Extension Talks Stall For Luol Deng, Bulls
11:19am: Deng's agent tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that his client "will go through free agency process next year," suggesting that extension talks have been shelved permanently (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Shams Charania of RealGM.com tweets that negotiations between the two sides never reached the "financial stage."
8:43am: Negotiations between the Bulls and Luol Deng's camp on a contract extension have stalled, reports Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. A source tells Sam that the Bulls have opted to put extension talks on hold for now, as Deng enters the final year of his current deal.
Word first surfaced back in June that the two sides may be talking about a new contract, though at the time agent Herb Rudoy denied that any discussions had taken place. A couple weeks later, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Deng and the Bulls continued to negotiate, which GM Gar Forman confirmed several days later. According to Sam's source, Deng's camp was optimistic about getting something done this summer, but won't mind heading into the season without a new deal.
"We’re not upset, Luol isn’t upset. We’re just looking forward to this season and next summer," said the source. "[The Bulls] were willing to wait and risk losing him next summer as an unrestricted free agent."
While the club doesn't seem to be in a rush to lock Deng up long-term, Sam's source acknowledged that the Bulls expressed how much they value the veteran forward, indicating that they'd like to see him spend the rest of the career with the team.
If Deng does hit free agency next summer, he'd likely be in line for a deal in the neighborhood of the four-year, $48MM pact signed by Andre Iguodala this offseason. Assuming Chicago doesn't trade him this season, the Bulls would hold Deng's Bird Rights, giving them the upper hand to sign him.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Deng as an extension candidate in August.
Kyler On Warriors, Bucks, Ilyasova, Spurs
The tenth and final installment of Steve Kyler's series on trade scenarios to watch was published today on HoopsWorld, focusing on the Warriors, Bucks, and Spurs. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….
- With the expiring contract of Andrew Bogut and plenty of players on rookie deals, the Warriors have plenty of options should they decide they need to make a big splash at 2014's trade deadline, writes Kyler. However, Golden State is very high on its current roster, so it's more likely that the club tries to use one or two of its trade exceptions to supplement the present core.
- The Bucks are in good position to trade frontcourt depth during the season, once new head coach Larry Drew sorts out roles and minutes for the team's big men.
- Sources tell Kyler that virtually every team in the NBA has inquired about Ersan Ilyasova at some point this offseason. Ilyasova struggled at times last season in the first year of a long-term contract, but is still viewed as a good value. If Larry Sanders and John Henson emerge as the Bucks' go-to frontcourt pairing, don't be surprised if Ilyasova is dangled before the trade deadline, says Kyler.
- The Spurs' offseason saw the team bring back players like Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili on multiyear deals, rather than clearing cap space and shopping in free agency. That's a sign that San Antonio is comfortable with its present core, making it unlikely that they'll get too involved in the trade market. Expiring contracts like Boris Diaw's and Matt Bonner's could be shopped, but those guys probably have more value to the Spurs than as trade chips.
Introducing Hoops Rumors’ International Player Movement Tracker
Even when NBA rosters expand to a 20-player maximum during the offseason, there are only a limited number of openings for all the NBA hopefuls worldwide. Given how hard it is to earn a roster spot in the Association, many talented players ultimately end up on teams in Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
At Hoops Rumors, we focus primarily on NBA roster moves, or at least players that have recently been on NBA rosters, passing along only the more notable international transactions. But we're still interested in following player movement in those non-NBA leagues, which is why we're proud to unveil our International Player Movement Tracker.
Working with Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival, we've created a database of thousands of players, tracking which teams they played for last season, and where they'll play for the coming 2013/14 campaign. Using our tracker, you can search and sort players by the team they played for or the country they played in either last season or this season, as well as the college they attended (or their home country).
For instance, if you're curious about which former Kansas players are on roster overseas, you can use this link to check on the statuses of Keith Langford, Julian Wright, Aaron Miles, and others. If you'd like to see players currently on the CSKA roster in Russia, you can search by current team and find this list.
