Raptors, Lakers, Mavs, Bucks Eye Iman Shumpert
1:03am: The Suns have liked Shumpert for a while and might get in the mix for him, too, Kennedy adds on Twitter.
12:05pm: The Raptors also have interest, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
11:35am: The Lakers, Mavericks and Bucks are interested in Iman Shumpert, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The shooting guard will become a restricted free agent Wednesday after the Cavaliers tendered a qualifying offer to him on Monday. Six teams have already expressed interest in Shumpert and league executives believe he’ll command a deal that will pay him better than $8MM a year, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported, and as we passed along in our Offseason Outlook for the Cavs.
Cleveland GM David Griffin has expressed interest in keeping his team together, and LeBron James would reportedly like the team to re-sign Shumpert. Inking him to a new deal or matching an offer sheet from another team would add to the projected tax bill for the Cavs, who’ve already had internal discussions about a $100-110MM payroll, with tax payments perhaps exceeding $75MM, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported.
Cavs, Wizards Pursue Mike Dunleavy
11:39pm: The Cavs are indeed in pursuit, as well as the Wizards, but the Bulls are still the favorites, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).
9:26am: LeBron James would like the Cavs to sign Mike Dunleavy, but the small forward is highly likely to re-sign with the Bulls, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). James, though he’s opting out of his deal, has been very much engaged with Cavs management about the roster and is expected to re-sign. Dunleavy is also reportedly drawing interest from the Clippers.
Chicago apparently wants Dunleavy back, though there’s a limit to how much the Bulls would pay the client of outgoing Wasserman agent Arn Tellem. The Bulls are also highly likely to retain Jimmy Butler, whom they’ve made a maximum qualifying offer. Should Butler end up signing for the max, it’s likely the Bulls will have already exceeded the projected $81.6MM tax line even without a contract for Dunleavy.
The Cavs will probably end up paying an even heavier tax burden, and they’ll almost certainly be limited to offering Dunleavy the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception. The Bulls have Early Bird rights to Dunleavy, so they’ll likely be able to pay him as much as about $6MM next season if they want to.
Salary Cap Projection Leaps $1-2MM
The salary cap will be at least $1MM and as much as $2MM higher than the most recently projected figure of $67.1MM, as the union revealed at a recent agents summit, two sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The tax line, which had been projected at $81.6MM, is also now expected to be significantly higher, Berger hears. The league will set the official numbers on July 8th, the final day of the July Moratorium, Berger notes.
Teams like the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, Pistons, Suns, Rockets, Bucks stand to benefit from the increased cap, Berger posits, mentioning the Nets, Bulls and Thunder as teams that the higher tax line figures to help. I’d speculate that the Hawks, who may well have to use cap space to re-sign Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll, and the Warriors, who already have more than $81.6MM in guaranteed salary, stand to benefit as much as any teams. Of course, the maximum salaries are tied to the salary cap, so as the cap goes up, so do they.
The NBA sets the cap based on basketball related income, so it appears the league collected more money than it thought it would. The higher figures for 2015/16 won’t necessarily affect the projected spikes for 2016/17 and beyond, Berger writes.
Cartier Martin Opts In With Pistons
JUNE 30th: Martin has officially opted in, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
JUNE 1st: Cartier Martin is picking up his minimum-salary option for next season, letting the Pistons know of his decision last week, a league source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The small forward who turns 31 in November will draw a guaranteed salary of nearly $1.271MM for next season.
The decision is no surprise after Martin saw little playing time in his sixth NBA season this year. Coach Stan Van Gundy only called on him to appear in 23 games for an average of 8.6 minutes per night after signing him to a two-year deal last summer. It was somewhat surprising to see Van Gundy commit guaranteed money for as many as two seasons to the journeyman, though Martin had a career mark of 38.3% from behind the arc as of last summer, and that surely played into the ASM Sports client‘s deal. Martin didn’t show off that sort of accuracy in limited chances this season, making only six of 33 three-point attempts.
