Warriors Won’t Give Qualifying Offer To McAdoo
The Warriors won’t submit a qualifying offer to James Michael McAdoo, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, meaning McAdoo will become an unrestricted free agent.
McAdoo has been with Golden State for three seasons and appeard in a career-high 52 games this year. However, he averaged just 8.8 minutes per night and hasn’t progressed past being a little-used bench player.
The 24-year-old was in the same position last summer, headed toward unrestricted free agency after the Warriors refused to tender a qualifying offer. He re-signed with Golden State in mid-July, receiving a one-year, minimum-salary deal.
Free Agent Rumors: Iguodala, Porter, Bogut, Terry
Luxury tax concerns are making the Warriors hesitant about re-signing free agent Andre Iguodala, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. As a result, Iguodala plans to accept phone calls from other organizations when free agency begins tomorrow night (Twitter link). Iguodala has spent the past four seasons in Golden State and has been a key reserve and defensive presence for the defending champs. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 76 games this season.
The Warriors have about $38MM in guaranteed salary for next season, along with roughly $60MM in cap holds for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Shaun Livingston, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. If they lose Iguodala, they will have to use exceptions of $8.4MM and $5.2MM to replace him.
There’s more free agent news this afternoon:
- The Wizards will get a shot at re-signing restricted free agent Otto Porter before he talks to other teams, according to David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Aldridge warns that Washington “better not mess around & try to negotiate,” which is a sign that Porter won’t accept anything less than a max deal.
- Andrew Bogut is close to full health and ready to test the free agent market, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Bogut had a disastrous debut with the Cavaliers in early March, fracturing his left tibia less than a minute into his first game. He was recently cleared for running and jumping and expects medical approval for full basketball activities in about two weeks. His agent, David Bauman, has been sending out health updates to NBA teams while Bogut rehabs in Australia. The Cavaliers could use Bogut to fill their backup center role, but luxury tax concerns may prevent them from re-signing him.
- Jason Terry isn’t contemplating retirement at age 39 and would like to spend another season with the Bucks, relays Gery Woelfel of Woelfelspressbox. Terry averaged about 18 minutes per game for Milwaukee this year, putting up 4.1 points and 1.3 assists. He also shot 43% from 3-point range. “I definitely think there’s a market for him and that there’ll be some teams looking for his services,’’ said his agent, Ryan Davis. “But I can see him going back to the Bucks. He and [Bucks coach] Jason Kidd have a good relationship and he wants to keep helping the Bucks turn their culture around.’’
Mavericks Trade Jarrod Uthoff To Rockets
After completing six trades on Wednesday, the Rockets are back at it today. Houston has acquired forward Jarrod Uthoff from Dallas in exchange for cash considerations, the Mavericks announced in a press release.
[RELATED: 2017 NBA Offseason Trades]
Uthoff, 24, signed a 10-day contract with the Mavs in March, then stuck around for another 10-day contract and a rest-of-season deal. The Iowa alum appeared in just nine games for the team, averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 12.8 minutes per contest.
On Wednesday, the Rockets appeared to be taking on players with non-guaranteed 2017/18 salaries in order to use them to match salaries in their acquisition of Chris Paul. DeAndre Liggins and Darrun Hilliard were eventually included in that deal with the Clippers, but Shawn Long, Tim Quarterman, and Ryan Kelly weren’t.
Like those players, Uthoff has a non-guaranteed minimum salary for 2017/18. However, because he wasn’t acquired using available cap room, he can’t be aggregated with other players in a trade for two months. We’ll have to wait to see whether he and the other newly-acquired Rockets are actually in the team’s plans for next season, or if they’ll ultimately become salary fodder for another deal at some point.
Uthoff’s ’17/18 salary will become fully guaranteed if he remains under contract through July 30.
Trade Rumors: Celtics, George, Parker, Beverley
Although the Celtics are reportedly still hoping to pull off a trade for Paul George after the new league year begins, Boston considers the Pacers‘ current demand for George unrealistic, per Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald (Twitter links). Murphy notes that the C’s are currently waiting to hear back from Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard.
According to Murphy, the Pacers’ most recent demand in talks with the Celtics included the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and the Lakers’ protected 2018 pick, plus at least one starting player. As we noted earlier today, Boston is willing to put multiple picks and players in an offer for George, but wants to retain its most valuable draft assets, such as those two aforementioned picks.
