Rockets Haven’t Given Up Hope On LeBron James Pursuit
The Rockets have not given up hope on bringing LeBron James to Houston despite the overwhelming odds against it happening, Sam Amick of USA Today hears (Twitter link).
The Rockets don’t have the cap space to sign him nor the ability sign-and-trade for him without making subsequential moves should he desire anywhere near the max. The team has approximately $116MM on the books after the Chris Paul and Gerald Green agreements and it would be extremely tough to stay under the $129.8MM apron for the year with a sign-and-trade deal.
If there’s any GM in the league who can figure out a way to make LBJ-to-Houston happen should the 4-time MVP decide to join the club, it’s 2018 Executive of the Year Daryl Morey. Morey spent last summer orchestrating the Paul deal in a John Nashian series of events, overcoming a salary cap obstacle course to bring the point guard aboard.
Houston doesn’t have a meeting set up with James or his representatives. LBJ is currently in Los Angeles and his representatives are set to meet with the Sixers today. Philadelphia believes it has a real chance to win the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes and will make that notion one of its top selling points during its pitch.
Sixers Notes: Ennis, Ilyasova, Bird, Milton
The Sixers have their eyes on free agent forward James Ennis, tweets ESPN’s Ian Begley, but landing him won’t be easy. Detroit owns Early Bird rights on Ennis and has made re-signing him a priority.
Ennis, 28, came to the Pistons at the trade deadline after beginning the season in Memphis. He was a part-time starter in Detroit and averaged 7.5 points per game. He earned a little more than $3MM this season.
The Rockets and Nets have also expressed interest in Ennis, according to Begley. The Pelicans would also like to sign him, but the growing interest may push him outside their price range, adds Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link). Ennis played nine games in New Orleans at the end of the 2015/16 season.
There’s more from Philadelphia on the first day of free agency:
- The Sixers talked to veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova about a return before he signed a three-year, $21MM deal with the Bucks, according to Gery Woelful of The Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). The Lakers, Timberwolves and Raptors were other options for Ilyasova.
- The Sixers are among the teams showing interest in Celtics shooting guard Jabari Bird, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, who adds that the Wolves are also considering an offer. Bird was a two-way player for Boston this season, appearing in 13 NBA games and averaging 3.0 points in 8.0 minutes per night. He was a big scorer for the Celtics’ G League affiliate in Maine, posting a 19.3/5.8/2.7 line in 20 games. Boston submitted a qualifying offer this week, making Bird a restricted free agent.
- Second-round pick Shake Milton will be held out of summer league play because of a stress fracture in his back, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The team plans to re-evaluate him in three weeks. His injury occurred during pre-draft workouts.
- Justin Anderson had surgery on his left leg due to recurring tibial stress syndrome, the team announced on its website. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, then again in six to eight weeks. Anderson has spent the past season and a half in Philadelphia and appeared in 38 games this year.
Sixers To Meet With LeBron James’ Representatives
Representatives for LeBron James will meet with the Sixers today in Los Angeles, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. James will not attend the session, which will be led by 76ers ownership and interim head of basketball operations Brett Brown.
Philadelphia has been floated as a possible destination for James for several months, although recent rumors have focused more on the Lakers and Cavaliers. The Sixers are close to having enough cap room to offer a maximum deal and already have two young stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
James talked to the Cavaliers on the phone last night and is expected to meet with the Lakers soon. The Nuggets are also pushing for an interview with this summer’s top free agent.
Knicks Re-Sign Luke Kornet
JULY 6th, 6:31pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JULY 1st, 10:17am: The Knicks have agreed to terms on a new one-year contract for center Luke Kornet, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). Berman reports that the deal will be worth approximately $1.6MM.
Kornet, who will turn 23 in two weeks, spent the 2017/18 season on a two-way contract with the Knicks. He appeared in 20 games for the NBA club, averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.2 RPG with a .392/.354/.727 shooting line. The big man also played well in 36 games for the G League’s Westchester Knicks, posting 16.0 PPG on .489/.440/.812 shooting.
Having received a qualifying offer from the Knicks, Kornet was a restricted free agent, so New York could have matched any offer sheet he signed. While the seven-footer was said to be receiving some interest from a couple other clubs, he instead negotiated directly with the Knicks. Kornets’ new deal should be worth around $1.62MM, as his Non-Bird rights allow for a deal worth up to 120% of his minimum salary.
With Kornet getting an NBA deal from the Knicks, a two-way slot opens up for Allonzo Trier, who reportedly reached an agreement on a two-way deal with the club. Isaiah Hicks, New York’s other two-way player in 2017/18, remains a restricted free agent for now.
Hawks Sign Jaylen Adams To Two-Way Deal
JULY 1: The Hawks have officially signed Adams to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JUNE 22: The Hawks have reached agreement on a two-way contract with St. Bonaventure’s Jaylen Adams, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 22-year-old point guard shared Player of the Year honors in the Atlantic 10 as a senior. He averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 assists per game and had a pair of 40-point nights in February.
Adams was a first-team all-conference selection the past three years and earned honorable mention All-American honors this season.
Hawks Sign All Three First-Round Picks
The Hawks have reached contract agreements with first-round picks Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman, according to Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Their first-year salaries will be approximately $5.36MM for Young, $2.25MM for Huerter and $1.62MM for Spellman. All rookie scale deals cover two years, followed by two team option seasons.
