Eastern Rumors: Cavs, DeRozan, Celtics, Monroe
Some sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that they think LeBron James will ask the Cavs to change coaches (Twitter link), though he has no intention of pushing the team to fire David Blatt, as ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported last week. Blatt has made it clear on multiple occasions that he expects he’ll be back. Still, we’ll see what happens this summer in Cleveland. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Chatter continues to indicate that DeMar DeRozan will opt out and seek a maximum-salary deal next summer, and “there is no way” that the Raptors would be willing to pay him that much, reports Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. For this summer, the Raptors will probably have particular interest in Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap, Wolstat also writes.
- Celtics don’t find their chances to land a star encouraging, as Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe hears. Himmelsbach confirms earlier reports of interest in Greg Monroe and Millsap, though he hears from several team sources who say the team didn’t offer Marcus Smart in trade proposals to other teams on draft day.
- Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com believes the new regime in Atlanta isn’t as enamored with Monroe’s game as the team’s last set of higher-ups was (Twitter link). The Hawks, who have a new principal owner in Tony Ressler and have formally cut ties with GM Danny Ferry, aren’t among the teams reportedly meeting with the soon-to-be free agent big man.
- Jimmy Butler would like to sign a one-year offer sheet with the Lakers, a league source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, but that would be impossible since offer sheets must be for at least two years and at least three if, as the Bulls have long planned, Chicago makes a five-year max offer. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported a couple of weeks ago that Butler’s interest in the Lakers had increased, but the Bulls have the right to match any offer and are expected to do so, Medina notes.
- Reggie Jackson turned down an offer worth more than $12MM a year in extension talks with the Thunder last year because he wanted out of Oklahoma City and onto a team where he could start, a source told Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Jackson will probably demand the max if the Pistons want him to sign for five years, the same source said to Ellis.
- Mario Hezonja and Barcelona, his Spanish team, have reached a deal on a buyout that will allow him to part ways with the club and sign with the Magic, who drafted him fifth overall Thursday, reports Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (translation via Sporando’s Enea Trapani). The buyout is worth 1.6 million euros, the equivalent of about $1.79MM at today’s exchange rate. Orlando will presumably cover the maximum $625K of that amount.
Kirk Hinrich Opts In With Bulls
1:32pm: The move is official, the team announced via press release.
11:30am: Austin confirmed to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that Hinrich has indeed opted in (Twitter link).
9:08am: Kirk Hinrich has decided to opt in and stay with the Bulls for next season, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). He’ll make nearly $2.855MM next season, the final one on his two-year deal.
The move allows the team to keep the long-tenured guard and avoid using its limited funds to replace him. Chicago already had about $60.2MM in guaranteed salaries against a projected $67.1MM salary cap and $81.6MM tax line. A new max deal for Jimmy Butler would likely add nearly $16MM to Chicago’s books, giving the team season-long tax concerns unless it makes a salary-clearing trade.
Hinrich, 34, started 22 games this past season, though he set career lows with averages of 5.7 points and 24.4 minutes per game, in large measure because Derrick Rose was relatively healthy. The Jeff Austin client, set to enter free agency as the cap surges next summer, may well see a larger role this coming season if fellow backup point guard Aaron Brooks departs in free agency.
Rockets, Kings Eye Rodney Stuckey
MONDAY, 10:25am: Stuckey would like to hear from the Bulls, a source tells Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com. It’s unclear whether the Bulls reciprocate his apparent interest, and that would seem less likely in the wake of Kirk Hinrich‘s reported decision to opt in. Chicago will likely have only the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception to spend on outside free agents.
FRIDAY, 3:29pm: The Rockets and Kings are expected to be among the teams with interest when Rodney Stuckey when he hits free agency next week, and he’ll prioritize signing with a contender, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. That would presumably give an edge to Houston over Sacramento, though the mutual interest between the combo guard and the Pacers is strong, according to Charania. The semantics of the report are a bit curious, since Charania indicates that interest from the Rockets and Kings is only “expected,” but it would appear that the 29-year-old is at the very least on the radar for both teams.
Indiana has Non-Bird rights on Stuckey, so the Pacers can’t exceed 20% more than the minimum to re-sign him without using cap space or an exception. Still, president of basketball operations Larry Bird made it clear this spring that the eight-year veteran is a priority, and David West‘s apparent decision to opt out gives the team a legitimate chance to open cap room.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey isn’t optimistic that Houston will end up with cap space to burn this summer, though the team would have the $5.434MM mid-level exception if it stays above the cap. That amount may well be earmarked for Josh Smith, however.
