Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Johnson, Blair, Mavs, Deng, Jazz

July 11th, 2013 at 12:51am CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars introduced free agent signee Josh Smith to the media today, but Dumars says he isn't done upgrading the roster, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News observes. The team also brought Rasheed Wallace aboard as an assistant coach this week, providing a link to its championship past. Here's more from the rest of the league as teams and players covet the Larry O'Brien trophy:

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears Ivan Johnson is drawing interest from several teams, including the Hawks (Twitter link). Atlanta declined to offer Johnson a qualifying offer this summer, but the team can still re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Johnson let go of agent Larry Williams last week.
The Mavs have "poked around" free agent DeJuan Blair, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com tweets, so it appears the club may have some level of interest. The team is focusing on its frontcourt, and GM Donnie Nelson doesn't think the Mavs will be bringing on any more guards, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes at the end of his roundup.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks the Mavs should have been more willing to take a risk on Andrew Bynum.
An NBA GM from outside the Bulls organization tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com that Luol Deng could command between $11MM and $12MM on the open market next summer. Deng and the Bulls appear to be working toward an extension (Twitter link).
The Jazz may have had "different conversations with Mo Williams" if the team hadn't wound up with Trey Burke on draft night, GM Dennis Lindsey told reporters today, including Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).
Royce White, who's headed to the Sixers via trade, intends to play for the team, but is still reluctant to make frequent flights, as he tells Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register (link via USA Today).

Renounced Players: Wednesday

July 10th, 2013 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams clear cap space to finalize signings and trades, it may mean renouncing Early Bird or Bird rights to their own free agents, in order to remove cap holds from the books. Once a player is renounced, his previous team has no more claim to him that any other team — he could still be re-signed, but it would have to be done using cap space or an exception. Some of those decisions are more notable than others, but for completion's sake, we'll track the latest of these cap-clearing moves right here:

Mo Williams is the most prominent name among the several whose rights the Jazz renounced today, according to the RealGM transaction log. Al Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll and Earl Watson, who already have deals to join other teams, are also on the list, as are the long-retired Brevin Knight and Greg Ostertag.
Bobcats are set to re-sign Josh McRoberts, but they won't be using their Early Bird rights to do so, as they've renounced his rights, RealGM shows. The team also renounced their rights to Reggie Williams, who's heading to the Rockets, and it cut ties with DeSagana Diop, Byron Mullens and Jannero Pargo, too.
Golden State will sign Jermaine O'Neal, so the Suns have renounced his rights, as well as their rights to Wesley Johnson and Diante Garrett, as RealGM notes.

Earlier updates:

The Hawks have cleared out unwanted cap holds from their books, renouncing their rights to Hilton Armstrong, Erick Dampier, Devin Harris, Dahntay Jones, Randolph Morris, Zaza Pachulia, Johan Petro, Josh Smith, and Etan Thomas, according to RealGM.com's transactions log.
RealGM.com also has the Trail Blazers renouncing multiple players, including Luke Babbitt, J.J. Hickson, Eric Maynor, and Nolan Smith.
Most interestingly, according to RealGM.com, the Bucks have renounced their rights to Monta Ellis. That doesn't necessarily preclude a sign-and-trade, but it would mean the team would have to use cap space rather than Ellis' Bird rights to accommodate a deal.
The Pelicans have renounced their rights to Louis Amundson, Xavier Henry, and Roger Mason Jr., the team announced today in a press release.
In order to clear cap room for their signings, the Pistons renounced Will Bynum, Jose Calderon, Vernon Macklin, Corey Maggette, Jason Maxiell, and Ben Wallace, according to RealGM's transactions log. The Pistons plan to re-sign Bynum, but removing his $6MM+ cap hold and signing him to a smaller figure using cap space makes the most sense.
After renouncing their rights to Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom, the Clippers have also renounced Bobby Simmons, according to RealGM.com's transactions log.

