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Month: July 2017

Heat, Knicks, Lakers Still In On Dion Waiters

By | at July 5, 2017 1:59 pm

Dion Waiters may be nearing a decision on his free agent destination, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Waiters situation is “inching closer to resolution.” Waiters is considering the Heat, Knicks, and Lakers, per Wojnarowski.

Waiters, who earned less than $3MM in 2016/17, had a big year for the Heat, averaging 15.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.3 RPG with a shooting line of .424/.395/.646. Although he was limited to 46 games (43 starts), the 25-year-old appears likely to parlay his performance in Miami into a much bigger payday this summer after turning down his player option with the club.

The Heat, Knicks, and Lakers all have a good deal of cap room available, though New York will have to renounce Derrick Rose to make use of that room and Miami may dedicate a portion of its space to a new deal for James Johnson. It’s not clear how many years those teams will be willing to offer — the Lakers are known to be avoiding multiyear commitments, and it’s possible that Miami and New York will want to preserve cap flexibility for the summer of 2018 as well.

The Bulls and Kings were linked to Waiters earlier in the offseason, but Chicago is now in rebuilding mode and Sacramento made its big backcourt splash by agreeing to sign George Hill.

18 comments Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat New York Knicks

Western Rumors: Gasol, Faried, T-Wolves, Young

By | at July 5, 2017 12:33 pm

While a handful of Western Conference teams have made major roster moves so far this offseason, the Grizzlies have been fairly quiet. The team reached an agreement to sign Ben McLemore, but also lost Zach Randolph and has yet to lock up its other free agents like JaMychal Green and Tony Allen.

With their window of contention potentially closing, would the Grizzlies consider moving Marc Gasol? Two league executives suggest to Chris Mannix of The Vertical that Gasol is a player worth keeping an eye on as a possible trade candidate. Mannix’s note is tucked away in a larger piece about the Celtics‘ next moves, and as he points out, Gasol would make a lot of sense as a target for Boston. However, there’s no indication that any talks have happened or that Memphis is even considering such a roster shake-up, so it sounds like speculation at this point.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Teams are calling the Nuggets to inquire about Kenneth Faried, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. With Paul Millsap arriving in Denver, the Nuggets’ frontcourt is getting crowded, and the team probably wouldn’t mind getting out from under Faried’s contract, so a trade remains a possibility.
  • Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who reported on Tuesday that the Pacers might be interested in working out a sign-and-trade deal with the Timberwolves for C.J. Miles, suggests that Indiana is further along on a Miles sign-and-trade scenario with another team (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Minnesota is waiting on Nick Young, having made him a two-year offer that is likely worth the room exception, tweets Wolfson.
  • In other Timberwolves news, first-round pick Justin Patton won’t be participating in Summer League with the club, having suffered a foot fracture during a workout, the team announced on Tuesday. Patton underwent surgery to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot and will be sidelined indefinitely, per the team.
17 comments Boston Celtics Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers Memphis Grizzlies Minnesota Timberwolves

Hawks Show Interest In Nerlens Noel

By | at July 5, 2017 11:50 am

The Hawks have displayed interest in restricted free agent big man Nerlens Noel, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Having extended Noel a qualifying offer last month, the Mavs have the ability to match any offer sheet he signs.

Having traded Dwight Howard and let Paul Millsap walk in free agency, the Hawks have some flexibility to make a play for one of the bigger names in the free agent market, and a hole in their frontcourt, so it’s possible they’re zeroing in on Noel as one of their top targets.

[RELATED: Top NBA Free Agents Still Available]

However, with Jamal Crawford‘s contract coming in as a result of a trade with the Clippers and Tim Hardaway‘s RFA cap hold still on their books, the Hawks don’t currently have the flexibility to make an offer sheet that would really test the Mavericks’ willingness to match. That could change if Atlanta renounces Hardaway, buys out or trades Crawford, or makes another deal, but Dallas seems very interested in bringing back Noel. The Mavs talked to Noel earlier this week, but are willing to let him go out and get an offer sheet rather than negotiating a deal with him directly.

Noel missed the start of last season after undergoing a procedure on his knee. That injury limited him to 51 games for the season, and even once he was traded from the Sixers to the Mavericks, he didn’t a play a whole lot — after averaging 30.1 minutes per game in his first two full NBA seasons, Noel played just 20.5 MPG last year.

While an overcrowded center situation in Philadelphia didn’t really give Noel a chance to show what he could do in 2016/17, his 2015/16 numbers (11.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG) reflected his ability to be a defensive difference-maker.

9 comments Atlanta Hawks Dallas Mavericks

Top NBA Free Agents Still Available

By | at July 5, 2017 11:12 am

Five days into the 2017/18 league year, most of the NBA’s top free agents are off the board. And while players like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and Kyle Lowry stayed put, there has been some interesting movement at the top of the free agent board. Gordon Hayward is headed to Boston, Paul Millsap will be a Nugget, George Hill is joining the Kings, and Danilo Gallinari is signing with the Clippers.

