Knicks Notes: Durant, Leonard, Rozier, Ntilikina
The Knicks’ hopes of adding two stars in free agency now rely on the reported desire of Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard to team up, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York is among the teams with enough cap space to sign both stars, and ESPN reported yesterday that the Knicks and Clippers are the most likely destinations if they do join forces.
Two other potential Knicks targets came off the board Saturday as Kyrie Irving reached an agreement with the Nets and Kemba Walker committed to the Celtics. A source tells Berman that Walker’s family, particularly his mother, wasn’t interested in moving to New York.
That’s not true for Durant, who likes the idea of living in the nation’s largest city, Berman adds. He had his surgery performed in New York and has several ties to the franchise, serving as a mentor to Allonzo Trier and being friends with free agent center DeAndre Jordan and assistant coach Royal Ivey. The Knicks were considered favorites to sign Durant before his Achilles injury in the NBA Finals and are still strongly in the race, according to Berman. However, the additional year and the extra $57MM that the Warriors can offer could still tip the scale in their favor.
There’s more out of New York:
- If the Knicks can’t land one of the elite free agents, their next targets will be point guard Terry Rozier and power forwards Julius Randle and Bobby Portis, Berman relays in the same story. They also have what Berman calls “mild” interest in a one-year deal with DeMarcus Cousins.
- Durant isn’t leaning toward any team as free agency begins, his agent, Rich Kleiman, told Steve Serby of The New York Post. “While I’m doing this interview, Kevin is completely undecided in figuring out what he wants to do,” Kleiman said.
- Whether the Knicks keep Frank Ntilikina or not, he won’t be part of their Summer League team, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The second-year guard, who has been on the trading block, will compete in the FIBA World Cup later this summer with the French team.
Kings Plan To Make Offer To Al Horford
12:18pm: Horford has “very real interest” in joining the Sixers if they can make it possible, Amick tweets. Philadelphia is reportedly willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler, but has Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick to address as well. The Kings have a better chance at signing Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon, Amick adds, and are among the teams willing to take on Clint Capela if the Rockets trade for Butler (Twitter link). Houston has found multiple teams interested in Capela and will send him to the highest bidder.
11:58pm: The Kings are ready to pounce on Al Horford with a significant offer once free agency begins, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Sacramento has the cap room to offer the rumored four-year deal in excess of $100MM, and a source tells Stein that the organization “definitely” has strong interest in Horford.
That report is confirmed by James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link), who adds that the Kings consider Horford a “major target.” However, a source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that team officials expect him to sign with someone else (Twitter link).
Sacramento is looking for an upgrade at center over Willie Cauley-Stein, and Horford definitely qualifies. He has put up solid numbers for more than a decade in both Atlanta and Boston, earning five All-Star appearances, and is the mobile, floor-stretching style of big man that the Kings want to add.
Horford had been considered likely to stay with the Celtics, either by opting into a $30.1MM salary for next season or negotiating a longer deal with the team. However, he surprised the league two weeks ago by opting out and indicating that another team waiting with a massive contract.
Ricky Rubio Expected To Commit To Pacers Today
The Pacers are expected to get a verbal commitment from Ricky Rubio shortly after free agency officially opens later today, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. There has been talk all week that it is a “virtual done deal.”
Rubio, 28, would provide some stability at point guard for Indiana, which saw free agent starter Darren Collison surprisingly announce his retirement Friday night. Rubio posted a 12.7/3.6/6.1 line in 68 games for the Jazz this season, but his future in Utah was sealed when the team traded for Mike Conley earlier this month.
With free agents making up most of their starting lineup, the Pacers have a chance to set the course for their future this summer. With up to $50MM in cap room available, Indiana will have room for another significant signing or two in addition to Rubio.
DeMarcus Cousins Interested In Kings, But They’re Looking Elsewhere
Free agent center DeMarcus Cousins would be open to returning to Sacramento, league sources tell Jason Jones of The Athletic, but the Kings are looking for someone who fits their up-tempo style of play.
Cousins made three All-Star appearances during his six and a half years with the franchise, though he was often the center of controversy. He clashed with management, particularly coach George Karl, and criticized the organization for not assembling more talent around him. The Kings traded Cousins to New Orleans midway through the 2016/17 season to launch their rebuilding process.
Cousins played in 30 games for the Warriors this season after returning from a ruptured Achilles. His performances were uneven, but he managed to put up 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per night. He suffered a quad injury during the playoffs, but was able to return for the NBA Finals.
Dewayne Dedmon is a better fit for the Kings’ approach to the game, Jones adds, and we relayed their interest in the Hawks’ center last night.
Sacramento’s plan in free agency is to get an early commitment from Harrison Barnes on a four-year deal in the $88MM to $90MM range and then concentrate on finding a center. Jones states that when the offseason began, the front office was considering a new deal for incumbent starter Willie Cauley-Stein, but not the big-money contract he is hoping for. His inconsistency during the season is part of the reason the Kings are looking to make a move.
“If you’re talking about the Sacramento Kings, we know exactly how we’re going to play,” GM Vlade Divac said, “uptempo, athleticism and shooting. The big guy has to check all those boxes for us.”
Rockets To Meet With JaVale McGee
The Rockets’ search for a new big man will include Lakers center JaVale McGee, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Houston officials will meet with McGee today in Los Angeles, along with Warriors center Kevon Looney, as we relayed yesterday.
McGee, 31, averaged a career-best 12.0 PPG for L.A. this season, along with 7.5 rebounds in 75 games. He has also played for the Wizards, Nuggets, Sixers, Mavericks and Warriors.
The Rockets will reportedly move starting center Clint Capela if they can work out a sign-and-trade deal for Sixers free agent Jimmy Butler. Backup Nene opted out of next year’s contract yesterday, leaving no other experienced center on the roster.
