Wolves Trade Rubio To Jazz For First-Round Pick
4:22pm: The Jazz are able to absorb Rubio’s $13.6MM contract today, but only today. As of tomorrow, the official start of the 2017/18 campaign, a Rudy Gobert raise coupled with some cap holds would push Utah’s payroll higher.
4:16pm: Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press has tweeted that the deal is done and awaiting league approval. The 2018 first-rounder from OKC will be Top-14 protected, ESPN’s Marc Stein says.
4:05pm: Jody Genessey of the Deseret News has relayed a report from Zone Sports Networks’ Spencer Checketts that Utah will send Oklahoma City’s first-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for Rubio.
4:00pm: Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets that the Rubio trade “is happening”, noting that the deal is close to being done. It hasn’t, however, been formally confirmed yet.
3:45pm: The Jazz and Timberwolves are actively discussing a deal in which Ricky Rubio would head to Utah, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
It’s unclear what would be heading back to Minnesota in the exchange but the news that Rubio could be on the move isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Despite the fact that the Timberwolves have already traded away two point guards this month, Rubio’s name has been a mainstay in trade rumors since the Wolves drafted Kris Dunn last June.
Much can and has been inferred from the news of these ongoing Rubio negotiations. Zach Lowe of ESPN tweets that this could mean George Hill will be unlikely to return to Utah. If nothing else, he adds, it will give the team leverage in contract negotiations with the 31-year-old.
The deal also lends credence to a theory that the Timberwolves could be serious contenders to pursue Kyle Lowry. Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post echoed the sentiments of The Athletic’s Eric Koreen suggesting as much shortly after the negotiations were made public.
In a separate tweet, Eric Koreen says that, Minnesota unloading Rubio, coupled with revoking the Shabazz Muhammad‘s qualifying offer would free up about $32MM for the organization.
Sixers Waive Gerald Henderson
The Sixers have waived Gerald Henderson, Sam Amico of AmicoHoops tweets. The eight-year veteran averaged 9.2 points in 72 games for Philadelphia last season.
Per TNT’s David Aldridge, Henderson’s contract worth $9MM in 2017/18 would have become guaranteed had he remained on the roster through the day. Instead Derek Bodner of The Ringer writes that the Sixers will merely be hit with a $1MM cap hold.
Bulls Waive Rondo, Canaan
The Bulls have waived Rajon Rondo and Isaiah Canaan, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. The news, at least as far as Rondo is concerned, comes as no surprise.
Earlier we wrote about how today was the deadline for the Bulls to part ways with the veteran guard, lest the organization hang on to him and be on the hook for an extra $10MM in guaranteed money.
As Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports writes, Rondo’s impressive last season surge did wonders for his value but an injury in the postseason, coupled with the Bulls’ change in direction post-Jimmy Butler, have spelled the end to his brief tenure in Chicago.
Per Mannix, Rondo may need to wait until much of the initial free agency period dust settles before he can lock down a deal with another ball club.
Southwest Notes: Noel, Gentry, Paul
The Mavs won’t be travelling far when the free agency period officially opens tomorrow night at midnight, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. Instead, he says, the franchise will zero in on its two own free agents: Nerlens Noel and Dirk Nowitzki.
While a Nowitzki deal is a foregone conclusion, the interesting part will be whether the Mavs can come to terms with Noel before the the restricted free agent lands a lofty offer sheet from a team willing to pay top dollar.
Currently, Sefko notes, the cap-hit the Mavs take for Noel is $11MM, a mark that figures to be considerably lower than what the 23-year-old would be able to land on the open market.
The decision to focus on Nowitzki after declining his team option this week and bringing Noel back is representative of the change in direction the Mavs have undergone this season.
Having landed Harrison Barnes in free agency last year and traded for Noel at the trade deadline in February, the Mavs have promptly patched together an intriguing young core.
