Jamal Crawford Seeks Contract Extension
As the Clippers explore possible trades with Jamal Crawford, the guard’s agent says that his client wants a contract extension next summer, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
“Our intention is to get an extension with the Clippers or anywhere else that he may be traded based on the fact that he’s undervalued for the production he’s providing,” agent Andy Miller said.
Crawford has become a subject of sign-and-trade discussions for the Clippers, who explored deals for Cleveland’s Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes. The 34-year-old has two years and $11MM left on his deal, including a team option for the 2015/16 season. Crawford is eligible for an extension next summer, and believes he’s out-performed his deal.
Crawford had a strong year for Los Angeles, averaging 18.6 PPG in 30 minutes per game on his way to his second career Sixth Man of the Year award.
Central Notes: Waiters, Monroe, Morrow, Bucks
The Central Division has been a hub of activity again today, with the Pacers striking a trio of deals a day after the Pistons reached agreements with Jodie Meeks and Cartier Martin. Here’s the latest from the NBA’s busiest division in free agency so far:
- The Cavs aren’t actively shopping Dion Waiters in spite of apparent interest from around the league, but a source close to the shooting guard tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Waiters believes there’s a strong chance he’ll be dealt.
- Multiple sources told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that Greg Monroe would sign his qualifying offer if Josh Smith remained on the roster, but Monroe’s camp denies it, and Lowe calls it an “empty threat” that represents the exercise of the restricted free agent’s only true leverage.
- The Pistons are no longer interested in Anthony Morrow after coming to terms with Meeks and Martin on Tuesday, reports John Reid of The Times Picayune. The Pelicans have been in contact to see if they can reach a deal to re-sign him, according to Reid, who suggests the Thunder and Bulls are suitors, too.
- Bucks owner Marc Lasry admitted it was a mistake to keep GM John Hammond in the dark about the team’s negotiations with Jason Kidd, observes Andrew Wagner of The Associated Press. He also apologized to former coach Larry Drew for the way the club handled his ouster, as USA Today’s Sam Amick noted earlier.
Latest On Gordon Hayward
WEDNESDAY, 11:53am: Hayward is meeting with the Cavs in Cleveland today, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
TUESDAY, 5:22pm: The Jazz clearly want to keep restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, but it seems like other teams will give them a run for their money. The Jazz are vowing to match any offer to Hayward gets but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) is hearing fresh rumbles that the Cavs are thinking about giving the forward a hefty offer sheet.
The Celtics love Hayward too, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) hears from a source that it’s “highly unlikely” that the C’s will land him. That same source reiterated that the Jazz plan to match any offer sent his way. Still, Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) notes that there is mutual interest between the RFA and Boston. Coach Brad Stevens would love to have Hayward on his roster and the feeling is reciprocated from the 24-year-old.
Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Deng, Jamison
Suns managing partner Robert Sarver expressed confidence in his club’s chances of luring LeBron James to Phoenix, writes Bob Young of the Arizona Republic. “We are in a good position,” he said. “We have a lot to offer, too, with the depth of our roster compared to some of the other teams. We think we have a favorable opportunity, but obviously he’ll make his decision when he wants to make it. He’ll look at the facts and make a decision.”
- Luol Deng would welcome the chance to return to the Bulls, agent Ron Shade told Sam Amick of USA Today. “There’s always going to be a part of him that belongs to Chicago, and part of Chicago that belongs to him,” Shade said. “There were no hard feelings (about the trade). Moving forward, he’d look to have an amicable relationship (if he played with the Bulls).“
- Free agent forward Antawn Jamison, 38, is in good shape and is not contemplating retirement, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Kent Bazemore has meetings lined up with the Spurs next Tuesday followed by the Celtics next Wednesday, sources tell Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
- Anthony Morrow, one of the league’s best shooters, has received interest from 12 teams around the league since free agency began, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
- With Shaun Livingston out of the picture for the Nets, one option for the mini mid-level exception is Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources tell Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- In addition to the previously reported Hornets and Blazers, Josh McRoberts has drawn interest from the Mavs, Cavs, Heat, Clippers, Knicks, Spurs, Suns and Lakers, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Central Rumors: Melo, Bulls, Irving, Sessions
Carmelo Anthony says that he values winning over money and if he’s a man of his word, then the Bulls make perfect sense for him, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Here’s more on Melo and Chicago, plus other notes out of the Central Division..
