Grizzlies Exploring Trade Market For Iguodala; No Buyout Planned Before Season
Once they officially acquire Andre Iguodala from the Warriors after the July moratorium ends, the Grizzlies won’t buy him out right away, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
According to MacMahon, Memphis is actively exploring the potential trade market for the veteran forward, with the Rockets and Mavericks among the interested teams. The Grizzlies don’t intend to give Iguodala a buyout before the season begins, MacMahon adds.
[RELATED: Rockets focused on Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee]
The fact that the Grizzlies will receive a lightly-protected future first-round pick from Golden State in their deal for Iguodala doesn’t suggest that he has significant value, but that trade was a necessity for the Warriors, who had to clear salary to accommodate D’Angelo Russell‘s new maximum-salary deal under a hard cap of $138.9MM.
With no similar cap crunch of their own, the Grizzlies will have far more leverage in their own trade discussions involving Iguodala. They shouldn’t expect a huge return, given his age (35) and his cap charge ($17.2MM), but there’s reason to believe that the former Finals MVP would appeal to contending teams. According to MacMahon, he has drawn “significant interest.”
Whether they use cap room or remain an over-the-cap team and retain their $21MM+ trade exception, the Mavericks would have the ability to acquire Iguodala without sending out any salary. The capped-out Rockets would have to get more creative, particularly if they don’t want to part with one of their current starters in a trade.
While MacMahon doesn’t mention the Lakers as a team with trade interest in Iguodala, they’d also have the cap room necessary to make a play for him if Kawhi Leonard decides to sign elsewhere. As MacMahon notes, Rob Pelinka was Iguodala’s agent before he became the Lakers’ general manager.
NBA 2019 Free Agency: Day 4 Recap
Most of this year’s top NBA free agents came off the board several days ago, but the No. 1 player in this year’s class, Kawhi Leonard, continued to weigh his options on Wednesday. Based on how quickly the first wave of free agency moved on Sunday, it may feel like Leonard’s decision is dragging on forever, but the timetable isn’t particularly out of the ordinary when compared to other notable free agencies in recent years.
In 2017, Gordon Hayward chose the Celtics on July 4. Kevin Durant announced his move to the Warriors on July 4 in 2016. In 2014, LeBron James didn’t confirm his return to the Cavaliers until July 11.
While we continue to wait on Leonard, we were able to remove a few more names from the list of 2019’s available NBA free agents, and a couple more trades were reported on Wednesday.
[RELATED: 2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
Listed below are July 3’s notable contract and trade agreements. For the most part, these deals aren’t yet official, so the reported terms could change — or agreements could fall through altogether. Generally speaking though, teams and players are on track to finalize these deals sometime after the July moratorium ends on Saturday.
Here are Wednesday’s noteworthy contract agreements:
- Darius Miller, Pelicans agree to two-year, $14.5MM contract.
- Jake Layman, Timberwolves agree to three-year, $11.5MM contract (sign-and-trade).
- Markieff Morris, Pistons agree to two-year, $7.4MM contract.
- Boban Marjanovic, Mavericks agree to two-year, $7MM contract.
- T.J. McConnell, Pacers agree to two-year, $7MM contract.
- Raul Neto, Sixers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract.
Here are Wednesday’s trade agreements:
- Hawks to acquire Chandler Parsons from the Grizzlies in exchange for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.
- Grizzlies to acquire Josh Jackson, De’Anthony Melton, and second-round picks from the Suns for Kyle Korver and Jevon Carter.
- Timberwolves to acquire Jake Layman via sign-and-trade from the Trail Blazers.
Here are a couple of Wednesday’s other news items worth mentioning:
- DeMarcus Cousins changes agents.
- Warriors withdraw Quinn Cook‘s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Previously:
- NBA 2019 Free Agency: Day 1 Recap
- NBA 2019 Free Agency: Day 2 Recap
- NBA 2019 Free Agency: Day 3 Recap
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Reportedly Canceled Meeting With Kawhi Leonard
The Knicks pulled out of a scheduled meeting with Kawhi Leonard, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Leonard agreed earlier in the week to meet with Knicks officials, but not until today after he completed sessions with the Lakers and Clippers. New York decided its chances of luring Leonard were remote without Kevin Durant and decided to call off the meeting because of “logistics.” There had been rumors that Leonard and Durant were looking to team up with the Clippers or Knicks, but those plans were scrapped when Durant committed to the Nets on Sunday.
New York’s front office didn’t want to wait for a decision from Leonard before diving into the free agent market. Berman noted that the team exhausted nearly all of its $70MM in cap space in the first 20 hours after free agency began.