Mark will be updating our database daily, leading up to the 2013/14 season, so be sure to check back often. We'll continue to pass along word of more noteworthy international transactions on Hoops Rumors, but our tracker will also include plenty of players not mentioned in posts on the site.
Our International Player Movement Tracker can be found anytime under the "Hoops Rumors Features" menu on the right-hand sidebar.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Celtics, Davis, Valanciunas
The Lakers started last season with a Hall of Fame-bound backcourt of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash with Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks in support. They ended it with two former second-round picks – Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock – playing close to 40 minutes apiece in a playoff game. Last season proved that backcourt depth is important for L.A., and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com breaks down the Lakers' guards from top to bottom, including the return of Jordan Farmar and newcomer Nick Young. Here's tonight's look around the NBA…
- Former NBA player and new Wolves assistant coach Bobby Jackson has been putting Chase Budinger and rookie draft picks Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng, and Lorenzo Brown through tough two-a-day workouts, writes Dennis Brackin of Star-Tribune.
- The HoopsWorld staff previewed the season ahead for the Bobcats and the potential impact of top acquisition Al Jefferson.
- The Celtics will have offseason additions Kris Humphries and rookie Kelly Olynyk vying for time at the power forward position, writes Marc D'Amico of NBA.com. Humphries was a staple in the Nets' starting lineup for some time but coach Brad Stevens could wind up starting the offense-oriented Olynyk right out of the gate.
- Magic forward Glen Davis, who has been recovering from a broken left foot, is expected to be cleared to resume basketball activities by month's end, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Big Baby is a trade candidate in Orlando and the Magic would like to move him if he can show that he is healthy and productive.
- RealGM's Jonathan Tjarks looks at the Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas and sees the evolution of today's big man. Valanciunas is big and skilled enough to push smaller defenders around, but still quick and active enough to survive in a more wide-open game. The 21-year-old was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Kings, Seattle
The Suns decided last week that Michael Beasley's potential upside will take too long to surface and/or it's just not worth the hassle. The former No. 2 overall pick was waived by Phoenix but it may not take long for him to find a new home. The Heat, who drafted Beasley in 2008, are reportedly among the teams thinking about signing the talented and troubled forward. Here's today's news out of the Pacific Division..
- After years of losing, Clippers fans are finally being rewarded for their patience, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. “This team’s depth is right up there [with the deepest teams I’ve been on],” Jamal Crawford said of the club's offseason additons. “Adding Jared [Dudley] and J.J. [Redick], those are two guys who can really shoot the ball, who can space the court and who can really play…We hate to see anybody leave and it’s unfortunate to see some of the guys from last year leave in different ways like trades and free agency, but anytime you can get some high-level additions like that it really helps your ballclub. I think it’s going to give us a lot of space."
- Seattle investor Chris Hansen was fined $50K for putting $100K behind an effort to thwart Sacramento's efforts to build a new arena in the downtown portion of their city, according to the Associated Press.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Suns, along with the Bucks, have interest in Royal Ivey.
Flip Saunders On Love, Williams, Kahn, Newton
Timberwolves president Flip Saunders has had a very busy summer, but he's finally at the point of the offseason where he's down to lower priorities. In fact, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes that he has gotten far enough down the checklist to start working on the player intros.
"I believe that whether it's your game introductions, or the music that's played, that it have a purpose. And you have to understand your fan base and what really makes them go," Saunders said. "We want them to have the kind of experience that when the fans do come in, they come back."
Here's more from Aldridge's chat with Saunders…
On his relationship with Kevin Love:
I've probably had as much communication with him as any player that I've had, over the course of the summer. I know there have been a lot of things said about him. But he's been extremely committed to the organization. We've asked him to do things from a business standpoint, meeting with different sponsors and different things, and he's been readily available to do that. I communicate with him, I'd say, three times a week, just to see how things are going..I don't know if there's fence-mending. I just kind of came in with myself, and I knew Kevin a little bit from before. I was just very point blank with him about expectations I have for him within the organization. He was very receptive and very open to that.
