Dwyane Wade Opts Out
3:58pm: A Heat spokesperson confirmed to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel that Wade is indeed opting out (Twitter link).
2:35pm: Dwyane Wade will turn down his $16.125MM player option to instead hit free agency, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The news isn’t altogether surprising, as Wade had been hinting as much since Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported last month that he was open to leaving the only NBA team he’s ever played for. Marc Stein of ESPN.com earlier today suggested that the Heat expected Wade to opt out, though they were expected Luol Deng to opt out before he surprisingly opted in. Goran Dragic is “basically a lock” to return to Miami, Stein reported, though Jackson wrote last month that the chances of Dragic leaving increase if Wade signs with another team.
The Heat have preferred that Wade opt in and sign for $10MM salaries next summer, though Wade, Henry Thomas client, would welcome $20MM a year for three years, as Jackson reported. Wade and the Lakers apparently have mutual interest and the same is reportedly true of the Clippers. LeBron James seems interested in recruiting him to the Cavs, but Wade and Heat have nonetheless appeared eager to find a solution that keeps them together. Still, a friend of Wade’s told Jackson recently that the 33-year-old shooting guard has become angry with Miami and doesn’t feel the team regards him as a priority. Team president Pat Riley spoke highly of Wade a few days ago, saying in part that, “We love Dwyane. Dwyane is a pillar.”
At issue is Miami’s salary crunch, as the team has about $53MM in guaranteed salaries already on the books with Deng having opted in. A deal approaching the max, which is likely to come in around $19MM, for Dragic, plus a $20MM salary for Wade would send the team far above the projected $81.6MM tax line. Riley denied a recent report that the team is looking to trade Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers in a deal that could clear about $10MM in salary.
Paul Pierce Opts Out From Wizards
JUNE 29TH, 3:29pm: Pierce has officially opted out, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
JUNE 27TH, 2:43pm: Pierce has confirmed his decision via The Players’ Tribune (Twitter link).
JUNE 20TH, 5:07pm: Wizards forward Paul Pierce plans to opt out of his deal with the team for the 2015/16 campaign, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports, though he intends to continue to play in the NBA next season, a source told Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The veteran has a player option worth $5,543,725 that he’s poised to bypass, and doing so would make him an unrestricted free agent come July 1st. Pierce was non-committal regarding whether or not he would return for an 18th season in the wake of Washington’s elimination from the NBA playoffs.
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Pierce said at the time. “I don’t even know if I am going to play basketball anymore. These seasons get harder and harder every year, every day. Summers get even harder when you start getting back in shape. I’m 37 years old. I’m top two or three oldest in the league.” Pierce had indicated that he would take some time and discuss the matter with his family before making his call on next season. “I have been playing this game [for] like 32 years. Since I was a little kid. Probably going to be the hardest thing to do is put the game down. But I know that time is coming one day. I am not sure if it is this year or next year. I will sit down with my family and figure things out,” Pierce said.
The question now is which team Pierce will suit up for in 2015/16, with Castillo writing that he’ll either re-sign with the Wizards or join his former coach Doc Rivers in Los Angeles with the Clippers. The Clippers can offer Pierce the taxpayer mid-level exception worth slightly less than $3.4MM, while Washington could offer Pierce a new deal starting in excess of $6MM once he opts out, Stein notes. The interest is mutual between the Clippers and Pierce, a league source told Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram earlier this month.
The link between the Clippers and Pierce dates back to last year, as Pierce informed TNT’s David Aldridge this past fall that he saw the Clippers as his favored alternative to re-signing with the Nets before sign-and-trade talks between the Clips and Brooklyn broke down. Pierce has also said that he feels a connection with the younger players on the Wizards and with the city of Washington.
Pierce appeared in 73 contests for the Wizards this past season, averaging 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26.2 minutes per night. His career numbers through 1,250 games are 20.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.74 APG. The 37-year-old’s shooting numbers are .447/.371/.806.
Kings Eye Eric Bledsoe
3:24pm: Suns coach Jeff Hornacek didn’t address the Kings rumor, but he denied any talks with the Knicks regarding Bledsoe, as the coach spoke today on SiriusXM NBA Radio, and as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic transcribes (on Twitter). “Eric is a big part of our future and there was no entertainment of that,” Hornacek said.
11:00am: The Kings are expected to express interest in trading for Eric Bledsoe, a source tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. That wording doesn’t necessarily indicate that Sacramento will indeed pursue him, but the Kings are far more focused on making an upgrade at point guard than potential DeMarcus Cousins trades, a league executive said to Deveney.
