsoe to acquire Mayo, according to Amick (Twitter links).
The Clippers will have plenty of competition for the Landmark Sports Agency client. Mayo is reportedly also meeting with the Wolves, and Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Bobcats and Bulls are all likely suitors as well. Mayo could have stayed with the Mavs on a $4.2MM player option, but it appears he'll net much more than that on the market.
The Clips go into the offseason with about $44MM guaranteed on their books, but with Paul's max salary pushing $19MM, a weighty offer for Mayo could push the team close to tax territory, unless the Clippers can shed significant salary in a sign-and-trade. I'd doubt the Mavs are looking to take back too much in return for Mayo, however, as they look to retain cap flexibility.
FA Updates: Jennings, Oden, Calderon, Knicks
The second day of 2013 free agency is underway, and we can probably expect to see a few more agreements reached today. In the meantime, here are a few news items and rumors on some notable free agents:
- Brandon Jennings' representatives at Excel Sports gave the Bucks an undisclosed amount on Monday that Jennings would be willing to accept to re-sign with the team, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, Milwaukee would prefer to sign Jennings outright rather than having to decide whether to match an offer sheet, but it's not clear whether the team is on board with the figure Jennings has in mind.
- Free agent big man Greg Oden will likely choose between the Spurs, Heat, Cavs, Celtics, and Grizzlies, a source close to the player told ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman. Yesterday, we heard that those five clubs were interested in the former No. 1 overall pick as well as the Pacers, Kings, and Mavericks.
- Jose Calderon is meeting with the Kings in Sacramento today, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- The Bucks, Blazers, Spurs, and Hawks are pursuing Zaza Pachulia, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
- Nate Robinson and Matt Barnes have notified the Knicks that they're interested in signing with the club, and are waiting to see "where the Knicks are," a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- Flip Saunders and the Timberwolves have inquired on Nick Young, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
The Poison Pill Misconception
With another free agency period underway, the phrase "poison pill" has popped up again in NBA discussions, but in many cases, the term is being misused or misunderstood. Here's a quick recap on what the "poison pill provision" actually refers to, how it's misinterpreted, and where it's applicable:
As outlined in Hoops Rumors' glossary, the poison pill provision is actually a concept that arises when a team decides to trade a player after signing him to a rookie-scale extension, but before that extension officially takes effect. For instance, if the Raptors had decided to trade DeMar DeRozan in a deal for Eric Bledsoe on draft night, the poison pill provision would have been in play, since DeRozan's new extension (signed last October) wasn't set to begin until July 1st.
Typically, however, the phrase "poison pill" is used to refer to a component of the Gilbert Arenas provision, which is also explained in our glossary. The Arenas provision arises when a player who has been in the league for one or two years hits restricted free agency. Because the player's current team only holds his Non-Bird or Early Bird rights, the club would typically be unable to match a big offer sheet. However, the Arenas rule limits the amount a rival suitor can offer in the first two seasons of a deal, allowing the player's current team to match an offer using the full mid-level exception or the Early Bird exception.
The catch? While a rival team's offer can't exceed the MLE amount for the first two years, a huge salary bump is permitted for the third year, as long as that rival team can fit the average annual salary of the whole offer into its cap space. This is what we saw last summer from the Rockets, when Houston took advantage of the Arenas provision to sign Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to three-year offer sheets that the Knicks and Bulls decided not to match. Both offers included a maximum raise in year three, which was referred to as the "poison pill."
This year, however, the Arenas rule and that so-called "poison poll" are unlikely to be a factor in free agency. As our free agent tracker shows, of the 12 restricted free agents on the market this summer, only three have just one or two years of experience: Robert Sacre, Pablo Prigioni, and Chris Copeland. Of those three, Sacre and Prigioni are unlikely to get the kind of huge offers that would trigger the Arenas provision.
Could Copeland get one of those offers? It's possible, but so far, his price tag has been rumored to be in the four-year, $16MM range. Since the Knicks don't hold Copeland's Early Bird rights and don't have the full MLE available, the team won't be able to match an offer that starts at more than $3.18MM (the taxpayer MLE), making the need for a so-called third-year "poison pill" unnecessary.
Meanwhile, circling back to Lin and Asik, that third-year "poison pill" in their deals has been discussed again recently, as they've surfaced as potential trade candidates. However, once the Knicks and Bulls decided not to match their respective offer sheets, those third-year raises became less of a factor. While the duo will still be paid significantly more in 2014/15 (about $14.9MM, compared to $5.2MM in '13/14), the cap hit for each player will be the same for both seasons — about $8.37MM. So for a team acquiring either player via trade, a big third-year cap hit wouldn't be a concern.
Essentially, if you read about a poison pill offer or contract this summer, take it with a grain of salt. Neither the actual poison pill provision nor the Gilbert Arenas provision should be a real factor this July.
Latest On Tyreke Evans
While a number of unrestricted free agents reached agreements with teams yesterday, one restricted free agent was making headlines as well, as word broke that the Pelicans had extended a four-year offer sheet worth a reported $44MM to Tyreke Evans.
Evans also met with the Pistons and Kings on Monday, and according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), the 23-year-old old left the meeting with Sacramento encouraged by the team's message. It's not clear how the meeting with Detroit went, though with the Pistons also pursuing Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala, they may not be inclined to top New Orleans' offer for Evans.
According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter), Evans has another meeting scheduled for today with the Hawks, who have the cap flexibility to match or exceed the Pelicans' offer if they so choose.
As for the Pelicans, they'll probably want an answer on their offer sheet by later this week, since the team will likely have to trade or release Robin Lopez by July 5th to clear the necessary space for Evans. ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that New Orleans' preference is to sign Evans without having to trade Eric Gordon.
Should Evans sign the Pelicans' offer sheet, it's not certain whether the Kings would match it or let him walk. However, Amick does provide one interesting detail on Sacramento's meeting with Evans, tweeting that Chris Mullin is involved on some level with the Kings and was discussed during the meeting. Sacramento offered Mullin a position as a consultant last month, and according to Amick (via Twitter), it's clear the ex-Warrior is advising the team on some level, even if he doesn't have an official title.