Free Agent Rumors: Porter, Randolph, Millsap, Holiday
The Wizards‘ session with Otto Porter ended without an agreement, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. Porter plans to start meeting with other teams this weekend (Twitter link). That creates a potential opening for the Nets, who appear willing to offer the max of four years and $100MM, according to a post on NetsDaily. Philadelphia may also get involved, but the Sixers seem reluctant to make long-term offers. Washington has promised to match any offer for the restricted free agent.
There’s more late-night free agency news:
- Aldridge has two more tidbits to pass along. The Cavaliers are interested in Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph and plan to call him today (Twitter link). Also, Blake Griffin‘s decision to re-sign with the Clippers means the Suns will intensify their pursuit of Hawks forward Paul Millsap (Twitter link).
- Jrue Holiday met with the Pelicans tonight, but no deal was reached, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The two sides are expected to get together again in the morning.
- The new $201MM supermax contract that the Warriors gave to Stephen Curry doesn’t include a no-trade clause or a player option, according to Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link).
- Spurs forward Jonathon Simmons has gotten calls from the Kings, Clippers and Timberwolves and is ready to start holding meetings, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link).
- In addition to Simmons, the Clippers plan to meet with Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari on Sunday and Jazz forward Joe Ingles this weekend, relays Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- There’s a strong chance that Celtics‘ power forward Amir Johnson will sign with the Sixers, a source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Johnson has a history with Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo, who traded for him in 2009 as GM of the Raptors.
- The Kings met tonight with Andre Iguodala and Patrick Patterson, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves have put in a call to Ty Lawson as a possible backup for Jeff Teague, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The Pelicans, Thunder and Kings have also been in contact with Lawson.
- The Grizzlies are the latest team to show interest in Kings guard Ben McLemore, relays Chris Mannix of The Vertical (Twitter link).
- The Knicks contacted Suns power forward Alan Williams tonight, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Williams fits New York’s goal of finding players who can contribute on both ends of the floor, Begley notes.
Reaction To The Paul George Trade
After weeks of negotiations and rumors involving Paul George, the Pacers surprised NBA insiders and fans alike by agreeing to trade the All-Star forward to the Thunder tonight in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Shock waves are still echoing from the deal that upstaged the first night of free agency:
- Even today, the Celtics believed they were in a good position to acquire George, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. The Celtics made several attempts to work out a deal with Indiana, a source tells Himmelsbach, including an offer at the February deadline that entailed this year’s first-round pick from the Nets, which wound up No. 1 overall, along with three future first-rounders. Boston was confident that two years of playoffs with George would have been enough to change his mind about joining the Lakers. Talks resumed just before the draft, and the Celtics’ offer was changed to three starters and two first-rounders, but not this year’s pick from the Nets or next year’s from the Lakers. The offer evolved into two starters and three picks, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Pacers.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti had quietly been trying to acquire George for several weeks, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com. The Pacers wanted players and picks, which Oklahoma City didn’t have, and Presti wasn’t able to find a third team willing to facilitate the deal. However, Indiana’s asking price dropped Friday and Presti was ready to pounce. One danger to the deal, Young notes, is that George and Russell Westbrook can both become free agents next summer and both hail from southern California, creating the possibility that George may try to recruit his new teammate to join him on the Lakers.
- There was “genuine surprise” in Boston that the Pacers accepted Oklahoma City’s deal, tweets Chris Mannix of The Vertical. The Celtics believed their offer gave Indiana a better path toward rebuilding.
- The Thunder had nothing to lose in gambling on George, claims Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. They had to show Westbrook that he has a chance to win a title before his option decision next year. Bontemps says the deal instantly makes OKC one of the top four teams in the West next season along with the Warriors, Rockets and Spurs.
- The Trail Blazers made a strong play for George this week, according to Jason Quick of CSNNW (Twitter link). Portland submitted an offer on Monday that Quick contends was better than what the Pacers accepted from the Thunder.
- Patience helped Oklahoma City seal the trade, assesses David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). He notes that Presti didn’t pressure the Pacers to make the deal, but he knew they were fond of both Oladipo and Sabonis. Aldridge adds that George’s departure to the Western Conference instead of Cleveland lessens the pressure on Boston to make a panic move in response (Twitter link).
