Community Shootaround: Biggest Winner In Free Agency So Far
It feels like half of the league’s players are in different spots than they were just a week ago and some teams have benefited more than others from the player movement. You can check out all the movement in our Free Agent Tracker.
The Nets are arguably the biggest winner. They land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The franchise also added DeAndre Jordan and netted a first-rounder from the D’Angelo Russell sign-and-trade.
Russell went to the Warriors on a max deal and Golden State had an impressive few days outside of losing Durant. The Magic were able to re-sign their main guys and will bring back the core of a team that made the playoffs in the Eastern Conference last season.
Jimmy Butler will go to the Heat via sign-and-trade, giving the Heat a star they’ve long been in the market for. Kemba Walker heads to Boston and Terry Rozier to Charlotte in a double sign-and-trade that arguably puts a ceiling on what each team can accomplish.
The Sixers landed Al Horford and Josh Richardson (via the Butler deal) and brought back Tobias Harris. Philadelphia was one of the more active teams over the past few days, while the two Los Angeles teams remained in sort of a holding pattern as they wait for Kawhi Leonard to make a decision.
The Jazz added Mike Conley prior to free agency and made moves to complement their new core. The team added Bojan Bogdanovic on a four-year deal and brought in Ed Davis, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jeff Green to round out a strong first few days of free agency.
Our community shootaround tonight is simple: Which team has made the best signings thus far? Do you believe any team had a better few days than the Nets? Is there an under-the-radar team that isn’t being talked about enough?
Let us know your opinion in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Bucks, Sumner, Nets, De Colo
The first-round draft pick the Pacers will send the Bucks in their sign-and-trade deal for Malcolm Brogdon is lottery-protected in 2020, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. And if it doesn’t convey in 2020, it’s lottery-protected for five more drafts after that before becoming unprotected in 2026, Lowe adds. In other words, barring a catastrophe in Indiana, Milwaukee will be getting a pick in the back half of the first round, likely next year.
Meanwhile, Edmond Sumner‘s new three-year deal with the Pacers will be worth $6.5MM, a league source tells Grant Afseth of The Kokomo Tribune (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether all three years will be fully guaranteed, but it sounds like Sumner will be getting more than the minimum.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- A source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times that Spencer Dinwiddie was “at the forefront” of a months-long push to convince Kyrie Irving to choose the Nets over the Knicks — and to push Kevin Durant in the same direction. While DeAndre Jordan spent the last two months of the season with the Knicks, he also came to view Brooklyn as a more favorable destination to team up with Irving and Durant, according to Stein, who says the veteran center “joined the chorus promoting the Nets” in recent days.
- EuroLeague powerhouse Fenerbahce is in serious pursuit of Raptors RFA guard Nando De Colo, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. According to Carchia, De Colo – who last wore an NBA uniform in 2014 – remains focused on getting back into the NBA. But if he doesn’t get an offer he likes within the next couple weeks, it’s possible he’ll sign with the Turkish club, says Carchia.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype caught up with veteran center Nikola Vucevic to talk to him about his new $100MM contract agreement with the Magic. “I feel rewarded for what I’ve done – not just last season, but what I’ve done throughout all of my years in Orlando,” Vucevic said of his new deal. “It means a lot for the team to reward me with this nice contract. It was important for me to be able to continue [my career] there and I’m glad we were able to agree on a deal that keeps me in Orlando for four more years.”
Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Morris, Knicks, Wizards, Wolves
The Mavericks have interest in free agent forward Marcus Morris, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News, confirming a report from Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com (Twitter link). However, Dallas has “a few [players] ahead” of Morris on their wish list, according to Townsend.
Danny Green is one of those names believed to be ahead of Morris. The Mavericks have been linked to the veteran sharpshooter since the start of free agency, and a tweet from the account for Green’s podcast today listed the Mavs, Raptors, and Lakers as the teams still in play for the veteran shooting guard. The Mavs aren’t expecting an answer from Green until tomorrow at the earliest though, says Townsend.
Here’s more on the NBA’s remaining free agents:
- The Knicks project to have one slot open on their 15-man roster for next season, and Lance Thomas is the favorite to fill it, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). New York recently waived Thomas to avoid guaranteeing his 2019/20 salary, but could bring him back on a more modest deal.
- The Wizards haven’t circled back to free agent forward Jabari Parker so far, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), who says that the market is “still developing” for the former No. 2 overall pick.