- Melo met with the Bulls earlier today and a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter) that he followed that up with a dinner alongside Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, and others. Rose had to leave the dinner early, but coach Tom Thibodeau also stopped by (link). The dinner pitch is going “great,” according to the source who is in attendance (link). Prior to dinner, Rose took to the floor at Chicago’s practice facility and went through a private workout to show Anthony that he’s healthy, Kennedy writes.
- The Cavs sealed the deal with Kyrie Irving on a five-year, $90MM extension with an overnight meeting, but there was much more that went into wooing the guard. Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer runs it all down.
- A bunch of teams are showing interest in Ramon Sessions, including the Bulls, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times.
- A league source tells Candace Buckner of The Star (on Twitter) that the Pacers plan to dine with C.J. Miles tonight.
Central Notes: ‘Melo, Rose, Pistons, Bucks
Some in the Bulls organization doubted their ability to sign Carmelo Anthony away from the Knicks going into their meeting with the star forward today, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, noting that the sentiment didn’t apply to all of the Bulls brass. Indeed, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com hears that Bulls officials were confident as they readied to make their pitch (Twitter link), so evidently there was a split. Friedell heard more optimism in the immediate wake of the meeting (Twitter link), but Anthony still has the Mavs, Rockets and Lakers on this week’s agenda. Here’s more from the Central Division, home to the first two contract agreements of the 2014/15 season:
- Derrick Rose is loath to recruit, but he showed up at Chicago’s pitch to ‘Melo, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details. The presence of Taj Gibson, whom Anthony and coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly would insist on keeping if the Bulls were to clear salary to sign ‘Melo, was even more important, Johnson believes (Twitter link).
- Among the free agents Detroit considered, the only other player in the market for a contract similar to the one the Pistons have agreed to give Jodie Meeks was Trevor Ariza, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Pistons assistant GM George David resigned today, the team announced in a press release, confirming a report from Ellis (Twitter link). David and director of basketball operations Ken Catanella were jointly in charge of the front office this spring before the team hired Stan Van Gundy to replace Joe Dumars. Catanella will remain with the team, as Ellis reported in May.
- The Bucks made a splash with their new coach, but they plan a “somewhat conservative” approach in free agency this month, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Cavaliers had been expected to begin negotiations with draft-and-stash prospect Milan Macvan, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported, but the Croatian power forward instead remains focused on opportunities overseas, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Sources told Amico that there’s more money on the international market for Macvan than there would be from the Cavs.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: ‘Melo, Waiters, Pierce, Blatche
As Carmelo Anthony is set to visit with the Bulls today, two sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that Anthony’s wife is quite satisfied with living in New York and doesn’t want him to leave the Knicks. ‘Melo and Tom Thibodeau are in agreement that the Bulls shouldn’t trade Taj Gibson in any scenario, even as the Bulls attempt to clear salary to sign the Knicks star, Berman also writes. Many around the league reportedly see the Knicks as having the inside track to retain Anthony, though the Bulls appear to have the lead among teams looking to take him away from New York. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics have made contact with about 30 players in the hours since free agency began, with Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons among them, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Cavs GM David Griffin said Friday that he sees No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins as “a big two-guard,” leading some executives to believe that the Cavs will look to trade Dion Waiters this summer, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). This also explains Cleveland’s push to sign Trevor Ariza, Kennedy surmises (on Twitter).
- The Clippers loom as the largest threat to sign Paul Pierce away from the Nets, but the Nets still seem optimistic about their chances of keeping him, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Nets GM Billy King reached out to all of the team’s free agents except Andray Blatche, as King told reporters today, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). That signals Blatche’s imminent departure from Brooklyn, Bondy concludes.