Fallout From Andrew Bynum’s Deal With Cavs

July 10th, 2013 at 9:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Plenty of deals have become official today, the first day after the July Moratorium, but the biggest story involves an agreement struck this evening, with Andrew Bynum and his balky knees heading to the Cavs. The deal is only guaranteed for $6MM, and according to USA Today's Sam Amick, "enormous protections" are in place that would make it difficult for Bynum to get his full $12MM salary this year unless he's healthy (Twitter link). The Cavs are realisitc about Bynum's injury troubles, and are simply hopeful he'll be ready for training camp, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets. Here's more reaction to Cleveland's gamble:

Some teams were turned off on Bynum this summer because of questions surrounding his willingness to aggressively rehab, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He still isn't healthy enough to take part in full-court drills, TNT's David Aldridge hears.
Neither the Hawks nor the Mavs made a formal offer to Bynum after he met with the teams this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Several executives told Chris Mannix of SI.com that they wouldn't give Bynum any more than a one-year deal for the mid-level exception (Twitter link). As Mannix points out, the Cavs gave him a deal that's only guaranteed for about the same amount of money as the non-taxpayer's mid-level.
On Monday, well before the Bynum signing, a source told Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that he wouldn't be surprised to see the Cavs re-sign Luke Walton if Bynum wound up in Cleveland (Twitter link).
A Cavs executive told Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer that the team understands the risk involved with Bynum's knees. Still, the club is willing to take him on because of his upside, the exec says (on Twitter).
Similarly, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal hears there's skepticism within the Cavs organization that Bynum will ever be the player he once was (Twitter link). The contract is well worth the risk anyway, Lloyd says.
With Bynum joining a crowded frontcourt in Cleveland, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel figures it puts the Cavs out of the running for Greg Oden, who's also reportedly a target of the Heat (Twitter link).
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com looks at how Bynum could fit in with the Cavs, assuming he's healthy all season.

Andrew Bynum Rumors: Wednesday

July 10th, 2013 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard yesterday that Andrew Bynum may make a decision on his next team by the end of the night, but that turned out not be the case. As I suggested on Tuesday, it didn't make a ton of sense for Bynum to announce a decision before his meeting with the Mavericks, which is scheduled for today. For now, agent David Lee says there's no timetable for his client's decision, adding that it "might" happen this week, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Here are the rest of today's Bynum updates:

Lee wants to engage the Cavs in another dialogue tonight or tomorrow, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Still, the team isn't going to wait on Bynum, and while it hasn't pulled its offer, Cleveland will keep looking at other options (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Of the $24MM the Cavs offered Bynum over two years, only $6MM is guaranteed, says ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). However, that still makes it the highest offer Bynum currently has on the table.
The Mavericks' interest in Bynum remains serious enough after today's meeting that they're having "a medical discussion" and weighing an offer, GM Donnie Nelson indicated (link via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News).
Asked if Bynum would make a decision today, agent David Lee told the Plain Dealer (Twitter link) that "it takes two to make an agreement." That suggests to me that negotiations are ongoing and that there's not necessarily an offer on the table that Bynum likes.
Earlier today, we heard that the Sixers haven't entirely ruled out the possibility of bringing back Bynum. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio also heard that the Cavs believed Bynum may prefer to play in Dallas.
Many league executives feel like it will be difficult for the Hawks or Mavericks to top the Cavaliers' offer to Bynum, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
According to Amico, the Cavs and Hawks have been provided with Bynum's most recent medical results, and one source says they're "not bad."
Amico hears from multiple league sources that Bynum's problems with the Sixers may not have been entirely health-related, with several of those sources hinting at a friction between Bynum and the organization.
Whether or not they land Bynum, the Cavs may be open to moving a power forward, says Amico, noting that Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Earl Clark, Anthony Bennett, and Kevin Jones are all capable of playing the position.
While the Cavs' offer to Bynum has been reported as a two-year deal, only one year is guaranteed, and the second year is a team option. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Bynum's camp is hoping to land a deal with a little more security than that.
Although Bynum may be seeking more security, his market could be opened up a little if he'd agree to a clause that protects teams in the event of recurring knee injuries, says Kyler. Brandon Roy signed such a deal with Minnesota a year ago, making the second year of his deal non-guaranteed when his knee problems flared up again. If Bynum would consider such a deal, several teams would consider signing him, writes Kyler.

Odds & Ends: Kings, Tolliver, Lakers, Ellis

July 10th, 2013 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After a bid to relocate the NBA's Kings failed, Seattle-based investors also reportedly explored the possibility of moving the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes to the city. Although the franchise appears to be staying put in Phoenix, Seattle wasn't the only city interested in relocating it. According to Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com, Paul Allen and the Trail Blazers were also interested in buying the Coyotes and moving the team to Portland's Rose Garden.