Young, the fifth overall pick, was among the nation’s top collegiate scorers at Oklahoma. Atlanta grabbed him after trading down from No. 3 in a draft-day deal with Dallas. Huerter, a 3-point specialist out of Maryland, was taken at No. 19 despite a wrist injury that limited his pre-draft workouts. Spellman is a center with shooting range who won a national title at Villanova.
Raptors Re-Sign Fred VanVleet
JULY 6: VanVleet’s new contract is official, the Raptors announced in a press release. “We all know Fred’s personal motto is ‘Bet on Yourself.’ We know that Fred is no gamble – he’s hardworking, dedicated, and smart, and has been fantastic for us,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. “We’re thrilled he’ll be a big part of the Toronto Raptors for seasons to come.”
JULY 1: The Raptors have agreed to re-sign free agent point guard Fred VanVleet, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Charania reports that it will be a two-year, $18MM contract, while Michael Scotto of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the deal won’t include any option years.
VanVleet, who initially joined the Raptors as an undrafted free agent out of Wichita State in 2016, emerged as a key part of the team’s rotation in 2017/18. The leader of the NBA’s most productive five-man second unit, VanVleet averaged 8.6 PPG and 3.2 APG with a .414 3PT%. He was frequently a part of Toronto’s crunch-time lineups, and was a finalist for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Even without account for VanVleet, the Raptors already have $126MM+ in guaranteed money on their books for 2018/19, so there was some concern about the club’s ability to bring back the key reserve, particularly if the 24-year-old received a lucrative offer sheet from a rival suitor. However, a prime landing spot for VanVleet disappeared early on Sunday morning when the Suns committed their cap room to a deal for Trevor Ariza rather than using it to pursue a point guard.
With VanVleet projected to get a starting salary close to $9MM, the Raptors are set to go well into tax territory, so the team may look to cut costs elsewhere. Multiple reports this offseason have stated that no one on Toronto’s roster is untouchable, including highly-paid veterans like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas, and C.J. Miles. The club was also said to be gauging the market for Norman Powell.
The Raptors will use their Early Bird rights to re-sign VanVleet, so they’ll still have the taxpayer mid-level exception available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Looking To Trade Courtney Lee?
The Knicks are exploring the possibility of trading Courtney Lee and his multiyear contract, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Lee will make $12,253,780 in the upcoming season and $12,759,670 in 2019/20, which could disrupt the team’s plans to offer a maximum-salary contract next summer.
If the Knicks want to lock up Kristaps Porzingis to a contract extension this offseason, it would cut into their projected 2019 cap room, so moving Lee for expiring salary would help retain some of the their ’19 flexibility and create a clearer path to a max-salary slot. Porzingis, who is expected to miss at least part of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee, is eligible for a extension worth a projected $155MM.
Lee, 32, will likely fall out of the rotation under new coach David Fizdale, Berman writes. Sources tell The Post that rookie Kevin Knox is expected to take Lee’s spot as the starting small forward, while Damyean Dotson will have a bigger role as the backup to Tim Hardaway Jr. at shooting guard and Frank Ntilikina will also see time there. Fizdale reportedly doesn’t view the 6’5″ Lee as a small forward.
Lee has spent the past two seasons with the Knicks after signing as a free agent in 2016. He appeared in 76 games this year, starting 69, and posted a 12.0/2.9/2.4 line.
Guarantee Dates Pushed Back For Whitehead, Reed
The Nets have pushed back the salary guarantee date for Isaiah Whitehead and the Suns have done the same for Davon Reed, according to reports. Both players were initially on track to have their salaries for 2018/19 guaranteed if they remained under contract through Saturday.
[RELATED: NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For Summer 2018]
Whitehead, a former second-round pick who has spent his first two NBA seasons in Brooklyn, has a non-guaranteed $1,544,951 salary for 2018/19. According to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Nets have moved his guarantee date to July 31, so Whitehead will receive his full salary if he remains on the roster through the end of the month.
The move will allow Brooklyn to assess how much cap room it has after acquiring and negotiating a buyout with Dwight Howard — if the team wants to maximize its space at that point to try to add a certain player via trade or free agency, Whitehead could be waived to create a little more flexibility. If not, he has a decent chance of sticking with the club.
As for Reed, Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic reports (via Twitter) that the Suns have pushed back the guarantee date for his $1,378,242 salary until after the conclusion of Summer League, giving the young guard a chance to play for the Suns in Las Vegas.
Reed, a second-round pick in 2017, only appeared in 21 games in his rookie year due to a knee injury, so the Suns probably want to take a closer look at him this summer before making any final decisions. The 23-year-old’s salary is reportedly partially guaranteed for $689K, so it wouldn’t cost Phoenix much to keep him around. The Suns already parted ways with one young guard, cutting Tyler Ulis on Saturday.
Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Free Agent Tracker
With free agency officially underway and news of contract agreements already breaking, 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, position, free agent type, 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 tentative agreements, rather than finalized deals. As signings become official, we’ll continue to update and modify the data as needed.
- 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 signs an offer sheet won’t be included in the tracker right away. We’ll wait to hear whether the player’s original team will match or pass on that offer sheet before we update our tracker, in order to avoid confusion.
- If you’re viewing the tracker on our mobile site, be sure to turn your phone sideways to see more details.
Our 2018 Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar of our desktop site under “Hoops Rumors Features,” and it’s also under the “Tools” menu atop the site. On our mobile site, it can be found in our menu under “Free Agent Lists.”
The tracker 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.