The Kings are in flux amid the DeMarcus Cousins saga, though they seem likely to be able to open up enough cap space to make a competitive bid to Stuckey. Still, Sacramento would probably be a fallback option for him if he is indeed set on joining a contending team. Indiana might not be a contender, either, though the return of Paul George for a full season at least gives the Pacers a reasonable shot in the relatively weak Eastern Conference.
Southeast Notes: Deng, Oubre, White, Eriksson
It’s still unclear what Luol Deng will do with his player option, worth nearly $10.152MM, with tonight’s deadline to decide looming, but the Heat absolutely wants him back, as team president Pat Riley made clear after the draft, notes Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). That’s in spite of Miami’s selection of small forward Justise Winslow at No. 10. While we wait to see just what Deng will do, here’s more from around the Southeast:
- GM Ernie Grunfeld didn’t think the Wizards would have the chance to trade up and nab Kelly Oubre until a day before the draft, and in so doing, Washington landed a player who has a relationship with D.C. native and 2016 free agent Kevin Durant, as Benjamin Standig of The Associated Press examines.
- J. Michael of CSNWashington.com looks at the options the Wizards have if Paul Pierce, who’s opting out, doesn’t re-sign.
- Forward Aaron White, whom the Wizards drafted 49th overall out of Iowa, will “definitely” play overseas this coming season, as Michael hears, but Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes that a decision has not yet been made. “Aaron will play Summer League with the Wizards and then we will evaluate if it is best to go overseas or not this season,” White’s agent, Chris Emens, wrote in an e-mail to Castillo. “Aaron is open to doing whatever the Wizards think is best for his development.”
- The pair of players the Hawks drafted in the second-round Thursday will stay overseas, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Swedish shooting guard Marcus Eriksson, the 50th pick, and Greek forward Dimitrios Agravanis, pick No. 59, remain under contract with Barcelona of Spain and Olympiacos of Greece, respectively, according to Vivlamore.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel breaks down the new Magic assistant coaches whose hires the team officially announced Friday: former Bulls assistant Adrian Griffin, former Mavs assistant Monte Mathis, Mario Elie, who last was an NBA assistant with the Nets in 2012/13, and former Lakers D-League coach Conner Henry.
And-Ones: Crowder, Gasol, Knicks
The Celtics made a qualifying offer to Jae Crowder worth $1.2MM, making the forward a restricted free agent, which means the Celtics can match any offer he receives from another team, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. Crowder has expressed an interest to return to the Celtics, but also plans to test the market.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Marc Gasol has no interest in joining the Lakers because of the shaky final few years his brother spent with the team, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, who cites sources familiar with the situation.
- Knicks president Phil Jackson is interested in re-signing Jason Smith as a backup center and combo guard Alexey Shved, who played well late in the season, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports.
- The Jazz are expected to make a significant attempt to bring draft-and-stash center Tibor Pleiss, who is from Germany, to the team next season, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Pleiss traveled to Utah to discuss the possibility of joining the team this upcoming season, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes, adding that the Jazz are in need of a solid backup at center for Rudy Gobert.
- Luka Mitrovic, a forward from Serbia who the Sixers took with the final pick of the draft, will stay overseas next season, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets.
Hoops Links: Rockets, Cousins, Lakers
On this date in 2005, Larry Brown became the NBA’s highest paid coach when he signed a five-year deal with the Knicks. The deal, worth a reported $50-$60MM, was terminated less than one year later when he was fired.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- House Of Houston ran down the players the Rockets must keep and drop.
- Lakers Outsiders weighed the pros and cons of the Lakers dealing for DeMarcus Cousins.
- Fantasy Pros wonders if international players are worth high draft picks.
- Keep It Cavalier recapped Cleveland’s draft.
- Six Championship Drive analyzed the Pistons’ draft.
- Hoop Trends isn’t so sure about the 76ers’ big man strategy.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Latest On Al-Farouq Aminu
Al-Farouq Aminu, who opted out of his minimum-salary player option with the Mavs for next season, is scheduled to visit the Knicks, Celtics, Blazers, Raptors and Pelicans, NBA.com’s David Aldridge tweets.