Here are more odds and ends from around the NBA on a very busy Wednesday:

The Kings have named high-ranking NBA executive Chris Granger as their new team president, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Granger, who had been the executive VP of team marketing and business operations for the NBA, will oversee the team's role in the development of a new downtown sports arena and its business operations, says Lillis. It doesn't sound like Granger will be involved much, if at all, in the Kings' basketball operations.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter) that Anthony Tolliver is in talks with five teams, including the Hawks, and hopes to make a decision soon.
The Lakers have had conversations with Josh Powell's representative, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin adds in a second tweet that the team has also spoken to a couple more former Lakers: Sasha Vujacic and Lamar Odom.
As Monta Ellis continues to seek a free agent deal, there doesn't appear to be a clear favorite to sign him, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. News broke today that Ellis has parted ways with his longtime agent.
Elton Brand and Brandan Wright are still talking to the Mavericks about a potential return, but Rodrigue Beaubois is almost certainly headed elsewhere, as GM Donnie Nelson told reporters today, including Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com.
Before he agreed to sign with the Bobcats, Al Jefferson received interest from the Mavericks and Pelicans, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Pistons Sign Josh Smith To Four-Year Deal

July 10th, 2013 at 12:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 10TH, 12:11pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link).

JULY 6TH, 3:47pm: Smith's deal includes $54MM in base salary, but the value could rise to $56MM if he reaches performance incentives, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

2:54pm: No sign-and-trade is planned at the moment between the Pistons and Hawks, so the Smith acquisition figures to be an outright signing, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Windhorst also says the Rockets never engaged in sign-and-trade discussions about Smith with the Hawks.

2:34pm: Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears the deal totals just $54MM (Twitter links).

2:01pm: Josh Smith and the Pistons have agreed to terms on a four-year, $56MM deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Detroit lands perhaps the most enticing name on the free agent market now that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are locked up, using its cap space to reel in the athletic forward. The Rockets appeared to be pursuing a sign-and-trade for Smith as recently as last night, but couldn't get any traction on a move that would have reunited Howard with his AAU teammate.

The deal falls short of the maximum contract Smith was looking for, and gives him just a slight bump from the $13.2MM he made last season with the Hawks. The Warriors and Hawks also had interest, and the Celtics reportedly were set to target Smith in the wake of having traded Paul Pierce, but no team pursued him with as much vigor as Detroit, as Wojnarowski writes. The Pistons met with the client of Wallace Prather and Brian Dyke in the first hours of free agency, and though an offer didn't come out of that encounter, it was clear the team regarded him as more than the "Plan B" he appeared to be for other suitors who were waiting to hear from Howard.

The Pistons also had their sights on Andre Iguodala, and would like to have re-signed Jose Calderon, but with both of them agreeing on deals with other teams, it looks like president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and company circled back to their No. 1 option. The team should still have close to $10MM in cap room to complement an impressive front line of Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

The 27-year-old Smith saw his numbers dip a bit from his career year in 2011/12, averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this past season. Though Smith is multitalented, the hole in his game is three-point shooting. He took more shots from behind the arc than ever in 2012/13, but he connected on just 30.3% of his 2.6 long-range attempts per game.

Monta Ellis Parts Ways With Agent

July 10th, 2013 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

One of the top free agents remaining on the open market, Monta Ellis, had parted ways with longtime agent Jeff Fried of Peake Management Group, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. According to Broussard, Ellis is frustrated that he has yet to receive a viable and lucrative long-term contract offer.

"I only wish Monta and his family the very best," Fried said. "He is a superstar on the court and a character individual with tremendous integrity off the court."

While Ellis had been hoping to reach a decision on a team in the next day or two, the change in agents may push that timetable back. The Hawks, Kings, and Mavericks are reportedly still in the running for the 27-year-old guard, while other teams have shown interest, but may not have the financial means to make a competitive offer. Few teams have substantial cap space remaining, so Ellis may prefer a sign-and-trade to get the destination of his choice.

Broussard's sources expect Ellis to sign with Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports. However, it's my understanding that after firing an agent, a player must wait 15 days before hiring a new one. Unless that rule has changed or there's a technicality I don't know about, Ellis may have to be represented by the NBPA in the short-term.