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- After two lackluster seasons at the helm of the Pelicans, Alvin Gentry is well aware of the fact that the NBA is a “results industry.” The head coach spoke with Scott Kushner of The Advocate, noting that he doesn’t feel that there’s any extra pressure this season.
- There’s no denying that for Chris Paul to thrive with the Rockets, he, Mike D’Antoni and James Harden will all have to end up on the same page. Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report writes about how they’ll need to adapt to make that happen.
- There was some truth to the speculation that linked Chris Paul to the Spurs but two things sullied the opportunity. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated notes that the uncertainty of LaMarcus Aldridge‘s status, coupled with the notion of having to replace Tony Parker at point guard, dissuaded Paul from exploring things further.
Calipari Denies Interest In Knicks Presidency
10:15pm: Calipari has vehemently denied the report over Twitter, saying that he intends to be the coach at Kentucky for a long time.
6:01pm: Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari has reached out through intermediaries to express an interest in the Knicks’ presidency, Ian Begley of ESPN tweets.
The report is corroborated by ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk who adds, in his own tweet, that Calipari has been interested in a return to the NBA but only for the “right job.”
New York, of course, has been seeking a a replacement at the top level ever since the franchise parted ways with Phil Jackson yesterday. Already linked to the franchise have been Isiah Thomas, Masai Ujiri, David Griffin and Sam Presti.
While Calipari has seen action in the NBA before, it seems like a lifetime ago that he patrolled the sidelines for the Nets and 76ers. From 1996-1998, he managed a 72-112 record as the head coach in New Jersey.
Calipari’s NBA Debut: The 1996-97 New Jersey Nets (26-56)
The entirety of Calipari’s previous professional stint, then, came before he evolved into the college game’s most vaunted recruiter, a characteristic that makes him far more appealing than any Xs and Os experience.
Having an asset like Calipari involved with the franchise could be a boon for the Knicks, considering the sheer amount of players he has either coached or recruited over his years with Kentucky and Memphis.
Suffice it to say, all Begley’s tweet suggests is that Calipari has expressed an interest in the position and there’s no guarantee that the interest is mutual at this point in time.
Southeast Notes: Richardson, White, Kaba
The Wizards are no closer to landing Paul George than they were a week ago but recent comments from John Wall have resurrected speculation that he could possibly end up in D.C. Per CSN Mid-Atlantic’s J. Michael, there are a number of things that would need to happen for the pipe dream to become a reality, here are just a few:
For starters, the Wizards will have to come to terms with something that all of George’s other suitors have already come to terms with: they would need to build an appealing enough package of young players and assets without any guarantee that they’ll get to re-sign him next summer.
The Wizards would also need Otto Porter to be up for a sign-and-trade, something that would require him to take less money than he’s eligible for, just to pack his bags and move to Indianapolis.
Even if the Wizards did manage to land George and played him alongside Wall and Bradley Beal, however, the organization would be extremely crunched financially for the foreseeable future.
There’s more from the Southeast Division tonight:
- Don’t expect the Magic to make a major splash in free agency, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. The team would need to reel off a series of moves just to clear up space for a major signing and that’s not really their focus at this point in time.
- Coming off a season in which he averaged career highs, Hawks center Mike Muscala is experiencing unrestricted free agency for the first time. He spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune about the process. “It’s crazy how basketball can change from high school to college to the NBA and what you work on, what you’re compensated for,” he said, referring to his coveted skill set as a three-point shooting big man. “I’ve found if you do things the right way — if you play the right way, if you work on your game, if you’re a good teammate — you’ll be rewarded for it.”
- The Heat will retain Okaro White and Josh Richardson, thus guaranteeing their contracts (or in White’s case, partially guaranteeing the deal he signed last season). Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel writes about how Richardson’s $1.5MM for 2017/18 will be locked in after Friday and how White will clinch $226K on Saturday.
- One of the major areas that the Wizards will need to improve upon next year is in their backcourt depth, J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic says. They’ve already gotten a head start in doing so with their addition of Tim Frazier.
