Pelicans, Kings Interested In Al Horford
The Pelicans are interested in Al Horford but fear that another team will outbid them for his services, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports (Twitter link).
Sacramento could be the team that the Pelicans are fearing. SI’s Chris Mannix tweets that many around the league see the Kings are a strong threat to make Horford a lucrative offer once free agency begins. Mannix adds that Horford fits what the team needs on the floor and could add leadership in the young locker room.
Stein had previously passed along that there was a sense around the league that Horford had a mystery team willing to make him a four-year offer worth in excess of $100MM. The scribe recently tweeted that the Pelicans may not be that suitor. While New Orleans is interested, the Kings might be the aggressive suitor that rival teams fear will win the Horford sweepstakes.
Free Agent Rumors: Wolves, Cousins, Sumner, KP
The Timberwolves don’t project to have cap room, though that won’t stop them from attempting to make major moves this offseason, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. The team will have major stakeholders in Los Angeles for meetings on Sunday with an eye on recruiting free agents.
Karl-Anthony Towns has taken on the role of a recruiter. D’Angelo Russell appears to be a target with Krawcynski citing the two players’ friendship as just part of the reason a pairing makes sense. Much has to be done before Minnesota can truly become a threat to land Russell, as he is still technically a restricted free agent and the franchise can’t compete with some of the other organizations with max cap space already on hand.
As we wait to see what moves the Timberwolves have in store, let’s take a look at some rumors from around the league:
- Seven teams have expressed “varying levels” of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated hears. The Knicks are among the teams with serious interest and the Clippers are “intrigued,” Spears writes.
- The Pacers have yet to exercise or decline the option on Edmond Sumner, as they are discussing a long-term deal with the point guard, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star relays. The former second-round pick appeared in 23 games for Indiana last season.
- Sources tell Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that it’s unlikely that there will be an update on Kristaps Porzingis‘ sexual assault allegations before free agency on Sunday. The Mavericks and Porzingis are still expected to come together on a full, five-year max contract, Townsend adds.
Wolves Waive Cam Reynolds
Minnesota is waiving Cameron Reynolds, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team would have interest in re-signing the shooting guard should it miss out on other targets this offseason, Darren Wolfson of Eyewitness News tweets.
Reynolds had agreed to a multi-year deal with the Timberwolves toward the end of the 2018/19 season after inking back-to-back 10-day deals with the club. The contract was non-guaranteed, though he would have received $50K had he remained on the roster through August 1, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
The Tulane product went undrafted last year and signed on with the Kings last summer. He was released prior to the season and spent much of his time in the G League, playing for Sacramento’s affiliate.
Knicks, Terry Rozier Have Mutual Interest
The Knicks and Terry Rozier have mutual interest in a short-term deal, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Sources tell Berman that Rozier would be open to a one- or two-year contract.
New York’s interest has increased since the reports of the Celtics–Kemba Walker connection surfaced. If Walker commits to Boston, the New England franchise would likely have to renounce Rozier, making him an unrestricted free agent. Steve Mills and the Knicks’ front office wouldn’t want to tie up cap space for several days while they wait to see if the Celtics match a Rozier offer sheet, so their interest would likely hinge on him becoming unrestricted, as Berman details.
[RELATED: Celtics emerge as frontrunner for Kemba Walker]
“After Kyrie and Kemba, I think Rozier is next up,’’ a source close to the situation tells Berman. “I think he’d be good with Kevin Knox and R.J. [Barrett].”
The Celtics have yet to present a qualifying offer to Rozier. If they get a sense that a top free agent point guard is coming to Boston, they may allow him to be an unrestricted free agent, either by withdrawing the QO early in free agency or not offering it to begin with.
A short-term deal between Rozier and the Knicks would allow the point guard to try to improve his stock and position himself for a max deal in the future, Berman writes. For the Knicks, it would reduce the risk associated with handing big money to unproven commodity.
