Rockets, Hawks Talk Josh Smith Sign-And-Trade
10:50pm: The Rockets are getting "no traction" in their efforts to acquire Smith via sign-and-trade, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
7:16pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports hears the Rockets and Hawks haven't discussed a Smith sign-and-trade. Still, talks could begin soon, a source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
6:16pm: The Rockets and Hawks are working on a sign-and-trade deal that would send Josh Smith to the Rockets, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, who figures Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin are headed to Atlanta. Presuming Dwight Howard signs with Houston, such a move would give the Rockets a third star to pair with James Harden while facilitating Asik's desire to move on.
It's not clear exactly what kind of contract Smith would get out of the deal, but he could wind up with as much as approximately $74MM over four years in a max deal, with a starting salary of about $17.35MM, though the final max figure won't be known until the July Moratorium ends next week. Asik's and Lin's salaries for next season add up to about $16.7MM, so a max deal for Smith, which he said during the season he'd be seeking, could be in the cards.
Of course, even if the Hawks and Rockets agree to a swap, Smith would have to give his consent. Smith has been contemplating his future since meeting earlier this week with teams including the Pistons, Rockets and Hawks.
Dwight Howard To Sign With Rockets
10:01pm: Howard, as promised, took to Twitter (or Twitlonger, to be precise) to reveal his choice of the Rockets.
"I've decided to become a member of the Houston Rockets. I feel its the best place for me and I am excited about joining the Rockets and I'm looking forward to a great season. I want to thank the fans in Los Angeles and wish them the best."
9:36pm: It appears Howard has picked the Rockets once and for all. The Lakers have released a statement from GM Mitch Kupchak:
"We have been informed of Dwight's decision to not return to the Lakers. Naturally we're disappointed. However, we will now move forward in a different direction with the future of the franchise and, as always, will do our best to build the best team possible, one our great lakers fans will be proud to support. To Dwight, we thank him for his time and consideration, and for his efforts with us last season. We wish him the best of luck on the remainder of his NBA career."
Of course, nothing's official until July 10th, when the league's July Moratorium is up, but presumably, Howard will be headed to Houston.
9:33pm: HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears from a source close to Howard that he's decided to join the Rockets after all (Twitter link).
8:46pm: On ESPN's SportsCenter, Chris Broussard is reporting that Howard has told the Lakers he's changed his mind, and both the Lakers and Rockets have 50-50 chances, according to multiple reports (All Twitter links).
6:32pm: Howard is flying from Colorado to L.A. to speak with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak tonight, Bresnahan tweets.
5:47pm: Asik has no interest in backing up Howard if D12 does indeed come to Houston, and that could force a trade, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Hawks would listen to a sign-and-trade proposal involving Smith, Windhorst adds (Twitter links).
5:41pm: If Howard does sign with the Rockets, Mannix expects the team to try to flip Omer Asik, possibly as part of a deal for Josh Smith (Twitter link). Pincus believes the Rockets may still need to create a little more cap room to sign Howard outright to a max deal, though that won't be official until the salary cap is set next week, when the July Moratorium ends (Twitter link).
5:36pm: Houston GM Daryl Morey tweets that while he is "excited & cautiously optimistic" that Howard might choose Houston, he and the team have not been informed of his decision (hat tip to HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus).
5:31pm: As it stands at the moment, Fegan appears to be the one putting the brakes on the story, telling Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times that, "Based on my most recent conversation wirh Dwight, it’s inaccurate" that he has chosen Houston (Twitter link). Howard had been leaning toward Houston, but with his back issues, he's wondering if leaving $30MM is the right idea, Bresnahan tweets.
5:21pm: Multiple sources tell Wojnarowski that Howard has chosen the Rockets, but that he is still finalizing details of the agreement (Twitter link). Chris Mannix of SI.com says that he's been told Howard is wrestling with the idea of passing up the extra $30MM or so that the Lakers could offer, but if all things were equal, he'd go to Houston (Twitter link). Kennedy echoes that sentiment via Twitter. The Lakers and Rockets are the only two teams that haven't been notified they're out of the running, Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter).
5:15pm: A decision is coming tonight or tomorrow, tweets Kennedy.
