Bulls Close To Deal With Mike Dunleavy
The Bulls are the front-runners for Mike Dunleavy, and they're negotiating a two-year, $6MM deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Other teams remain in play, but there's confidence an agreement can be reached, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski pointed earlier to the Rockets as another option for Dunleavy, if Houston falls short of signing Dwight Howard (Twitter link). The Mavs, Lakers and Wolves are also in the mix, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Knicks reportedly like him, too. Still, Dunleavy is intrigued by the chance to play alongside Derrick Rose, Johnson notes (on Twitter).
The 32-year-old Arn Tellem client spent the past two seasons with the Bucks, where he made a career-high 42.8% of his three-point attempts this past season. When I examined his free agent stock, I figured he could fit in as a role player on a contending club, and that appears to be just what he would sign to do in Chicago. The Bulls would be using their mini mid-level to bring him aboard.
Pacers Won’t Go Into Tax ‘For Any Reason’
The Pacers have announced that they will not become a taxpaying team this season "for any reason," tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Indiana has close to $49MM on the books for this coming season, well below the projected $71.6MM tax threshold.
Still, the team figures to add a lucrative salary for David West, and they've extended a qualifying offer to match entreaties from other teams for Tyler Hansbrough. The Pacers have also agreed to a deal with point guard C.J. Watson, though it's not clear how much he's getting.
The club's salary figure will rise by $930K if the club guarantees Lance Stephenson's contract later this month, as expected. The Pacers haven't been a taxpaying team since 2005/06, and when team president Larry Bird left last year, there were rumblings that the team's unwillingness to spend was a reason why. Bird's back this summer, so I assume he's on board with the latest pronouncement.
Pelicans Trying To Unload Robin Lopez
The Pelicans have made a lucrative offer to restricted free agent Tyreke Evans, and to clear space for it, the team is trying to rid itself of Robin Lopez's contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Lopez is set to make about $5.1MM this season, but that contract is only guaranteed for $500K as long as he's waived on or before Friday. If he's still on the roster after that, his $5.34MM salary for 2014/15 becomes guaranteed, too, making the team's decision doubly important.
I'd imagine the Pelicans would seek trade options for Lopez before simply cutting him loose. The rumored offer to Evans, at four years and $58MM, would push New Orleans to roughly $53.5MM worth of guaranteed salary for 2013/14, not including Lopez's deal. The Pelicans also have backup big man Jason Smith on the books for $2.5MM next season, after his contract became fully guaranteed when he wasn't waived yesterday.
The Kings are considering telling Evans that they're prepared to match the deal, but if they inform him otherwise, he's likely to sign the offer sheet from the Pelicans, Sam Amick of USA Today reports. An agreement would no doubt accelerate talks with other teams, and though Lopez is by no means a frontline starting center like his brother, Brook Lopez, he represents a viable option at the five spot that should be attractive to many around the league.
The Kings may also try to engineer a sign-and-trade with Evans to send him to New Orleans, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune (Twitter link), so perhaps Lopez could be a part of those talks, though that's just my speculation.
Clippers, Bucks Discussing Bledsoe, Redick?
5:17pm: The Clippers and Redick will be meeting soon, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
3:36pm: There are rumblings that the Clippers and Bucks are discussing a potential deal that would send Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee and J.J. Redick to Los Angeles, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Having reached a verbal agreement with Chris Paul on a maximum-salary contract, the Clippers have seemingly shifted their focus to acquiring a shooting guard to pair with Paul in the backcourt. Although free agents like O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen have been mentioned as possible targets, L.A.'s best way to acquire an impact player may involve using Bledsoe as trade bait.
While it's not clear how far talks between the Clippers and Bucks have progressed, it's easy to see why such a deal would appeal to both teams. Redick is coming off the best year of his career and would give the Clippers a deadly sharpshooter from the outside, while Bledsoe (and perhaps Caron Butler's expiring contract) would be an excellent haul for a Bucks team looking to acquire or retain backcourt help. Since Redick is a free agent, a sign-and-trade agreement would be required — that would allow the Clippers to offer him more than the mid-level exception.
We also heard earlier this afternoon that the Clippers haven't ruled out the possibility of trading Bledsoe to the Magic in a deal for Arron Afflalo.
Rajon Rondo Wants To Stay With Celtics
In the aftermath of the Celtics' blockbuster trade with the Nets, many have wondered if point guard Rajon Rondo would want to stick around for a rebuilding phase in Boston. However, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that Rondo hasn't demanded a trade or even issued a trade inquiry. It may be surprising to some, but Rondo actually welcomes the challenge of leading the C's significantly depleted roster.
It appears that the feeling is mutual as General Manager Danny Ainge sounds serious about keeping Rondo in the fold. “I don’t think Danny has made a single call about Rondo. He has gotten calls. But it would be wrong to say he has considered shopping him," one GM told Deveney.
Publicly, Ainge has insisted that he isn't looking to tank for a top pick in the loaded 2014 draft. Keeping Rondo at the one-guard despite repeated inquiries on him would be proof that he is serious about staying as competitive as possible.
