Will Barton Re-Signs With Nuggets On Two-Year Deal
AUGUST 11: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
AUGUST 2: Free agent Nuggets swingman Will Barton is set to return to Denver on a two-year, $32MM deal, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
Barton, 30, was originally drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2012 out of Memphis with the No. 40 pick. He has been a core role player in Denver since being sent to the Nuggets during the 2014/15 season.
The 6’6″ wing averaged 12.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.2 APG last season while shooting 42.6% from the field, 38.1% from three-point range, and 78.5% from the charity stripe. He missed most of Denver’s postseason run due to a hamstring injury.
Barton last inked a four-year, $53MM deal with Denver ahead of the 2018/19 season. Earlier this summer, he declined his $14.7MM player option for the 2021/22 season in the hopes of nabbing a pay raise and more guaranteed long-term money.
The Nuggets, led by reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray, are hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2021 playoffs, in which they were swept out of the second round by the Suns in part due to the absence of Murray, who continues to recover from a left ACL tear.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Free Agency Rumors: Bulls, Galloway, Bullock, Caruso, Dinwiddie, Theis
The Bulls appear to be aware that they need to upgrade their playmaking. Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports (Twitter video link) that Chicago could be looking to add Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan to their roster.
Windhorst notes that the Bulls may be able to extract Ball from the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade deal, provided the Pelicans can add a point guard replacement for Ball either in the trade or elsewhere. The notion of DeRozan joining the Chicago backcourt as well is intriguing. “From what I am told, [the Bulls] are also interested in DeMar DeRozan, and are interested in pulling off a possible double sign-and-trade where they would send [Chicago’s restricted free agent power forward] Lauri Markkanen to San Antonio,” Windhorst said in an ESPN segment.
Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA, with the official start of the signing season just moments away:
- After averaging a career-low 4.8 PPG in a career-low 40 games as essentially a part-time player for the eventual 2021 championship runner-up Suns, Langston Galloway appears ready to move on. “I was on a team that made it to the finals, but my biggest thing is getting an opportunity to play,” Galloway told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “Being on a team like that, I learned a lot, and all I need is someone that’s going to believe in me. That’s going to go a long way, and it’s going to pay dividends for whatever team I get the chance to play for next year.”
- Free agent Knicks shooting guard Reggie Bullock may have suitors offering him new deals in the range of a three-year mid-level contract, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks still hope to bring Bullock back. Berman adds that the Knicks are also rumored to have interest in free agent shooting guard Evan Fournier, and if they were to add him and Bullock, the incumbent Bullock would be demoted to the New York bench.
- Unrestricted free agent Lakers reserve point guard Alex Caruso will speak with several clubs and is intent on picking a free agent destination expediently, writes Marks Medina of USA Today (Twitter link). Medina writes that the Lakers, who hold Caruso’s Bird rights, could look to retain him, especially since he could provide their suddenly top-heavy roster with some much-needed shooting and defense in the backcourt.
- Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie apparently will decide between the Pelicans, Knicks and Wizards, though the Celtics could also a candidate, reports Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link). Sources inform Schultz that the Pelicans at least are prepared to offer Dinwiddie a long-term deal that could pay $20MM or more annually. Shams Charania reports (Twitter video link) that Dinwiddie will meet with the Wizards at the start of free agency. “They have made him an ultimate target early in this free agency process,” Charania said.
- Free agent Bulls center/power forward Daniel Theis could be a target for several clubs looking for a big man upgrade, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto lists teams like the Rockets, Spurs, Raptors, Pistons and the playoff-contending Heat as candidates for Theis this summer.
Mavs Exercise Team Option On Willie Cauley-Stein
The Mavericks are exercising their team option on reserve center Willie Cauley-Stein, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The option will pay Cauley-Stein $4.1MM for the 2021/22 season.
During his second year (and first full season) in Dallas in 2020/21, Cauley-Stein averaged 5.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.8 BPG over 17.1 MPG in 53 games. After being selected with the sixth pick out of Kentucky in 2015 by the Kings, Cauley-Stein spent his first four NBA seasons in Sacramento.
The seven-footer enjoyed several productive runs on lottery-bound Kings squads, averaging 11.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.2 SPG during his first — and so far only — year as a full-time starter, 2018/19.
He then joined the Warriors as a free agent in 2019, hoping to fill the same two-way, low-usage center role within that club’s humming offense that helped JaVale McGee win two titles in Golden State. Despite being a starter with Golden State, Cauley-Stein was shipped out out in 2020 to the Mavericks, where he finished off that pandemic-truncated season as a backup behind Maxi Kleber.