The best scenario for the Knicks, he adds, would be for Leonard to sign a one-year deal with an option in Toronto and hit the market again next summer. Julius Randle is the only one of New York’s signees to get a guaranteed multi-year deal.
There’s more from New York City:
- The Knicks plan to retain Damyean Dotson through his July 15 guarantee date, Berman adds in the same story. The second-year guard, who will earn about $1.5MM, will get increased competition for minutes from free agent additions Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington and Elfrid Payton.
- Tim Bontemps of ESPN examines whether the Knicks did the right thing by loading up on free agents after their top targets were off the board. While they retained their financial flexibility for the future and should put a better product on the court, they also missed out on a chance to acquire assets by saving some of that cap money to facilitate deals such as the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade, the Andre Iguodala trade to the Grizzlies or the D’Angelo Russell trade to the Warriors.
- Kevin Knox wants to prove his omission from the All-Rookie Team was a mistake, relays Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Knox collected just 22 second-team votes, well short of the amount needed to earn a spot. “Yeah, of course I deserved to make it,” he said. “But it was definitely motivation. I worked hard this summer. That was kind of a chip on my shoulder for me to work hard this summer. Definitely, it was motivation. I’m going to use it for summer. I’m going to keep using it for next year.”
Amar’e Stoudemire, Monta Ellis To Work Out For NBA Teams
Amar’e Stoudemire and Monta Ellis will hold a private workout for at least five NBA teams next week, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN. He states that both players have overcome past injuries and are hoping to catch the attention of a contender, such as the Lakers, that has several roster spots to fill. The session is set for Monday evening in Las Vegas.
Stoudemire, 36, hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2015/16 season when he got into 52 games for the Heat. He has been playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, a team he co-owns in the Israeli Premier Basketball League. He briefly retired in 2017, but decided to return to the game after spending time in the BIG3 League last summer.
The last NBA experience for the 33-year-old Ellis came with the Pacers during the 2016/17 season. He was a regular part of Indiana’s rotation, playing 74 games and averaging 8.5 points per night. However, the team opted to use the stretch provision on him that summer to unload his contract. He will receive $2,245,400 a year from the Pacers through the 2021/22 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.
Latest On Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green
9:18pm: Leonard won’t make a decision tonight and may not announce his intentions for a few days, a source tells Jabari Young of The Athletic (Twitter link). Leonard plans to thoroughly review his options with his representatives before choosing one. Contrary to reports, Young states that Leonard hasn’t discussed a two-year deal with any of the three teams involved.
5:11pm: Cris Carter of Fox Sports 1 provides an update on the situation, emphasizing that Leonard hasn’t reached a decision and the Raptors, Lakers and Clippers all remain under consideration (Twitter link). He also cautions not to expect a quick answer.
4:39pm: Day four of the Kawhi Leonard Watch took an unusual turn today, as word leaked out that the private plane belonging to MLSE – the group that owns the Raptors – was bound for Toronto from Los Angeles.
While there was no official confirmation that Leonard himself was on board, Canadian news network CP24 captured video of the plane touching down in Toronto, with its occupants piling into a pair of SUVs and driving downtown to a hotel where president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri had reportedly been spotted earlier in the day — and where a crowd of Torontonians gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the Finals MVP (video link via James Wattie of CBC Toronto).
We still don’t have any formal updates on whether Leonard will choose the Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers, but if Kawhi’s camp traveled to Toronto for its meeting with the defending champs rather than hosting the team in Los Angeles, that doesn’t seem like a bad sign for the Raptors’ chances.
ESPN basketball analyst Jalen Rose added some fuel to that fire today by declaring during an episode of Get Up (video link) that he has heard with “99%” certainty that Leonard will be re-signing with the Raptors on a two-year deal that would put him in line to reach free agency again when he has 10 years of experience and qualifies for a higher maximum salary.
While Rose has been right about Leonard in the past, he’s not typically a news-breaker, so it’s probably not safe to treat his latest report as gospel quite yet. Leonard’s camp has been tight-lipped throughout the process — until they make an official announcement or leak word of Kawhi’s decision to a trusted reporter, we’re not jumping to any conclusions.
Meanwhile, Danny Green‘s free agent decision will likely be impacted by Leonard’s, since the shooting guard has interest in running it back with the Raptors if his longtime teammate stays in Toronto. Green’s podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford offered an update in the wake of Rose’s pronouncement, tweeting that the best offer that Green has received so far – in terms of years and money – has been from the Mavericks.
However, Sanford added that Green would strongly consider a return to Toronto – likely on a two-year deal – if Kawhi stays. Green also wouldn’t rule out going to the Lakers, according to Sanford, who notes that the Lakers’ offer could increase if they don’t land Leonard.