Warriors, Nuggets, Mavs Contact Jarrett Jack
The Warriors, Nuggets, and Mavericks are among the teams that have reached out to Jarrett Jack on the first day of free agency, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group has more details on the Warriors' meeting with Jack, describing it as "positive," though no offer was made. While Golden State would like to keep its veteran point guard, the Warriors' financial flexibility is limited, with team salary in such close proximity to the tax. The club may pursue Darren Collison if bringing back Jack isn't possible, according to Thompson.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks are seeking a veteran point guard to complement rookies Shane Larkin and Gal Mekel, but the Nuggets' interest is a little surprising, considering Denver has Ty Lawson and Andre Miller under contract for next season.
Pelicans Offer Four-Year Deal To Tyreke Evans
3:51pm: The value of the Pelicans' offer sheet seems to be growing by the minute, as Sam Amick of USA Today now tweets that it's worth $48MM. While various outlets can't seem to agree on the exact amount, Amick notes that it's unlikely the Kings would match an offer of $44-48MM.
3:44pm: The Pelicans' four-year offer to Evans is worth $44MM, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
3:27pm: After meeting with Tyreke Evans overnight, the Pelicans made a "lucrative" four-year offer to the restricted free agent, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (via Twitter), the offer is worth $40MM over four years. Evans is scheduled to meet with the Pistons and Kings today.
If Evans, 23, were to agree to terms with the Pelicans, he wouldn't be able to sign an offer sheet until the July moratorium is lifted on the 10th. Once he signed, the Kings would have three days to decide whether to match the offer or let Evans walk.
Of course, there's no guarantee Evans will sign the Pelicans' sheet. It's possible that the Pistons, Kings, or another club could top that offer, and it's not clear what sort of fit Evans would be in New Orleans anyway. There's a belief that the 23-year-old is reluctant to join a team where he'd be playing small forward, and New Orleans' backcourt appears crowded, with Jrue Holiday, Greivis Vasquez, and Eric Gordon all under contract through at least next season.
If Evans were to end up with the Pelicans, the team's intention would be to use him off the bench in a role similar to Manu Ginobili's with the Spurs, tweets Deveney.
Wojnarowski On Copeland, Allen, Oladipo
Adrian Wojnarowski has passed along a few nuggets this afternoon on free agents and the teams chasing them, so let's check out what the Yahoo! Sports scribe has for us….
- The Pacers and Chris Copeland have a "strong mutual interest," according to Wojnarowski, who says Indiana is emerging as a potential destination for the restricted free agent.
- If the Grizzlies are unable to re-sign Tony Allen, the Nuggets may become a real threat to land the defensive specialist, tweets Wojnarowski. The Trail Blazers, Pacers, Bucks, and Knicks have also been identified as possible suitors for Allen, while Ken Berger of CBSSports.com throws the Mavericks into the mix as well (Twitter link).
- In a non-free-agent tweet, Wojnarowski suggests No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo will get "major run" at point guard in Summer League play for the Magic.
Trade Rumors: Asik, Bledsoe, Afflalo, Chandler
Most of the news and rumors we're passing along today relate to free agency, but during the July moratorium, it's likely we'll see a few trades agreed upon as well. Let's round up a few of today's reports on potential trade possibilities….
- Ostensibly, the Trail Blazers' acquisition of Thomas Robinson allows the Rockets to clear the cap room to make a max offer to Dwight Howard. However, the underrated aspect of the deal, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, is that the Rockets could look to move Omer Asik if they land Howard. Haynes says Portland is "closely monitoring" that situation, since the big man would be the kind of rim-protecting defensive specialist the club has been lacking.
- The Clippers and Magic are still discussing a potential deal that would send Arron Afflalo to L.A. for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). However, before getting serious about Afflalo, the Clippers figure to make a run at free agent shooting guards such as O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen.
- A source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that while the Knicks haven't offered Tyson Chandler in any trade talks, the team wouldn't be opposed to moving him in the right offer. I'm guessing Chandler will stay put, but as their acquisition of Andrea Bargnani showed, the Knicks are willing to get creative to try to improve their roster.
Odds & Ends: Kings, Lee, Martin, Cavs, Bulls
Tyreke Evans is being courted by the Pelicans and Andre Iguodala is reportedly drawing interest from several teams, but the Kings are expected to make a pitch to both players today. Bryan May of News10 in Sacramento reports (via Twitter) that Sacramento brass is scheduled to meet with Evans and Iguodala in Los Angeles today.
Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Evans is also expected to meet with the Pistons today, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News follows up on Adrian Wojnarowski's report of the Warriors gauging trade interest in David Lee by exploring the possibility of a deal and noting that the Warriors were "quickly rebuffed" when they offered Lee to the Lakers last year in a proposal for Pau Gasol.
- Expect the Grizzlies to become more interested in Kevin Martin if they're unable to bring back Tony Allen, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
- The Cavaliers came close to acquiring a second top-10 pick in last week's draft, with an eye on adding Alex Len or Ben McLemore, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- Thunder fans shouldn't worry that his new partnership with Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports means he'll be leaving Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant tells Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
- 2011 second-round pick Bojan Bogdanovic continues to have interest in coming stateside to play for the Nets, but if Brooklyn uses its mini mid-level exception on a player like Kyle Korver, it's unlikely that Bogdanovic comes over this season, as Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes.
- Bulls GM Gar Forman has reached out to free agents Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli, and Nazr Mohammed, but sounds much more confident about retaining Mohammed than the other two. Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com has the details.