- Second-round draft pick Alpha Kaba will play with the Hawks‘ summer league team before deciding where to play next season, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets.
Hornets Notes: Point Guards, Howard, Karnowski
The Hornets are expected to target point guards through free agency, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes, especially after the franchise elected to part ways with Ramon Sessions earlier today.
“Backup point guard has to be No. 1 priority,” general manager Rich Cho said. “Ideally, someone who can play with and without Kemba Walker, who plays both ends of the floor.”
Worth noting is that Charlotte’s 2016/17 third-string point guard, Brian Roberts, is also a free agent this summer and may not return. That could mean that the Hornets’ front office will turn their attention to the prominent names available on the market.
All of Darren Collison, Patty Mills and Shaun Livingston will be free agents but Bonnell wonders if they may be too pricey for what the Hornets currently have available. If that’s the case, cheaper options like Michael Carter-Williams and Shelvin Mack could be in play.
Traditionally, head coach Steve Clifford likes to retain three point guards and three centers on the roster, Bonnell notes, so it’s almost inevitable that the team will add somebody. The question is, with limited cap flexibility thanks to a busy 2016 offseason, who that may be.
There’s more from the Hornets:
- After starting his career as a mainstay with the Magic, Dwight Howard has bounced around from franchise to franchise. Dating back to his final year in Orlando, Howard has played for four teams in six seasons. The big man tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that he’ll “hopefully” end his career in North Carolina.
- Don’t rule out Dwight Howard as an offensive option in the pick-and-roll. “Go back to my time in Orlando. We used a lot of of pick and rolls,” the big man said, addressing critics in an interview with Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “It’s not that I don’t want to set screens. People just used that to have something negative to say.”
- Consider undrafted big man Przemek Karnowski a dark horse candidate to land a two-way contract, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes in a mailbag with readers.
Celtics Extend Qualifying Offer To Olynyk
The Celtics have extended a qualifying offer to Kelly Olynyk, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe tweets. The 26-year-old center is coming off a year in which he posted 9.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Given Boston’s position in the middle of some serious free agency pursuits, it’s worth noting that the C’s retain the ability to rescind the offer so long as Olynyk doesn’t accept it first, Himmelsbach adds.
Considering that Olynyk is slated to become a restricted free agent if he doesn’t, it’s unlikely that he would accept the one-year, $7.7MM qualifying deal.
Olynyk is a sharpshooting big man that can make an impact from beyond the arc, a combination in particularly high demand these days, but he doesn’t contribute much outside of his niche.
Regardless, whether or not Boston chooses to match any offer that Olynyk can scrounge up on the open market will largely depend on their success finessing a big name or two over to Beantown this offseason.
Blake Griffin To Meet With Suns
All-Star forward Blake Griffin is scheduled to meet with the Suns this Saturday, a league source tells Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. After exercising his early termination option last week, Griffin will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Although the Clippers remain optimistic about signing Griffin even after the Chris Paul trade, the 28-year-old forward could very well bring a formal end to Lob City by signing a deal elsewhere.
The Suns boast an intriguing young core with Devin Booker and Josh Jackson and could look to climb out of the lottery with the addition of an established star like Griffin. Griffin averaged 21.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season in a third consecutive injury-plagued campaign.
Gordon Hayward Declines Player Option
Coveted free agent Gordon Hayward has officially notified the Jazz that he’s declining his player option, Marc Stein of ESPN tweets. The announcement is a mere formality considering that the basketball world has already moved on to debating which possible suitor he’ll visit first.
Per Stein in another tweet, Hayward will meet with the Heat first, then the Celtics and finally the Jazz. For more details about the upcoming recruiting appointments, consider clicking over to our previous Hoops Rumors report from earlier in the day.
Hayward, now an official free agent, averaged 21.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Jazz and is among the most prized, reasonably attainable, players on the market.