Cap room is becoming increasingly scarce around the league, but many clubs still have exceptions available, and sign-and-trades are always a possibility, so we should still see more lucrative deals agreed upon in the coming days.

Which players are the strongest candidates to receive those lucrative deals? Let’s dive in and round up some of the most noteworthy free agents still on the board.

Here are 20 key unrestricted free agents who remain unsigned, listed in alphabetical order:

In addition to those players, veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, and Zaza Pachulia don’t have formal agreements in place, though they’re all considered likely to return to their respective clubs. Euroleague star Milos Teodosic has also yet to find an NBA home, and as cap space dries up around the league, it will be interesting if he ends up sticking with CSKA Moscow.

While there are plenty of notable names on the unrestricted free agent market, the restricted market is getting even more intriguing. Otto Porter was able to land a big offer sheet, but many of the players listed below won’t have the same luck, as teams no longer have the flexible to overpay RFAs in an effort to pry them away. That means many of these guys will likely stay with their current teams, and some may even sign their qualifying offers. It’s possible that some of these situations may drag out too.

Here are the remaining RFAs:

For the full list of remaining free agents, click here.

11 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Newsstand

Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker

By | at July 5, 2017 10:32 am

With free agency officially underway and news of contract agreements still coming in, Hoops Rumors is here to help you keep track of which players are heading to which teams this July. To this end, we present our Free Agent Tracker, a feature we’ve had each year since our inception in 2012. Using our tracker, you can quickly look up deals, sorting by team, years, salary, and a handful of other variables.

A few notes on the tracker:

  • During the July moratorium (July 1-6), most of the information you’ll find in the tracker will reflect agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data.
  • Similarly, contract years and dollars will be based on what’s been reported to date, so in many cases those amounts will be approximations rather than official figures. Salaries aren’t necessarily fully guaranteed either.
  • A restricted free agent who agrees to or signs an offer sheet will be included in the tracker, but the team won’t be specified until his original club matches or passes on the offer sheet, in order to avoid confusion.
  • Two-way contracts and draft pick signings aren’t included in the tracker.
  • Click on a player’s name for our full story on his deal.
  • If you’re viewing the tracker on mobile, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.

Our 2017 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Our lists of free agents by position/type and by team break down the players who have yet to reach contract agreements.

0 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

2017 NBA Draft Pick Signings

By | at July 5, 2017 9:25 am

Free agent news has dominated NBA headlines over the last week, but teams around the league are also taking care of the rookies they drafted last month, signing them to their first NBA contracts. Because cap holds for first-round picks now count for 120% of the rookie scale instead of 100%, there’s little incentive for teams to wait to lock up their first-rounders.

For first-round picks, rookie contracts are fairly rigid, having essentially been predetermined. The NBA’s rookie-scale structure dictates that first-rounders will be signed to four-year deals, which include two guaranteed years, then team options in years three and four.

The value of those contracts depends on where a player was drafted. This year, No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz is in line for a four-year deal worth in excess of $37.4MM, which represents the maximum allowable 120% of his scale amount. No. 30 pick Josh Hart, on the other hand, figures to get a four-year contract worth just under $8.5MM.

The full breakdown of this year’s first-round rookie salaries and contracts can be found right here — if you see a first-rounder listed below as “signed,” you can assume his contract looks like that, unless otherwise indicated.

Second-round picks, meanwhile, aren’t assured of two guaranteed seasons, though some players will receive them. Teams can sign second-rounders to whatever amount they choose, using cap room or various exceptions. Those players who immediately join their NBA teams figure to get a minimum salary or something slightly above the minimum. We’ll make a note of contract details for second-rounders below, as they become available.

Finally, some second-rounders – and perhaps even some first-rounders – won’t sign in the NBA immediately, heading overseas to refine their games while their NBA teams retain their rights. We’ll make note of that below too, wherever it’s applicable.

Here’s a breakdown of 2017’s draft pick signings. This list will be updated as more draftees sign their first NBA contracts:

First round:

