Avery Bradley Opts Out, Headed To Free Agency
Lakers guard Avery Bradley will decline his $5MM option in order to enter unrestricted free agency, Chris Haynes of Yahoo tweets.
Bradley played a prominent role for the eventual champions prior to the restart, appearing in 49 games, including 44 starts. He averaged 8.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.3 APG. Bradley opted out of the restart and his minutes were filled by a variety of players.
Had Bradley opted in, his role would likely have diminished due to the addition of Dennis Schroder. The Lakers officially completed their trade for the high-scoring point guard with the Thunder on Wednesday.
There should be some competition for Bradley’s services. Multiple contenders are expected to court Bradley, who recently signed with a new agent.
JaMychal Green Declines Player Option, Hits Free Agency
Athletic Clippers forward JaMychal Green is turning down his $5MM player option and will hit the open market as a free agent, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets. Green had inked a two-year, $10MM deal with the starry Clippers, with an opt-out clause for this season, last year ahead of an anticipated deep postseason run.
Green now joins fellow Clippers forwards Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris in free agency as Los Angeles weighs options for how to reshape its front court, following a disappointing 2019/20 postseason that saw the Clippers falling in seven games to the Nuggets during the conference semifinals.
Though the 6’8″ Green did not provide the scoring punch or positional versatility of Morris or Harrell, he carved out a consistent rotation role with the Clippers last season nevertheless. In 20.7 MPG, Green averaged 6.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG. He could be an intriguing option for many contenders as an affordable, floor-spacing big man. He connected on 38.7% of his 3.8 three point attempts per game and shot 75% from the charity stripe.
Rockets To Pick Up Option on David Nwaba
The Rockets will exercise their $1.824MM option on reserve guard David Nwaba, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Nwaba was signed to a two-year deal prior to the restart but it’s uncertain whether he’ll be playing healthy enough to play at the start of next season. He began last season with the Nets but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December and was waived shortly thereafter.
The Rockets gave Nwaba $900K, much greater than a minimum salary at the time, as he continued his rehab last season and attached the team option. However, it’s uncertain whether the new front office regime views him as a rotation piece and wants to have his salary handy to facilitate a trade.
Nwaba is consider a strong perimeter defender. He averaging 5.2 PPG on .521/.429/.667 shooting in 13.4 minutes per contest in his 20-game stint with Brooklyn. He previously appeared in 141 total games for the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavaliers, dating back to 2017.
Gordon Hayward Opts Out, Will Become Free Agent
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has turned down the $34.2MM player option on his contract for 2020/21 and will become an unrestricted free agent, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Hayward won’t be able to match the $34.2MM salary he would have earned if he has simply opted in, his decision signals that he’s confident he’ll be able to secure a multiyear deal that features a far larger overall guarantee. Al Horford took this path with the Celtics a year ago, turning down a $30MM option to sign a four-year contract that guaranteed him $97MM.
While Horford left Boston, there’s no guarantee that Hayward will do so. The Celtics hold his Bird rights and still have the ability to sign him to a new long-term contract. However, it sounds like they’ll face plenty of competition for his services. The Hawks and Knicks – the two clubs with the most cap room in the NBA – have both been linked to the veteran forward.
A sign-and-trade is also a possibility, so teams over the cap could be in play for Hayward as well. As Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets, the Pacers – who have been frequently linked to the Indiana native – have explored potentially trading for him.
Hayward, 30, still didn’t quite look like his old All-Star self in 2019/20, but he was a lot closer than in his first two seasons in Boston. In 52 games this year, he averaged 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .500/.383/.855 shooting. His size and play-making ability will make him a popular target in free agency.
Magic To Give Clark Qualifying Offer, Let Iwundu, Frazier Walk
The Magic will extend a $1.82MM qualifying offer to forward Gary Clark, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets.
They will not extend a $2MM qualifying offer to swingman Wesley Iwundu and they’ll also decline their $1.66MM option on guard Melvin Frazier Jr. Both players will head into unrestricted free agency, while Clark will be restricted.
Orlando signed Clark after the Rockets waived him in early January. Clark, 25, appeared in 24 games for Orlando, averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 14.8 MPG.
The decision on Iwundu, a second-round pick in 2017, is somewhat surprising. He started 21 of 52 games last season, averaging 5.8 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 18.3 MPG. It signals that Orlando felt it could get a rotation upgrade elsewhere.
Orlando’s decision on Frazier didn’t raise eyebrows. A 2018 second-round pick, Frazier never cracked the rotation, appearing in just 29 games over two seasons.
Suns Won’t Pick Up Frank Kaminsky’s 2020/21 Option
The Suns won’t be exercising Frank Kaminsky‘s team option for the 2020/21 season, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $5MM.
