Checking In On NBA’s Remaining Free Agents
We’re not even two full weeks into the NBA’s 2019 free agent period, but the list of noteworthy unsigned players has dwindled in a major way since the evening of June 30.
Two names on our list of the year’s 50 best free agents don’t have a formal agreement in place with teams, and that’s only because deals they initially agreed upon are now in jeopardy.
[RELATED: 2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
Marcus Morris, who initially appeared headed to San Antonio on a two-year contract, is now re-evaluating his options and is said to be mulling an offer from the Knicks. New York was able to gain the flexibility to make that offer to Morris because the team’s two-year deal with Reggie Bullock has to be re-worked due to an issue that arose during Bullock’s physical.
Besides Morris and Bullock, the rest of our top 50 free agents are off the board. So are most of the names we mentioned as “honorable mentions” on that list — swingman Justin Holiday and stretch four Trey Lyles are the only players in that group who have yet to secure deals.
Still, there are a handful of intriguing names out there for teams still scouring the open market for potential bargains. Here’s a quick look at some of those free agents:
Point guards:
In addition to veteran journeymen like Jose Calderon, Devin Harris, Raymond Felton, and Jeremy Lin, the list of remaining point guards includes former lottery picks such as Trey Burke and Cameron Payne, and young players like Frank Mason, Isaiah Briscoe, and Shaquille Harrison. Jerian Grant and Shelvin Mack are among the other free agents who saw regular minutes as backups last season.
The most appealing target on the point guard market may be one who is not technically a free agent yet — Shaun Livingston is expected to clear waivers on Friday.
Wings:
Bullock and Holiday are probably the most notable veterans in this group, but Kyle Korver isn’t far behind. At age 38, he doesn’t contribute much more than three-point shooting, but his outside stroke remains deadly.
Jamal Crawford, Ian Clark, David Nwaba, Iman Shumpert, Jonathon Simmons, Vince Carter, Lance Stephenson, and Thabo Sefolosha are among the other most wings available who could play rotation roles in 2019/20.
Stretch fours:
Lyles isn’t the only power forward with an outside shot who is still on the board. Ryan Anderson fits that bill, as do Jonas Jerebko and Dante Cunningham. Dragan Bender never developed into that sort of player, but he’s still just 22 years old and could be worth a flier.
Carmelo Anthony probably can’t realistically be considered a stretch four, but we’ll include him here — we haven’t heard much about potential landing spots for him this offseason though, outside of some speculation that he’ll become the Lakers’ 15th man.
Big men:
Teams in need of a veteran center still have a few options. Tyson Chandler is out there, as are Joakim Noah, Nene, Kosta Koufos, Amir Johnson, Zaza Pachulia, and Greg Monroe.
Pau Gasol is still recovering from a procedure on his foot, but he wants to keep playing and could be a worthwhile addition if he gets healthy.
Here are our full lists of remaining free agents by position/type and by team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sasha Vujacic Still Seeking NBA Comeback
As players like Amar’e Stoudemire, Monta Ellis, and Marreese Speights work out in front of NBA teams in the hopes getting back in the league, Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times reports (via Twitter) that veteran guard Sasha Vujacic is also looking to make an NBA comeback.
According to Markazi, Vujacic has been working out daily in Los Angeles and hopes to play in the NBA next season. The former Lakers and Clippers guard said it would be his dream to play in L.A. again, Markazi adds.
Vujacic, who made his NBA debut with the Lakers in 2004 after being selected 27th in the draft, has appeared in 581 total regular season games, suiting up for the two L.A. teams and both of the New York clubs as well. His most recent NBA stint came in the 2016/17 season, when he appeared in 42 games for the Knicks. The 35-year-old has played in Italy since then.
While Vujacic will seek an NBA contract, his comeback attempt looks like a long shot. He had also been hoping to break back into the league last summer, and worked out for two teams in September, but nothing came of those auditions. Now two full seasons removed from his last NBA appearance, Vujacic is facing increasingly unfavorable odds.
Warriors Re-Sign Kevon Looney To Three-Year Deal
JULY 11: The Warriors have officially re-signed Looney, the team confirmed today in a press release.
JULY 2: Looney’s new deal features a third-year player option, tweets Mark Medina of The Mercury News.