Deveney reported a week ago that the Suns had discussed Bledsoe trade scenarios with teams including the Knicks, and while multiple other reports painted a different picture, the Suns would seriously consider trading Bledsoe if they re-sign Brandon Knight, as they’re reportedly set to do. Bledsoe is set to make $13.5MM next season in the second year of a five-year, $70MM deal.
One GM expressed concern over Bledsoe’s long-term health and coachability, and league sources indicate to Deveney that finding a taker for him wouldn’t be easy for Phoenix. The Kings also reportedly have interest in Rajon Rondo, who apparently finds the idea of a one-year deal with Sacramento intriguing, but he, too, carries some negative baggage coming off a disastrous half-season stint in Dallas.
The same league executive who said Sacramento is looking at point guards more fervently than Cousins trades told Deveney that he expects the Suns would be willing to wait to trade Bledsoe until after the market for star free agents dries up around the league, so it doesn’t appear that Phoenix is necessarily in a rush.
Roy Hibbert Opts In With Pacers
MONDAY, 3:06pm: The Pacers have received the opt-in paperwork from Hibbert, according to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter), though the team has yet to make an official announcement.
THURSDAY, 10:06pm: Roy Hibbert is opting in for next season with the Pacers, a source tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link). He has filed the paperwork, adds Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter), though the Pacers have yet to make an official announcement. The Pacers have been aggressively shopping the center with the thought that he would indeed pick up the more than $15.514MM coming his way on the option, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier.
The Pacers are likely to continue to try and deal the 28-year-old, though there isn’t likely to be a strong market for an offensively limited center with mediocre rebounding numbers who carries such a large cap hit. One NBA assistant coach told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Hibbert might be a worthy gamble for another team if the big man could be motivated to stay in shape. “The last two years, he has dropped off in the second half of the season,” the assistant said. “With big guys like that, the first thing you think of is conditioning. If you can make sure he is in shape for all 82 games, maybe give him time off here and there, he would be worth the risk.”
Hibbert appeared in 76 contests last season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per games. His lifetime numbers through 533 contests are 11.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG, with a slash line of .464/.273/.748.
Warriors Pick Up Option On Marreese Speights
The Warriors have picked up their $3.815MM team option on Marreese Speights, the team announced. The move is no surprise, as GM Bob Myers said last week that he was inclined to do just that.
The option nonetheless adds to an already profound salary crunch for the Warriors, giving the team about $82.6MM in guaranteed salary, a figure greater than the projected $81.6MM tax line. That’s without a new deal for Draymond Green, so it would seem that Golden State’s apparent efforts to trade David Lee and his salary worth nearly $15.494MM. Still, tax calculations are based on a team’s salary on the last day of the regular season, so the Warriors have some time to play with.
Luol Deng Opts In With Heat
1:30pm: The move is official, the Heat announced (on Twitter).
1:03pm: Deng has apparently changed course, as agent Herb Rudoy tells TNT’s David Aldridge that he’s opting in, not out (Twitter link).
11:08am: The Heat expect Luol Deng to turn down his player option worth nearly $10.152MM and hit free agency, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The deadline for him to do so is today. Stein also hints that the Heat also expect Dwyane Wade to turn down his player option worth $16.125MM, as Wade has hinted he’ll do. Goran Dragic, who already turned down his $7.5MM player option, is “basically a lock” to stay with the Heat, Stein writes, but the same isn’t true of either Deng or Wade.
Heat president Pat Riley made it clear last week that he wants Deng back, even in the wake of Miami’s choice of fellow small forward Justise Winslow with the No. 10 pick. Deng, 30, expressed his love for the Heat organization back in April, citing its medical staff. Still, that was before Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that Wade is open to leaving the Heat, throwing Miami’s offseason plans a curveball.
People around the league this spring expressed doubt to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that Deng could find a salary better than what his option would give him for this coming season. Still, the Interperformances client will probably be able to find a deal that would lock in a greater total of money, albeit over a longer period of time, though that’s just my speculation.
Miami only has about $43MM in guaranteed salaries for next season, but new deals for Dragic, Wade and Deng threaten to push the team beyond the projected $81.6MM tax line. The Heat would pay repeat-offender tax penalties if they’re above the tax line at the end of the 2015/16 regular season.
Andre Drummond Seeks Extension With Pistons
Andre Drummond wants to sign a rookie scale extension with the Pistons this summer, reports Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Drummond is eligible to sign one between the end of the July Moratorium next week and October 31st, and if he doesn’t, he’ll be set for restricted free agency next year.
The news isn’t altogether surprising, though it indicates that the Jeff Schwartz client likes the direction the Pistons are headed and wants to firm up a commitment as soon as possible. There were persistent whispers about the center’s level of contentment in Detroit, as TNT’s David Aldridge wrote in January, but presumably Drummond has become more comfortable since then.
