Wizards Notes: Frazier, Burke, Gortat, Tax
Finding a reliable backup for point guard John Wall and fortifying their bench are two of the Wizards’ top priorities heading into the offseason, and on Wednesday, the team made a move that may have checked both boxes. Washington sent the No. 52 overall pick to New Orleans in exchange for guard Tim Frazier, who saw plenty of action at the point for the Pelicans this season and will earn a modest $2MM salary in 2017/18.
While there’s no guarantee Frazier will be the answer as Wall’s backup, he’s a solid rotation player and the Wizards didn’t have to give up much to get him. According to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, Frazier has been on the Wizards’ radar for some time, and the club also tried to acquire him at February’s trade deadline.
Here’s more out of Washington:
- Trey Burke, who handled point guard duties for part of the 2016/17 season, is eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but the Wizards won’t tender Burke a qualifying offer, per J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. With no QO in hand, Burke will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
- At season’s end, Marcin Gortat questioned his role in Washington and suggested he may seek a trade, but Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld sounds like he expects to retain the veteran center, according to Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “I’ve talked to March,” Grunfeld said. “March is with us. March, we’ve had him for four years. He’s averaged a double-double for four years. He’s been in the second round for three out of those four years and is a big part of what we’re doing. Everybody has frustration after a tough loss and a tough series. March is with us and he’s going to be a big part of what we’re doing.”
- Grunfeld also acknowledged that the Wizards should be willing to go into the luxury tax territory this offseason, if necessary, Hughes writes in a separate CSNMidAtlantic.com story. “We’ll see how everything goes. If it’s the right player, I don’t think we have a problem going over,” Grunfeld said.
- According to TNT’s David Aldridge and Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (Twitter links), the Wizards are open to buying their way back into the second round of Thursday’s draft if the opportunity arises. Currently, the team has no picks.
Trade Rumors: Butler, Bledsoe, Hawks, Cavs
While the Bulls still aren’t close to moving Jimmy Butler, there appears to be more “organizational alignment” than there was last year on the idea that a rebuild is in the team’s best interest, reports K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago’s asking price for Butler hasn’t changed, according to Johnson, who says the team would be seeking starters or rotation players, along with multiple high draft picks.
Since the Bulls would like to land a high pick in Thursday’s draft if they move Butler, the Celtics (No. 3), Suns (No. 4), and Timberwolves (No. 7) would make sense as trade partners. However, as Johnson details, the Bulls have received the impression that Boston plans to use the third overall pick, and Minnesota’s seventh overall pick likely wouldn’t put Chicago in position to nab one of the top prospects they like, such as De’Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson.
Here are more trade rumors from around the league, including notes on Chicago’s other potential trade partner, the Suns:
- The Suns have explored the possibility of trading their No. 4 overall pick in a deal for a star, having looked into players like Butler, Paul George, and Kristaps Porzingis, Adrian Wojnarowski noted during The Vertical’s live show on Wednesday night. Sources tell K.C. Johnson that Phoenix is also looking to include Eric Bledsoe, who has two years left on his contract, in any major trade package.
- On The Vertical’s live show, Wojnarowski identified the Hawks as a team to watch on the trade market, suggesting that new GM Travis Schlenk may be looking to cut costs as he retools the roster. Kent Bazemore could be a trade candidate in Atlanta, per Wojnarowski.
- Even without a GM in place, the Cavaliers continued to work “furiously” on Wednesday pursuing trade possibilities, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. It appears the Cavs and Chauncey Billups are close to reach an agreement that would add him to their front office, but the team is more focused on working the trade market, and will continue trying to find a deal on Thursday.
- Within a larger piece about the draft, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun suggests the Raptors are confident about their chances to re-sign Serge Ibaka in free agency, which could make Jonas Valanciunas expendable in the right deal.
Wizards Acquire Tim Frazier From Pelicans
8:32pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.
7:32pm: The Wizards and Pelicans have agreed to a trade that will send guard Tim Frazier to Washington, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. According to Scotto (via Twitter), the Pelicans will receive this year’s No. 52 overall pick in the deal.
Frazier, 26, signed a two-year contract with the Pelicans last summer after impressing the team in a brief 2015/16 audition. He appeared in a career-high 65 games (35 starts) for New Orleans this past season, acting as the starting point guard early in the year when Jrue Holiday was unavailable, then re-entering the starting lineup late in the season after the Pelicans traded several guards. For the season, Frazier averaged a respectable 7.1 PPG and 5.2 APG.
Despite a solid year for the Pelicans, Frazier apparently wasn’t in the team’s plans going forward. New Orleans will send the Penn State product to the Wizards, who have been in the market for a point guard capable of backing up John Wall after Brandon Jennings and Trey Burke underwhelmed in 2016/17.
Frazier will be an inexpensive bench option for the Wizards, who will be on the hook for his modest $2MM salary next season. Although Washington is currently well over the cap, the team can take on Frazier using a traded player exception created in a February deal with the Nets.
That trade exception, worth approximately $2.5MM, will be used to absorb Frazier’s current salary of $2.09MM. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will create a TPE worth Frazier’s salary, though that exception will disappear in July if the team uses cap room.