Martin’s option pickup, once official, will leave the Pistons with still only about $29MM against a projected $67.1MM cap. That doesn’t include a new deal for Reggie Jackson, whom the Pistons seem intent on re-signing, or one for Greg Monroe, should he surprise and choose to remain in Detroit.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry Steps Down In Buyout Deal
JUNE 30th, 6:46pm: The Hawks formally announced the promotions of Budenholzer and Wilcox, according to Vivlamore (on Twitter).
JUNE 25th, 10:38am: New owner Tony Ressler confirmed to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter) that he has a “handshake agreement” with Mike Budenholzer to be president/head coach and Wes Wilcox to be GM.
JUNE 22nd, 11:03am: Ferry has stepped down, the team formally announced via press release.
“This season has proved two things,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said in the team’s statement. “First, Danny Ferry is a tremendous GM. Danny was the principal architect of the Hawks’ success in Atlanta. From the hiring of Coach Bud to reinventing the roster, Danny’s vision has put us in the tremendous place we are today. Danny acted with integrity and professionalism as he guided the organization through important changes over the last few years. Second, Danny Ferry is not a racist. Danny showed great leadership in stepping aside in the fall so the season could proceed with as few distractions as possible. He has always put the team first despite the great personal difficulties he endured. Now that the team has identified new ownership, the resolution of Danny’s contract with existing ownership is appropriate. We wish Danny and his family only the best moving forward.”
Budenholzer, who’s also quoted in the statement, lauded Ferry’s roster building, and Ferry spoke as well.
“While the past year has been incredibly difficult and humbling, it is critical for me to clear my name and for people to realize that I have always built a culture of respect, diversity, and honesty,” Ferry said. “Now that the key facts have been made known, I am making the difficult decision to step away from this team and this special group of players. I have seen how gracious and forgiving people can be – especially Luol, who had every right to be hurt and angry after being brought into this situation. I thank him for his forgiveness and support. I also greatly appreciate that our players and coaches have been supportive, along with so many friends, old and new. As the Hawks move to a new chapter, I will continue to support the players and wish them the continued success that they and the fans of Atlanta deserve.”
JUNE 20th, 5:05pm: A law firm commissioned by the Hawks to investigate the comments Ferry made in reference to Deng last year found no wrongdoing on the part of the GM, according to a letter the firm sent to Ferry that multiple Atlanta-area media members obtained, including Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“We reported the results of our work to the Hawks. In summary, the facts indicated that you repeated comments that were not your own about Mr. Deng from a scouting report during the call, and there was no evidence to indicate that during the call you acted in a manner motivated by negative bias toward Mr. Deng, his race or his country of origin,” the letter read in part. “In fact, you strongly recommended Luol Deng and attempted to sign him for the team. Based on the materials reviewed within the scope of the investigation, we did not uncover facts indicating that your repetition of words contained within a scouting report was improperly motivated by race, ethnicity, or country of origin.”
2:48pm: Ferry will receive “substantially more” through the buyout deal than his contract called for him to make over the remainder of its term, Vivlamore writes in a full story.
JUNE 19th, 1:20pm: The Hawks board of managers approved the buyout deal with Ferry today, Vivlamore reports, adding that an official announcement is forthcoming in a few days (Twitter link).
3:11pm: The league is expected to approve the new owners on June 24th, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Ferry had hoped that ties to Grant Hill and Jesse Itzler, partners in Ressler’s group, would save his job, but over time, he realized that wouldn’t happen, Zillgitt reports, adding that Ferry indeed wants to return to NBA work.
JUNE 18th, 1:11pm: Hawks officials and Ferry have reached a buyout agreement that will give Ferry more than what the three years remaining on his contract called for him to make, reports Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. The current owners will assume responsibility for the cost of the buyout, Arnovitz adds. The team’s board of managers will hold a conference call to Friday to approve the buyout terms, according to Arnovitz.