Pistons owner Tom Gores called Drummond a “max player” in April, likely setting the table for negotiations this summer. The max is expected to surge right along with the salary cap next year, so an estimated starting salary would be nearly $21MM, or about $25MM if Drummond unexpectedly wins MVP to trigger the Derrick Rose rule this coming season. The Pistons can give Drummond a deal for up to five years with 7.5% raises.
Detroit would be able to keep a smaller cap hold, worth only $8.18MM, on the books if it waited until restricted free agency to do a deal with Drummond, though he could sign his qualifying offer or take a short-term offer sheet from another team in that scenario.
Magic Waive Ben Gordon
MONDAY, 1:06pm: Orlando has officially waived Gordon, the team announced via press release.
SATURDAY, 9:25pm: Ben Gordon will be waived by the Magic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. If he clears waivers, Gordon will become an unrestricted free agent. The 32-year-old guard appeared in 56 games with Orlando last season, all off the bench, and averaged 6.2 points per game.
Gordon signed with the Magic as a free agent last summer, agreeing to a two-year, $9MM deal, but the second year was only fully guaranteed if he was not waived before Wednesday. By parting ways with Gordon, Orlando will have an estimated $14.5MM in available salary cap space.
Gordon has averaged nearly 15 points per game in his 11-year NBA career. Before coming to Orlando, he played for the Bulls, Pistons and Bobcats.
Raptors To Have Own D-League Affiliate This Year
JUNE 29TH, 12:21pm: The deal is official for Toronto’s new Mississauga-based one-to-one D-League affiliate, the team announced. It will be called Raptors 905, a reference to the area code.
JUNE 24TH, 5:03pm: The Raptors will have a D-League expansion team stationed in nearby Mississauga for the 2015/16 season, Smith reports. The startup cost of the one-to-one affiliate is $6MM, Smith adds. A formal announcement is expected as soon as Monday, according to Smith.
2:51pm: A D-League team for this year is the goal, but not yet a certainty, sources tell Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link).
MAY 27TH, 1:35pm: The Raptors will have a one-to-one D-League affiliate stationed in the Toronto area for the 2015/16 season, as Tim Leiweke, the outgoing CEO of the company that controls the Raptors, revealed today to reporters, including Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca and Doug Smith of the Toronto Star (Twitter links). The team and the NBA had been in advanced talks about facilitating a one-to-one D-League club for the Raptors, and while GM Masai Ujiri made it clear it was a high priority for the Raptors, it had appeared as though it would have to wait for 2016/17. D-League president Malcolm Turner said at the beginning of the month that he expected his circuit to remain at 18 teams for this coming season, but unless another NBA team gives up its one-to-one affiliate, it looks like D-League expansion will take place in time for the fall.
It’s not clear exactly where the Raptors D-League affiliate will be situated, though Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun ventures a guess that it will be in Mississauga, Ontario, which is adjacent to Toronto proper (Twitter link). Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which runs the Raptors, recently gave the team the OK to buy an affiliate, so presumably the Raptors will own the D-League club outright rather than simply control the basketball operations in a hybrid partnership with independent ownership.
The Raptors were one of 13 teams to share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this season, but they only made four assignments to the Mad Ants all year, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors shows in our D-League Usage Report. Those assignments involved raw Brazilian big men Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira, both of whom are candidates for much more frequent D-League excursions in 2015/16, with the new affiliate in place.
Bulls Interested In Gary Neal
The Bulls are among multiple Eastern Conference playoff teams interested in Gary Neal, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter). The soon-to-be free agent guard won’t return to the Timberwolves, though he won’t take any meetings with prospective suitors, Wolfson also tweets as he raises the possibility of a sign-and-trade.
A sign-and-trade would be tricky for the Bulls, who can’t take on any player in such a way if they’re to exceed the tax apron, a line $4MM above the tax threshold, at any point in 2015/16. The Bulls have about $63MM in guaranteed salary for next season, including Kirk Hinrich, who opted in today, but not including an expected max deal for Jimmy Butler or any sort of contract for Mike Dunleavy. Thus, Chicago seems poised to exceed the projected $81.6MM tax line, if not the apron.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported in March that the Wolves would be interested in re-signing the late-blooming five-year veteran who turns 31 in October, but apparently that won’t be happening. Neal seemed eager to leave Minnesota around the trade deadline, shortly after the Wolves acquired him from the Hornets. The Bulls, as well as the Hawks and Wizards, all Eastern Conference playoff teams, reportedly had interest in him around that time.