Holding on to Cauley-Stein seems like a savvy, cost-efficient move for the Mavs. At 27, the athletic rim-rolling big man could still have untapped upside and room to grow with Dallas.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cavaliers To Make Isaiah Hartenstein UFA
The Cavaliers will not issue a qualifying offer to reserve center Isaiah Hartenstein ahead of the 2021/22 season, making him an unrestricted free agent, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).
Hartenstein averaged 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.2 BPG across 17.9 MPG for a dismal 22-50 Cavaliers club last year. Cleveland’s frontcourt has undergone a major upgrade already during the offseason, as the Cavaliers drafted promising USC big man Evan Mobley with the third pick in the 2021 draft on Thursday. The Cavaliers are also expected to hold on to incumbent starting center Jarrett Allen, a restricted free agent this summer.
Mobley seems destined to start at power forward or center, but whether Allen or current starting power forward Larry Nance Jr. is the odd man out will ultimately be determined by head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Given that big man Kevin Love, a probable reserve, has two years and $60.2MM left on his exorbitant deal with the club and will be hard to trade this season, moving on from Hartenstein this summer makes sense from a minutes perspective.
Hartenstein, 23, was first selected by the Rockets in the 2017 NBA draft after a promising 2016/17 stint with Lithuanian pro club Žalgiris. After being waived by Houston in the 2020 offseason, the 7’0″ German then joined the Nuggets as a potential backup for eventual MVP Nikola Jokic ahead of the 2020/21 season. Hartenstein and two future Cleveland second-rounders were ultimately traded to Cleveland for an upgrade at the reserve center position in JaVale McGee.
Hartenstein declined a minimum-salary player option earlier this offseason.
Free Agency Rumors: Batum, Iguodala, Melo, Boban
Clippers forward Nicolas Batum will not be wanting for suitors this offseason after a bounce-back performance with Los Angeles in 2020/21. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter link) that, in addition to the Clippers, other playoff-caliber teams are interested in the versatile player’s services, including the Heat, Warriors and Pacers.
After being waived by the Hornets ahead of the 2020/21 season, Batum became a highly valuable 3-and-D addition on the Clippers roster, even moving into the starting lineup as the club’s power forward ahead of the much-pricier Marcus Morris for much of the season, before Morris’ play turned a corner and he eventually reclaimed the gig.
Batum logged 27.4 MPG on a Clippers team that broke through the Western Conference Finals for the first time in its history. He averaged 8.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 0.6 BPG. The 32-year-old posted a shooting line of .464/.404/.828.
Here are more free agency rumors from around the NBA:
- Veteran Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony could reunite with the Knicks this summer, per ESPN’s Jordan Schultz (via Twitter). Anthony, who made six All-Star appearances during his previous stint in New York, averaged 13.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG on .421/.409/.890 shooting splits as a reserve with Portland across 69 games in the 2020/21 season. Schultz notes that Knicks team president Leon Rose has a good rapport with Anthony, having served as the probable Hall-of-Famer’s longtime agent before moving into his current front office role with New York.
- After Miami opted to decline his $15MM player option for the 2021/22 season, veteran forward Andre Iguodala is now an unrestricted free agent once again and the Warriors are expected to chat with the 37-year-old about a possible reunion, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Jordan Schultz of ESPN reports (Twitter link) that the new-look Lakers are also eyeballing Iguodala as a savvy veteran contributor. Given Iguodala’s advanced age and on-court performance of late, it seems likely he’ll have to settle for significantly less than his $15MM player option for the season.
- The Mavericks expect to be able to re-sign reserve big man Boban Marjanović this summer, reports Marc Stein (via Twitter). The Mavericks first signed the 7’4″ center in free agency during the 2019 offseason, on a two-year, $7MM deal. The 32-year-old averaged just 8.2 MPG as a backup big with a playoff Dallas team this year, but in that brief time he produced (in a per-minute sense), averaging 4.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG.
Heat Pick Up Dragic’s Team Option, Decline Iguodala’s
The Heat have made two divergent decisions on two decorated NBA veterans who proved instrumental in their 2019/20 NBA Finals run.
Miami has decided to pick up its $19.4MM team option on veteran point guard Goran Dragic for the 2021/22 season, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Dragic, 35, has been with the Heat since midway through the 2014/15 season, and netted his lone All-Star appearance with the club in 2018. Dragic was also named to the 2014 All-NBA Third Team while with the Suns.
Picking up Dragic’s option does not necessarily mean he is guaranteed to stick with the Heat this summer. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes (via Twitter), his contract could be incorporated to help match salaries in a big-money trade.
Andre Iguodala, meanwhile, will be hitting the open market. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Heat will not pick up their $15MM player option on the final year of the extension Iguodala inked with the club after he was traded from Memphis to Miami in the 2019/20 season. The 37-year-old Iguodala was named the 2015 Finals MVP during his first of three championships with the Warriors, and also has an All-Star appearance, two All-Defensive Team selections, and an Olympic gold medal on his resume.
