Free Agency Rumors: DeRozan, Smart, Dragic, Tucker
It appears that several teams remain interested in adding veteran free agent Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, but are trying to gauge his market. Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that the Clippers would like to sign DeRozan, as would the Spurs if the price is right.
Schultz notes that there are other clubs interested in DeRozan, but – assuming he’s is not offered an overwhelming deal – the former four-time All-Star will take his time in determining a destination.
Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA world:
- With Lonzo Ball now headed to the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal as a restricted free agent, another team that had been floated as a potential destination, the Celtics, will most likely not attempt to move on from guard Marcus Smart, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Murphy adds (Twitter link) that Smart is hoping to earn a four-year, $80MM contract extension from Boston.
- Veteran guard Goran Dragic , who is expected to be sent from the Heat to the Raptors in an upcoming sign-and-trade for veteran free agent point guard Kyle Lowry, is hoping to be rerouted to the Mavericks, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). The details of a sign-and-trade agreement between Miami and Toronto have not yet been fully reported.
- Now that the news has broken that newly-minted NBA champion P.J. Tucker will be joining the Heat rather than return to the Bucks in free agency, Sam Amick of The Athletic notes a big part of the reason was Milwaukee’s exorbitant projected tax bill if Tucker had returned. The Bucks appear hopeful to replace Tucker’s versatile defensive contributions by agreeing to a deal with former Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye.
Heat Re-Sign Gabe Vincent
AUGUST 6: Vincent’s deal is now official, the Heat announced today in a press release.
“Gabe has proven to us that he is more than just a point guard,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He’s a two-way guard that can run the offense, make threes and pretty much defend any guard in this league. It’s good to have him as part of our young core of players that we feel blend perfectly with our veterans.”
AUGUST 3: The Heat are set to bring back free agent point guard Gabe Vincent on a two-year, $3.5MM minimum contract, Vincent’s agent Bill Neff informs Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Vincent, 25, appeared in 50 games for the Heat during the 2020/21 season, including seven starts. Vincent averaged 4.8 PPG, 1.3 APG and 1.1 RPG in 13.1 MPG last year.
After going undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2018, Vincent played with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate, for the 2018/19 season.
He then latched on with the Heat as a two-way player for the 2019/20 season. Vincent appeared in just nine games for Miami during his rookie season, spending most of his time with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
He was named the Most Improved Player in the G League for 2019/20 while with Sioux Falls, after averaging 21.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG, while pouring in a .450/.406/.923 slash line. At the NBA level, he has been a gritty, defense-first option on the perimeter.
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Bucks Sign Semi Ojeleye To One-Year Contract
AUGUST 6: The Bucks have officially signed Ojeleye, the team announced on Friday (via Twitter).
AUGUST 2: The 2021 NBA champion Bucks will be adding forward Semi Ojeleye to shore up their frontcourt depth, agent Sean Kennedy informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).
Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Ojeleye is set to join the Bucks on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
Selected with the No. 37 pick in the 2017 NBA draft out of SMU by the Celtics, the 6’6″ forward spent his first four NBA seasons in Boston. Though not much of a scorer (his career-best average thus far is 4.6 PPG in 2020/21), Ojeleye nevertheless found his way into the rotation for the Celtics’ various playoff-bound teams over the years, including two Eastern Conference Finals teams in 2018 and 2020.
A versatile defender, Ojeleye could fill the absence left by veteran tweener forward P.J. Tucker, who is expected to depart for the Heat after agreeing to a new two-year, $15MM deal.
In 2020/21, Ojeleye averaged the aforementioned 4.6 PPG, to go along with 2.6 RPG, in 17.0 minutes per contest. He played in 56 games, starting 15. The 26-year-old Ojeleye proved to be a reliable three-point shooter last year, albeit on a modest volume, connecting on 36.7% of his 2.8 looks from long range.
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Free Agency Rumors: Oubre, Mills, Dinwiddie, Carmelo, More
Free agent swingman Kelly Oubre received interest from the Heat after free agency began, but didn’t set a meeting with Miami because he is hoping to net a contract “well above” the mid-level exception, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Now that Miami has committed to using most of its mid-level exception on P.J. Tucker, Oubre is almost certainly off the table for the Heat, even if his asking price drops.
Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA world:
- Free agent sharpshooting combo guard Patty Mills has received interest from the Lakers and Nets, per Marc Stein of Substack (via Twitter). Anthony Slater of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Warriors could also pursue Mills and posits that he may fetch a deal that within range of the taxpayer mid-level. Jordan Schultz of ESPN tweets that the Nets are apparently a distant third in the sweepstakes to sign Mills.
- Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that free agent point guard Spencer Dinwiddie appears unlikely to sign with the Mavericks.
- 37-year-old free agent forward Carmelo Anthony continues to weigh interest from the Lakers and Knicks, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
- Before Alex Caruso finalized his four-year agreement with the Bulls, Caruso’s camp checked back in with the Lakers and was told L.A. wouldn’t be putting a counter-offer on the table, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Sam Amick of The Athletic.
- Newly re-signed Nuggets reserve power forward JaMychal Green fielded richer offers in free agency than the two-year, $17MM contract he ultimately signed to remain in Denver, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Singer says the Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Spurs were the other teams most interested in Green.
Luke Adams contributed to this report.
Heat Re-Sign Max Strus To Two-Year Contract
AUGUST 6: The Heat and Strus have made it official, per a team release.
“As one of our young developing players, Max proved he can be very productive for us,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He stepped up when needed last season and produced. His shooting and overall game is going to help our team immensely.”
AUGUST 2: The Heat will re-sign third-year free agent swingman Max Strus on a two-year contract worth $3.5MM, his agent Mark Bartelstein informs Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). This sum is in line with the amount of a veteran’s minimum deal for Strus.
After going undrafted in 2019 out of DePaul, the Hickory Hills, Illinois native joined his home state Bulls on a two-way contract for the 2019/20 season. Strus suited up for 13 games with Chicago’s NBAGL affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, and had a two-game cameo with Chicago, before suffering a season-ending left ACL tear.
Strus then inked a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 camp deal with the Heat ahead of the 2020/21 season, and later was brought on as a two-way player for the rest of the year. The Heat extended a $50K qualifying offer to the 6’5″ wing this summer, making him a restricted free agent under team control.
During his 39 games with Miami, the 25-year-old Strus averaged 6.1 PPG in 13.0 MPG, while nailing 45.5% of his field goal looks, 33.8% of his three-point tries, and 66.7% of his free throws.
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Thunder Re-Sign Mike Muscala To Two-Year Deal
AUGUST 12: The Thunder have officially re-signed Muscala, per a team press release.
AUGUST 2: The Thunder will re-sign free agent big man Mike Muscala to a two-year, $7MM contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).
Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link) that Muscala had Earl Bird rights with the Thunder, so Oklahoma City won’t need to use a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing.
He was drafted out of Bucknell with the No. 44 pick in 2013, and logged time with the Hawks, Sixers, and Lakers. Muscala, 30, then joined the Thunder for the first time as a free agent in the summer of 2019.
A 6’10” power forward/center with long-range abilities, he enjoyed his best statistical season during 2020/21 while playing for the rebuilding Thunder. Last year, Muscala averaged a career-best 9.7 PPG in 18.4 MPG, to go along with 3.8 RPG. He posted a solid shooting line of .446/.370/.917.
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Kings Ink Alex Len To Two-Year Contract
AUGUST 13: The Kings have announced the signing in a press release.
“It is great to welcome Alex back to the Kings,” GM Monte McNair said. “Alex will add toughness, competitiveness and experience while securing our front line depth.”
AUGUST 2: The Kings are set to sign journeyman free agent center Alex Len to a two-season contract, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The two-year deal will be worth $7.65MM, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
This will be Len’s second stint with Sacramento. He previously played on the Kings for a portion of the 2019/20 NBA season.
The fifth overall selection out of Maryland in 2013 by the Suns, Len also logged time with the Hawks. Atlanta eventually traded Len for his first tour of duty with the Kings.
Len, 28, most recently suited up for the Wizards for the majority of the 2020/21 season. After initially inking a one-year, $2.32MM deal with the Raptors in the 2020 offseason, Len fell out of the Toronto rotation quickly. The Raptors eventually waived Len. After clearing waivers, he then signed on with the Wizards for the rest of the season.
The seven-footer was able to carve out more rotation minutes at his next NBA stop, operating as a solid contributor to a playoff-bound club with Washington. For the balance of the 2020/21 season, Len averaged 6.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.0 BPG across 15.3 MPG in 64 games, including 42 starts.
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Lakers Sign Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza
AUGUST 6: The Lakers have officially completed their deal with Howard, the team announced today (via Twitter). The club also confirmed the signings of Ellington and Ariza (Twitter links).
AUGUST 2: The Lakers are set to add three old friends as they prepare to mount another hoped-for deep postseason run for the 2021/22 season.