5:12pm: A source close to Howard tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that no decision has been made, although it's unclear whether that source spoke to Kennedy before or after news broke that he would sign with the Rockets (Twitter link). While Berger and TNT's David Aldridge both confirm Howard will sign with the Rockets (Twitter links), agent Dan Fegan tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that "Dwight has not finalized his decision" (Twitter link).
4:55pm: The most-discussed free agent of the summer has finally made his decision. After spending the week meeting with five different teams and weighing his options at a Colorado resort, Dwight Howard has opted to sign with the Rockets, reports Sam Amick of USA Today.
Howard has begun personally calling teams to tell them of his decision, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Warriors have already received one of those calls from Howard, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). The Hawks and Lakers appeared to be the other teams in the running at the very end, with the Mavericks having been officially eliminated earlier.
Chuck Myron contributed to this story.
Paul Millsap, Hawks In Serious Discussions
The Hawks and Paul Millsap are engaged in a serious dialogue about a deal, according to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Twitter link). The Jazz renounced their rights to Millsap earlier today, limiting Utah to re-signing him for no more than their $2.65MM room exception. Conversely, the Hawks have plenty of cap room to sign the power forward to a much larger deal.
There's been little chatter about Millsap in the free agency period, though the Celtics were reportedly interested in him at the trade deadline and again this spring, before they went into rebuilding. The DeAngelo Simmons client saw declines in his scoring and rebounding averages this past season, but at age 28, Millsap remains in the upper echelon of NBA power forwards, far outpacing expectations when he was a second-round pick in 2006. Millsap made $8.6MM in 2012/13, the last year of a four-year, $32MM pact.
The Hawks have an agreement with Kyle Korver on a four-year, $24MM deal, but they have only three other players from last season on fully guaranteed deals. They're reportedly linked to the Rockets in what could be a sign-and-trade deal involving Josh Smith and Omer Asik, and given their cap space, they could become even more active now that it's assured they won't be signing Dwight Howard.
Omer Asik Wants Out Of Houston; Pelicans In Mix?
8:01pm: There's no question Anderson would intrigue the Rockets, but the Pelicans are wary of giving him up without getting more than Asik in return, Wojnarowski tweets.
7:29pm: The Pelicans have shown strong interest in Asik, and are likely centering their offer on Ryan Anderson, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
5:53pm: A source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that Omer Asik wants out of Houston, and other teams are already making pitches (Twitter link). Once a deal between the Rockets and Dwight Howard is finalized, Asik could be sent to the Hawks for Josh Smith, though the Mavs are also making a push, Berger adds via Twitter. I presume he means the Mavs are making a push for Asik and not Smith, but that's just my speculation. Chris Mannix of SI.com and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported earlier details on the story, with Windhorst noting that the Hawks would sign to a sign-and-trade offer for Smith.
A destination that would appeal to Asik is the Bulls, where he began his career, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That would reunite him with coach Tom Thibodeau, who'd also be interested in such a deal. That might be more difficult for the over-the-cap Bulls to pull off than it is for the Hawks or Mavs, however. Asik has $16,749,292 left on his deal over the next two seasons. The Hawks won't rush in to any deal, according to TNT's David Aldridge, who says the team won't be making moves just to be "active," and any move would have to fit with the team's culture (Twitter link).
Even if the Hawks aren't interested in Asik, several other teams, including the Warriors, are, tweets Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game. Late last month a report surfaced indicating the Rockets were looking to unload Asik and Jeremy Lin, though Houston GM Daryl Morey backtracked from that story. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wondered if Morey's comments were simply to try to make sure Asik and Lin would still be on board if Howard passed on signing with the team, but it appears at least that Asik has been turned off. Lin would be tougher to move than Asik, Bucher points out, noting that many front offices view the point guard as a backup.
Windhorst raises the possibility of Asik heading to the Lakers in a Howard sign-and-trade, and notes that Asik doesn't want to play in any twin-tower Rockets lineups alongside Howard, either. While Asik's cap hit for the next two seasons will be around $8MM, he's actually owed more than $20MM total because of the way his deal with Houston was structured, per the Gilbert Arenas Provision.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday
Today is Friday, which means decision day for Dwight Howard may finally be here. Or it may not be. Various reports this week have indicated Howard would like to announce his decision today, but at least as many reports have suggested an announcement may not come until later in the weekend. Considering how indecisive Howard has been in the past, resolution today is far from a sure thing, but we at least seem to be nearing the final stages of a saga that's been playing out for the last couple years.
