Pelicans Won’t Make Qualifying Offer To Cheick Diallo
The Pelicans will not make a qualifying offer to forward Cheick Diallo, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. As a result, the 22-year-old Malian will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30.
While Diallo projects as a promising young player, the move is not entirely surprising, as the Pelicans have the opportunity to be active in free agency after trading away Anthony Davis. Even though it’s a relatively modest amount, clearing Diallo’s $1.93MM cap hold from their books creates more cap room for the team to pursue top free agents.
Additionally, the Pelicans just drafted Zion Williamson with the No. 1 overall pick and he projects to play the same position as Diallo.
Diallo, a former McDonald’s All-American, was drafted 33rd overall in 2016 by the Clippers, but was acquired by New Orleans on draft night. In three seasons, he’s averaged 12.6 minutes, 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest while appearing in 133 games.
Mannix’s Latest: Celtics, Brogdon, Lakers, Favors, Ross
With Kyrie Irving and Al Horford expected to sign elsewhere and Aron Baynes having been re-routed to Phoenix, the Celtics have the ability to create about $25.8MM — or up to $34MM-ish if they renounce Terry Rozier.
As Chris Mannix of SI.com notes in his latest look at free agency, Kemba Walker has been linked to the Celtics this week, but he’s not the only free agent the club is considering. According to Mannix, Boston has internally discussed the possibility of pursuing Bucks RFA-to-be Malcolm Brogdon.
There has also been speculation about Bradley Beal as a potential trade target for the Celtics, but that probably won’t be an option, according to Mannix, who notes that Beal (a favorite of team owner Ted Leonsis) has been told by the Wizards that he won’t be dealt. Even if Beal were available, there’s a feeling in Boston that it might take Jayson Tatum to acquire him, Mannix adds.
Here’s more from Mannix:
- The Lakers have shopped their “spare parts” in trade discussions, but talks have gone nowhere so far, league sources tell Mannix. Presumably, Mannix is referring to Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, and Jemerrio Jones, who would have to be rolled into the Lakers’ Anthony Davis blockbuster for the club to maximize its cap room.
- While it seems likely that he’ll be back, the Jazz haven’t necessarily locked in on retaining Derrick Favors, who has a non-guaranteed $17.65MM contract. Mannix suggests that Nikola Mirotic could be a name worth keeping an eye for Utah on if Favors is released to create cap room.
- The Magic have been “steadfast” in their desire to re-sign top free agents Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross, and some within the organization are anxious to see what their market value will be, writes Mannix. Ross may be a candidate to receive a big contract offer from a team in need of a three-and-D wing, according to Mannix, who speculates that the sharpshooter could command $15MM per year.
Charania’s Latest: CP3, Klay, Harris, RHJ, Randle, More
League sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that Chris Paul never demanded a trade from the Rockets, but suggested at season’s end that he’d understand if the club decided to go in a different direction. According to Charania, Houston told Paul it remained committed to him, and he has reciprocated that commitment.
While Paul and James Harden haven’t always seen eye-to-eye, Charania hears that the two Rockets guards have been communicating since the season ended and had a positive conversation on Father’s Day.
Even if the Rockets wanted to move Paul, there would likely be no market for him, as the Rockets discovered when they quietly gauged his value in recent weeks, Charania writes.
Charania’s latest round-up at The Athletic includes several other noteworthy tidbits on 2019’s upcoming free agent period, so let’s pass along some highlights…
- The Warriors and Klay Thompson will meet in Los Angeles at the start of free agency, per Charania. While Charania – like ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski – has heard that Thompson could speak to the Clippers if talks with Golden State break down, the Warriors and Thompson’s camp expect a quick agreement if the team puts a five-year, maximum-salary offer on the table.
- After Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer named the Clippers as a possible suitor for Tobias Harris, Charania says the same thing, noting that the two sides still have a good relationship. Charania also adds the Pelicans – who now have significant cap room – to the list of teams expected to express interest in Harris.
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Brooklyn, is expected to draw interest from the Suns, Timberwolves, and Rockets as an unrestricted free agent, reports Charania.
- The Bulls, Knicks, and Nets are viewed as potential suitors for Julius Randle, sources tell Charania.
- Teams in need of some help at the point guard spot – including the Suns, Bulls, Wizards, and Kings – have shown interest in Cory Joseph, says Charania.