- The trade leaves Oklahoma City with about $108MM in guaranteed contracts for next season, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. That figure is roughly $9MM over the salary cap and $8MM under the luxury tax.
Free Agent Rumors: Redick, Ingles, Hayward, Gay
The first meeting for Clippers guard J.J. Redick was with the Sixers, posts Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN Now. On ESPN’s television coverage, Wojnarowski said Philadelphia would like to convince Redick to accept a short-term contract, “a one-year deal at a very big number, $20 million-plus, potentially.” The Timberwolves and Nets are also expected to be contenders for Redick, and he has expressed interest in joining former Clippers teammate Chris Paul with the Rockets. Wojnarowski adds that there is no chance of Redick returning to L.A.
There’s more from the early hours of free agency:
- Jazz forward Joe Ingles has received “serious interest” from the Magic and has three meetings scheduled for Saturday, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Ingles will meet with the Utah delegation this weekend, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
- Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been actively recruiting Gordon Hayward to Miami, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Whiteside will attend Hayward’s meeting with Heat officials on Saturday.
- Kings forward Rudy Gay has four meetings set up over the next few days, Kennedy adds (Twitter link).
- The Nuggets reached out to Utah’s George Hill during the first hour of free agency, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Denver could create cap room to sign Hill by letting Danilo Gallinari leave, Begley notes.
- The Mavericks had a “great call” with Nerlens Noel, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Noel expressed a desire to re-sign with the team, but nothing has been finalized.
- The Lakers made calls tonight to Andre Iguodala, Rajon Rondo and Ben McLemore., tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Knicks and Bucks have also inquired about McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Hoops Rumors Originals: 6/24/17 – 6/30/17
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams compiled a list of the Top 50 NBA Free Agents of 2017.
- Eddie Scarito recaps 2017’s Qualifying Offers.
- Here are the 2017 NBA Offseason Trades thus far.
- Luke Adams analyzes the math behind the Rockets‘ recent trades.
- Here are the Notable CBA Changes affecting free agency.
- Here are the NBA Minimum Salaries for 2017/18.
- The values of 2017/18 mid-level and bi-annual exceptions are broken down here.
- We offer the final installments in our Five Key Offseason Questions series with the Warriors. The entire series can be found here.
- Arthur Hill discusses LaMarcus Aldridge‘s fate, Gordon Hayward‘s projected destination in free agency, and the Timberwolves‘ offseason plans after trading for Jimmy Butler in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
- Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
- Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions this week:
- What are your thoughts on the blockbuster Bulls–Timberwolves trade?
- Did you like the idea of an NBA awards show or should the awards have been announced earlier, as usual?
- Did the right players win awards?
Latest On George Hill
The Spurs and unrestricted free agent George Hill have broken off contract talks and a deal between the two parties is highly doubtful, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (on Twitter). It is unclear at this time what the disconnect between the point guard and the team is, be it money or fit.
Hill is one of the more desirable backcourt options available in free agency this summer and he should have no shortage of suitors for his services. The player has been contacted by the Nuggets and the Knicks, both of whom are in need of upgrades at the one, Charania adds. It is unclear if the Jazz will pursue re-signing Hill in the wake of their reported acquisition of Ricky Rubio earlier this evening.
In 49 contests this past season, Hill notched averages of 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per outing. He shot .477/.403/.801 on the campaign.
Stephen Curry, Warriors Reach $201MM Deal
JULY 6, 9:14pm: The Warriors have officially re-signed Curry to his new Designated Veteran Extension, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
JUNE 30, 11:15pm: Now that the free agency period has officially begun, Curry and the Warriors have agreed on the expected $201MM super-max deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
10:31pm: Although it was never really in doubt, the Warriors and Stephen Curry are on pace to to strike a five-year, $201MM super-max deal after midnight EST, Marc Stein of ESPN tweets.
Notoriously underpaid over the course of the past three seasons, two of which he earned the Most Valuable Player award in, Curry is set to get his long-awaited payday.
There has never been any doubt that the Curry was committed to returning to the Bay Area, nor was there doubt that the franchise was ready to foot the bill. Of note, however, is how quickly the two parties worked to strike an agreement.
While the concept of Kevin Durant leaving some money on the table has been floated, that has not happened in this case with Curry.