10:45am: No one has told either Budenholzer or Wilcox just yet about any potential changes to their roles, Vivlamore tweets.
9:58am: The Hawks plan to work out deals that install coach and acting GM Mike Budenholzer as president and coach, promote assistant GM Wes Wilcox to GM, and allow the team to part ways with GM Danny Ferry, who’s been on a leave of absence since September, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The plan appears to emanate from the team’s incoming ownership, led by Tony Ressler, who, league sources told Wojnarowski, will make contract negotiations with Budenholzer and Wilcox their first priority upon receiving league approval for their purchase of the franchise. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in mid-May that the approval process was expected to be finished on a timetable that would finalize the sale sometime between now and early next month.
Higher-ups around the league have lent their support to Ferry, with most believing that he’ll again find work in a team’s front office, Wojnarowski writes. Ferry’s racially insensitive remarks while reading a scouting report about Luol Deng last year led him to take his leave of absence in September, shortly after controlling owner Bruce Levenson said he planned to sell the team amid the revelation of his own racially charged emails. Budenholzer took control of the front office around that time, though as Vivlamore told us, Atlanta’s player personnel decisions continued to be made in a collaborative manner, with Wilcox and others heavily involved.
Budenholzer won the league’s Coach of the Year award and finished third in Executive of the Year voting after the Hawks won 60 games this past season, though some votes that went to Budenholzer were meant as nods to Ferry, multiple executives told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Some executives, who vote on the award rather than media members, were displeased that the Hawks chose to nominate Budenholzer for the honor instead of Ferry, Hoops Rumors reported. Some of them spoke of abstaining from the vote, though all 30 voters ultimately cast their ballots. The Hawks made the vast majority of the moves that brought their roster together before Ferry went on leave.
Kings, Rajon Rondo Have Mutual Interest
JUNE 30TH, 3:20pm: Rudy Gay is recruiting Rondo to the Kings, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Sacramento has nonetheless reportedly been pursuing trades involving Gay.
JUNE 23RD, 8:57am: The Kings and soon-to-be free agent Rajon Rondo have mutual interest, as the idea of signing a one-year deal with Sacramento to rehabilitate his value around the league intrigues the point guard, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who writes amid the latest in the DeMarcus Cousins saga. Rondo is almost certain to leave the Mavericks after a disastrous few months there, as Mavs coach Rick Carlisle essentially confirmed after Rondo and the team had an apparent mutual parting of ways during the playoffs.
Sacramento has long coveted Rondo, as reports have indicated, and the Kings were among the teams who spoke with the Celtics shortly before Boston traded him to Dallas in December. Neither the arrival this spring of Vlade Divac as vice president of basketball and franchise operations, a role in which he controls the front office, nor Rondo’s declining play have apparently dissuaded Sacramento from its affection for the 29-year-old.
Rondo’s value at this point is difficult to peg, with speculation suggesting that he’d struggle to make salaries of $10-12MM on his next deal. Sacramento has about $53MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $67.1MM cap for next season, not counting its first-round pick at No. 6., but with the team pursuing trades for just about everyone on the roster, according to Wojnarowski, it’s tough to project what the Kings will have to spend. The Lakers, with whom the Kings have reportedly engaged in exploratory talks regarding Cousins, are also likely Rondo suitors.
Mutual Interest Between Cavs, Mo Williams
JUNE 30TH, 2:50pm: Williams anticipates that he’ll meet with the Cavs, and Cleveland is “very interested” in signing him, a source tells Haynes (on Twitter).
JUNE 19TH, 2:56pm: Soon-to-be free agent Mo Williams has strong interest in playing with the Cavs again, and he’d also like to re-sign with the Hornets, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The point guard and Cleveland are expected to talk if Williams, who’s seeking a multiyear deal, is willing to take the limited amount the Cavs have to spend, and LeBron James would welcome the return of his former teammate “with open arms,” Haynes also hears.