- If the Knicks miss out on their top free agent targets, they’ll plan on trying to sign “high-level rotation players” to one- or two-year deals, according to Charania, who suggests that Celtics RFA-to-be Terry Rozier may be one target.
Marc Gasol Opts In With Raptors For 2019/20
Raptors center Marc Gasol has exercised his 2019/20 player option, the team announced today. The move will ensure that Gasol remains under contract through next season, earning a salary of $25,595,700, per Basketball Insiders.
[RELATED: NBA Player Option Decisions For 2019/20]
Gasol, who spent the first 10 years of his NBA career in Memphis, was shipped to the Raptors in a deadline deal in his 11th season as the Grizzlies pivoted into rebuilding mode. In 26 regular season games for Toronto, the 34-year-old posted the lowest averages of his career in most categories (9.1 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 24.9 MPG), but helped anchor the team’s defense and improve its ball movement on offense.
Although Gasol’s postseason numbers (9.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.0 APG) were also modest, he played a key role in the Raptors’ championship run, holding Nikola Vucevic and Joel Embiid in check during the first two rounds, then helping to protect the rim against the Bucks and Warriors – two of the NBA’s most dangerous offenses – in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
With Gasol’s salary for next season now locked in, the Raptors are already over the projected $109MM cap, and haven’t yet accounted for potential new deals for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. If Leonard returns, he’d receive a maximum-salary contract ($32.7MM), while Green seems unlikely to take a pay cut on last year’s $10MM salary. In other words, if Toronto wants to bring back its entire core, the team will be way over the projected $132MM tax line.
By picking up his option, Gasol joins several veterans teammates as potential 2020 free agents. Currently, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam are all on track to reach free agency in 2020, though Siakam would be restricted. Norman Powell and OG Anunoby are the only Raptors under contract beyond next season.
With Saturday’s deadline looming, only two player-option decisions – Nene (Rockets) and Nerlens Noel (Thunder) – have yet to be reported.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lakers Tender QOs To Alex Caruso, Johnathan Williams
The Lakers have ensured that a pair of their players will be restricted free agents this summer, announcing in a press release that they’ve issued qualifying offers to guard Alex Caruso and forward Johnathan Williams. Both players finished the 2018/19 season on two-way deals.
Caruso, 25, has been with the Lakers on a two-way contract since the start of the 2017/18 season. In 2018/19, he appeared in 25 games for the club, primarily after the All-Star break, recording 9.2 PPG, 3.1 APG, 2.7 RPG, and a .445/.480/.797 shooting line in 21.2 minutes per contest.
Because he has spent two seasons with the Lakers on a two-way deal, Caruso’s qualifying offer will be worth the veteran’s minimum (about $1.6MM). The two-way salary portion of that QO must be guaranteed.
As for Williams, the 24-year-old averaged 6.5 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 24 contests (15.5 MPG) for the Lakers last season. His qualifying offer will be a one-year, two-way contract, with a $50K guarantee.
Cap holds for Caruso and Williams will slightly cut into the Lakers’ projected cap room, but if the team needs that space, it won’t hesitate to renounce the duo. If they’re interested, they could each agree to return on new minimum-salary (Caruso) or two-way (Williams) contracts, and could finalize those deals once the Lakers use up their cap room.
Bucks Rumors: Brogdon, Lopez, Hill, Mirotic
After entering the exclusive 50/40/90 shooting club in 2018/19, Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon will be a sought-after target this offseason. Sources tell Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.com that the Sixers and Pacers are among the teams considering making a play for the restricted free agent.
Four NBA sources who spoke to Woelfel predicted that Brogdon would receive an offer in the range of $16-21MM per year. And while most of those sources have heard that the Bucks plan to match any offer on Brogdon, they’re not all entirely convinced that will happen.
“They can say that now, but I’m sure the Bucks, just like any team, have a cutoff point where they won’t go over to keep him,” an Eastern Conference executive said to Woelfel. “I still think he (Brogdon) is the odd guy out in Milwaukee.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe expressed a similar sentiment during the network’s free agency special on Tuesday night. As relayed by Sagar Trika (via Twitter), the two ESPN insiders discussed whether Milwaukee would be able to retain all three of Brogdon, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, and agreed that Brogdon might be the trickiest to bring back.