- Suitors believe they can pry restricted free agent Mike Scott from the Hawks with an offer sheet at the right amount, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are expected to meet with Anthony Morrow soon, according to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
- Head coach David Blatt and lead assistant Tyronn Lue helped sell Kyrie Irving on signing the $90MM extension with the Cavs in their overnight meeting, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cavs Sign Kyrie Irving To Max Extension
JULY 10TH: The extension is official, the team announced.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Kyrie firmly at the core of our Cavaliers team and family for years to come,” Cavs GM David Griffin said in the team’s release. “He’s already proven he’s among the best in the NBA and we’re excited to watch his continued growth and success. To know that he is all in and shares our high expectations and championship goals is something we’re extremely proud of. It is a clear reflection of how we all view our future together, with Kyrie fully vested in this franchise and the city of Cleveland.”
JULY 1ST: The Cavs and Kyrie Irving have agreed to an extension, according to a tweet from owner Dan Gilbert. Irving intends to sign a five-year, $90MM maximum-salary extension with the team, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The commitment came in a meeting which took place early Tuesday morning.
The deal makes Irving the Designated Player for the Cavs, and he can earn a higher maximum salary via the Derrick Rose rule, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe confirms (Twitter link).
There has been some doubt as to whether the Cavs could keep Irving for the long haul or whether the star guard was even wanted in Cleveland after a tumultuous season. However, this bombshell in the early hours of free agency puts an end to that sort of talk. According to Gilbert’s tweet, the deal will be officially signed on July 10th once the moratorium ends.
Irving has had a tumultuous first three years in the NBA after being selected No. 1 overall by Cleveland in the 2011 draft. While he has exhibited the offensive talent that made him worth that selection, the team has failed to make the playoffs or even finish with a .500 winning percentage. Last year’s disappointing 33-win Cavs team was actually the best of the Irving era, and the fallout from a disastrous Andrew Bynum signing, a historically bad rookie year for 2013′s No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, and continued losing resulted in the mid-season firing of former GM Chris Grant and ex-coach Mike Brown’s dismissal after the season.
Despite the ugly season, Irving is reportedly pleased with the decision to make GM David Griffin the permanent executive after Griffin’s strong run as interim GM during the season. Irving has publicly refuted persistent rumors that he wanted out of Cleveland, but he has stopped short of guaranteeing he will re-sign for the years ahead. Griffin is a believer in the backcourt pairing of Irving and Dion Waiters, and the team experienced a relative turnaround once Griffin took the reigns to foster a positive culture around the two ball-dominant guards.
Cray Allred contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southeast Rumors: Ariza, Gortat, Ferry, Lewis
The latest out of the Southeast Division..
- Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears that Trevor Ariza is after a deal in the $8-11MM per year range and likes the idea of playing in a warm-weather city. Still, staying with the Wizards is an intriguing option for him.
- The Wizards spent the evening reaching out to their own free agents, Marcin Gortat, Ariza, and Drew Gooden, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Ariza has significant interest from clubs, including the Cavs, and Wizards coach Randy Wittman will be in Los Angeles tomorrow morning to meet with him, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. A league source close to Ariza tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) that his potential destinations include the Suns, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Mavs, Jazz, Cavs, and Wizards.
- Hawks‘ GM Danny Ferry plans to be “very aggressive” in free agency, a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
- Heat free agent forward Rashard Lewis is expecting interest from the Heat, Pacers, Thunder, Raptors, and Spurs, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- So far the Hornets have not expressed interest in Luol Deng, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter).
- The Hawks were the first team to call unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore after midnight, a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). The Hawks are really high on the Lakers free agent.
- Unrestricted free agent Trevor Booker has attracted interest from several teams, including the Heat, Wolves, Jazz, Nets, Knicks, Magic, and Wizards, sources tell Michael Lee of the Washington Post (on Twitter).
Cavs Notes: Irving, Hawes, Miles
The Cavs used the No. 1 overall pick on Andrew Wiggins last week, but GM David Griffin is making a concerted effort to engineer other significant upgrades this summer. He’ll also be at work trying to keep some of his club’s existing talent around. Here’s the latest from Cleveland:
- New coach David Blatt is a part of the Cavs’ meeting tonight with extension candidate Kyrie Irving, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- Stretch big man Spencer Hawes is drawing interest from a bunch of contenders including the Blazers, Rockets, and Mavs, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Clippers and the incumbent Cavs were previously reported as also being interested in Hawes.
- Unrestricted free agent C.J. Miles will meet with the Pacers on Tuesday, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Zach Links contributed to this post.