Hawks Sign Paul Millsap To Two-Year Deal

July 10th, 2013 at 10:09am CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 10TH: The Hawks have officially signed Millsap, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 5TH: The Hawks have agreed to a deal with power forward Paul Millsap, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It's a two-year deal, Vivlamore adds via Twitter. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld first reported the two sides were in serious discussions. The pact will total $19MM, according to Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Millsap, a client of agent DeAngelo Simmons, gets a slight bump from his $8.6MM salary this past season, and presumably will be playing power forward next to Al Horford in Atlanta. Horford is one of just three returning Hawks players who entered the summer with guaranteed contracts, though Atlanta re-signed Kyle Korver earlier this week. The Hawks, armed with plenty of cap space, figure to be active now that Dwight Howard is heading to Houston instead of his hometown, and the team has already been linked to a possible sign-and-trade involving Josh Smith and Omer Asik.

The Jazz renounced their rights to Millsap earlier today after absorbing the expiring contracts of Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and Brandon Rush. That rendered Utah unable to make a competitive bid to retain Millsap, since the Jazz are up against the cap.

Bucks Readying Offer Sheet For Jeff Teague

July 10th, 2013 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

There are strong indications that the Bucks are preparing an offer sheet for restricted free agent Jeff Teague, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Stein adds (via Twitter) that the threat of an offer sheet could lead the Hawks and Bucks to ramp up talks on a potential sign-and-trade.

Throughout free agency, Milwaukee has been said to covet Teague, and the Hawks have been linked to both Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, making a sign-and-trade deal a realistic possibility. However, it appears the Bucks' interest in Teague may be stronger than Atlanta's interest in either Ellis or Jennings. The Hawks also don't seem all that enthused by the possibility of re-signing Teague and are have shown some interest in Mo Williams as an alternative, according to Stein (via Twitter), so it will be interesting to see what the team decides to do in this situation.

There are a few points worth mentioning on a potential offer sheet for Teague from Milwaukee. First, if Teague officially signs an offer sheet from the Bucks, the teams will no longer have the option of working out a sign-and-trade — the Hawks would have three days to either match the offer or let Teague walk to the Bucks. Additionally, as Zach Lowe of Grantland points out (via Twitter), Milwaukee would likely have to make at least one corresponding roster move to clear space for a competitive offer for Teague. That could mean amnestying Drew Gooden, or renouncing their rights to Jennings and Ellis.

In other words, there's some incentive for both sides to negotiate a sign-and-trade here, so the rumblings that the Bucks are readying an offer sheet may be just a tactic to move those negotiations forward.

Hawks, Mavs, Kings Finalists For Monta Ellis?

July 9th, 2013 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

3:44pm: The Bulls made a run at Ellis in hopes of acquiring him via sign-and-trade, but couldn't make the other roster moves necessary to complete a deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania writes that the Kings appear to be in the lead for Ellis, with the Hawks and Mavs also in play. Whatever team Ellis decides on will likely have to make at least one roster move to create room for him.

2:46pm: A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Ellis' decision may come down to the Hawks and Mavericks (Twitter link). Aldridge adds that Ellis remains interested in Sacramento, but the Kings' acquisition of Luc Mbah a Moute may take them out of the mix.

Meanwhile, in his full story on Ellis, Broussard goes into detail on each suitor's pursuit of Ellis, noting that the Mavs are hoping to land both Ellis and Andrew Bynum, and are shopping Shawn Marion in an effort to make room. The Hawks are considering a sign-and-trade involving Jeff Teague, the Bobcats are waiting to see what happens with Gerald Henderson, and the Kings are exploring trading Marcus Thornton, though again, the Mbah a Moute deal could reduce Sacramento's chances.

2:00pm: Among the free agents still on the board, none had a higher scoring average last season than Monta Ellis. But the top scorer on the market may not be available for long. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter), Ellis hopes to make a decision on his destination within the next 48 hours, choosing from a group of suitors that includes the Hawks, Kings, Bobcats, and Mavericks.

The Hawks and Kings have been the teams most often linked to Ellis in the last several days, though the Mavs were also identified as a potential destination for him earlier in the free agent period. I believe this is the first we've heard of the Bobcats' interest, though it's probably not "serious," according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Depending on what other moves are made, and how big a starting salary Ellis receives, some of those teams may need to negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Bucks rather than signing him outright.

Ellis, 27, declined an $11MM player option to hit free agency, and also reportedly turned down a three-year, $36MM extension offer from the Bucks last season, so he'll likely be seeking a starting salary in that $10-12MM neighborhood.