Eastern FA Rumors: Lowry, Bogdanovic, Celtics
There’s a “growing sense” among executives around the NBA that Kyle Lowry will ultimately sign a new deal with the Raptors, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Zillgitt says not to be surprised if Lowry gets a three-year deal in the range of $27MM annually from Toronto, which would put him right in the neighborhood of his good friend and teammate DeMar DeRozan — DeRozan’s contract calls for an annual salary of $27,739,975 over the next three years, with a player option worth the same amount in 2020/21.
Here are more free agent updates from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Hawks are among Bojan Bogdanovic‘s most “ardent” suitors, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge. As Aldridge observes, Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent, but it will be difficult for the Wizards to match a competitive offer sheet for the sharpshooter if they also have to match a max offer for Otto Porter.
- The Knicks, who have already been linked to several point guards in the first 24 hours of free agency, have also expressed interest in Shelvin Mack, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
- Although the Heat‘s recruiting efforts today were focused on Gordon Hayward, the team also made time to show some love to Udonis Haslem, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details in a pair of tweets. A free agent again this summer, Haslem is probably a good bet to re-sign with Miami on a minimum salary contract.
- The Celtics, Hayward’s other Eastern Conference suitor, have talked to multiple free agents besides Hayward, according to Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link). Murphy notes that the most notable conversation has been with Danilo Gallinari, though the two sides hadn’t yet set up a meeting as of this afternoon.
Dion Waiters Talks To Knicks, Bulls, Others
Free agent guard Dion Waiters has been in touch with the Knicks, Bulls, and Kings during the first official day of free agency, a person with knowledge of his free agency plans tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Waiters also continues to talk to the Heat and other teams, according to Reynolds.
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), Waiters will look to pay his performance in Miami into a bigger payday this summer.
A reunion with the Heat remains a real possibility, though Waiters will likely have to be patient if he wants to remain in Miami. The team’s free agency plans are in a holding pattern while Gordon Hayward takes meetings. After Hayward makes a decision, Miami should have a much clearer idea of the odds of retaining Waiters and James Johnson.
As for Waiters’ other potential suitors, the Knicks, Bulls, and Kings have all been linked to backcourt players during the first day of free agency, though New York appears to be prioritizing point guards, Chicago is in rebuild mode, and Sacramento seems to be more focused on wings and power forwards.
P.J. Tucker Meeting With Raptors, Kings
10:30pm: The Kings’ meeting with Tucker is now scheduled to take place in Philadelphia on Sunday, sources tell Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
JULY 1, 10:09am: Tucker’s meeting with the Kings will take place today, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
JUNE 30, 10:14pm: Veteran forward P.J. Tucker will meet with members of the Raptors’ front office after 12:00 EST tonight, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. Tucker was acquired by Toronto at the trade deadline last February.
Tucker made $5.3MM in 2016/17 and was a sought-after veteran target mid-season because of his toughness and perimeter defense.
At some point over the weekend, Tucker will also meet with the Kings, Haynes adds in a second tweet.
In addition to the Raps and Kings, the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Sixers and Clippers are said to have an interest in the free agent.
In 24 post-deadline games for the Raptors last year, Tucker averaged 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest.
Warriors Will Meet With Andre Iguodala, Offer Three-Year Contract
10:12pm: The Rockets, Spurs and Kings have also made multi-year offers to Iguodala, according to Haynes (Twitter link).
9:49pm: Iguodala received a three-year, $45MM offer from Golden State that he is now considering, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. There are no options in the deal.
4:03pm: The Warriors are set to sit down with Andre Iguodala in Los Angeles after he canceled his remaining free agent meetings with other suitors, reports Marcus Thompson II of The Bay Area News Group. According to Thompson, Golden State intends to offer a three-year contract in the range of $13-15MM annually.
As we noted earlier today, after meeting with the Spurs, Kings, and Rockets, Iguodala canceled the rest of his meetings, suggesting he might be nearing a decision. The Rockets reportedly made an offer to the veteran swingman during their meeting earlier today, but the Warriors have long been considered the frontrunners and it appears they’ll put a very respectable offer on the table.
If Iguodala ends up re-signing with the Warriors, Golden State will end up making major commitments to Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Shaun Livingston, and Iguodala, their top four free agents of the summer. That would take the team well into tax territory for the 2017/18 season.
