Nuggets To Aggressively Pursue Meeting With LeBron James
While the LeBron James sweepstakes increasingly look like a two-team race between the Lakers and Cavaliers, a wild-card club is trying to force its way into the mix. According to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, the Nuggets have been in contact with James’ agent Rich Paul and will aggressively pursue a meeting.
The idea of James choosing to join the Nuggets is a long shot, which the team itself recognizes, per Mannix (Twitter link). However, Denver’s “ultra-aggressive” front office wants an opportunity to sell the four-time MVP on the idea of playing with Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, and Jamal Murray, even if it’s just for one year.
Of course, the Nuggets’ lucrative new agreements with Jokic and Barton present another roadblock to the team’s pursuit of James — Denver currently projects to have a team salary well over the tax apron for 2018/19, which would make the club ineligible to acquire a player via a sign-and-trade. So even in the unlikely event that LeBron wants to play in Denver, the Nuggets would have to jump through several cap-related hoops to make it happen.
While James almost certainly won’t play for the Nuggets, the team continues to display a willingness to go after star free agents. Two summers ago, Denver made an aggressive play for Dwyane Wade before he ultimately chose to sign with his hometown Bulls.
DeMarcus Cousins Expected To Meet With Pelicans, Lakers
DeMarcus Cousins received calls from the Pelicans and Lakers after free agency officially got underway early Sunday morning, reports Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). According to Spears, Cousins is expected to schedule meetings with both teams.
Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times confirms (via Twitter) that the Lakers have spoken to Cousins about setting up a meeting, though no date has been set yet, per Turner’s source.
We heard on Saturday night that Cousins may be emerging as a top target for the Lakers, who saw Paul George commit to re-signing with the Thunder early in free agency. No NBA team has more cap room than Los Angeles, but with George returning to Oklahoma City and LeBron James still weighing his decision, the Lakers haven’t had a chance to use that cap room on anyone yet.
As for the Pelicans, they project to be over the cap, but they hold Cousins’ Bird rights, so they could make him a significant offer, especially if they’re willing to cross into luxury-tax territory.
It’s not clear yet what Cousins’ next contract might look like. The standout center was in the midst of a career-best season – with 25.2 PPG, 12.9 RPG, and 5.4 APG in 48 games for New Orleans – and was headed for a probable long-term max deal before he tore his Achilles earlier this year. Teams interested in signing him will have questions about his health and his ability to bounce back from the injury. A shorter-term deal may be a possibility for the All-Star, who turns 28 next month.
Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Capela, Pelicans, Hood
While several key free agents – including Paul George and Chris Paul – reached agreements in the early hours of free agency, LeBron James wasn’t among that group. Still, there’s a little news on James.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (via Twitter), Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman spoke to both James and agent Rich Paul on the phone when free agency began. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com first reported (via Twitter) that the discussion was expected to happen.
The specifics of that conversation aren’t known, but the Cavaliers are still believed to be in the mix to sign the summer’s top free agent, though the Lakers are widely considered favorites.
Here are a few more free agent updates from around the NBA:
- The Rockets‘ front office will meet with Clint Capela and his representatives on Sunday in Los Angeles, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Capela figures to be Houston’s top priority in free agency now that the team has reached a deal with Chris Paul.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps has asked some of his current players to reach out to free agent Tyreke Evans about the possibility of returning to New Orleans, tweets John Martin of 92.9 ESPN. Evans would be a mid-level exception candidate for the Pels.
- Rodney Hood received calls from approximately six teams early in free agency, sources tell Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Hood is a restricted free agent, so the Cavaliers can match any offer sheet he signs.
- The Timberwolves, Rockets, Knicks, and Spurs have all shown interest in Trevor Booker, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype, who tweets that a return to the Pacers is also still in play for the veteran forward.
- Tyrone Wallace, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Clippers, has generated interest from about a half-dozen teams, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Wallace received a qualifying offer from the Clips, who will be able to match any offer sheet he signs.
Knicks Rumors: Hezonja, O’Quinn, Johnson, Tolliver
Free agent forward Mario Hezonja is very much on the Knicks‘ radar, according to reports. After Michael Scotto of The Athletic indicated earlier in the evening (via Twitter) that New York had interest in Hezonja, Ian Begley of ESPN.com tweeted that the interest is mutual. In the early hours of free agency, the Knicks and Hezonja had a meeting, Scotto adds (via Twitter).
Hezonja is just one of a number of free agents linked already to the Knicks, who plan to offer only one-year deals this offseason. Let’s round up a few more notes and rumors…
- The Knicks were among the teams to reach out to Amir Johnson after free agency opened, tweets Begley. Johnson is also said to be drawing interest from Minnesota and both Los Angeles clubs.
- Kyle O’Quinn seems much more likely to sign with another team than to reeturn to the Knicks, sources tell Begley (Twitter link). According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the division-rival Sixers have expressed serious interest in O’Quinn.
- The Knicks were one of at least five or six clubs to express interest in Anthony Tolliver when free agency opened, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who reports (via Twitter) that GM Scott Perry had a brief phone conversation with the veteran forward.
- A two-way player last season, Luke Kornet received a qualifying offer from the Knicks. While New York would like to bring him back on another two-way deal, two teams have expressed “preliminary interest” in giving Kornet a standard NBA contract, sources tell Berman. The Knicks would have the right to match any offer sheet the young seven-footer signs.
