Celtics, Wizards Frontrunners For Al Horford
1:21pm: The Hawks have upped their proposal to include a fifth year, but Atlanta is still not offering Horford a maximum salary, Zach Klein of WSB Atlanta tweets.
10:23am: The competition to sign veteran Al Horford is heating up, with the Celtics and Wizards emerging as the frontrunners to land the big man, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Horford is expected to make his final decision this evening and may be in line for a deal valued at four-years and $113MM, adds the Vertical scribe.
The 30-year-old pared down the list of teams he is considering this morning, according to Wojnarowski. Horford has reportedly met with the Rockets and one other unnamed team besides the C’s and Wizards, possibly the Hawks, though the Thunder and several other franchises were also believed to be in the hunt for his services.
The Hawks, who committed more than $140MM to Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard on Friday, reportedly remain in the hunt for Horford, though Atlanta had yet to pony up a max offer as of late Friday night. Atlanta has reportedly been involved in trade talks that would help the team clear the space necessary to bring back the veteran, if he still wants to return. A Paul Millsap trade is a possibility, with Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reporting that a trade involving Millsap and Suns draft picks has been “pondered” in recent days.
Horford appeared in all 82 regular season games for Atlanta this past season, averaging 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 32.1 minutes per night. His shooting line was .505/.344/.798.
Which team would be a better fit for Horford — Washington or Boston? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Pistons Sign Jon Leuer
JULY 8: The Pistons have officially signed Leuer, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 2: The Pistons and unrestricted free agent Jon Leuer have reached an agreement on a contract that will land the forward in Detroit, his agents at Priority Sports tweeted. It will be a four-year deal worth $42MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). The contract is fully guaranteed, adds Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
Detroit has been on the market for a stretch-four and Leuer, who has shot 37.5% from beyond the arc over the course of his five-year career, can certainly help to that end. He may not be as newsworthy an addition as Al Horford, whom the team was reportedly courting, but landing Leuer on a deal with an average annual salary of $10.5MM in the current free agent market is a nice fallback for the boys from Motown.
Leuer made 67 appearances for the Suns this past season, averaging 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per outing. He shot .481/.382/.762 on the season.
Free Agent Notes: Rondo, Wolves, Gasol
The Pelicans could still make a push for signing Rajon Rondo even after securing an agreement with E’Twaun Moore, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. Reid acknowledges that there are other teams in the mix for Rondo and New Orleans appears to be a long-shot. There were conflicting reports on Friday as to whether the team was interested in Rondo.
Reid confirms an earlier report that the Pelicans were interested in Jeremy Lin, but the point guard’s price was too steep for the team. Lin signed a three-year, $36MM deal with Brooklyn on Friday.
Here’s more from around the league during this crazy start to free agency:
- The Wolves had interest in Luol Deng before he signed with the Lakers and they made calls to both Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore before the latter signed with Atlanta, Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. The team would also like to add depth and has interest in Randy Foye, Willie Reed, Courtney Lee, Kris Humphries, Jamal Crawford, Brandon Bass, and Ian Mahinmi.
- The Thunder have also expressed interest in Reed, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
- Amar’e Stoudemire would be interested in returning to the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweets. “If they want to bring me back, that would be a nice opportunity,” Stoudemire said.
- The Lakers bumped up Deng’s offer to $18MM per season after Bazemore turned down the same offer, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
- Ish Smith‘s new deal with the Pistons will pay him $5.7MM in year one, $6MM in year two and $6.3MM in the final season, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter link).
- Former first-round pick Jan Vesely has interest from NBA teams, but it will take a starting salary of $11-12MM to bring him stateside, Net Income of SB Nation tweets.
- Rade Zagorac is negotiating a deal to play overseas with Red Star Belgrade, international journalist David Pick tweets. The Grizzlies acquired the No.35 overall pick in a deal with the Celtics on draft night.
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News takes a look at who the Mavericks can still get in free agency.
Week In Review 6/26/16-7/2/16
With 2016 free agency in full swing, here’s a look back at all the notable news and events from around the NBA this past week:
Trades
- The Magic acquired Jodie Meeks from the Pistons in exchange for a protected 2019 second round pick.