  1. Philadelphia 76ers: Markelle Fultz, PG (Washington): Signed
  2. Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, PG (UCLA): Signed
  3. Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum, SF (Duke): Signed
  4. Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson, SF (Kansas): Signed
  5. Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox, PG (Kentucky): Signed
  6. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Isaac, F (Florida State): Signed
  7. Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen, PF (Arizona): Signed
  8. New York Knicks: Frank Ntilikina, PG (France): Signed
  9. Dallas Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr., PG (North Carolina State): Signed
  10. Portland Trail Blazers: Zach Collins, F/C (Gonzaga): Signed
  11. Charlotte Hornets: Malik Monk, G (Kentucky): Signed
  12. Detroit Pistons: Luke Kennard, SG (Duke): Signed
  13. Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell, G (Louisville): Signed
  14. Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo, C (Kentucky): Signed
  15. Sacramento Kings: Justin Jackson, SF (North Carolina): Signed
  16. Minnesota Timberwolves: Justin Patton, C (Creighton): Signed
  17. Milwaukee Bucks: D.J. Wilson, PF (Michigan): Signed
  18. Indiana Pacers: T.J. Leaf, PF (UCLA): Signed
  19. Atlanta Hawks: John Collins, PF (Wake Forest): Signed
  20. Sacramento Kings: Harry Giles, C (Duke): Signed
  21. Oklahoma City Thunder: Terrance Ferguson, G/F (Australia): Signed
  22. Brooklyn Nets: Jarrett Allen, C (Texas): Signed
  23. Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby, F (Indiana): Signed
  24. Denver Nuggets: Tyler Lydon, F (Syracuse): Signed
  25. Philadelphia 76ers: Anzejs Pasecniks, C (Spain): Will play overseas
  26. Portland Trail Blazers: Caleb Swanigan, F/C (Purdue): Signed
  27. Los Angeles Lakers: Kyle Kuzma, PF (Utah): Signed
  28. Utah Jazz: Tony Bradley, C (North Carolina): Signed
  29. San Antonio Spurs: Derrick White, G (Colorado): Signed
  30. Los Angeles Lakers: Josh Hart, SG (Villanova): Signed

Second round:

  1. New Orleans Pelicans: Frank Jackson, SG (Duke): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years guaranteed. Third year partially guaranteed.
  2. Phoenix Suns: Davon Reed, SG (Miami): Signed
    • Four-year contract. Minimum salary. First year fully guaranteed; second year half guaranteed.
  3. Orlando Magic: Wesley Iwundu, SG (Kansas State): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.05MM contract. Fully guaranteed.
  4. Sacramento Kings: Frank Mason, PG (Kansas): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.18MM contract. First two years fully guaranteed.
  5. Memphis Grizzlies: Ivan Rabb, F/C (Cal): Signed
    • Three-year, $3.95MM contract. First two years fully guaranteed.
  6. Philadelphia 76ers: Jonah Bolden, PF (Serbia): Will play overseas
  7. Boston Celtics: Semi Ojeleye, F (SMU): Signed
    • Four-year, $6.04MM contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
  8. Golden State Warriors: Jordan Bell, PF (Oregon): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. Fully guaranteed.
  9. Los Angeles Clippers: Jawun Evans, PG (Oklahoma State): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years guaranteed. Third year team option.
  10. Charlotte Hornets: Dwayne Bacon, SF (Florida State): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  11. Atlanta Hawks: Tyler Dorsey, SG (Oregon): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. Fully guaranteed.
  12. Los Angeles Lakers: Thomas Bryant, C (Indiana): Signed
    • Two-year contract. Minimum salary. First year guaranteed.
  13. Houston Rockets: Isaiah Hartenstein, F/C (Lithuania): Signed G League contract
  14. New York Knicks: Damyean Dotson, SG (Houston): Signed
    • Three-year, $4.1MM contract. First two years are guaranteed.
  15. Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks, SF (Oregon): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  16. Milwaukee Bucks: Sterling Brown, SG (SMU): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  17. Indiana Pacers: Ike Anigbogu, C (UCLA): Signed
    • Three year, $3.9MM contract. First year guaranteed. Second year partially guaranteed.
  18. Los Angeles Clippers: Sindarius Thornwell, SG (South Carolina): Signed
    • Three-year contract. Minimum salary. First two years are guaranteed.
  19. Denver Nuggets: Vlatko Cancar, PF (Serbia): Will play overseas
  20. Philadelphia 76ers: Mathias Lessort, F/C (France): Will play overseas
  21. Denver Nuggets: Monte Morris, PG (Iowa State): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  22. Indiana Pacers: Edmond Sumner, PG (Xavier): Signed
    • Two-year, two-way contract
  23. Boston Celtics: Kadeem Allen, PG (Arizona): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  24. Phoenix Suns: Alec Peters, PF (Valparaiso): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  25. Utah Jazz: Nigel Williams-Goss, PG (Gonzaga): Will play overseas
  26. Boston Celtics: Jabari Bird, SG (Cal): Signed
    • Two-way contract
  27. Brooklyn Nets: Aleksandar Vezenkov, F (Spain): Expected to play overseas
  28. New York Knicks: Ognjen Jaramaz, PG (Serbia): Expected to play overseas
  29. San Antonio Spurs: Jaron Blossomgame, F (Clemson): Will play in G League
  30. Atlanta Hawks: Alpha Kaba, C (Serbia): Will play overseas

Note: Players drafted in previous years who signed their first NBA contracts this offseason are not included here. They’ll be featured in a separate roundup.