JULY 1: The Warriors will bring back free agent big man Kevon Looney, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $15MM deal. As Charania details (via Twitter), the Warriors met with Looney over the weekend and reached an agreement with him and agent Todd Ramasar on Monday.
Looney, the 30th overall pick in the 2015 draft, hasn’t put up huge numbers during his four seasons in Golden State, but he has becoming an increasingly important part of the team’s rotation in recent years.
In 2018/19, the 23-year-old averaged 6.3 PPG and 5.2 RPG on 62.5% shooting in 80 games (18.5 MPG) for the Warriors. While he generally came off the bench, he emerged as the team’s most reliable center in the postseason due to his ability to switch on defense and hold his own against perimeter players.
The Warriors held Looney’s Bird rights this offseason, which gave them the ability to offer him any salary up to the max. However, by acquiring D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets, Golden State will face a hard cap of $138.9MM, the amount of the tax apron.
It wasn’t clear whether the Warriors would find a way to squeeze Looney – arguably their most important free agent beyond Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant – below that hard cap, since he appeared likely to receive plenty of interest on the open market. However, the Dubs got a good price to bring him back, and will presumably fill most of the rest of their roster with minimum-salary contracts to sneak below that $138.9MM threshold.
Bobby Marks of ESPN.com goes into detail on just how close the Warriors project to come to that hard cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Poll: Early Western Conference Favorites
No team besides the Golden State Warriors has represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals since 2014, but when the 2019/20 season begins, the Warriors almost certainly won’t be most fans’ pick to come out of the West again.
In the wake of their acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers emerged as the betting favorites to win the conference – and the NBA championship – and it’s not hard to see why. George was one of the league’s best players in the regular season last season, while Leonard was the best postseason player. They join a 48-win team that’s bringing back many of its most important role players.
Still, the Clippers aren’t the overwhelming frontrunners. Leonard only played 60 games last season and battled a leg injury in the playoffs, while George underwent surgeries on both shoulders this spring and isn’t a lock to be ready for opening night. Plus, it’s not as if the Clips are bringing back all the key members of last year’s team — Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had be to be dealt for George.
The Lakers are viewed as perhaps the most significant threat to the Clippers in the West, as they added a perennial MVP contender themselves by trading for Anthony Davis. He’ll join LeBron James and a collection of role players both new (Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Avery Bradley) and returning (Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaVale McGee). The Lakers also managed to hold Kyle Kuzma out of the Davis blockbuster and signed DeMarcus Cousins to a team-friendly deal in the hopes that he can recapture his All-Star form.
Outside of Los Angeles, there are a number of other clubs threatening to make a deep playoff run in the West. The Nuggets claimed the No. 2 seed last season and will bring all their primary contributors back, along with newly-acquired Jerami Grant, a versatile defender and someone who can make three-pointers on offense.
The Trail Blazers, who beat Denver to advance to the Western Finals this spring, underwent some changes this summer, with the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless, Meyers Leonard, Evan Turner, Seth Curry, and Jake Layman being replaced by Hassan Whiteside, Kent Bazemore, Anthony Tolliver, Nassir Little, and Mario Hezonja. Most importantly though, the club’s stars – Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum – will be back.
The Rockets appeared on the verge of blowing things up after a disappointing second-round exit this spring, but they now seem prepared to bring back a strong group led by James Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela, P.J. Tucker, and Eric Gordon. During the past two seasons, no Western team came closer than Houston to knocking off the Warriors.
[UPDATE: The Rockets have agreed to acquire Russell Westbrook in a trade for Paul.]
Speaking of those Warriors, it’s definitely premature to write them off, as they still have a trio of All-Star caliber players in Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and newly-acquired D’Angelo Russell. If Klay Thompson returns to full strength from his torn ACL down the stretch, no one will want to face Golden State in the postseason.
Finally, the Jazz had one of the most impressive offseasons of any NBA team, revamping their starting five by acquiring Mike Conley in a trade and then signing Bojan Bogdanovic in free agency to join Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Joe Ingles. While Utah will miss contributors like Derrick Favors and Jae Crowder, the team did well to add role players like Ed Davis, Jeff Green, and Emmanuel Mudiay on the cheap.
What do you think? Which of these Western teams is your early pick to make it to the Finals next spring? Or is there another team in the conference that you like even more?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your two cents!
Which team is your early pick to win the West?