It’s also worth noting that a third year for Iguodala would represent a major concession for the Warriors, assuming it’s guaranteed. The team reportedly preferred to limit most of its deals this offseason to two years, since a new contract for Klay Thompson would go into effect for the 2019/20 season.
It does appear that third year is partially or fully guaranteed. Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that Golden State’s original offer was in the $12-14MM range, with a partial guarantee in year three.
Knicks Notes: Williams, Point Guards, Mills, Baker
The Knicks may submit an offer sheet to Suns forward/center Alan Williams, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. GM Steve Mills has expressed a desire to get younger, and the 24-year-old Williams fits that blueprint. This was Williams’ second season in Phoenix, but the first time he saw any significant NBA action. He appeared in 47 games, averaging 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per night. Because Williams is a restricted free agent, the Suns can match any offer he receives. Berman states that salary might have been an issue for Phoenix if it had signed Paul Millsap, but it becomes less important now that the Suns are no longer pursuing the All-Star power forward. Berman adds that if the Knicks do acquire Williams, they will seek takers for Kyle O’Quinn‘s $4.5MM salary.
There’s more news from New York:
- Entering a free agent market rich in point guards, the Knicks’ options may now be down to George Hill and Derrick Rose, Berman writes in a separate story. Jeff Teague signed with the Timberwolves Friday night and Jrue Holiday re-upped with the Pelicans this morning, taking away two potential New York targets. The Knicks have about $16MM in cap room, which likely won’t be enough for Hill, but Courtney Lee is being shopped to create more. The Nuggets and Pacers are reportedly also chasing Hill, which increases the chances that Rose might return to New York. The Knicks reached out to Rajon Rondo and Darren Collison, but Berman indicates they aren’t serious about either one.
- With Phil Jackson out of the way, Mills is free to run the organization his way, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. That includes trying to shed salary, get younger and find players who can contribute on both offense and defense.
- One of those changes is to make Kristaps Porzingis the focus of the offense, something that Jackson resisted, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. “That’s his next steps in his growth as a player, to be able to handle some of that,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s going to have to take that next step of taking over. I think he’s probably ready for that.” It’s not clear what that means for Carmelo Anthony‘s future in New York.
- One Knick who is sad to see Jackson leave is Ron Baker, Berman relays in another piece. Baker agreed to a new two-year deal last night that will probably give him the team’s cap-room exception. “Obviously, I really enjoyed Phil Jackson, he taught me a lot,’’ Baker said. “The past year he wasn’t just a mentor but a really good friend. … That’s how the business goes sometimes.”
Latest On Paul George
There’s a near-unanimous view around the league that Paul George will sign with the Lakers next summer despite Friday’s trade to the Thunder, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Lowe states that the chances of George heading to L.A. are about 75%, and the Celtics and Cavaliers had that in mind as they were working to obtain him.
The Lakers also subscribe to that view, which is why they weren’t willing to part with Brandon Ingram or Lonzo Ball to get George from the Pacers now. Lowe adds that Indiana didn’t have any interest in former Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell, who was subsequently dealt to the Nets.
The ESPN writer shares more information about Friday’s major deal:
- The Celtics wanted to see if they could land Gordon Hayward in free agency before completing a trade for George. They were reluctant to deal two starters in exchange for George without knowing whether they were getting Hayward.
- Boston’s last offer for George didn’t include Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, the 2018 Nets pick or the Lakers/Kings pick that Boston received from Philadelphia. There were reports that the Celtics offered Indiana three picks at some point, but Lowe believes those were a combination of Boston’s future selections and protected 2019 first-rounders from the Grizzlies and Clippers. All of those draft choices could have fallen into the 20s, Lowe notes, and the Pacers wanted something more likely to be in the top 10.
- A three-way trade involving the Pacers, Cavaliers and Nuggets was discussed on Friday. The deal would have sent George to Cleveland, Kevin Love to Denver and Gary Harris, Trey Lyles and a protected first-rounder to Indiana. Lowe describes the Cavaliers, Nuggets and Celtics as “stunned” when news broke that George was headed to Oklahoma City.
- The Trail Blazers tried to get George on draft night, offering a package that included several picks and at least one player, but the Pacers turned it down.
Nets Consider Offers For Porter, Caldwell-Pope, Ingles
After J.J. Redick announced an agreement with the Sixers this afternoon, the Nets are turning their sights toward a trio of restricted free agents, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Armed with $28.5MM in cap space, Brooklyn will consider Wizards forward Otto Porter, Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jazz forward Joe Ingles. Any offer sheet the Nets submit to any of them can be matched by their current team, but that won’t deter Brooklyn GM Sean Marks.