Signings/Agreements
- Darrell Arthur — Nuggets
- D.J. Augustin — Magic
- Nicolas Batum — Hornets
- Jerryd Bayless — Sixers
- Kent Bazemore — Hawks
- Bradley Beal — Wizards
- Jordan Clarkson — Lakers
- Mike Conley — Grizzlies
- Matthew Dellavedova — Bucks
- Luol Deng — Lakers
- DeMar DeRozan — Raptors
- Andre Drummond — Pistons
- Jared Dudley — Suns
- Evan Fournier — Magic
- Jeff Green — Magic
- Justin Hamilton — Nets
- Solomon Hill — Pelicans
- Dwight Howard — Hawks
- Al Jefferson — Pacers
- Joe Johnson — Jazz
- Jeremy Lin — Nets
- Egidijus Mockevicius — Nets
- E’Twaun Moore — Pelicans
- Timofey Mozgov — Lakers
- Joakim Noah — Knicks
- Chandler Parsons — Grizzlies
- Ish Smith — Pistons
- Mirza Teletovic — Bucks
- Evan Turner — Trail Blazers
- Hassan Whiteside — Heat
International
- Former Kings swingman James Anderson reached an agreement with the Turkish club Darussafaka.
- Former NBA player Austin Daye signed with the Turkish club Galatasaray.
Waivers
- The Nets waived Jarrett Jack.
- The Bucks waived Johnny O’Bryant and Damien Inglis.
- The Wolves waived Greg Smith.
- The Grizzlies claimed Tony Wroten off waivers from the Knicks.
Option Decisions
Opting In/Picked Up
- Tim Duncan [Spurs] — Player
- Jordan McRae [Cavaliers] — Team
- Mike Muscala [Hawks] — Team
- Hollis Thompson [Sixers] — Team
Opting Out/Declined
- Wayne Ellington [Nets] — Player
- Pau Gasol [Bulls] — Player
- Alonzo Gee [Pelicans] — Player
- LeBron James [Cavaliers] — Player
- Damjan Rudez [Timberwolves] — Team
- Lance Stephenson [Grizzlies] — Team
Qualifying Offers
Submitted
- Harrison Barnes
- Bradley Beal
- Tarik Black
- Markel Brown
- Jordan Clarkson
- Allen Crabbe
- Seth Curry
- Troy Daniels
- Dewayne Dedmon
- Matthew Dellavedova
- Andre Drummond
- Festus Ezeli
- Evan Fournier
- Tim Frazier
- Langston Galloway
- Maurice Harkless
- Marcelo Huertas
- Tyler Johnson
- Meyers Leonard
- Boban Marjanovic
- Donatas Motiejunas
- Miles Plumlee
- Dwight Powell
- Jared Sullinger
- Dion Waiters
- Tyler Zeller
Declined
- Isaiah Canaan
- Ian Clark
- Bryce Cotton
- Cleanthony Early
- James Ennis
- Jorge Gutierrez
- Terrence Jones
- Ryan Kelly
- Shane Larkin
- James McAdoo
- Eric Moreland
- Andrew Nicholson
- Willie Reed
- Christian Wood
Miscellaneous News
- The NBA dismissed and disqualified O.J. Mayo from the league for violating the terms of its anti-drug program.
- The Suns hired Tyrone Corbin as an assistant to head coach Earl Watson.
- USA Basketball finalized its 12-man roster for this summer’s Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Bulls power forward Bobby Portis and small forward Tony Snell signed with CAA Sports.
- The Pistons named Jon Phelps as GM and Rex Walters as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive.
- The Bucks and GM John Hammond agreed to a one-year contract extension.
2016 NBA Free Agency: July 1 Recap
It has been a wild first day of free agency, with 12 of our top 20 free agents coming off the board, and nearly half of our top 50 FAs reaching contract agreements with teams around the NBA. None of these deals are official yet, since players can’t formally sign new contracts until the July moratorium lifts on July 7th. Still, it’s highly likely that all of the agreements listed below will become official at some point later this month.
In case you weren’t able to follow along with our updates throughout the first day of free agency, a recap of the day’s highlights can be found below. Going forward, be sure to keep tabs on our free agent tracker for all the latest updates on contract agreements for free agents.
Contract agreements:
- Mike Conley, G (Grizzlies): Five years, max salary
- DeMar DeRozan, G (Raptors): Five years, $139MM
- Bradley Beal, G (Wizards): Five years, max salary
- Andre Drummond, C (Pistons): Five years, max salary
- Nicolas Batum, F (Hornets): Five years, $120MM
- Hassan Whiteside, C (Heat): Four years, max salary
- Chandler Parsons, F (Grizzlies): Four years, max salary
- Evan Fournier, G (Magic): Five years, $85MM
- Joakim Noah, C (Knicks): Four years, $72MM
- Dwight Howard, C (Hawks): Three years, $70.5MM
- Kent Bazemore, F/G (Hawks): Four years, $70MM
- Evan Turner, G/F (Trail Blazers): Four years, $70MM
- Timofey Mozgov, C (Lakers): Four years, $64MM
- Jordan Clarkson, G (Lakers): Four years, $50MM
- Solomon Hill, F (Pelicans): Four years, $48MM
- Matthew Dellavedova, G (Bucks): Four years, $38.4MM (offer sheet)
- Jeremy Lin, G (Nets): Three years, $36MM
- E’Twaun Moore, G (Pelicans): Four years, $34MM
- Jared Dudley, F (Suns): Three years, $30MM
- Al Jefferson, F/C (Pacers): Three years, $30MM
- Mirza Teletovic, F (Bucks): Three years, $30MM
- D.J. Augustin, G (Magic): Four years, $29MM
- Jerryd Bayless, G (Sixers): Three years, $27MM
- Darrell Arthur, F (Nuggets): Three years, $23MM
- Ish Smith, G (Pistons): Three years, $18MM
- Jeff Green, F (Magic): One year, $15MM
- Justin Hamilton, C (Nets): Two years, $6MM
* Note: Joe Johnson reached a two-year, $22MM deal with the Jazz early on July 2.