Here’s more on the Bucks:
- The Bucks and Brook Lopez are both motivated to get a deal done, a source tell Chris Mannix of SI.com. Woelfel’s sources believe Lopez will get an annual salary in the range of $10-13MM in free agency, and view Los Angeles as a potential fit for the big man if he doesn’t stick with the Bucks. “I’ve been hearing a quite a bit about the Lakers and Lopez,” one executive told Woelfel.
- Executives who spoke to Woelfel view George Hill as a candidate to receive an offer in the neighborhood of $7-10MM if and when he’s released by the Bucks. That would make him a target for teams with the full mid-level exception available.
- One NBA executive predicted a salary in the $13-15MM range for Nikola Mirotic, while another league official split the difference and projected $14MM, Woelfel writes. Mirotic is considered more likely to leave the Bucks than to re-sign, given the club’s cap limitations.
- Veteran guard Xavier Munford, who has previously appeared in NBA games for Memphis and Milwaukee, will suit up for the Bucks’ Summer League squad in July, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN.com.
Latest On Rockets’ Pursuit Of Jimmy Butler
With the Rockets hoping to sell Jimmy Butler and the Sixers on agreeing to a sign-and-trade scenario that would send the standout wing to Houston, the Rockets are offering Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and P.J. Tucker to teams with cap room, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
As Wojnarowski explains, Capela, Gordon, and Tucker are being offered individually to potential trade partners, as the Rockets search for the best first-round pick they can get for one of those players. The idea would be to redirect that pick to Philadelphia in a potential sign-and-trade for Butler, Woj adds.
Despite the Rockets’ efforts, the Sixers have privately been expressing confidence that they’ll be able to re-sign both Butler and Tobias Harris in free agency, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). Philadelphia holds both players’ Bird rights, giving the club the ability to offer more years and more money to each player than any other team will be able to.
While losing Butler won’t be the Sixers’ first choice, there’s reason to believe they might be amenable to working out a sign-and-trade if he decides to leave. If the Rockets were to offer, say, Gordon or Tucker along with a first-round pick, the Sixers could acquire a potential starter on an affordable contract along with another asset for a future deal, and would still have cap room left over. That might be preferable to losing Butler for nothing, especially if the 76ers don’t have other specific free agent targets lined up for their cap space.
The Rockets will face many obstacles en route to acquiring Butler though. They’d almost certainly to have to bring in a third team in order to meet salary-matching requirements, and would risk losing all three of Capela, Gordon, and Tucker to make a deal happen (due in part to a subsequent hard cap).
Oubre, Wright, Finney-Smith, Kleber Receive QOs
With the qualifying offer deadline just a few days away, several more players have been tendered QOs by their respective teams, which will ensure that they become restricted free agents (rather than unrestricted) on the evening of June 30. Those players are as follows:
- Kelly Oubre Jr., Suns ($4,915,726), via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link)
- Delon Wright, Grizzlies ($3,635,375), via Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link)
- Dorian Finney-Smith, Mavericks ($1,931,189), via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link)
- Maxi Kleber, Mavericks ($1,818,486), via MacMahon
Oubre’s name is the most interesting one in the bunch. Wojnarowski suggests that the former Wizard will be a candidate for a significant offer sheet, especially from a team with cap room that misses out on a high-profile unrestricted free agent.
As long as Oubre remains on the Suns‘ books, he’ll carry a cap hit in the neighborhood of $9.63MM, which will cut into the club’s projected cap room. Once they acquire Aron Baynes and Dario Saric and move T.J. Warren, the Suns project to have about $14MM in cap space. That number would increase to about $23MM if Phoenix were to renounce Oubre.
Wright had a strong finish to the season for the Grizzlies after being acquired in the Marc Gasol trade at the deadline, averaging 12.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 5.3 APG in 26 games for Memphis. With Mike Conley headed to Utah, Wright could be re-signed to share point guard duties with No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant.
As for Finney-Smith and Kleber, the Mavericks view them as quality role players who will fit in well with franchise cornerstones Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, says MacMahon. Because both players have such modest cap holds, they won’t compromise the team’s flexibility on the open market.
Dallas could keep those holds on the team’s books and eventually go over the cap to re-sign Finney-Smith and Kleber to new deals. The Mavs have Bird rights for Finney-Smith and Early Bird rights for Kleber.