Jazz Emerging As Threat For Bojan Bogdanovic
JUNE 30, 12:33am: The Jazz are emerging as a significant threat to sign Bogdanovic, according to Tony Jones and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Sources tell the Athletic duo that Utah could have a competitive offer on the table for the free agent forward as soon as Sunday night.
JUNE 29, 8:08pm: The Jazz have “significant interest” in Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Bogdanovic is among the best shooters on the free agent market and would give Utah a significant threat on the perimeter. He shot a career-high .425 from 3-point range this year while averaging 18.0 points per game. He is also extremely durable, playing 80 and 81 games in his two seasons with Indiana.
With most of their rotation headed for free agency, the Pacers have hard decisions to make on who to keep, which could make Bogdanovic an easier target for someone else. Indiana’s situation was complicated by Friday’s unexpected retirement of starting point guard Darren Collison.
Malcolm Brogdon Gets Qualifying Offer From Bucks
The Bucks took the decision down to the wire, but they have extended a qualifying offer to Malcolm Brogdon that makes him a restricted free agent, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Brogdon’s offer is $3,021,354, according to Basketball Insiders, and that will also count as his cap hold.
The 2017 Rookie of the Year has been limited by injuries the past two seasons. He put up a 15.6/4.5/3.2 line in 64 games before suffering a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot in March. Brogdon has earned a reputation as one of the NBA’s most efficient shooters, averaging 51% from the field, 43% from 3-point range and a league-best 93% from the foul line this year.
The Bucks may be reluctant to match a huge offer for Brogdon when they have other free agent concerns in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. The Suns, Bulls, Mavericks and Pacers have been mentioned among interested teams, but there are lingering concerns about the long-term condition of his foot.
There are a few more decisions on qualifying offers to catch up on:
- The Nuggets extended a QO to two-way player Brandon Goodwin, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. The point guard got into 16 NBA games during his rookie season.
- The Hawks opted not to give a QO to Justin Anderson, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Journal Constitution (Twitter link). Anderson appeared in 48 games for Atlanta after being acquired in a trade with the Sixers last summer.
- Jerian Grant will also be an unrestricted free agent after the Magic passed on a QO, tweets TNT’s David Aldridge. Acquired from the Bulls during the offseason, Grant appeared in 60 games for Orlando.
- The Clippers didn’t extend a QO to G League Rookie of the Year Angel Delgado, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic.
- Rockets two-way players Trevon Duval and Vince Edwards didn’t receive qualifying offers, and neither did Warriors two-way player Marcus Derrickson, according to Keith Smith. However, Damion Lee – Golden State’s other two-way player – received a QO (Twitter links).
Southwest Notes: Mavericks, Broekhoff, Bradley, G. Green
The Mavericks’ first two moves when free agency begins tomorrow will involve Tobias Harris and Kristaps Porzingis, according to Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. A source tells Townsend the Mavs will make an offer to Harris that’s below the maximum, and they expect the Sixers to top it with a full, five-year max deal. They plan to make their own max offer to Porzingis, a restricted free agent, paying him $158MM over five seasons. That signing won’t be finalized until all the other moves are in place, allowing the team to take advantage of its $30.3MM in cap room.
Thirteen of Dallas’ top 15 free agent targets remain on the board after a day that featured several reported deals, Townsend adds. The only ones crossed off the list are Kemba Walker, who will join the Celtics, and Nikola Mirotic, who has committed to play in Spain. Walker was the Mavericks’ primary target, according to Townsend, and Harris was secondary, while the rest are divided into various “two- and three-player contingencies.”
There’s more tonight from the Southwest Division:
- Ryan Broekhoff‘s $1.4MM contract is fully guaranteed for next season after the Mavericks let today’s deadline pass without taking any action, Townsend tweets. The 28-year-old shooting guard signed with Dallas last summer and appeared in 42 games as a rookie.
- Grizzlies guard Avery Bradley has agreed to extend the guarantee date on his contract from July 3 to July 8, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic. The move gives Bradley greater flexibility after the moratorium lifts, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian, who adds that there was no financial compensation for the change (Twitter link).
- There’s a strong possibility that veteran forward Gerald Green will return to the Rockets for another season, according to Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic (Twitter link). A Houston native, Green signed with the organization midway through the 2017/18 season, then played this year on a veteran’s minimum contract.
Dewayne Dedmon Drawing Interest From Kings
The Kings are interested in free agent center Dewayne Dedmon, a source tells James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).
Sacramento is looking for an upgrade from Willie Cauley-Stein, who is on the market as a restricted free agent. The Kings issued a qualifying offer to Cauley-Stein on Friday, but that can be withdrawn if they find a better option.
Dedmon, who will turn 30 in August, has spent the past two seasons in Atlanta and is coming off a career-best year. He averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 64 games.
A report earlier this week indicated that several teams are considering mid-level offers for Dedmon.
Pelicans Won’t Bid For Al Horford
New Orleans won’t be among the teams pursuing Al Horford when free agency begins tomorrow, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Horford created some excitement when he followed Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson on Twitter earlier today, but that didn’t turn out to be a sign that he was planning to join them as a teammate.
The Pelicans won’t sign anyone to a four-year contract this offseason, Stein adds (Twitter link). Horford has indicated that an unidentified team is prepared to offer him a four-year deal in excess of $100MM.
Will Guillory of The Athletic confirmed Stein’s report, adding that the bidding for Horford got higher than the Pelicans were willing to spend (Twitter link).
Horford, 33, was a veteran leader and a source of stability on an otherwise chaotic Celtics team this season. His numbers remained typical at 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 68 games.