With Frazier no longer in the picture, the Pelicans have two guards – E’Twaun Moore and Quincy Pondexter – on guaranteed contracts for 2017/18, with two more – Jordan Crawford and Quinn Cook – on non-guaranteed deals. Fortifying the backcourt and potentially re-signing Holiday will be top priorities for New Orleans this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mavs, Timberwolves Discussed Rubio, Matthews
The Mavericks and Timberwolves discussed a potential trade that would have sent Ricky Rubio and the No. 7 pick to Dallas in exchange for Wesley Matthews and the No. 9 pick, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. However, a source described those talks as “dead” at this point, according to MacMahon, who adds that Dallas doesn’t feel any urgency to move up in the draft.
MacMahon’s report isn’t the first to suggest that the Mavs have considered the possibility of acquiring Rubio. We heard over the weekend that Dallas had held in-house talks regarding the availability of the veteran point guard. ESPN’s Chad Ford also suggested this week that the Mavs might explore moving up in the draft and leapfrogging the Knicks — both Dallas and New York (No. 8) reportedly like Frank Ntilikina.
When I examined the Mavs’ upcoming offseason on Monday, I noted that a trade involving Rubio and Matthews might make some sense. Their salaries aren’t far apart, and the Wolves figure to be in the market for a three-and-D wing. As I wrote in that piece, Rubio – who has two years left on his contract – could also serve as a nice stopgap at the point for the Mavs if the team lands a player like Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr. in the draft.
At this point, it doesn’t appear the Mavs and Wolves will work out a deal. But if Minnesota does trade Rubio, look for the club to enter the George Hill sweepstakes “full bore” in July, says Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
Lakers’ Nick Young Declines 2017/18 Player Option
Nick Young has turned down his player option with the Lakers for the 2017/18 season, reports Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). As a result of the move, Young will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
[RELATED: NBA Player Option Decisions For 2017/18]
Last offseason, Young was viewed as a potential release candidate for the Lakers. At the time, he was coming off a season in which he averaged career-worst marks in PPG (7.3) and FG% (.339). However, he enjoyed a solid bounce-back season in 2016/17, starting 60 games for Los Angeles, averaging 13.2 PPG, and posting a shooting line of .430/.404/.856.
Young’s deal with L.A. included a 2017/18 player option that would have paid him approximately $5.67MM. Heading into the free agent market, he should be able to comfortably top that figure. This year’s group of free agent shooting guards isn’t particularly strong, and Young’s 2.8 three-pointers per game was a top-10 mark in the NBA — that outside shooting ability should be coveted by a number of teams.
Young has talked in the past about how much he enjoys playing in Los Angeles, so it’s possible that he and the Lakers work out a new contract to keep him in the mix. However, the Lakers already have an eye toward their 2018 cap flexibility, and won’t want to add much guaranteed money to their books, since it could compromise their pursuit of impact players next year.
Assuming Young lands elsewhere, adding shooting will be a priority for the Lakers this offseason. Young and D’Angelo Russell, who is headed to Brooklyn, were the team’s top two three-point shooters in 2016/17.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Celtics Rumors: No. 3 Pick, Tatum, Isaac, Smith
With just over 24 hours until the NBA draft gets underway, one NBA executive tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that the Celtics may be looking into the possibility of moving down in the draft again. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets that he has heard the same thing.
Per Bulpett, most sources still believe that the Celtics’ decision will come down to Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum, but it doesn’t appear Boston is necessarily locked in on one specific player at No. 3. Jonathan Isaac has even “crept into the speculation,” according to Bulpett, who adds that another exec believes the C’s would like to find a way to end up with point guard Dennis Smith Jr. — that scenario would almost certainly involve a trade down.
Here’s more out of Boston:
- A coach from one NBA franchise tells Bulpett that if you asked 10 different teams which player Danny Ainge wants in this draft, you might get 10 different answers. “We call him the minister of disinformation,” the coach said of Ainge. “He’s putting a lot of stuff out there.”
- Rumblings on Wednesday have indicated the Celtics may be leaning more toward Tatum than Jackson with the third overall pick. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress appears to be on board that bandwagon — his latest mock draft for The Vertical has Boston selecting Tatum at No. 3, though he acknowledges Jackson is also in the conversation.
- The NBA’s rumor mill appears to be more active this year than it usually is prior to the draft, and the Celtics – loaded with assets of all sorts – are at the eye of the storm, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey Signs Four-Year Extension
5:06pm: Morey’s new deal is now official, with the Rockets announcing the extension in a press release.
“Daryl has consistently proven to be one of the top minds and innovators in our league,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to continue to work with Daryl towards our pursuit of winning another championship for the Rockets, the City of Houston, and our fans all over the world.”
12:28pm: The Rockets have agreed to a four-year extension with GM Daryl Morey, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. He is now under contract through 2021/22.
Morey, who had one year remaining on his current deal, joined the organization in 2006 and took over GM duties a year later. He has turned the Rockets into consistent contenders, and the team posted the NBA’s third-best record this season.