The Mavs remain in the mix for the forward’s services, Aldridge notes. Aminu previously expressed his affection for the city of Dallas and the Mavs, and he said he’d love to re-sign.
Aminu’s visit with the Blazers is not unexpected, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian writes. Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey drafted Aminu when he was with the Clippers and is quite familiar with the fifth-year player, Freeman adds.
Aminu averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game last season with the Mavs. Aminu, who was mostly used in a reserve role in the regular season was featured more prominently during the playoffs. He started two of five postseason games against the Rockets, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 64% from 3-point range.
Latest On Caron Butler
Caron Butler, who expects to be waived by the Bucks, is expected to field interest from the Bulls, Clippers and Spurs, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, who cites a league source.
The Lakers and Knicks, according to Charania, are also in the mix. The Bucks plan to waive Butler and Shawne Williams before their guarantee dates on Tuesday, Charania also reports.
Milwaukee reacquired Butler, who played for the team during the first half of the 2013/14 season, and acquired Williams in the Ersan Ilyasova trade earlier this month.
Southwest Notes: Chandler, Ginobili, Brewer, Gasol
Tyson Chandler isn’t bothered that the Mavericks are trying to lure free agent DeAndre Jordan to replace him at center, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. At 32, Chandler has been around the NBA long enough to not take the move personally. “And at the end of the day, I get it,” he said. “The franchise [has] to make the best decision for the franchise. Of course, I still feel like I can go, still have a lot to give. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ll make the best decision for myself and my family and the Mavericks will make the best decision for the organization.” Chandler, who is also a free agent, has been traded seven times in his NBA career. He already left Dallas once — after the team’s championship in 2011 when owner Mark Cuban offered him just a one-year contract. MacMahon estimates Chandler will get a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $36MM wherever he ends up, and mentions Milwaukee as a possible suitor.
There’s more news from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs‘ Manu Ginobili will announce his decision on retirement in an Argentinian newspaper, tweets Mike Monroe of The San Antonio News-Express. Ginobili, who writes a column for La Nacion, said he will make the announcement “when the time comes.”
- Unrestricted free agent Corey Brewer is open to re-signing with the Rockets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo.com, but Brewer is looking for a long-term deal.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey said the team is “probably likely” to operate above the cap and try to keep its own free agents, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. In addition to Brewer, Josh Smith and Jason Terry will be unrestricted free agents, while Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels will be restricted. Houston has early Bird rights on Brewer and can offer him a deal starting at an estimated $8.2MM per year. The team has full Bird rights on Terry.
- There are many reasons for Marc Gasol to remain in Memphis, writes Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal. Calkins appeals to the unrestricted free agent to re-sign with the Grizzlies based on money, the chance to win, closeness to teammates and several other factors. Memphis can give Gasol an estimated $109MM over five years, while other teams are limited to about $80MM over four years.
Knicks Rumors: West, Monroe, Lopez, Hernangomez
The Knicks will definitely get a meeting with free agent forward David West, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Their prospects of signing West will depend on their success with other free agent targets — a list expected to include LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe and DeMarre Carroll — but Stein says he’s a “serious” name that they’re pursuing (Twitter link). It was reported this week that West is determined to sign with New York. West, 35, opted out of his contract with the Pacers last week.
There’s more from the Big Apple as free agency approaches:
- The Knicks would love to add Aldridge or Marc Gasol, but Frank Isola of The Daily News argues that Greg Monroe is a more realistic target. Aldridge is probably headed to the Spurs, Lakers or Mavericks, Isola writes, while Gasol is likely to stay in Memphis. Isola notes that Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy acknowledged that Monroe will probably leave Detroit, and The Daily News reported in April that the Knicks are front-runners for his services. Monroe will meet with the team this week.
- West and Robin Lopez could give New York the short-term fix it needs in free agency, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. He said the two veterans could probably be obtained for about the same amount it would cost to get Monroe, who is expected to command an annual salary starting at $15MM. Portland’s Wesley Matthews is another likely target following the draft-day trade of Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta. However, Berman points out that Matthews is seeking an annual salary near $13MM, even in the wake of a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture, while San Antonio’s Danny Green could be available for less.
- The Knicks have big plans for Guillermo Hernangomez, Berman writes in a separate story. New York sees the No. 35 pick, who was acquired from the Sixers for two future second-round selections, as a potential rotation player in 2016/17. Hernangomez will spend the upcoming season in the Spanish League, as his buyout is too large to consider, Berman writes.