On predecessor David Kahn's front office setup:
They had — not saying it's wrong — but they had, he had made a decision that they were going to go more like baseball, where they had a lot of satellite scouts, and the scouts were pretty much scattered pretty much around the country..Talking with [owner] Glen [Taylor], I believe there was more organization in the places where I'd been, like with Detroit and Joe [Dumars], and other places that I'd been. I'd already been looking at Chicago back through their heyday. They had people that were there. And they had contact every day with the management, and also with the team. So going out scouting and looking at players, they had a better understanding of what the team needed.
On Milt Newton's role as GM:
He's going to have a lot of responsibility. Where he was at, he was ready to make the step to have more responsibility, maybe have more influence in what happened, both with the day-to-day and also with the vision of the team. I believe in him and [director of basketball operations] Rob [Babcock] we cover a lot of areas with the management team going forward.
On former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams:
He's made a big push this summer to lose weight and be quicker, and hopefully be able to play some three. We'll see over the next three weeks, and into training camp, that month, what this offseason has done with him, and what losing weight and being a little quicker has done for him. His biggest thing is, can he guard threes? The way Coach [Rick] Adelman plays, he'll be able to fit him in offensively.
Will Saunders return to coaching?
I'm extremely happy where I'm at. I never get into hypotheticals or what ifs, or what coulds, because you never really know. But I'd say when I'm just talking to people, I don't think I've been any more relaxed, happier. I'm in a perfect situation. I can really mold the team. I have a lot of input on how a team can be formed. And I don't think about coaching because Coach Adelman has been very open to me.
Odds & Ends: 2014 Draft, Jay Z, Wolves, Mavs
We're 290 days away from the 2014 NBA draft, but for ESPN.com's Chad Ford, it's by no means too early to forecast next June's first round. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Ford presents his first 2014 mock draft, headlined by a top five of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, and Jabari Parker.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:
- The NBPA is still waiting for official confirmation that Jay Z has divested his ownership stake in the Nets before granting him full NBA agent certification, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). We heard last week that the rapper is selling half his Nets share to head coach Jason Kidd, and the other half to a current minority owner.
- The Timberwolves officially announced today that they've hired Bobby Jackson as a player development coach and promoted David Adelman, Rick Adelman's son, to assistant coach (Twitter link). Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune adds (via Twitter) that the Wolves didn't pick up Shawn Respert's option at the end of August, leaving Jackson as the team's only player development coach.
- Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com loves the Mavericks' decision to re-sign Brandan Wright to a two-year, $10MM contract, giving the team a grade of A+ for the move. I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, though it looks like a solid value for Dallas.
- Speaking to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Marcus Camby discusses his decision to sign with the Rockets, the recruitment he received from Dwight Howard, and his plan to coach after his playing career is over.
- In a piece for Secret Rival, Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro examines a few former Big East standouts, rounding up where they're playing now. You can take a more in-depth look at the latest international player movement in our tracker, which we introduced earlier today.
Suns, Bucks Expressed Interest In Royal Ivey
The two teams who worked together to complete the most recent trade of the 2013 offseason currently have their eye on the same free agent, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Kennedy reports that the Suns and Bucks have expresseed interest in Royal Ivey, with Ivey expected to work out for Phoenix in the near future.
Ivey, 31, was reportedly set to work out for the Hawks and Spurs near the end of August, and was mentioned as a potential Sixers target earlier in the offseason. Based on the reported interest, it seems as if the veteran guard should have no trouble securing a camp invite, but it's not clear if he'll be able to land more than a non-guaranteed contract.
Neither the Bucks nor the Suns seem to be in good position to offer Ivey any sort of guarantee, since both teams already have at least 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and aren't likely to have open roster spots this fall.