Other notable news/rumors:
- O.J. Mayo was dismissed from the NBA for a drug violation.
- At least four teams are challenging the Heat for Dwyane Wade.
- Al Horford met with four clubs on Friday and is expected to make a decision this weekend.
- The Bulls met with Rajon Rondo, who has received interest from a few other teams too.
- The Kings may be increasingly willing to trade Rudy Gay.
- The Trail Blazers offered Chandler Parsons a max deal before he chose the Grizzlies.
- The Warriors are expected to retain Harrison Barnes if they can’t sign Kevin Durant.
- Durant’s meetings with the Warriors and Clippers went well. He’ll meet with the Spurs and Celtics on Saturday.
And-Ones: Nets, Crabbe, Lue, Waiters, Sixers
The Rockets, who offered a four-year contract worth about the same amount as his deal with the Hawks, were “really, really close” to reaching an agreement with Kent Bazemore, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). While that may be somewhat encouraging for Houston, the Rockets have yet to lock up one of their top free agent targets. Heading into the weekend, the club remains in the hunt for Al Horford and Ryan Anderson.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- The Nets spent plenty of time on Friday weighing whether or not to sign Trail Blazers RFA Allen Crabbe to an offer sheet, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Nets are big fans of Crabbe, but an offer sheet could tie up the team’s cap for three days after the moratorium ends, which could backfire if Portland matches it. The Blazers are probably less likely to match a big offer for Crabbe now that they have an agreement with Evan Turner, but it’s still not out of the question.
- The Cavaliers and head coach Tyronn Lue have begun discussing a contract extension, per Chris Haynes and Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. As the duo explains, Lue didn’t sign a new deal when he was promoted from his assistant role to replace David Blatt this year, and the gamble paid off. Lue will be in line for a much bigger raise now that he has a championship under his belt than he would have been if he’d signed a new contract earlier this year.
- The Bulls are among the teams showing interest in Dion Waiters, tweets ESPN’s Chris Broussard. Broussard also reiterates something we’ve heard multiple times over the past couple days, writing that the Kings are very interested in Waiters and will meet with him this weekend.
- The Sixers have been making some significant offers to veteran free agents in the hopes of landing one or two of them, says Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Philadelphia struck a deal on Friday with Jerryd Bayless, but it sounds like the team has made other offers that exceed Bayless’ $9MM per year.
Jazz Sign Joe Johnson To Two-Year Deal
JULY 8: The Jazz have issued a press release officially confirming their deal with Johnson.
JULY 2: The Jazz and Joe Johnson have reached a contract agreement, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides struck a two-year deal worth $22MM.
After addressing their point guard spot by agreeing to acquire George Hill in a pre-draft trade, the Jazz have been focused on wing players in free agency. Jared Dudley, Solomon Hill, Maurice Harkless, and Luol Deng had been mentioned as potential targets for Utah, but it’s Johnson who will be joining the Jazz when the July moratorium ends next week.
A 15-year NBA veteran, Johnson has spent time with the Celtics, Suns, Hawks, Nets, and Heat since entering the league back in 2001, earning seven All-Star nods along the way. Although Johnson is no longer the prolific scorer he once was, he continues to be a solid contributor, and saw an uptick in his production after he landed in Miami earlier this year. In 24 regular-season games with the Heat down the stretch, Johnson shot .518/.417/.765 and averaged 13.4 points per contest.
Even after signing Johnson, the Jazz should have a decent chunk of cap space left over to sign another free agent or two. The club could also attempt to land another piece by moving former top-10 pick Trey Burke, who is said to be on the trade block.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Al Horford Met With Four Teams On Friday
10:52pm: While the Hawks remain involved in the Horford sweepstakes, they have yet to offer him the full max, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.
10:30pm: The Hawks committed more than $140MM to Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard on Friday, greatly reducing the odds of Al Horford returning to Atlanta. For his part, Horford also had a busy July 1st, having held free agent meetings with four teams, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter).