Free Agent Rumors: Millsap, Blazers, Lakers, D-Lo, Kemba, Portis
The Nuggets are prepared to potentially account for Paul Millsap‘s $30MM team option on their 2019/20 cap if they don’t believe they’ll be able to negotiate a new, more favorable deal with the big man in free agency, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested as part of the network’s free agency special on Tuesday night (video link).
While the Nuggets would have limited cap flexibility this summer with Millsap’s $30MM on their books, the club values him and wants to bring him back, according to both Woj and ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
Meanwhile, Woj and Lowe also weighed in on Trail Blazers, Denver’s opponent in the Western Semifinals this spring. There are indications that the Blazers won’t rest on their laurels this offseason, according to Lowe, who suggests that Portland may be one move away from becoming a legit title threat.
Wojnarowski agrees, though he cautions that the Blazers – who are more likely to make a big move via trade than on the free agent market – may end up waiting until during the season to try to make that move. Woj adds that Portland may not be able to keep Rodney Hood, since it looks as if his value this summer could exceed the taxpayer mid-level. The Blazers don’t have Hood’s Bird rights.
Here’s more on free agency from around the NBA:
- In a pair of ESPN appearances (video links), Wojnarowski continues to suggest that the idea of a reunion between the Lakers and D’Angelo Russell isn’t far-fetched. According to Woj, Russell is “open-minded” about the idea, while the Lakers wouldn’t mind seeing Kyrie Irving go to Brooklyn, since it would increase the odds of the Nets withdrawing Russell’s QO and making him an unrestricted free agent. If Anthony Davis waives his trade kicker, the Lakers could theoretically offer Russell his max without trading Moritz Wagner or Isaac Bonga.
- One league source who spoke to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) views the Celtics as the favorites for free agent point guard Kemba Walker, followed by the Hornets and Mavericks.
- The Wizards aren’t expected to match a huge offer sheet for Bobby Portis, who has generated interest from multiple teams already, sources tell Tony Jones and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jones also repeats a number that has been previously reported, indicating that Portis is seeking an annual salary of up to $16MM.
- Al-Farouq Aminu is technically eligible for a contract extension with the Trail Blazers until Sunday, but he tells Jason Quick of The Athletic, “I haven’t really talked to [president of basketball operations] Neil [Olshey]“ (Twitter link). Aminu will reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent on the evening of June 30, assuming Portland doesn’t lock him up before then.
Knicks Expect To Meet With KD, Kawhi Early In Free Agency
The Knicks expect to have meetings with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard early in free agency before heading west to Los Angeles to meet with second-tier free agents, according to Frank Isola of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A report earlier today indicated that Durant is officially turning down his 2019/20 player option in order to hit the open market this Sunday. The Warriors, Nets, and Clippers are expected to be among the Knicks’ top competitors for the two-time NBA Finals MVP, who will likely receive long-term, maximum-salary offers from multiple teams.
As for Leonard, his free agency has long been viewed as a two-team race between the Clippers and Raptors, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated during the network’s TV special on Tuesday night (video link). Wojnarowski indicated that Kawhi’s camp is also keeping an eye on the Lakers, though Chris Mannix of SI.com says people close to Leonard are skeptical that he’d join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Knicks haven’t been mentioned much as a probable landing spot for Leonard, but they’re known to have interest and it appears as if they’ll get their shot to make a pitch.
In other Leonard news, Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears from league sources that multiple teams have expressed interest in adding the duo of Kawhi and Jimmy Butler together in free agency. Leonard isn’t believed to be seeking a team-up with another free agent, but league sources tell Begley that there are clubs who believe that playing together would appeal to the two star forwards.
[RELATED: Rockets to pursue sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler]
The list of teams that could realistically acquire two maximum-salary free agents is slim. Begley doesn’t specifically identify any of the clubs that have interest in a Leonard/Butler pairing, but the Knicks have the cap room, so it’s possible they’ve discussed the possibility as an alternative to Durant.
The Clippers and Sixers are among the other teams that might realistically have a path to signing both players, though both clubs would have to make additional moves to create the necessary cap space. The Nets could easily open up enough room, but have been linked more strongly to Kyrie Irving and Durant than Leonard and/or Butler.