The big Howard story yesterday had the Warriors exploring the possibility of clearing cap space to sign D12 outright. It certainly wouldn't be easy, and there's no guarantee the big man will choose the Warriors anyway, but here's the latest on Golden State's efforts, and the rest of today's Howard rumors:
- The Warriors, Lakers, and Rockets appear to be the three teams left standing for Howard, according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who says the events of the last 24 hours have sent "strong signs" to the Mavericks and Hawks that they're out of the running. Meanwhile, a source tells Amick that the Warriors have been given indications that the Rockets are the "strong favorite" to land Howard.
- Multiple teams involved in the race for Howard fear that the Rockets will be the winners, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Earlier updates:
Warriors’ Efforts To Clear Cap Not Only Tied To D12
While there's been speculation that the Warriors would only attempt to unload big expiring contracts like Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson, and Andris Biedrins if Dwight Howard chooses Golden State, that's not necessarily the case, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger reports that even if Howard commits to sign elsewhere, the Warriors are still interested in trying to clear cap space, perhaps to pursue another impact free agent such as Andre Iguodala.
According to Berger, the Warriors have offered Bogut, Jefferson, and Biedrins to the Hawks, Jazz, and Cavaliers, three of the only NBA teams with enough cap room to absorb one or more of those contracts without sending out salary in return.
Berger writes that Golden State would have to move two of those three players in order to clear enough space to sign Howard outright, though I believe all three would actually have to be dealt. Even if the Warriors were to move the two larger salaries (Bogut and Jefferson), the team would still have about $45MM left on its books, by my estimation. That would rule out a max offer for Howard, but would likely be enough room to squeeze in a competitive offer for a player like Iguodala.
While Bogut has a little value on his own, Jefferson and Biedrins, who are making $11MM+ and $9MM respectively, have significant negative trade value. I'd imagine that any team taking on either of those players would demand multiple draft picks, including at least one first-rounder.
Dwight Howard Notes: Rockets, Lakers, Mavs
Plenty of you weighed in on yesterday's poll asking where Dwight Howard would eventually sign, and there was a fairly solid consensus: About half of nearly 3,500 voters believe Howard will end up in Houston, while the Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks (in that order) combined for the other half of the votes. One former Rocket great is in agreement with Hoops Rumors readers, as Hakeem Olajuwon told ThePostGame.com that he believes there's an "85% chance" Howard signs with Houston.
"You never know," Olajuwon added. "But after that meeting we had, I feel very comfortable that we have the best chance to get him."
Here are a few more Thursday links related to the biggest name on the free agent market:
- Sources close to Howard tell ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Twitter link) that Kobe Bryant's reported pitch, in which he proposed teaching the All-Star center how to become a champion, will be a "complete turn-off" for Howard.
- As Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News points out, since deals can't officially be signed until July 10th, the team Howard chooses shouldn't rest easy until that contract is finalized, given how indecisive D12 has been in the past.
- Yesterday, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com passed along a Howard-related conspiracy theory (via Twitter), which suggested that all the Houston buzz is a smokescreen and that the big man has been ticketed for Dallas all along. Today, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com explains why it's easy to shoot holes in that theory.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Dwight Howard has been visited by five teams since free agency opened, meeting with the Rockets late Sunday night, the Hawks and Warriors on Monday, and the Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday. It appears Howard will decide on one of those five options, with no dark horse suitors like the Clippers lurking as possibilities. Happy Walters, one of Howard's reps at Relativity Sports, tweeted earlier this morning, "Great meetings with @DwightHoward. Group Going 2 get some Mountain air to clear the mind and make some decisions."
Here's more on Walters' tweet and Howard's free agency in general:
- In the Lakers meetings with Howard, Kobe Bryant essentially challenged his teammate to learn how to become a champion, insisting that Bryant should be the one to teach him in L.A., writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, via Twitter, Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash, Bryant and Howard all openly talked about last year's issues, leaving nothing unsaid yet still leaving the meeting on a positive note.