[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2020/21]
Kaminsky, 27, averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG on .450/.331/.678 shooting in 39 games (19.9 MPG) for Phoenix in 2019/20. A patella stress fracture shortened his season, however, and he played a very limited role during the Suns’ 8-0 run in the bubble at Walt Disney World.
Plugged-in Suns reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 predicted earlier this week that the team would likely prioritize re-signing Dario Saric in free agency while letting other bigs like Aron Baynes and Kaminsky walk.
Kaminsky will now be free to reach a deal with any team once the free agent period opens on Friday.
James Johnson Exercises Option, Clearing Path For Trade To Thunder
Timberwolves forward James Johnson has exercised the player option on his contract for the 2020/21 season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The move will guarantee Johnson a $16MM salary for the coming year, but it doesn’t mean he’ll remain in Minnesota. Charania confirms (via Twitter) that the veteran will be sent to Oklahoma City as part of the Ricky Rubio trade between the Wolves and Thunder. Johnson’s expiring contract was required for salary-matching purposes.
Johnson, 33, played well with the Wolves after being sent to Minnesota in a three-team trade at last season’s deadline, averaging 13.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .500/.370/.676 shooting in 14 games (24.1 MPG). Despite that strong finish, he was never going to match his $16MM option salary on the free agent market, so his opt-in comes as no surprise.
It’s not clear yet whether Johnson will remain in Oklahoma City after being acquired by the Thunder, or if his new clubs plans to trade or release him.
Atlantic Notes: Horford, Simmons, Embiid, Harden, Celtics Draft
The Sixers created an $8.6MM trade exception in their agreed-upon deal that will send Al Horford to the Thunder, John Hollinger of The Athletic reports.
That’s significant, as Hollinger points out, because the front office will not have a full mid-level exception to offer in free agency since the club is in luxury tax territory. The exception can be used in a sign-and-trade this offseason or – more likely – a direct trade for a player under contract.
New president of basketball operations Daryl Morey promises he’ll make some roster moves via the free agent route, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “They’re going to be some additions there,” Morey said of free agency, while adding “we feel very good where we’re at.”
Morey declared that he’s not interested in trading either of his top players, according to the Associated Press’ Dan Gelston. He said Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid “are going to be here for a long time.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics were advised that they shouldn’t pursue a James Harden deal with the Rockets, longtime Celtics beat reporter Steve Bulpett tweets. The front office researched the possibility of adding Harden and were urged to stay away, as the intel regarding the fallout in the Houston organization painted an ugly picture. Presumably, Harden was a part of that dysfunction.
- The Celtics had three first-round picks to dangle on Wednesday but didn’t move up. It wasn’t for lack of trying, another longtime Celtics beat reporter Mark Murphy tweets. GM Danny Ainge said they explored the possibility but there was “not anything that was really tempting for us in the first part of the draft.” Boston held onto the first two picks and traded the other to the Grizzlies for two future second-rounders.
Celtics’ Enes Kanter Picks Up 2020/21 Player Option
Celtics center Enes Kanter has picked up his player option for the 2020/21 season, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The move locks in his $5MM salary for the coming year.
A report last month suggested that Kanter might surprise a lot of people by entering the free agent market. Given the current economic climate, as well as Kanter’s diminished role during the restart, he ultimately chose to keep the guaranteed money.
Kanter was part of the Celtics’ big man rotation most of the regular season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 16.9 MPG. His defensive shortcomings and lack of a perimeter shot led coach Brad Stevens to lean on Daniel Theis in the postseason. Kanter, 28, made only 11 playoff appearances and averaged just 9.3 MPG in those outings.
Kanter doesn’t figure to get significant playing time next season but his expiring contract could come in handy at some point for Boston’s front office.
Knicks Eyeing Gordon Hayward
The Knicks have been aggressive in their pursuit of Celtics forward Gordon Hayward this week, sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Hayward’s decision on his $34.2MM player option for 2020/21 is due this afternoon, and Stein suggests there’s a “growing belief” around the league that the veteran could turn down that option. If he does, New York may emerge as his most logical landing spot, given that the team is projected to have upwards of $40MM in cap room after its series of roster moves today.
However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv throws some cold water on the idea of Hayward making the move to New York. According to Begley (via Twitter), some people in the Knicks’ front office have had interest in acquiring Hayward, but it’s considered less likely now that the team has used its picks in the 2020 draft.
The Hawks, another team that will have significant cap room this weekend, have also been identified as a potential suitor for Hayward. We should find out soon whether he has decided to opt into the final year of his contract with the Celtics or if he’ll hit the open market tomorrow.