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Los Angeles Lakers 40% (1,523)
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Los Angeles Clippers 22% (827)
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Utah Jazz 8% (320)
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Denver Nuggets 7% (284)
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Another team 7% (281)
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Golden State Warriors 7% (257)
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Houston Rockets 5% (191)
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Portland Trail Blazers 4% (145)
Total votes: 3,828
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Bulls Re-Sign Ryan Arcidiacono
JULY 11: The Bulls have officially re-signed Arcidiacono, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
JULY 2: The Bulls are bringing back Ryan Arcidiacono on a three-year deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The point guard will make $9MM over the three seasons.
Chicago will likely wait to make the deal official until after using their cap room. The team has commitments to Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky (via sign-and-trade) that it will need to complete using cap space.
Satoransky and Arcidiacono will join Coby White and Kris Dunn in what is becoming a crowded point guard picture in Chicago. There have been rumors that the Bulls are exploring the trade market for a deal involving Dunn.
Arcidiacono played in 81 games during his sophomore NBA season averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 24.2 minutes per contest.. The Langhorne, Pennsylvania native signed on with the Bulls during the summer of 2017 after going undrafted out of Villanova.
Hawks Sign Jabari Parker To Two-Year Deal
JULY 11: The Hawks have officially signed Parker, the team confirmed today in a press release.
“Jabari is a highly skilled offensive player and proven scorer, and we’re looking forward to incorporating him into our group,” Hawks GM Travis Schlenk said in a statement. “We think he will fit well on the court and in the locker room, and we’re excited to welcome him to Atlanta.”
JULY 8: The Hawks and forward Jabari Parker have agreed to terms on a two-year contract, his agency Priority Sports announced today (via Twitter). According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), the two-year pact will be worth $13MM, with a second-year player option.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Parker averaged 20.1 PPG in 51 games with the Bucks in 2016/17. However, that season ended early due to a torn ACL and the 24-year-old hasn’t made the same impact since then for Milwaukee, Chicago, and Washington.
Last year, Parker signed a two-year, $40MM contract with the Bulls, which featured a second-year team option. He was traded to the Wizards in a deadline deal and averaged 14.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.4 APG on .493/.313/.712 shooting in 64 total games for the two teams. Washington turned down his 2019/20 option, allowing him to reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
It took Parker more than a week to find a new home, which made him a match for the Hawks, whose GM Travis Schlenk had stated this spring that the club would likely wait out the first wave of free agency to see who slipped through the cracks. Parker, the only unrestricted free agent still on the board from our top-50 list, fit that bill. He could become a starting forward in Atlanta, though he may slot in better as a second-unit scorer.
The Hawks were one of the few NBA teams with cap room still available, so no exception will be required to sign Parker. They still project to have about $6.2MM in space left after the signing, per Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights (Twitter link).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Westbrook Trade Talks Between Heat, Thunder
The Thunder have asked the Heat for more than one of Miami’s most promising young players in their trade discussions for Russell Westbrook, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
According to Jackson, Oklahoma City is seeking the inclusion of 2019 lottery pick Tyler Herro in a Westbrook deal, but the Heat have been “very resistant” to the idea of trading away the former Kentucky sharpshooter. The 13th overall pick, who is averaging 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.8 APG in six Summer League games, has exceeded Miami’s expectations so far, a source tells Jackson.
After signing Herro on Wednesday, the Heat can’t include him in a trade for 30 days, but that isn’t expected to be an impediment if the two sides ultimately reach an agreement that includes him.
Jackson also hears that the Thunder have sought at least two players from the trio of Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Justise Winslow. That idea doesn’t appeal to the Heat, who are also high on Adebayo and opposed to dealing him.
As a result of the Thunder’s demands, the Westbrook trade discussions between the two teams are at a stalemate for the time being, despite the fact that Miami would love to add the star point guard, says Jackson.
While Herro’s status may not be a roadblock, there are a number of other obstacles that the two teams must overcome. The Thunder don’t want to take on additional salary, since they’d prefer to dip under the tax line rather than increase their projected bill. However, the Heat almost literally can’t take on any more salary, since they’re less than $1MM away from their $138.9MM hard cap.
Additionally, having already traded away their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks – which the Thunder now hold – the Heat don’t have first-rounders available to include in a Westbrook offer, which is why OKC is seeking multiple young players in a package instead, Jackson notes.