- The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on free agent forward Jake Layman, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. Layman received a qualifying offer from the Trail Blazers, so he’s a restricted free agent.
Knicks Sign R.J. Barrett
The Knicks have signed R.J. Barrett to his rookie contract scale contract, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
Assuming he signed for 120% of the rookie scale, Barrett will take home $7.84MM during his first season in the league. Barrett is expected to play for the Knicks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Barrett was excited to be drafted by the franchise and at the time, it appeared he would come into the league on a contender, as New York was expected to make a splash in free agency. Instead, he’ll be in a typical situation for a team drafting in the top five.
The No. 3 overall pick should have the opportunity to be one of the most productive rookies during the 2019/20 season.
Lakers Sign Jared Dudley To One-Year Deal
JULY 7: The Lakers have officially signed Dudley to his minimum salary contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
JULY 2: The Lakers will sign Jared Dudley to a one-year deal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com tweets. The contract will be a minimum salary arrangement.
Los Angeles is slowly adding to their roster as the franchise waits on Kawhi Leonard‘s decision. In addition to Dudley, the team has already agreed to terms with Troy Daniels on a minimum-salary deal.
Neither Daniels’ deal nor Dudley’s will impact the Lakers’ cap room, as they’ll be finalized with the minimum salary exception after the team uses that room.
Dudley appeared in 59 games for Brooklyn last season. He spotted them 20.7 minutes per game while shooting 35.1% from behind the arc. The Pistons were among the teams competing for his services this offseason.
A Southern California native, Dudley will be returning home on his new deal in the hopes of competing for a title, as he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
“This is something I’ve been contemplating. I’d be getting a chance to compete for a championship, which is something I haven’t had since the Steve Nash [Suns] days,” Dudley said. “I just think that being home and with that Laker brand, what’s better than that?”
Sixers Sign Shake Milton To Four-Year Deal
JULY 7: Milton’s new four-year contract with the Sixers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
“Shake is the perfect example of what hard work and strong player development can produce,” GM Elton Brand said in a statement. “We are proud of the strides he made in the G League last season, where his game was able to blossom while gaining confidence as a pro. He has earned the right to be where he is today. He is an exciting young talent and I look forward to his continued development with the 76ers and the depth that he provides our roster.”
JULY 2: Shake Milton will sign a new contract with the Sixers. The team has agreed to a four-year deal with the shooting guard, according to ESPN’s Jordan Schultz (Twitter link).
Milton played last season on a two-way contract, splitting his time between the Sixers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. He saw limited playing time in 20 games for Philadelphia, but put up big numbers in 27 NBAGL contests, averaging 24.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.9 RPG with a .484/.369/.810 shooting line.
Because Milton’s two-way deal featured a second year, this transaction will technically be treated as a conversion from his two-way contract to an NBA contract, similar to Monte Morris‘ deal with the Nuggets last offseason.
The Sixers will have to use cap space to ink Milton to a four-year contract. There will also be no December 15 trade restriction for Milton, as two-way contract conversions don’t carry the same rules as most offseason NBA signings.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Warriors Sign Glenn Robinson III
JULY 9: The Warriors have officially signed Robinson, per NBA.com’s transactions log.
JULY 2: The Warriors and free agent wing Glenn Robinson III have reached an agreement on a two-year deal with a second-year player option, agent Jelani Floyd tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While terms of the deal aren’t yet known, a minimum-salary contract seems likely, given Golden State’s cap limitations. Even then, by giving Robinson a two-year deal, the Warriors would incur a 2019/20 cap hit of $1,882,867 rather than $1,620,564, pushing them ever so slightly toward their hard cap at the $138.9MM tax apron, as cap expert Albert Nahmad notes (via Twitter).
Robinson, 25, has spent time with the Timberwolves, Sixers, Pacers, and Pistons since entering the league in 2014 as a second-round pick. Last season, he averaged 4.2 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 47 games (13.0 MPG) in a disappointing season for Detroit.
The Pistons held a $4.3MM team option on Robinson for the 2019/20 season, but unsurprisingly decided to decline it.
While Robinson knocked down just 29.0% of his three-point attempts last season, the Warriors will be hoping he can recapture the form he showed with the Pacers in his previous three seasons, when he made 39.3% of his three-point tries in 137 games (albeit on just 1.4 attempts per contest).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Klay Thompson Undergoes ACL Surgery
Nearly three weeks after he suffered a torn ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Warriors guard Klay Thompson has undergone successful surgery to repair the injury, a league source ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, per Wojnarowski.
