Knicks Notes: Shved, Carmelo, Boozer, Lopez
Alexey Shved has turned down an offer from the Knicks as he mulls returning to play in Europe, agent Obrad Fimic tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com, and Shved’s American agent, Mark Bartelstein, said to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that it’s unlikely Shved re-signs with the Knicks (Twitter links). Shved has been seeking the $2.814MM room exception, but none of the three offers the Knicks have made were for that amount, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
“We didn’t get to the right number with the Knicks,’’ Fimic told Berman. “Maybe next season. We are considering a return to Europe where we have two huge offers.’’
Fimic said to Russia’s Tass news outlet that three NBA teams made offers (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Here’s more on the blue-and-orange:
- Knicks president Phil Jackson told reporters Monday that he hasn’t been in contact with Carmelo Anthony since the start of free agency, and Anthony’s skeptical about the team’s slow approach to rebuilding, a source close to the star forward told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- The Knicks are focused on finding a backup center, as Jackson also said to the media Monday and as Berman relays in the above-linked piece. The team is reportedly among those interested in Carlos Boozer, but while the Knicks have had internal conversations about him, they haven’t made a move on him yet, Berman writes. Center Alex Kirk, who was briefly a Knick last season, has impressed the team in summer league, the Post scribe adds.
- Robin Lopez is getting precisely $54,015,500 in his four-year deal with the Knicks, while Kyle O’Quinn‘s four-year contract is worth $16,012,500, including a fourth-year player option, and the one-year deal Lance Thomas signed is for $1,636,842, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Sixers Interested In Norris Cole
The Sixers have expressed interested in Pelicans restricted free agent Norris Cole, reports Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). The point guard’s free agency has been slow-going so far, as the Pelicans have reportedly made a push to re-sign him but are only willing to go so far.
[RELATED: Sixers Notes: Wroten, Bogans, Embiid]
The Rich Paul client went from Miami to New Orleans in the Goran Dragic trade at the deadline, when the Wizards, Thunder, Bucks and Cavs all reportedly had varying degrees of interest in him. None of those teams have been linked to him this summer. The Sixers, as usual, have the cap space necessary to outbid other suitors. Aside from an apparent training camp deal with undrafted free agent T.J. McConnell, Philadelphia has yet to make a move in free agency.
The Pelicans, who can match all competing bids, made Cole a qualifying offer worth nearly $3.037MM. New Orleans is capped out, but it has his Bird rights and no other logical option on the roster to back up at point guard, aside from Toney Douglas, who’s on a non-guaranteed deal, and Tyreke Evans, who sees plenty of time at other positions.
For all the hottest NBA rumors and deals, follow us on Twitter!
Gigi Datome To Play In Turkey
Gigi Datome is leaving the NBA and has signed a two-year deal with Turkey’s Fenerbahce Ulker, the team announced. Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia first reported the sides were finalizing a deal (Twitter link). It’s worth 1.7 million euros a year, reports David Pick of Eurobasket.com (on Twitter), and that’s the equivalent of more than $1.876MM. The Celtics last month elected not to make a qualifying offer to Datome that would have been worth $2,187,500.
It’s no surprise to see the Italian forward head back overseas, as Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported early this month that he was torn as he considered whether or not to stay in the NBA. The most recent rumors connected him to European teams, and clubs from overseas began lining up for him months ago.
The two-year NBA veteran made playing time a priority as he pondered his future, Himmelsbach wrote. Datome saw much more burn with the Celtics than he did this season in Detroit, where he made it into only three games before the midseason trade that took him to Boston. Still, he averaged only 10.7 minutes per contest for the C’s, and while coach Brad Stevens was a fan, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge had only measured interest.
Magic Sign Jason Smith
JULY 14TH, 9:17am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
JULY 7TH, 3:09pm: The Magic will sign Jason Smith, his agency, Priority Sports says (Twitter link). It’s a one-year, $4.3MM deal, as Shams Charania of RealGM hears (Twitter link). His agent tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv it’s for $4.5MM (Twitter link). Either way, the Magic appear to be using some of their cap space to exceed the $3,933,600 the Knicks could have used to retain the Mark Bartelstein client using his Non-Bird rights. The Knicks are taking in Kyle O’Quinn from the Magic via sign-and-trade, but it doesn’t look like the Smith signing will be part of that transaction.
Smith wanted to return to New York, which signed him to a one-year deal last summer, and while team president Phil Jackson reportedly liked the idea, and the sides spoke this month, but it wasn’t clear whether the Knicks would offer more than the $2.814MM room exception. The Lakers also apparently expressed interest.