Let’s round up a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA…
- Jabari Parker‘s latest ACL injury has complicated the Bucks‘ ability to potentially improve their roster this offseason, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who says that Milwaukee had been considering including Parker in trades at the deadline in February. “His name definitely came up, and it was obvious they’d have a steep price, but they were willing to talk about him,” one league executive tells Deveney.
- The Cavaliers have been eyeing Patrick Beverley for “quite some time,” but a source familiar with the team’s thinking tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com that the veteran point guard probably isn’t going anywhere now that he’s a member of the Clippers. According to McMenamin, L.A. likes Beverley and might not be willing to deal him after landing him in Wednesday’s Chris Paul blockbuster, even if Cleveland could offer a solid package.
- One challenge the Timberwolves‘ front office faces if it wants to move Ricky Rubio comes in the form of owner Glen Taylor, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Wolfson tweets that every Wolves trade goes through Taylor, who “loves” Rubio.
- Executives around the NBA have questions about the way the Paul deal between the Rockets and Clippers went down, though an Eastern Conference exec says that no one’s going to “rat anybody out” when it comes to tampering. Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times has the details and the quotes.
Clippers’ Luc Mbah A Moute To Opt Out
Clippers forward Luc Mbah a Moute has decided to turn down his player option for 2017/18 and opt out of his contract, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The move will ensure that Mbah a Moute becomes an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.
[RELATED: NBA Player Option Decisions For 2017/18]
Mbah a Moute, 30, averaged 6.1 PPG and 2.1 RPG with a .505/.391/.678 shooting line for the Clippers in 2016/17, appearing in 80 regular season games (22.3 MPG). While Mbah a Moute’s offensive production is modest, his defensive abilities kept him in the Clippers’ starting lineup for nearly the entire season.
The 2017/18 player option turned down by Mbah a Moute would have been worth $2,302,135. With the NBA’s minimum salaries on the rise, his lowest possible NBA salary for ’17/18 will be $2,116,955, so even if he’s unable to find a team willing to give him more than the minimum, he won’t have to accept much of a pay cut. In all likelihood, Mbah a Moute will be able to top that number, perhaps on a multiyear deal.
The Clippers signed Mbah a Moute last summer using the bi-annual exception, making L.A. the only team ineligible to use the BAE this offseason.
Nets To Retain Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris
The Nets will hang onto Sean Kilpatrick and Joe Harris, allowing their 2017/18 salaries to become fully guaranteed, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Both players are on minimum salary deals and will earn $1,524,305 next season.
Although Wojnarowski classifies the Nets as having picked up team options on Kilpatrick and Harris, there are no formal options for the club to exercise. Instead, Brooklyn simply has to keep the duo on its roster, since both contracts call for their 2017/18 salaries to become guaranteed if they’re not waived by June 30.
Kilpatrick, 27, has enjoyed an increased role since joining the Nets in February 2016. In his first full season with the team, the 6’4″ guard averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG, with a shooting line of .415/.341/.843.
Harris, another shooting guard, also had a career year in 2016/17, averaging 8.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG with a .425/.385/.714 shooting line in 52 games (11 starts) for Brooklyn.
Kilpatrick and Harris will both be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.
Free Agent Rumors: Gay, OKC, Wolves, Hawks
Free agent forward Rudy Gay will hold meetings with potential suitors in Austin, Texas this weekend, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). The Thunder have long been rumored to have interest in Gay, and Wojnarowski notes that Oklahoma City continues to view Gay as a potential fit on its roster.
In addition to Gay, Blake Griffin has long been considered a probable 2017 free agent target for the Thunder, and in the wake of Wednesday’s Chris Paul trade, Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link) wonders if OKC likes its chances of landing Griffin any more. The Thunder won’t have the cap space to sign Griffin outright, but could make a sign-and-trade work. Still, as Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes, Griffin would have to want to play in OKC, and there has been little indication of that so far.
Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:
- Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) identifies Mike Dunleavy Jr. as a potential free agent that will be on the Timberwolves‘ radar, noting that Minnesota needs shooting and Dunleavy has played for Tom Thibodeau before. Dunleavy technically remains under contract with the Hawks, but his 2017/18 salary features only a small partial guarantee, so it’s possible he’ll be waived soon.
- Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor views Jimmy Butler as the sort of player capable of helping the Wolves attract notable free agents to Minnesota, per Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. The club is believed to be in the market for a free agent point guard, so Butler’s influence may be put to the test very soon.
- The Hawks have many players eligible for free agency this weekend, and may explore the market for outside targets, but new general manager Travis Schlenk doesn’t expect the team to rush to get anything done at 12:01am on July 1, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution details.