Exercising Dragic’s option likely means Miami will operate as an over-the-cap team, but Woj suggests (Twitter link) the club will still be a player in free agency, either by carving out cap space in another way or via sign-and-trades.
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, an unrestricted free agent this summer, remains among Miami’s most-desired free agent additions. Woj notes (via Twitter) that Dragic’s deal could be incorporated into a Lowry sign-and-trade with Toronto, while Marc Stein (Twitter link) refers to the Heat as the “favorite” to land Lowry and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that Miami is a “very strong consideration” for the longtime Raptor.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) observes, if the Heat could add Lowry via sign-and-trade, they’d still possess the $9.5MM full non-taxpayer’s midlevel exception to sign a quality free agent and would be in position to retain restricted free agent sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, who appears to be in line for a major raise.
Trail Blazers Sign Trendon Watford To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 3: The Blazers have officially signed Watford to a two-way contract, the team announced in a press release.
JULY 30: The Trail Blazers are expected to add undrafted second-year LSU power forward Trendon Watford on a two-way contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).
Watford is listed as the 10th-best undrafted rookie prospect on ESPN. The 6’9″ Birmingham, Alabama native was honored as a 2021 All-SEC Tourney selection and a 2020/21 All-SEC First Teamer.
Playing alongside guard Cameron Thomas (who was drafted with the No. 27 pick by the Nets on Thursday), the 20-year-old forward averaged 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.1 SPG, on .480/.316/.651 shooting, in 28 games during his sophomore season in 2020/21.
An athletic rim-roller with a competitive inside floater, Watford could be an interesting addition in Portland.
Celtics Sign Sam Hauser To Two-Way Contract
AUGUST 13: The Celtics have officially signed Hauser, according to a team press release.
JULY 30: It is anticipated that the Celtics will sign undrafted Virginia forward Sam Hauser to a two-way contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 6’8″ forward began his college career at Marquette, but transferred to Virginia for a redshirt 2019/20 season. During his lone active season with the Cavaliers in 2020/21, Hauser averaged 16 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG, with a shooting line of .503/.417/.896 across 25 games.
The 23-year-old was an All-Big East Third Team honoree in 2019 while still with Marquette, and was named an All-ACC First Teamer this season. Hauser was ranked as the ninth-best undrafted player on ESPN’s list.
Hauser was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer for the 2020/21 season, and ranked second on the club in scoring efficiency (behind new Pelicans guard Trey Murphy) with a 123.6 offensive rating.
Justin Champagnie Joins Raptors On Two-Way Deal
AUGUST 7: Champagnie’s two-way contract is official, the Raptors announced on Twitter.
JULY 30: Undrafted second-year Pittsburgh wing Justin Champagnie will join the Raptors on a two-way deal, reports Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The 6’6″ swingman spent two seasons with the Panthers. A 2020/21 All-ACC selection, the Brooklyn native averaged 18.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 BPG, and 1.2 SPG in 20 games during his sophomore season. He posted a slash line of .477/.311/.711.
Considered a solid player on both sides of the ball, Champagnie’s athleticism makes him intriguing at the pro level, though his underwhelming jump shooting may have hurt his draft stock. Not since former NBA big man DeJuan Blair had a Pittsburgh player averaged a double-double, though Champagnie has healthier knees.
Champagnie was listed as the 13th-best available undrafted rookie, per ESPN’s list.
Knicks Trade Robinson-Earl To Thunder For Jokubaitis, McBride
JULY 30: The trade is now official, the Knicks announced in a press release.
JULY 29: The Knicks will send the No. 32 pick to the Thunder for the Nos. 34 and 36 selections, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Shams Charania of The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks will be choosing Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl with the No. 32 pick, and he will then be rerouted to Oklahoma City.
The Knicks drafted sharpshooting 6’4″ Žalgiris guard Rokas Jokubaitis with the No. 34 pick and 6’2″ West Virginia point guard Miles McBride with the No. 36 selection.
New York also has the No. 58 pick still upcoming in tonight’s draft. Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets that the club could be making further deals before the night is through.
In the first round, the Knicks selected Houston shooting guard Quentin Grimes with the No. 25 pick after sending their No. 21 pick, Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, to the Clippers in exchange for the No. 25 selection and a future second-rounder. Earlier, the Knicks flipped the No. 19 pick to the Hornets for a protected 2022 first-round pick.
Robinson-Earl, 20, was the 2020/21 Big East Player of the Year, and averaged 15.7 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.2 APG across his 25 contests as a sophomore at Villanova.