Miami could theoretically remove the lottery protections on the ’23 pick, which would subsequently allow the team to trade its 2025 or 2026 first-rounder as well. However, those are all fairly distant selections, and Oklahoma City may prioritize players and picks that can help the team within the next few years.
Even if the two teams could directly match salaries and the Thunder are fine with not acquiring draft picks, it’s not clear if they’ll see eye-to-eye on Westbrook’s value. Due to the $171MM owed to the former MVP over the next four years, Miami would prefer to just send out players whose contracts would help expedite a deal, many of whom likely don’t have a long-term future with the Heat, says Jackson.
On the other hand, the Thunder believe they deserve more compensation for a player with Westbrook’s track record — he won his MVP award just two years ago, rarely misses time due to injuries, and has averaged a triple-double in each of the last three seasons.
If no other serious suitors emerge for Westbrook, the Heat might “dig in further” when it comes to hanging onto their top young prospects, says Jackson.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Ennis, Durant, Nets
When Kelly Oubre struck a deal with the Suns late on Wednesday night, he represented the last of the players on our list of 2019’s top 50 free agents to reach a contract agreement with a team. However, two of those agreements are in flux.
As we previously relayed, Reggie Bullock and the Knicks are attempting to rework a two-year, $21MM deal that fell apart due to an issue with Bullock’s physical, and Marcus Morris is re-evaluating his two-year, $19MM deal with the Spurs now that New York may have cap room again.
As of Thursday morning, there’s still mutual interest between Bullock and the Knicks in finding a new deal that works, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley notes that a source told him earlier this week that the Knicks are hopeful of landing Morris, whose veteran presence and toughness intrigues the club. Steve Popper of Newsday adds (via Twitter) that he has heard from people inside and outside the Knicks’ organization who think that Morris will end up in New York.
As we wait for resolution on those two free agents, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Atlantic…
- After agreeing to a new deal with the Sixers as a free agent, forward James Ennis expressed major confidence in the team’s outlook for 2019/20, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “We had a good chance last year. Kawhi (Leonard) is gone. He went to the West,” Ennis said. “So we are going to walk to the Finals in the East.”
- Kevin Durant initially “balked” at the idea of being signed-and-traded to the Nets straight up for D’Angelo Russell, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN. As Windhorst explains, Durant didn’t believe it was a fair deal, presumably because he could have signed outright with Brooklyn using the team’s cap room. The Warriors ultimately ended up including a heavily protected first-rounder in the swap not just to satisfy the Nets, but to satisfy KD, says Windhorst.
- Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the Nets‘ newly-added star power could increase Barclays Center revenues by about $40MM through “increased sponsorships, merchandising, and ticket sales.”
Dorian Finney-Smith Re-Signs With Mavericks
JULY 11: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Finney-Smith, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 2: The Mavericks will bring back restricted free agent Dorian Finney-Smith on a three-year, $12MM contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The third-year forward signed with Dallas in 2016 after going undrafted out of Florida. He missed most of the 2017/18 season with tendinitis in his left knee, but bounced back strong this year, averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 81 games.
The Mavericks have been active since free agency began Sunday, re-signing Kristaps Porzingis, Maxi Kleber and J.J. Barea, reaching an extension agreement with Dwight Powell and adding sharpshooting guard Seth Curry.
Dallas is emphasizing continuity and now has seven players whose contracts will run for at least three years, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas is also pursuing Danny Green and may have room for another free agent as well.
The Mavs will be able to keep Finney-Smith’s sub-$2MM cap hold on their books and make their other offseason moves before going over the cap to lock up the forward using his Bird rights.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raptors Sign Terence Davis To Two-Year Contract
JULY 11: Davis’ deal is now official, the Raptors announced today in a press release.
JULY 7: Terence Davis will join the Raptors on a two-year deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The first-year of the deal is fully guaranteed.
Davis, who went undrafted in June out of Ole Miss, turned down multiple two-way deals with hopes of finding an NBA deal, Charania adds. Toronto will come to an agreement with the combo guard on a day where the franchise also agreed to sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Davis was playing for the Nuggets Summer League team. He had an impressive day on Sunday, scoring 22 points in Denver’s contest. Davis will no longer play for the Nuggets’ team in Las Vegas.