In 2012/13, Ivey appeared in 53 games for the Sixers, the most he's played in the NBA since the 2008/09 season. Averaging 13.2 minutes per contest, the former second-round pick recorded 3.2 PPG, with most of his points coming from long-range — he shot 42.0% on three-pointers, scoring about 65% of his points from downtown.
Heat Rumors: Workouts, Beasley, Battier
2:01pm: Former Ohio State guard Je'Kel Foster will work out for the Heat as well, reports Charania. As our international tracker shows, Foster played in Germany last season.
1:33pm: In addition to the players mentioned below, the Heat also plan to work out free agents Julyan Stone and Vander Blue this week, according to Winderman.
1:15pm: Word broke over the weekend that the Heat may be considering the possibility of bringing back former second overall pick Michael Beasley, following his release by the Suns. While Miami's apparent level of interest varied from report to report, you can certainly make the case that Beasley would be a low-risk addition on a minimum-salary contract. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel acknowledges as much in his latest mailbag, but notes that the Heat have been reluctant to add other potential off-court distractions such as Stephen Jackson and DeShawn Stevenson, making a reunion with Beasley a long shot.
Here's more on the Heat:
- Former Heat swingman Yakhouba Diawara expects to sign a deal with a Eurocup team this week, but will work out for Miami before then, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. The Pepperdine product has been weighing NBA and overseas options, and will work out for the Magic as well, but is likely to continue his career in Europe. As our international player movement tracker shows, Diaware played for Venezia in Italy in 2012/13.
- Justin Holiday, released earlier this offseason by the Sixers, will also work out for the Heat, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Holiday, who is set to work out for the Jazz as well, aims to earn an NBA roster spot, and views an overseas contract as his Plan B, as he tells Haynes. Although he played in the D-League last season, Holiday isn't currently considering that possibility.
- Shane Battier will contemplate the possibility of retiring when his current contract expires in 2014, but isn't ruling out free agent opportunities yet, as Winderman details at the Sun Sentinel. "This door is always open," Battier said of continuing his career for multiple years. "This is not a farewell tour, no. But if it is, it is. And I'll enjoy this year and try to make the most of it."
- 2012 second-rounder Justin Hamilton confirmed that he has signed with the Heat, via a tweet. We heard yesterday that Hamilton would be in camp with the team.
Kyler’s Latest: Pacers, Granger, Clippers, Thunder
With only a handful of teams remaining in his offseason look at trade situations to watch, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld focuses today on the Pacers, Clippers, and Thunder. Let's dive in and check out the highlights from Kyler's NBA AM piece…
- While there's still a belief in some circles that the Pacers will try to trade Danny Granger this season, Kyler says that's not necessarily the case. There's almost no scenario in which Indiana could trade Granger's $14MM+ expiring contract and avoid taking back long-term salary, so the Pacers likely prefer to keep the veteran forward and let him help the club contend in 2013/14. Clearing his contract from the books next summer will free up money for players like Paul George and Lance Stephenson.
- If the Pacers have injury problems during the season, their stance on Granger and other players could change, but for now it appears that the team will stand relatively pat, believing the roster is strong enough to contend for the title.
- The Clippers are currently in luxury-tax territory, but only by about $1.5MM. If the team were to cut Maalik Wayns' non-guaranteed contract and move a player like Willie Green, it could slip below the tax. The Clips may have to give up an asset or two (such as cash or draft picks) to facilitate a deal. But L.A. has enough depth, particularly on the perimeter, that giving up a player to get below the tax line shoudn't hurt the club's on-court production.
- With Kevin Martin no longer in OKC, the Thunder will be searching for a reliable third scorer behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The team would probably prefer to see a player from within, such as Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson or Jeremy Lamb, emerge as that third scorer. However, OKC also has several young inexpensive players that could be used as trade chips if necessary, including Perry Jones III, Andre Roberson, and Steven Adams.