The Magic have reached deals with Smith, C.J. Watson and Tobias Harris after missing out on Paul Millsap. The 7’0″ Smith swings between center and power forward and started a career-high 31 games this past season.
Kings Interested In Matt Bonner
Free agent Matt Bonner has become a subject of interest from the Kings, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The longtime Spur was reportedly thinking about retirement this spring, though he said last year that he wanted to play for several more seasons. Little chatter has surrounded the 35-year-old’s free agency this month, even though he made 19 starts this past season, the second most of his 11-year career.
Bonner made the minimum salary in 2014/15, and it would seem difficult for him to command more this time around. Sacramento is reportedly closing in on a deal with Luc Mbah a Moute that would be its sixth free agent agreement of the month, so Bonner is down the team’s list of priorities.
In spite of the Red Rocket’s appearances in the starting lineup, his play declined this past season. His 36.5% accuracy from behind the arc showed proficiency, but it was his first sub-40% three-point shooting season in five years. His 10.1 PER was a career low.
Kings Close To Deal With Luc Mbah a Moute
TUESDAY, 8:15am: The sides are close on what would be a one-year arrangement, and the Kings are committed to getting a deal done, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 9:12am: The Kings are making progress as they negotiate a deal with Luc Mbah a Moute, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The former King spent this past season as a starter for the Sixers. The talks are the latest development in an active summer for Sacramento after the team saw Andrea Bargnani slip through their hands Sunday and strike a deal with the Nets.
Mbah a Moute had wanted to return to Philadelphia, where coach Brett Brown was a fan, but with fellow Cameroonian Joel Embiid‘s career reportedly in jeopardy, the call for Mbah a Moute’s veteran mentorship of the would-be star might not be as great as it was this past season. The 2014/15 season was nonetheless a career year for Mbah a Moute, who averaged 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game as the Sixers clearly saw him as more than just an asset for the locker room.
Sacramento still hasn’t officially signed the five free agents with which it has reached agreements this month, so it’s unclear just how much cap flexibility is left for Mbah a Moute. Regardless, the Kings appear to at least have the power to spend their $2.814MM room exception on him. That would still be quite a bit less than the nearly $4.383MM the Darren Matsubara client made this past season. Mbah a Moute was briefly a King during 2013/14 before heading to Minnesota in the Derrick Williams trade.
Kings Sign Marco Belinelli
July 13th, 9:58pm: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
July 3rd, 4:05pm: The deal wouldn’t fit within the mid-level exception, Stein notes via Twitter. That exception would only allow for a total of $17,129,640 over three years, and while it’s not uncommon for initial reported figures on deals to be off, this appears to be confirm that the contract will exceed the exception amount. That means the Kings will likely use cap room and lose the ability to create trade exceptions for the three players they’ve agreed to trade to Philadelphia, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (on Twitter).
1:36pm: The Kings and Marco Belinelli have reached agreement on a deal worth $19MM over three years, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The contract will include no option clauses, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Sacramento will likely use part of the cap space it’s set to clear in the wake of its trade agreement with the Sixers, though the deal is cheap enough to fit within the $5.464MM mid-level exception if the Kings choose to operate as an over-the-cap team.
The Hornets had reportedly planned a strong pursuit, and the Warriors had interest, too. The Heat put in a call to express their interest in the client of Sam Goldfeder and Jeff Schwartz, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), but Miami, like the Warriors, is likely limited to no more than the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception. The Bulls might have gone after him if they’d have failed to sign Mike Dunleavy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote, but they, too, would likely have been limited to the taxpayer’s mid-level.
Belinelli wanted to re-sign with the Spurs, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News heard (Twitter link). They were armed with Early Bird rights to bring him back on a deal comparable to the one he’s getting from the Kings, but they’re in hot pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge, and may well have had to renounce Belinelli’s rights to squeeze Aldridge under the cap.
Sacramento moves on from having missed out on Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews with a proven three-point marksman who’s nailed 39.2% of his attempts from behind the arc for his career. Still, outside of two seasons in New Orleans, he’s primarily been a reserve during his eight years in the NBA.
Multiple Teams Eye Carlos Boozer
July 13th, 9:15pm: The Nuggets and Knicks, in addition to the Pelicans, Clippers, Raptors and Spurs, are interested in Boozer, according to Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link).
1:21pm: The interest between Boozer and the Clippers is mutual, a source tells Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
July 7th, 1:12pm: The Pelicans are also showing interest, Broussard tweets. His latest dispatch doesn’t include the Spurs, so it’s unclear if they’re still in the mix after reaching a deal with David West.