Rockets Focused On Andre Iguodala, JaVale McGee
After missing out on their top summer target when Jimmy Butler opted for Miami, the Rockets are looking at two former Warriors as they fill out their roster, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
With a need for depth at the wing and in the middle, Houston is turning its attention to Andre Iguodala and JaVale McGee, according to Feigen. With the moratorium is lifted Saturday, Iguodala will be on his way to Memphis, part of a cost-cutting move that enables Golden State to trade for D’Angelo Russell without exceeding the tax apron.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey may be willing to send next year’s first-round pick to the Grizzlies as part of a package to acquire Iguodala, who will make $17,185,185 in the final year of his contract. Morey could hope for a buyout and try to get Iguodala at a better price, but he would risk losing him to another team, such as the Lakers, where Iguodala’s former agent, Rob Pelinka, serves as GM.
Houston pursued Iguodala when he was a free agent in 2017 and put on “the best recruiting presentation of all time,” a source told ESPN. Iguodala canceled his other meetings and was reportedly ready to sign with the Rockets before Golden State increased its offer.
Feigen notes that if a trade happens, Memphis will have pulled off the rare feat of getting one first-rounder for taking Iguodala and another for letting him go.
The Rockets met with McGee, who played for the Lakers this season, on Sunday in a session that two sources told Feigen “went really well.” Houston’s interest in McGee wasn’t just a hedge against a Clint Capela trade, he adds. The team is looking for more size on its reserve unit and likes McGee as a pick-and-roll partner for James Harden and Chris Paul.
Cavaliers Sign Kevin Porter Jr.
The Cavaliers now have all three of their first-round picks under contract with today’s signing of Kevin Porter Jr. following yesterday’s deals for Darius Garland and Dylan Windler. The team formerly announced all three moves in a press release.
Porter, the final player selected in the first round, had a roundabout journey to Cleveland, being taken by the Bucks and dealt to the Pistons on draft night. Detroit moved his draft rights to the Cavs in a June 26 deal. No terms were released for Porter’s contract, but he is eligible to earn $1,936,440, $2,033,160 and $2,130,240 in his first three NBA seasons.
Porter spent one season at USC, averaging 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in about 22 minutes per game. He ranked sixth in the Pac 12 in 3-point shooting percentage at .412%.
Jimmer Fredette Done With Summer League
Jimmer Fredette has left the Warriors‘ Summer League team to make sure he doesn’t get injured while he sifts through his options overseas, according to Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News.
Fredette, 30, accepted the Summer League opportunity with Golden State after playing six games for the Suns at the end of the season. He has been a star in China for the past three years, setting several scoring records and collecting a CBA International MVP award.
“He still can play. I think he should still play,” said Aaron Miles, the Warriors’ Summer League coach. “I should say this – I think he should do whatever he feels is best for him and his family. I know a lot of times as you get older, sometimes it’s more mental than physical. But I don’t know his situation. I don’t know what the reasoning behind it. But he definitely has a lot of basketball left.”
Fredette averaged 9.5 PPG and 20.5 minutes of playing time in two games in the California Classic League. However, the Warriors are more concerned with developing their draft picks, Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Alan Smailagic, along with second-year guard Jacob Evans and fourth-year center Damian Jones.
A source tells Medina that Fredette decided to leave the league after several foreign teams contacted his representatives about his availability.
A prolific scorer at BYU, Fredette had a journeyman NBA career after being selected with the 10th pick in the 2011 draft. After spending his first two and a half seasons with the Kings, he had short stays with the Bulls, Pelicans and Knicks before leaving the league in 2016.
Hornets Sign PJ Washington
First-round pick PJ Washington has signed with the Hornets, according to a press release from the team. The 6’8″ forward out of Kentucky was the 12th player selected in last month’s draft.
Under the NBA’s rookie scale, Washington can make $3,831,840 in his first season, $4,023,600 in his second and $4,215,120 in his third. The actual terms of his deal were not released.
Washington spent two years with the Wildcats and led the team with 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a sophomore. He earned first team All-SEC and third team All-America honors this season.
Sixers Sign Matisse Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle has signed his rookie contract with the Sixers, the team announced today. The senior swingman out of Washington was selected with the 20th pick in last month’s draft.
Terms of the deal weren’t released, but under the rookie salary structure, Thybulle is eligible to make $2,582,160 in his first season, $2,711,280 in his second and $2,840,160 in his third.
“Matisse was the best defensive wing in the draft and his tenacious and gritty play fit our culture perfectly,” Philadelphia GM Elton Brand said. “A talented shooter and a great person off the court, we’re very excited to welcome Matisse to the 76ers family.”
Thybulle won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award this season and was honored as the Pac 12’s top defender for the second straight year. His scoring average was modest at 9.1 PPG, but he collected 3.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per night.