West FA Rumors: A. Johnson, Looney, Exum
At least three Western Conference teams are said to have already contacted veteran big man Amir Johnson mere hours into free agency. Per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News the Timberwolves have been in touch, while Sean Deveney of The Sporting News adds that the Clippers and Lakers have too.
This time last season, Johnson inked a one-year, $11MM deal to serve as a reliable, veteran presence in the middle for the Sixers and it stands to reason that any of the teams kicking the tires on him this time around would be interested in a similar addition.
Johnson averaged 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for Philly in 2017/18 but served as a defensive force in the paint and a low maintenance spot starter in games that Joel Embiid sat out.
There are more free agency rumors from around the Western Conference:
- The Warriors have already made contact with Kevon Looney about bringing him back to the Bay Area, Mark Medina of The Mercury News writes, but the forward is said to be fielding interest from other teams as well. Golden State elected not to guarantee the fourth year of his rookie deal when they had the chance to do so last fall.
- The Jazz are making restricted free agent Dante Exum a priority, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets, and already have a meeting set up to discuss a new deal.
- Pending restricted free agent Montrezl Harrell has changed representation, Liz Mullen of The Sports Business Journal tweets. Now the Clippers big man will be represented by Bobby Petriella of Rosenhaus Sports. He was previously represented by Klutch Sports Group.
Kawhi Leonard Remains ‘High Priority’ For Clippers
While Kawhi Leonard‘s future remains unclear, the Clippers remain interested in the All-Star forward and have not abandoned the idea of pursuing him, ESPN’s Chris B. Haynes reports.
The Clippers have been loosely connected to Leonard since reports of his desire to be traded first emerged. However, the crosstown rival Lakers have been most heavily linked to the two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The Lakers reportedly engaged the Spurs in talks for Leonard this week with young players such as Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram at the forefront of those discussions, though they haven’t been overly aggressive in those discussions in recent days, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link).
The Sixers and Celtics have been among the other teams in pursuit of Leonard. Despite an injury-riddled season in 2017/18 that limited him to just nine games, the Spurs forward remains one NBA’s elite two-way players.
Los Angeles has some cap flexibility available now that longtime center DeAndre Jordan has opted out of his deal has agreed to a deal with the Mavericks. It’s not clear what the Clippers would offer for Leonard, but they’d almost certainly need to include one or both of their 2018 picks (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jerome Robinson). Tobias Harris and Patrick Beverley are among the veterans on the roster with positive trade value.
Ultimately, with a future first-round pick committed to the Celtics, the Clippers will need to get creative to offer an enticing package for Leonard.
Wolves Plan To Offer Jimmy Butler Contract Extension
The Timberwolves plan to offer guard Jimmy Butler a contract extension in the four-year, $110MM range as soon as they’re eligible to do so, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets. That, however, doesn’t mean that he’ll necessarily sign it.
Due to limitations of the contract extension scale in place, Butler would only be eligible sign for as much as $24.5MM in 2019/20. That mark falls well short of the projected first year of a max contract for a player with Butler’s service should he choose to enter free agency in 2019.
Butler will be 29 years old this time next year, with eight years of NBA experience. While the actual figures will change when the 2019/20 salary figures are released, he would be eligible to sign for north of $30MM based on this year’s figures and is still young enough to make a serious case for a full five-year deal.
Butler posted 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in his first season with the Timberwolves and emerged as a driving force behind Minnesota’s return to the postseason for the first time in 2004.
Hawks Among Those Interested In Zach LaVine
Count the Hawks among those interested in Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago tweets. They’ll join a handful of suitors that also includes the Kings, as we wrote about earlier this week.
Atlanta, like Sacramento, will have plenty of cap space to throw at the restricted free agent. A bidding war between clubs well short of the cap, coupled with the 23-year-old’s hypothetical ceiling, could drive the former slam dunk champion’s forthcoming contract through the roof.
While there are concerns about LaVine’s health following an ACL tear in early 2017, he remains a world-class athlete that averaged 18.9 points per game half-way through 2016/17 before succumbing to the injury.
LaVine performed admirably in just over a third of a season with the Bulls but Chicago may pause at the thought of matching a max or near-max contract offer sheet should either the Hawks or Kings decide to go that high.
It’s worth noting that Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk has been particularly conservative financially throughout his short tenure with the franchise. That said, the chance to net a potential All-Star young enough to build around may prove too much to resist.
Rockets Re-Sign Gerald Green
JULY 10: The Rockets have officially re-signed Green, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 1: Houston native Gerald Green will be returning to the Rockets for the 2018/19 season, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). According to Berman, Green and the Rockets have reached an agreement on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
Having played for eight teams in his NBA career since debuting in 2005, Green returned to his hometown for a second stint with the Rockets in 2017/18. He enjoyed a productive year for the West’s No. 1 seed, averaging 12.1 PPG and 3.2 RPG with a .407/.369/.850 shooting line in 41 games (22.7 MPG).
According to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), the Rockets liked what Green brought to his role and “absolutely loved his attitude.”
Re-signing Green at an affordable rate is an important move for the Rockets, who will lose veteran forward Trevor Ariza to the Suns. Houston will also make an effort to bring back Luc Mbah a Moute, as well as Clint Capela. The club has already agreed to terms on a four-year, maximum-salary deal with Chris Paul.
As our chart of minimum salaries shows, Green’s new deal will pay him $2,393,887, though he’ll only count for $1,512,601 against Houston’s cap.