0 comments 2017 NBA Draft Hoops Rumors Originals

Mutual Interest Between James Johnson, Jazz

By | at July 5, 2017 8:21 am

Having watched free agents Gordon Hayward and George Hill reach deals with other teams on Tuesday, the Jazz have shifted their focus to other targets. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link), James Johnson is one potential option for Utah — Johnson and the Jazz have mutual interest, says Jones.

[RELATED: Kings agree to sign George Hill]

Johnson, 30, had a breakout season for the Heat in 2016/17, averaging double-digit scoring for the first time in his career (12.8 PPG), and setting new career-highs in RPG (4.9), APG (3.6), and 3PT% (.340). He was also a major asset on the defensive end of the court, given his ability to guard multiple positions.

While Johnson certainly isn’t the scorer that Hayward is, he looks like a logical candidate for a Jazz team with a newly-opened hole at the forward spot. Utah also parted ways with Trey Lyles on draft night, so Johnson could help provide depth at both forward positions, and with Rodney Hood poised to take on a larger role after Hayward’s departure, Johnson wouldn’t be asked to shoulder much of the scoring load.

Still, Johnson remains a priority for the Heat, with a Tuesday report suggesting that the two sides were set to re-engage in the wake of Hayward’s decision not to head to South Beach. The Heat may have a leg up on the Jazz, since Miami has more cap room and has had a one-year headstart on building a relationship with the versatile forward.

2 comments Miami Heat Utah Jazz

JaVale McGee To Meet With Clippers

By | at July 5, 2017 7:55 am

Free agent center JaVale McGee has a meeting lined up with the Clippers on Wednesday, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). Wojnarowski also reported previously that L.A. has scheduled a meeting with free agent point Derrick Rose for today.

A nine-year NBA veteran, McGee played a career-low 9.6 minutes per game for the Warriors last year, but his per-minute production skyrocketed in Golden State. The veteran center averaged a career-high 23.0 points per 36 minutes, and his .652 FG% was also easily the best of his career.

The Warriors have been busy since the free agent period began, striking deals to bring back key free agents like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and David West. There hasn’t been much chatter about McGee’s status, but Wojnarowski says the 29-year-old has remained engaged with the Dubs on the possibility of a return.

Like the Warriors, the Clippers are over the cap, so they could offer McGee either a minimum salary deal or part or all of their mid-level exception. The Clips’ MLE could be worth up to $5.192MM if they want to avoid a hard cap, or up to $8.406MM if they’re comfortable with being hard-capped for a second consecutive year. L.A. was the only NBA team to use its bi-annual exception a year ago, so it’s not available this time around.

The Clippers’ frontcourt is getting a little crowded, with the club already having agreed to re-sign Blake Griffin to rejoin DeAndre Jordan in the starting lineup. L.A. also added Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell and agreed to a sign-and-trade for Danilo Gallinari. Still, that group doesn’t include a big, rim-protecting backup for Jordan, so there could be a role for McGee with the franchise.

5 comments Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers

NBA Free Agency: July 3-4 Recap

By | at July 5, 2017 12:11 am

After an eventful weekend, NBA free agency slowed down a little on Monday, prompting us to skip our usual roundup of the day’s events. However, with Gordon Hayward making his decision (eventually) on Tuesday, things began to heat up once again on the Fourth of July.

In addition to rounding up Tuesday’s free agency highlights, we’ll also double back to Monday and recap the most noteworthy NBA headlines from both days.

Here’s our breakdown of the notable contract agreements from the last two days:

Be sure to use our 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker to keep tabs on all of this summer’s contract agreements.

Here are a few more of the notable headlines from the last two days:

Previously:

9 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Newsstand

Blazers Sign Collins, Swanigan To Rookie Contracts

By | at July 4, 2017 11:12 pm

The Trail Blazers have officially signed rookie big men Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan to their first NBA contracts, according to a pair of press releases issued by the team.

Portland entered last month’s draft with three first-round picks, but packaged the 15th and 20th overall selections to acquire the No. 10 overall pick, which the team used to snag Collins. The Blazers held onto their other first-rounder, No. 26 overall, and selected Swanigan with that pick.

As our chart of rookie scale salaries for 2017/18 shows, Collins will be in line for a first-year salary of $3.06MM and a four-year total of $16.33MM, while Swanigan will earn a more modest $1.47MM salary this season and $8.9MM over four years.

While their investments in Collins and Swanigan are fairly modest compared to most other players on their roster, every dollar will count this year for the Blazers, who already had nearly $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their books before locking up their first-rounders. If Portland is unable to move contracts in a trade, Collins’ and Swanigan’s deals will increase the team’s projected tax penalties for 2017/18.

0 comments Portland Trail Blazers Transactions
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