Rozier’s role in Boston was primarily off the bench and one scout told Berman that Rozier didn’t handle that role well, consistently pushing for more minutes. Another source told Berman that Rozier’s underwhelming season was due to toxic locker room chemistry.
If the Knicks were to sign Rozier, they’d plan on making him their starter at the point guard position. The team remains in the hunt for Durant and if they land the former MVP, he’d likely have the opportunity to have input on other signings, including a Rozier addition.
Cavaliers Notes: Love, Smith, Nwaba
There’s a belief within the league that the Cavaliers will receive trade inquiries for Kevin Love this offseason, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes.
“Yes, one of the big-market teams that fail to land a big fish are going to make an offer for Kevin,” an executive told Vardon. Another source said that if Love was a free agent this summer and coming off of an injury-free year, he would be in line for a massive deal.
“He would get four years and $120MM in this marketplace,” the other executive said. “I mean, Al Horford might get a similar deal.”
Love will make slightly under $29MM during the 2019/20 season and has approximately $91MM on his deal in the ensuing three years. The opinion that Love’s contract allows him to be a positive asset isn’t unanimous throughout the league.
“His contract is hard to digest unless he’s clearly the missing piece,” a separate league executive told Vardon.
Love has been the subject of trade rumors ever since the Cavaliers acquired him during the 2014 offseason. He signed an extension with the club last offseason and the team has resisted trade overtures. GM Koby Altman won’t deal Love unless the return makes the Cavs a better squad, and Vardon writes that it’s unlikely that the kind of deal that Altman is looking for will surface.
Here’s more from Cleveland:
- Trading J.R. Smith appears unlikely at this point, Vardon adds in the same piece. The team will need to waive him by June 30 to avoid paying his full contract. Only $3.9MM of his deal is guaranteed for next season.
- Vardon (same piece) hears that the Cavs are likely to do David Nwaba “a favor” by not tendering him a qualifying offer, thus allowing him to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.
- Free agency in Cleveland should be quiet with the franchise currently over the salary cap, Vardon explains. It’s unlikely the team uses a “significant” portion of its mid-level exception or the trade exception the franchise netted when it dealt away Rodney Hood this past season.
- While cutting Smith loose will get the Cavaliers below the luxury tax threshold, it’s unlikely the team will consider going back over that line to fill their last couple open roster spots. Vardon expects Cleveland to fill those spots with minimum salary players.
NBA Ponders Changes To Scheduling, Number Of Regular Season Games
As one of the more progressive leagues in the world, the NBA continues to explore changes to enhance the quality of its product. Altering the schedule to reduce the number of games per season is among the changes the league is exploring, Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com passes along.
All conversations are in the earliest of stages, though top executives from around the league recently had a “brainstorming session,” in which ideas on changing the schedule and adding a mid-season cup and/or postseason play-in tournament were discussed. Arnovitz suggests the talks were “very exploratory,” adding that even if changes were proposed and implemented, it wouldn’t happen before the 2021/22 season.
While “load management” issues have caused debate over the league’s 82-game schedule, Arnovitz writes that executives from teams and the league have made an economic case for shortening the number of games. Increasing the scarcity of events and ensuring that each game would be more competitive – with fewer marquee players sitting out – are among the arguments for a change.
Supporters of a schedule alteration believe that the pair of potential tournaments would also help to offset the revenue decline that comes with reducing the games on the schedule.
Arnovitz hears that there isn’t much interest in drastically cutting down the number of games. Options discussed ranged from implementing a 58-game schedule to simply cutting just a handful of contests.
The NBA would need to collectively bargain any changes to the schedule, as the CBA requires the league to make reasonable efforts to increase revenue. A reduction in games could be seen by the players as an attempt to reduce Basketball Related Income.
And-Ones: Irving, Lakers, Robinson, Morris
Kyrie Irving remains as much of a target for the Lakers as Kawhi Leonard is, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Earlier today, Los Angeles was able to amend the Anthony Davis trade agreement, giving them the ability to carve out roughly $32MM in cap room.