The team appears to be adding some much-needed perimeter shooting and big man depth after trading away wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, big men Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma and its No. 22 pick in the 2021 draft to the Wizards in a deal for the max salary of future Hall of Fame point guard Russell Westbrook last week.
The club will add free agent shooting guard Wayne Ellington on a one-year contract, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
The oft-traveled Ellington, 33, was most recently knocking down jumpers for the bottom-dwelling Pistons during the 2020/21 season. Ellington averaged 9.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .441/.422/.800 shooting. He was last with the Lakers during the 2014/15 season.
Los Angeles will also bring back a pair of prior Lakers champions. 2009 champ Trevor Ariza, a two-way forward, is set to re-join L.A. on a one-year deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Ariza, 36, was most recently with the Heat following a mid-season trade from Portland during the 2020/21 season. He played in 30 games with Miami, starting in 27, and averaged 9.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 0.6 BPG across 28.0 MPG. He posted a solid shooting line of .411/.350/.773, and is a career 35.2% shooter from deep on an average of 4.1 attempts.
Ellington and Ariza should add reliable bench shooting behind the Lakers’ big three of Westbrook and All-Star forwards LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Ariza remains still a solid defender, though he is no longer at the same level of his prior Lakers days.
2020 champ Dwight Howard will return to the Lakers as well, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The Lakers opted not to retain Howard after he and JaVale McGee helped proved rim-rolling and defensive moxie in the post during the team’s 2020 title run, and Howard signed on with the Sixers as All-Star Joel Embiid‘s prime backup for the 2020/21 season.
Howard, 35, has proven he can still be a sneakily-effective reserve center even in his NBA dotage, especially during the regular season. Howard averaged 7.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 0.9 BPG (plus a less-great 2.9 FPG) for Philadelphia in just 17.3 MPG.
Ellington, Ariza, and Howard will all be signing one-year, minimum-salary contracts, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
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Rockets Sign David Nwaba To Three-Year Contract
AUGUST 8: The Rockets have officially signed Nwaba, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
AUGUST 2: The Rockets have agreed to a three-year, $15MM contract to retain athletic free agent wing David Nwaba, reports Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link).
The journeyman Nwaba, 28, has suited up for several clubs after going undrafted out of California Polytechnic State University in 2015. Though not much of a jump shooter, Nwaba proved his prowess on the other end of the floor, during promising stints with the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavaliers.
20 games into his lone season with the Nets, Nwaba suffered a season-ending right Achilles tendon tear in December 2019. After being waived by the Nets, Nwaba signed a two-year deal with the Rockets ahead of the 2020 Orlando “bubble” season restart. The Rockets then exercised their $1.82MM team option on the small forward/shooting guard before the 2020/21 season.
He finally returned to action for the tanking Rockets during the 2020/21 season, and seemed none the worse for wear. Across 30 games, including nine starts, Nwaba averaged 9.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in just 22.6 MPG.
Houston will be Nwaba’s first long-term NBA home, the first club for which he has played for longer than one season, though he has technically been on the Rockets for portions of two seasons already.
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Suns Re-Sign Cameron Payne To Three-Year Contract
AUGUST 6: Payne is officially back under contract with the Suns, who announced his deal today in a press release.
AUGUST 2: Free agent reserve point guard Cameron Payne will return to the team that saw him develop into one of the league’s better backup ball handlers this season. After proving himself as a crucial role-playing contributor, Payne will remain with the Suns on a three-year, $19MM contract, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
The 6’1″ Payne, 26, blossomed as a backup behind future Hall of Famer Chris Paul in Phoenix during a charmed 2020/21 season, which saw the Suns return to their first NBA Finals in 28 years.
After being initially drafted by the Thunder in 2015 with the No. 14 pick out of Murray State, Payne struggled to develop at the next level. Payne also served stints with Chicago and Cleveland before landing with Phoenix on a two-year deal ahead of the 2020 Orlando “bubble” restart. During his eight-game 2019/20 season cameo, Payne enjoyed a breakout run. Payne average 10.9 PP, 3.9 RPG and 3.0 APG across 22.9 MPG during Phoenix’s 8-0 bubble streak.
The stellar play continued during the 2020/21 season, as Payne averaged 8.4 PPG, 3.6 APG, 2.4 RPG and 0.6 SPG in just 18.0 MPG in 60 games during Phoenix’s truncated 72-game regular season. Payne also posted a solid shooting line of .484/.440/893.
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