Earlier in the day, we heard that the Celtics were among the teams to meet with Horford in Atlanta today, and Boston was expected to put a maximum-salary offer on the table for the free agent big man. Wojnarowski adds the Rockets and Wizards to the list of teams to meet with Horford today, though the identity of the fourth team isn’t known — it’s possible it was the Hawks, though the Thunder and several other teams are also believed to be in the hunt.
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Hawks haven’t backed out of the Horford sweepstakes quite yet, even after striking $70MM deals with Bazemore and Howard. Windhorst reports that Atlanta has been involved in trade talks that would help the team clear the space necessary to bring back Horford, if he wants to return, and Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the Hawks’ contract negotiations with Horford have been ongoing.
Windhorst didn’t name any specific players as trade candidates for Atlanta, but I would think Tiago Splitter and his $8.55MM cap hit would be at or near the top of the list. A Paul Millsap deal is a possibility as well. Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reports (via Twitter) that a trade involving Millsap and Suns draft picks has been “pondered” in recent days.
Per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Celtics had apparently hoped to secure an agreement with Horford and then bring him to their meeting with Kevin Durant on Saturday. However, it doesn’t appear Horford will decide on his destination tonight — Wojnarowski says that decision will likely happen over the weekend sometime.
Bulls, Others Have Interest In Rajon Rondo
10:34pm: Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweets that the Kings aren’t out of the mix for Rondo yet, and also adds the Sixers to the list of teams with interest.
8:24pm: According to Scott Kushner and Brett Dawson of The Advocate (Twitter links), there’s nothing to the Pelicans’ reported interest in Rondo.
8:08pm: After trading a three-time All-Star point guard in June, the Bulls are now eyeing a four-time All-Star point guard in free agency, according to multiple reports. K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tweets the Bulls have had contact with Rajon Rondo, with Marc Stein and Marc J. Spears of ESPN confirming (via Twitter) that Rondo had a meeting today in Chicago with the Bulls.
The Bulls sent Derrick Rose to the Knicks last month in a five-player trade, leaving an opening at the point guard spot. While Chicago could enter the season with Jose Calderon manning the point, it appears the team is exploring an upgrade, and Rondo is arguably the best point guard left on the market now that Mike Conley has re-upped with the Grizzlies.
Rondo, 30, enjoyed a bounce-back season with the Kings in 2015/16 after his time with Dallas ended poorly last year. The longtime Celtics point guard led the league with 11.7 assists per game, and also chipped in 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. He even shot a career-best 36.5% from three-point range.
The Nets, Knicks, and Kings have been the teams most frequently linked to Rondo this summer, but the Nets have reached an agreement with Jeremy Lin, the Knicks have acquired Rose, and we heard earlier today that the Kings appear unlikely to bring back the free agent point guard. That could open the door for the Bulls or another club to strike a deal with Rondo.
One of Rondo’s other suitors is the Pelicans, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical, who reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans has expressed interest in the Kentucky product.
At Least Four Teams Pursuing Dwyane Wade
With teams around the league sensing that there’s tension between Dwyane Wade and the Heat, a handful of clubs are pushing to lure the veteran guard away from Miami, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Wojnarowski reports that the Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, and Bucks are courting Wade, with multiple multiyear offers in the $20MM-per-year range on the table for the Heat star.
Wojnarowski suggests that the Heat have been reluctant to offer a deal in the $20MM range so far, and Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post echoes that sentiment, tweeting that Miami’s opening offer was closer to $10MM. While the Heat will probably willing to increase that offer eventually, especially if Kevin Durant doesn’t choose Miami, it still makes sense that Wade would explore the market. Even if he doesn’t sign elsewhere, there’s so much cap space available around the league that he could improve his leverage by fielding offers from other teams.
Earlier tonight, we heard that the Bucks and Knicks were looking to set up meetings with Wade, and while Wojnarowski confirms Milwaukee’s interest, he doesn’t mention New York. ESPN’s Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that the Knicks have made a four-year offer to Courtney Lee, and the club is also reportedly in the mix for Eric Gordon, so Wade may be a backup plan for Phil Jackson‘s club.
As for Milwaukee, Wojnarowski suggests that the Bucks don’t currently have the cap space to make Wade a competitive offer, and the team isn’t sure whether to fully commit to pursuing him. While Wade did attend Marquette University, it’s still hard to imagine him returning to Milwaukee at this stage in his career.
Meanwhile, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune confirms (via Twitter) that the Bulls are in talks with Wade’s reps, adding that the two sides are discussing a two-year deal. According to Wojnarowski, Chicago and Denver have been the most aggressive suitors for Wade so far.
Finally, the Mavericks may be a long shot to add Wade, but after missing out on their top two targets – Hassan Whiteside and Mike Conley – it makes sense that they’d at least kick the tires on other top-tier free agents.