A recovery timeline for Thompson has not yet been established, but agent Greg Lawrence told Wojnarowski (Twitter links) that he anticipates the process to take about five to seven months, though he later clarified that a five-month timeline may be aggressive.
“While we are optimistic on a return as quickly as possible, Klay and the team are committed to taking the necessary time with the process,” Lawrence said.
Mark Medina of The Mercury News (Twitter link) estimates a six-to-nine month timeline. Either way, Thompson should have a good chance to return before the end of the 2019/20 season.
Thompson and the Warriors agreed to terms this week on a five-year, maximum-salary contract that will run through the 2023/24 season, so the team figures to be patient with the sharpshooter’s recovery, with an eye toward keeping him healthy for the long term.
Latest On Kawhi Leonard
After seemingly all of the rest of the top NBA free agents came off the board on Sunday night, the basketball world continues to wait on Kawhi Leonard, who is mulling whether to sign with the Raptors, Lakers, or Clippers. Here’s the latest on Kawhi:
- Leonard has completed his meetings with the Lakers and Clippers, and is meeting with the Raptors today, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).
- Team officials for the Lakers and Clippers “appear determined” to say as little as possible about the process to avoid upsetting Leonard or his reps, since Kawhi’s camp has “insisted on total silence,” tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
- Despite that apparent insistence on silence, much of the Leonard-related chatter this week has focused on the Lakers. Stein tweets that the Lakers believe they’re “firmly in the lead” for the Finals MVP based on LeBron James‘ and Magic Johnson‘s recruiting efforts. An earlier report suggested that no frontrunner has emerged.
- The Raptors haven’t backed off at all in their efforts to re-sign Leonard, according to Stein, who tweets that rapper – and Raptors global ambassador – Drake may be “mounting his own recruiting campaign” outside of Toronto’s formal pitch.
- The general belief throughout free agency has been that Danny Green will wait on Leonard’s announcement before making his own free agency decision. However, Green’s podcast co-host Harrison D. Sanford said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas today that Green is “considering not waiting” on Kawhi (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News). Green and his agent are scheduled to discuss things tonight, Sanford added. The Mavericks, Raptors, Lakers, and Clippers are believed to have interest in the veteran sharpshooter.
Sixers Notes: Horford, Cap Room, Scott, Butler
Al Horford‘s four-year, $109MM deal with the Sixers was originally reported to have a $97MM value with $12MM in additional bonuses tied to potential championships. However, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, that’s not quite right.
In a series of tweets, Bodner explains that the non-guaranteed $12MM in Horford’s contract all comes in the fourth and final year of the deal, which is partially guaranteed. There are team-related benchmarks, such as winning a championship, that could trigger that money to become guaranteed, per Bodner.
That means that Horford’s starting salary will be higher than originally anticipated — a deal with unlikely bonuses in every season might have started in the neighborhood of $22.5MM, but the actual contract is expected to start much higher than that.
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links) hears that Horford’s pact will have a first-year salary around $28MM, which means it won’t have increasing cap hits every year. That could help the Sixers in future seasons if they have to deal with tax penalties, which seems likely, given their lucrative long-term commitments to Horford, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris, along with Ben Simmons‘ probable max deal.
Here’s more on the 76ers:
- Based on the structure of Horford’s deal, the Sixers will have a little over $2MM in cap room left, rather than the $7-8MM figures that have been reported, tweets Bodner. Based on my math, a $28MM starting salary for Horford would leave about $2.27MM in space.
- As a result of their cap situation, the 76ers will use the room exception to complete Mike Scott‘s two-year, $9.8MM contract, Bodner clarifies (via Twitter). The team could technically have completed Scott’s deal using his Non-Bird rights, but will need to renounce his cap hold to create room for Horford and Josh Richardson.
- There are conflicting reports on just how aggressively the Sixers attempted to re-sign Jimmy Butler in free agency. As relayed by RealGM, a report from Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports says Philadelphia offered Butler a full five-year max, while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic have suggested otherwise. Haberstroh’s report acknowledges that the 76ers may have put their alleged offer on the table with the understanding that Butler wouldn’t accept, since he had already decided to move on.