- Regarding Stein's report that Golden State had forced their way into the conversation, Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News hears that Mark Jackson was very impressive and that the pitch included Howard being surrounded by Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes (via Sulia string). This would all but rule out a blockbuster sign-and-trade.
- Tim Kawakami, also of the Mercury News, provides an extensive breakdown of what is and is not possible when it comes to the Warriors and Howard. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld also gives his take on the potential match.
Earlier updates:
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Warriors made a real impression on Howard during their Monday meeting, and shouldn't be written off as a potential destination, though they still probably trail the Lakers, Rockets, and Mavs (Twitterlinks).
- Howard hopes to decide by this Friday on which team he'll sign with, according to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter. A source tells Schefter that D12's decision is "totally up in the air."
- There are still teams interested in further making their cases to Howard, but he appears to have shut down all takes to decide now, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to various reports, Howard and his camp are heading to Aspen to discuss their options.
- Howard and his camp will be heading "off the grid" to either a resort area in Colorado or a remote ranch in Montana to weigh the big man's options over the next few days, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- One source to Berger, on Howard's meetings this week: "The meetings were all very interesting. Each [was] very individualized for the team and city they repped. Super impressed by all."
- Berger also speculates on how Howard will announce his decision, predicting that while a LeBron James-esque production won't happen, D12 could make his announcement via a YouTube video.
- A decision could come from Howard by Friday, but it's also possible he'll "let it bleed into the weekend," says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source with knowledge of Howard's decision-making process still believes the Rockets are the favorites, according to Wojnarowski. "The Rockets have put themselves in position to pull this off," the source said. "If he wants to win right now – and be set up to keep winning – it's hard to make a case for anyone but Houston."
FA Updates: Jennings, Oden, Calderon, Knicks
The second day of 2013 free agency is underway, and we can probably expect to see a few more agreements reached today. In the meantime, here are a few news items and rumors on some notable free agents:
- Brandon Jennings' representatives at Excel Sports gave the Bucks an undisclosed amount on Monday that Jennings would be willing to accept to re-sign with the team, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears, Milwaukee would prefer to sign Jennings outright rather than having to decide whether to match an offer sheet, but it's not clear whether the team is on board with the figure Jennings has in mind.
- Free agent big man Greg Oden will likely choose between the Spurs, Heat, Cavs, Celtics, and Grizzlies, a source close to the player told ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman. Yesterday, we heard that those five clubs were interested in the former No. 1 overall pick as well as the Pacers, Kings, and Mavericks.
- Jose Calderon is meeting with the Kings in Sacramento today, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- The Bucks, Blazers, Spurs, and Hawks are pursuing Zaza Pachulia, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
- Nate Robinson and Matt Barnes have notified the Knicks that they're interested in signing with the club, and are waiting to see "where the Knicks are," a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- Flip Saunders and the Timberwolves have inquired on Nick Young, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).
Latest On Tyreke Evans
While a number of unrestricted free agents reached agreements with teams yesterday, one restricted free agent was making headlines as well, as word broke that the Pelicans had extended a four-year offer sheet worth a reported $44MM to Tyreke Evans.
Evans also met with the Pistons and Kings on Monday, and according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), the 23-year-old old left the meeting with Sacramento encouraged by the team's message. It's not clear how the meeting with Detroit went, though with the Pistons also pursuing Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala, they may not be inclined to top New Orleans' offer for Evans.
According to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter), Evans has another meeting scheduled for today with the Hawks, who have the cap flexibility to match or exceed the Pelicans' offer if they so choose.
As for the Pelicans, they'll probably want an answer on their offer sheet by later this week, since the team will likely have to trade or release Robin Lopez by July 5th to clear the necessary space for Evans. ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweets that New Orleans' preference is to sign Evans without having to trade Eric Gordon.
Should Evans sign the Pelicans' offer sheet, it's not certain whether the Kings would match it or let him walk. However, Amick does provide one interesting detail on Sacramento's meeting with Evans, tweeting that Chris Mullin is involved on some level with the Kings and was discussed during the meeting. Sacramento offered Mullin a position as a consultant last month, and according to Amick (via Twitter), it's clear the ex-Warrior is advising the team on some level, even if he doesn't have an official title.