- After missing the entire 2016/17 season, free agent point guard Mo Williams is working toward a possible NBA return, agent Raymond Brothers tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Wojnarowski adds that Brothers is now representing free agent forward Brandon Bass as well.
Atlantic Rumors: Carmelo, Celtics, Sixers, Ujiri
Phil Jackson was the driving force behind the Knicks‘ push to trade Carmelo Anthony, but just because Jackson is no longer with the franchise, that doesn’t mean Anthony is a lock to play out his contract in New York, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. With the Knicks embarking on a rebuild, Anthony doesn’t really fit into the club’s plans or its timeline, in Iannazzone’s view.
Meanwhile, Marc Berman of The New York Post hears that Jackson believed Anthony’s influence on Kristaps Porzingis was detrimental and that the veteran turned Porzingis against the Knicks’ triangle offense. Said one source: “Phil thought Carmelo was trying to sabotage him.”
While we wait to see how things play out with Anthony under new leadership in New York, let’s round up a few more Atlantic notes and rumors…
- Although the Celtics are willing to move players and draft picks in a possible Paul George trade, the club wants to hang onto the “most critical pieces” of its draft pick stockpile, says Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. In other words, Boston is probably unlikely to include Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder in an offer to the Pacers.
- In a pair of tweets, Derek Bodner clarifies the Sixers‘ return in Wednesday’s Shawn Long trade, reporting that Philadelphia received $100K in cash and the Rockets‘ own 2018 second-round pick. The $100K in cash was the maximum the 76ers could receive before July 1, since the team was up against its limit for the 2016/17 league year.
- As of Wednesday evening, the Knicks hadn’t requested to speak to Raptors president Masai Ujiri, their reported top target to replace Phil Jackson, but if and when that happens, Ujiri will have a decision to make, writes Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star. While Toronto would likely ask for significant compensation for Ujiri, the club would be willing to let him go if he wants to join the Knicks, says Arthur.
- Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer explains why he doesn’t think a reunion with Andre Iguodala would make sense for the Sixers.
Gordon Hayward Will Meet With Three Teams
JUNE 29, 8:36am: There are conflicting reports on the order of Hayward’s meetings, with some reports – including one from ESPN’s Jorge Sedano – suggesting the sit-down with the Celtics will happen last, following Monday’s session with the Jazz.
The order of the meetings likely won’t end up being all that important, however. Last summer, for instance, Kevin Durant met with the Warriors second out of six teams.
JUNE 28, 8:23pm: Hayward will meet with the Celtics on Sunday, according to Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.
7:10pm: The Heat will get the first meeting with Jazz free agent Gordon Hayward, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Hayward has scheduled a session with Miami officials for Saturday, the first day of free agency, then will meet with Utah’s delegation on Monday. The Celtics will also get a meeting, but a date hasn’t been set, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.
Those are the only three teams Hayward will be considering, Jones adds, and he would like to make a decision quickly. Hayward, who opted out of a $16.7MM deal for next season, is expected to receive max offers from all three organizations. However, the Jazz have the advantage of being able to sign him for five years, while the Heat and Celtics are limited to four.
Hayward, 27, is coming off his first All-Star appearance, averaging 21.9 points in 73 games and shooting almost 40% from 3-point range. He has spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Utah.
Tony Snell, Ron Baker Receive Qualifying Offers
Tony Snell and Ron Baker are the latest players to receive qualifying offers from their respective teams, having been tendered by the Bucks and Knicks, respectively, according to RealGM’s transactions log. With QOs in hand, Snell and Baker will now head into the new league year as restricted free agents.
Snell, acquired by the Bucks last fall in exchange for Michael Carter-Williams, was a reliable rotation piece in Milwaukee last season, averaging a career-high 8.5 PPG to go along with 3.1 RPG and a .406 3PT%.
A career 37.3% shooter from three-point range, Snell figures to draw plenty of attention from teams seeking three-and-D wings, with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical suggesting earlier this month than an annual salary in the neighborhood of $11-13MM may be within reach for the 25-year-old. Since he met the starter criteria, Snell’s qualifying offer will be worth $4,588,840.
As for Baker, the undrafted free agent out of Wichita State will receive a more modest $1,512,611 qualifying offer, though Ian Begley of ESPN.com indicates the 6’4″ guard may draw enough interest to force the Knicks to use some of their cap room to retain him. In his rookie season, Baker appeared in 52 games (13 starts) for New York, averaging 4.1 PPG and 2.1 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest. He’ll be subject to the Arenas Rule.