NBA Salary Cap, Max Salaries Set For 2017/18
The NBA has formally set the 2017/18 salary cap at $99.093MM, Shams Charania of The Vertical writes. That figure lands ever so slightly above the most recent projections. The luxury tax threshold, according to a league memo, will be $119.266MM, while the salary floor will be $89.184MM.
In addition to setting this year’s salary cap and tax line, the NBA also issued projections for the next two league years. Here are those estimations, per Albert Nahmad (Twitter link):
- 2018/19: $102MM salary cap, $123MM tax line
- 2019/20: $108MM salary cap, $131MM tax line
The NBA’s minimum salaries and mid-level and bi-annual exception figures had already been set for the 2017/18 season, so today’s cap announcement won’t change those. However, the maximum salaries for ’17/18 will be a little higher than our most recent projections. Here are the starting salaries for max contracts:
- Players with six years of experience or less: $24,773,250
- Players with 7-9 years of experience: $29,727,900
- Players with 10+ years of experience: $34,682,550
Here are the total values for a player re-signing with his own team for a five-year max contract with 8% annual raises:
- Players with six years of experience or less: $143,684,850
- Players with 7-9 years of experience: $172,421,820
- Players with 10+ years of experience: $201,158,790
Here are the total values for a player signing with a new team for a four-year max contract with 5% annual raises:
- Players with six years of experience or less: $106,524,975
- Players with 7-9 years of experience: $127,829,970
- Players with 10+ years of experience: $149,134,965
Latest On Paul Millsap
The competition to sign unrestricted free agent Paul Millsap is heating up. With the forward set to meet with the Suns on Sunday, and Phoenix reportedly gearing up to go after him hard, it appears two teams may have jumped ahead of them in his pecking order, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News relays (via Twitter). According to a source close to the player, the Timberwolves and the Nuggets are the current frontrunners to sign Millsap, per the scribe.
The Wolves are certainly an intriguing option after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Bulls, though, the team is more in need of a point guard than another scoring forward at this time. Jeff Teague is reportedly set to join the franchise as an unrestricted free agent, and if he is indeed inked, adding Millsap may create complications on offense given Butler’s high usage rate and the continuing development of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins as scoring threats.
Denver would provide Millsap with more of an opportunity to shine individually, especially with the potential loss of Danilo Gallinari this summer, but they are a team further away from contention than the Wolves at this time.
In a fourth consecutive All-Star season last year, Millsap averaged a career high 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
Bulls Sign Felicio To Four-Year Deal
2:47 PM: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
June 30: The Bulls have come to terms with restricted free agent Cristiano Felicio, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. The soon-to-be 25-year-old big man averaged 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Bulls last season.
Per Charania, the deal will be worth $32MM over four years. That should give Chicago more than enough time to gauge what sort of player they have in Felicio.
At this point Felicio is regarded as a potentially valuable reserve, although there doesn’t appear to be any rush to throw him into significantly more minutes any time soon. His ability to serve as a big, defensive presence, however, was enough to convince Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg to let him close some games during the 2016/17 season.
Now that the Bulls have moved on from veterans Jimmy Butler and Rajon Rondo, the rebuild is officially underway. With that in mind, the Brazilian center will likely get more than enough opportunities to show just what he’s capable of.
Iguodala To Meet With Spurs, Kings, Rockets
10:45pm: Count the Rockets among those interested in Iguodala. Chris Haynes of ESPN writes that Houston has secured a meeting with the veteran as well.
7:49pm: The Spurs aren’t the only team with whom Iguodala will meet tonight. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN writes that the forward will also meet with the Kings when the free agency period officially opens.
6:00pm: When the free agency period formally begins tonight, Andre Iguodala will meet with the Spurs, Chris Haynes of ESPN tweets. The veteran has spent the past four seasons with the Warriors, winning a pair of titles and one Finals MVP.
The news comes on the heels of a Zach Lowe revelation that Iguodala and the Warriors don’t currently have any meetings scheduled. That said, Lowe also points out that the two parties are still optimistic about working out a deal that would bring Iggy back into the fold for the reigning champions.
The Spurs are currently projected to have about $23MM in cap space and could benefit from having another veteran wing player on board in the event that Jonathon Simmons pursues an offer that they’re not keen to match.
The meeting doesn’t necessarily mean Iguodala is actively looking to ply his trade elsewhere in 2017/18 – instead, as Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News suggests, the forward could be simply gauging what his market is.