July 6th, 1:21pm: Free agent Carlos Boozer is in talks with the Clippers, Spurs, Mavericks and Raptors, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com first reported that the Spurs had expressed interest, while Broussard identified San Antonio and Dallas on the eve of free agency as teams that were poised to pursue the Rob Pelinka client, along with the Nets, Rockets, Heat and incumbent Lakers.
The Mavs and Spurs would appear to have the most to spend among the four teams that Broussard reports in connection with Boozer today, as they have the $2.814MM room exception at their disposal. However, it seems Dallas is nearing a deal for that exception amount, and San Antonio reportedly has interest in David West, perhaps at that same price point. It looks like Toronto has its room exception earmarked for Bismack Biyombo, while the Clippers have $2.088MM left on their mid-level in the wake of Paul Pierce‘s deal and the departure of DeAndre Jordan.
Boozer, who’ll turn 34 in November, expressed a willingness to take a bench role as he expressed his desire to re-sign with the Lakers. Someone close to the power forward told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he wouldn’t be surprised if Boozer signed with the Heat this summer, though it’s unclear if either the Lakers or the Heat still have interest.
Pacific Notes: Jordan, Love, Pierce, Cousins
DeAndre Jordan often returns the purchases he makes, friends tell Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, who note that he’s on his third agent in seven years. Thus, perhaps the Mavs might have known that Jordan wasn’t quite in the bag until he put pen to paper. They triumphantly celebrated when it seemed Jordan was on his way to Dallas, as Shelburne and MacMahon detail.
“I hear this scream in the backyard and it’s [Mavs owner Mark] Cuban, walking inside with his hands up like, ‘We got him!'” Chandler Parsons said. “It was unbelievable. I was so hyped, because he really is a franchise-changing type player. They don’t come around very often. It was awesome. His mom was crying. I think Cuban might have even cried.”
Parsons called Jordan’s decision soon thereafter to instead return to the Clippers “very unethical and disrespectful,” as the Mavs small forward said to the ESPN scribes. Still, the Jordan saga isn’t the only storyline that’s changed during NBA free agency. A few more are amid the latest from around the Pacific Division:
- The Lakers reportedly had a meeting planned with Kevin Love before he recommitted to the Cavs, but the purple-and-gold were never under the impression they would get that visit, a Lakers source told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link).
- Paul Pierce doesn’t have a team option on the final season of his three-year deal with the Clippers, as originally reported, but he does have a partial guarantee of $1,096,080 on the final season, which is worth a total of $3,679,840, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The deal is the most the Clips could have given him using their taxpayer’s mid-level exception.
- Wesley Johnson‘s contract with the Clippers covers two years, instead of just one as originally reported, Pincus reports (Twitter link). Both seasons are at the minimum salary, and the second season is a player option, according to Pincus.
- DeMarcus Cousins expressed his enthusiasm this weekend for playing alongside Rajon Rondo, notes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Cousins reportedly wants a trade to the Lakers, but Rondo has committed to sign with the Kings.
- The Suns had been eyeing Sonny Weems for more than a year, but Phoenix’s two-year, $5.8MM offer shocked him, and when he jumped on it, he turned down a fully guaranteed two-year, $6MM offer from Barcelona, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details. The Phoenix deal reportedly includes a team option on year two, but the Suns think he can become the first guard off their bench, Coro writes. The Spurs also had a level of interest in the 29-year-old swingman, according to Coro.
Mavs Target Tyler Hansbrough, Elton Brand
Tyler Hansbrough and Elton Brand are among the big men the Mavericks are wooing as they continue to try to plug the hole left when DeAndre Jordan called off his plans to sign with the team, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dallas is also reportedly meeting with Samuel Dalembert and shares mutual interest in JaVale McGee, as long as his health checks out.
Rumors surrounding Hansbrough have been scarce this summer, though he started a pair of playoff games for the Raptors this past spring. The Jeff Schwartz client nonetheless spent much of the season on the outskirts of Toronto’s rotation, averaging career lows in points, rebounds and minutes per game.
The 36-year-old Brand, who’s contemplating retirement, appears unlikely to return to the Hawks, who renounced his rights. Like Dalembert, the David Falk client is an ex-Mav, having spent the 2012/13 season with Dallas. That was the last time he averaged more than 20 minutes per game.
The Mavs have plenty of cap room to sign any of the big men they’re targeting. Still, Dallas traded for Zaza Pachulia last week, so the team isn’t barren at the center position.