“We have an analytic value,” he said. “We have a scouting value placed on these players, and if we feel comfortable with an offer to these players, whether restricted or unrestricted, we’ll make those deals. But we’re not going to go chase things.”
The Nets submitted sizable offer sheets to Portland’s Allen Crabbe and Miami’s Tyler Johnson last summer and to Houston’s Donatas Motiejunas in December. All three were matched, leaving the Nets empty-handed.
There are questions about the availability of this year’s targets as well. The Wizards have vowed to match any offer that Porter brings them. However, Washington’s attempt to re-sign him in late-night negotiations ended without a contract, and there are reports that Brooklyn would be willing to offer $106MM over four years, starting at $24.75MM for 2017/18. Porter is expected to hold several meetings with several teams starting Sunday.
The Pistons have also stated that they plan to keep Caldwell-Pope, but their signing today of Langston Galloway and the drafting of Luke Kennard indicates that a backup plan is being formed in case Caldwell-Pope becomes too expensive.
The Nets have arranged a meeting with Ingles, although Lewis sees him as a secondary option in case the attempt at Porter is unsuccessful. The Washington Post is reporting that Ingles may have a four-year, $60MM offer from the Magic, but Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel says the team’s interest in Ingles is being overstated (Twitter link).
Hornets Sign Michael Carter-Williams
JULY 7, 10:11am: The Hornets have officially signed Carter-Williams, according to the team.
JULY 1, 5:34pm: Carter-Williams’ one-year deal will be worth $2.7MM, per Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
We’ll see how Charlotte’s cap situation plays out, but that salary would fit into any exception above the minimum. If the Hornets use the bi-annual exception, it would create a hard cap at just over $125MM for the season.
5:19pm: Free agent point guard Michael Carter-Williams has agreed to sign with the Hornets, Jeff Goodman reports on ESPN Now. The deal, which will be for one year, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), can become official after the July moratorium ends on Thursday.
[RELATED: 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
Carter-Williams had been eligible for restricted free agency, but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the Bulls in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. As such, the Hornets can sign him outright, though the team won’t have any cap room — MCW will have to sign using an exception. Depending on the terms of the deal, it could be the mid-level ($8.4MM), bi-annual ($3.3MM), or minimum salary exception.
A former lottery pick and NBA Rookie of the Year back in 2013/14, Carter-Williams has played for three teams in his first four NBA seasons, and has seen his usage and his production fall off since his days with the Sixers. After being acquired by Chicago in a preseason trade with the Bucks last fall, Carter-Williams appeared in 45 games for the Bulls in 2016/17, averaging just 6.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG on 36.6% shooting (18.8 minutes per game).
Carter-Williams reportedly received interest from the Thunder, Mavericks, Pelicans, Knicks, and the Rockets, in addition to the Hornets. With Ramon Sessions and Brian Roberts both on the unrestricted free agent market, Carter-Williams appears to have the inside track to be Kemba Walker‘s backup at the point in Charlotte.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns No Longer Pursuing Millsap; Nuggets May Be Favorites
The Suns will no longer pursue Hawks power forward Paul Millsap, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.
Phoenix has opted to use its available cap to take on salary dumps paired with assets, Wojnarowski adds. The Suns are committing to a youth movement are open to dealing any of the veterans on their roster.
The Nuggets, who have a meeting tonight with Millsap, may now be the favorites to sign him, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The Timberwolves, who reportedly met or will meet with Millsap, may have also pulled out of the running, Aldridge suggests.
Gary Harris will be joining team president Josh Kroenke, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and coach Michael Malone in their appeal to Millsap, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Denver is still open to re-signing Danilo Gallinari if its pursuit of Millsap doesn’t work out, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
The Kings are another possibility, although Amick says they remain a long shot, at least for now (Twitter link).
Celtics Likely To Waive Tyler Zeller
The Celtics will likely part ways with Tyler Zeller on Sunday, per a report from Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter link).
The center’s $8MM salary for 2017/18 is set to become fully guaranteed tomorrow, so waiving him will certainly provide the team with greater cap flexibility as it looks to make a splash in free agency this summer. Boston won’t be on the hook for any of that amount if it does indeed make him an unrestricted free agent as Murphy’s sources suggest.
The 27-year-old appeared in 51 games last season, including five starts, and averaged 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 10.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line for the campaign was .494/.000/.564.