Irving seems likely to join Brooklyn, but that won’t stop the Lakers from making an attempt to lure the point guard to the team. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Former No. 5 overall pick Thomas Robinson will play in the summer league for the Spurs, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Robinson most recently played in the G League for the Red Claws, the affiliate of the Celtics.
- Markieff Morris is unlikely to re-sign with the Thunder, Maddie Lee of the Oklahoman writes. The scribe details how many players who sign during buyout season end up switching teams come the offseason.
- Damyean Dotson believes the Knicks will be fine even if they don’t land a big star in free agency this summer, as Marc Berman of the New York Post passes along. “We have a full team of young guys,” Dotson said. “My teammates Allonzo [Trier], Kev [Kevin Knox] Mitchell [Robinson], [R.J. Barrett], we’re rising stars. We can build together and one day become a great team if we work hard keep listening to coach [David Fizdale]. All the guys played last year got experience.”
Kings Interested In Patrick Beverley
The Kings are interested in Patrick Beverley, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Beverley would help take the pressure off of De’Aaron Fox, serving as the point guard’s backup.
Beverley is reportedly seeking a deal in the three-year, $40MM range. The Kings should have no problem accommodating that type of contract, as the team has just under $53MM in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season.
The Mavericks, Bulls, Clippers, and Lakers are all also expected to have interested in Beverley. Most of those teams seem to have some sort of connection between them and the point guard. Beverley is from Chicago. He shares an agent with Mavs star Luka Doncic and he played in Los Angeles this past season.
Beverley made slightly more than $5MM last season and will almost certainly see a raise on his annual salary next season.
Atlantic Notes: Pelle, Sixers, Thomas, Siakam
Hoops Rumors’ own JD Shaw hears that the Sixers will sign center Norvel Pelle to a two-way contract (Twitter links).
Pelle, who went undrafted in 2014, played for the Delaware Blue Coats last season. The big man was named to the NBAGL All-Defensive Team for his play in the G League.
Haywood Highsmith previously occupied one of the team’s two-way contracts before being waived earlier in the week. Shaw adds that Highsmith will join Philadelphia’s Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- David Heller, who had been a partial owner of the Sixers, is no longer part of the team, Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report relays (Twitter link). “We can confirm that David Heller has sold his interest in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). David will always be a friend to this organization. We appreciate his time, effort, energy, and partnership…and wish him well in his future endeavors,” the Sixers said in a statement. The circumstances surrounding Heller’s departure are unclear, but sources close to the front office tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer that he was forced out. The 76ers strongly denied that characterization, Pompey notes.
- Isaiah Thomas is not in the Celtics‘ plan this offseason, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe writes. Boston appears likely to lose Kyrie Irving, though the organization is reportedly a leading contender for Kemba Walker.
- Blake Murphy of The Athletic explores whether the Raptors should ink Pascal Siakam to an extension this summer. Siakam’s long-term future in Toronto isn’t in question; it’s just a matter of whether to sign him to an extension before the season or wait until next summer to handle his contract situation in restricted free agency.
Clippers, Lakers Contenders For Klay Thompson If Warriors Don’t Offer Full Max
Klay Thompson is expecting the Warriors to offer him a full max contract once free agency begins on Sunday. Should the Warriors either delay their offer or offer less than the max, Thompson will listen to pitches from the Lakers and Clippers, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
It was previously reported that the shooting guard would give the Clippers some attention if the Warriors don’t have the offer ready for him, but now the Lakers have been added to his list of fallback max options.
LeBron James‘ team amended the Anthony Davis trade agreement earlier today, which helped the club create additional cap room. Los Angeles projects to have roughly $32M in cap space, putting the team about $700K short of being able to offer a full max for a player with Thompson’s experience.
Thompson, who tore his ACL during the NBA Finals, is eligible for a five-year max deal worth approximately $190MM. Should he sign elsewhere, he’d be limited to a four-year contract worth approximately $141MM.
Despite the latest news, the five-time All-Star is still considered a strong bet to re-sign with Golden State.