His most successful move has been a 2012 trade that brought James Harden from Oklahoma City in exchange for a package of players and draft picks.
Spurs Open To Trading Danny Green
The Spurs are open to trading Danny Green, league sources tell Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). However, no deal is close at this point, according to Young.
Green, who will celebrate his 30th birthday on Thursday, continues to play a rotational role for the Spurs, averaging 7.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.0 SPG last season while shooting 37.9% on three-point attempts. When it comes to San Antonio’s offseason plans, however, the most important number tied to Green may be his $10MM salary for 2017/18.
The Spurs have been linked to top free agents like Chris Paul, but currently don’t have the cap room necessary to max a competitive contract offer to a player of that caliber. San Antonio already has about $73.5MM in guaranteed salaries on its books for next year, and that’s without accounting for cap holds for free agents and the club’s first-round pick, or new deals for Pau Gasol and/or Manu Ginobili. Trading Green and his $10MM salary wouldn’t necessarily open up a maximum-salary slot for someone like Paul, but it would give the Spurs more flexibility if they intend to make a splash in free agency.
Green, who would appeal to teams looking for a three-and-D wing, is under contract for one more season, then will have to decide next summer on a $10MM player option for 2018/19.
Eastern Notes: Howard, Hawks, Wade, Wizards
Tuesday’s trade between Atlanta and Charlotte, which sent Dwight Howard to the Hornets for an underwhelming package that included Miles Plumlee and Marco Belinelli, signaled to many that Howard’s value is at a low point. While that may be the case, Hornets head coach Steve Clifford is confident that he can help Howard become an All-Star caliber player again, as Steve Reed of The Associated Press (via The Charlotte Observer) details.
“I know what he has to do to play well,” Clifford said of Howard, whom he coached as an assistant in Orlando and Los Angeles. “He understands that I know him. I know his game. Being around him in different settings I have a feel for what he likes to do… There is no reason he can’t get back to playing at a really high level.”
While we wait to see if Clifford can help Howard rebound after his stint in Atlanta ended with the big man complaining about his role, here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Howard trade between Atlanta and Charlotte will leave the Hawks with a modest trade exception. Atlanta’s new TPE will be worth $4,346,942, and will be the fourth – and largest – trade exception available to the team, as our list of TPEs shows.
- Asked why he decided to exercise his player option to remain with the Bulls, a candid Dwyane Wade told David Aldridge of TNT that there were “24 million reasons” (Twitter link). Wade’s option will pay him $23.8MM next season.
- The Wizards have reportedly expressed interest in Paul George, and John Wall is on board with the idea of acquiring the Pacers star. However, a trade for George is a long shot, since a sign-and-trade of Otto Porter would be tricky and the inclusion of Bradley Beal is, of course, a non-starter, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com.
Lakers-Nets Trade: Notes, Reactions, More
The Lakers started clearing the future cap room necessary to add stars to their roster with Tuesday’s trade that sent D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in Thursday’s draft.
L.A. would need about $66.3MM in cap space to sign both Paul George and LeBron James to max deals next summer, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The Lakers currently project to have about $36MM in cap room for 2018 but they can push that figure past $48MM by unloading Julius Randle, who will have a $12.4MM cap hold. Options to create the rest of the needed space include finding a taker for Jordan Clarkson – who will make $12.5MM in 2018/19 – or stretching Luol Deng, who has three years and $53MM+ left on his contract.
If the Lakers wind up trading for George by sending Clarkson and the 27th and 28th picks in this year’s draft to Indiana, then restructures George’s contract to give him a max extension, that would only leave $17.7MM to offer James without another move, Pincus notes.
Several other media members have weighed in on Tuesday’s deal, including what it means for the long-term future of both teams, so let’s round up some more notes…
- The Lakers no longer believed Russell could be part of their core group moving forward, relays Bill Oram of the Orange County Register. Oram adds that the team is now free to draft Lonzo Ball without worrying about a possible conflict with Russell.
- New Lakers president Magic Johnson and GM Rob Pelinka are already proving to be better at building a team than the old regime was, opines Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Pelinka’s familiarity with agents, Ding notes, gives him a significant advantage over former GM Mitch Kupchak.
- The Nets wanted Russell because they were concerned they might wind up without a point guard next summer, according to a tweet from NetsDaily. Brooklyn had been facing a 2018 decision on whether to re-sign Lopez, along with the possibility that Jeremy Lin would opt out.
- There was little interest around the NBA in Lopez and Mozgov, tweets NetsDaily. That’s unsurprising in Mozgov’s case, though somewhat surprising for Lopez, who continues to play well and doesn’t have an albatross of a contract.
- Trading Lopez increases the possibility that the Nets will take a big man with the No. 22 pick on Thursday, per NetsDaily (via Twitter). Still, Mozgov will get a chance to play — he’s the third Russian to play for the franchise in recent years, and team ownership hopes he views that as a unique opportunity (Twitter link).
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link) assigns grades for the deal, giving the Nets (A-) a slightly better mark than the Lakers (B).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.