The Cavs are almost certain to have no more than the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level to spend this summer. The full amount of that would represent a slight pay cut for the 12-year veteran who made more than $3.965MM on the one-year deal he signed this past summer with the Timberwolves. The contract originally called for him to make $3.5MM, but a trade kicker lifted that amount when Minnesota sent him to the Hornets in a February swap.
Cleveland is seeking a facilitating guard who can either back up or play alongside Kyrie Irving, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reported this morning. Williams, 32, would presumably fit that mold, having played alongside Chris Paul with the Clippers a few years ago in spite of spending most of his career as a point guard and having averaged 5.0 assists per game for his career. He was the starting point guard for the Cavs for two and a half seasons beginning in 2008, sharing the floor with James during the first two years. The Mark Bartelstein client averaged 14.2 points, 6.2 assists and 29.1 minutes per game this past season, split between Minnesota and Charlotte.
The Hornets have non-Bird rights with Williams, so they could give him a 20% raise without dipping into another exception. Charlotte is also likely to have the $5.434MM non-taxpayer’s mid-level at its disposal.
Free Agent Rumors: Wade, Pierce, Aldridge
The latest free agent rumors..
- Dwyane Wade is seeking at least $16MM a year on a three or four-year deal, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported earlier that Wade was seeking a three-year deal and would welcome $20MM a year.
- League execs tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that there is not a robust market for Wade because of his age (33) and history of injury problems.
- The Wizards are growing more confident in their ability to re-sign Paul Pierce, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Clippers have appeared to be his primary suitor, with the Celtics also reportedly in the mix.
- In addition to their pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs could have some interest in former Blazers forward Thomas Robinson, according to Jabari Young of CSNNW.com (on Twitter). Of course, Aldridge and Robinson have a history together. Robinson, a former No. 5 overall pick, has bounced around the league quite a bit since he was drafted in 2012.
- Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez is on the Knicks‘ radar, according to Al Iannazone of Newsday. Lopez has value to the Knicks as a big man with energy and solid defensive skills.
- The Thunder are among the teams expected to pursue Caron Butler when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times writes. It was previously reported that the Bulls, Clippers, Spurs, Lakers, and Knicks are expected to be in the mix for the veteran, who says he expects to get waived by Milwaukee.
- Oleksiy Pecherov is eyeing an NBA comeback and is working out with the Nuggets today, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Pecherov has played 111 games in the NBA with the Wizards and Wolves averaging 3.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG.
Lakers Decline Team Option On Jordan Hill
JUNE 30TH, 1:24pm: The team indeed passed on his option, so Hill will become an unrestricted free agent, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
4:32pm: The Lakers have told Hill it most likely won’t pick up his option, though the formal decision can wait until midnight, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
JUNE 29TH, 2:08pm: The team has told Hill it won’t be picking up his option, league sources said to Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter).
JUNE 19TH, 12:11pm: The Lakers are likely to turn down their team option to retain Jordan Hill at a salary of $9MM next season, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski cautions that the team has yet to make a final decision, but league sources let him know that momentum is strong toward the Lakers letting Hill enter free agency. The deadline for a formal choice is June 29th.
Declining the option wouldn’t give the Lakers the immediate ability to clear extra cap room, and in fact would infringe on them doing so, since his cap hold would shoot up to $13.5MM. However, the Lakers could renounce their Bird rights to him to wipe that cap hold from the books, even though the Lakers could have interest in re-signing him if they miss out on their star targets, Wojnarowski writes. They’d have to use cap space or an exception to bring him back in that scenario.
Marquee free agents the Lakers would like to sign include LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and Goran Dragic, Wojnarowski notes. The Lakers have about $35MM in guaranteed salary already on the books, so they wouldn’t have much trouble squeezing one of them under the projected $67.1MM cap if they picked up Hill’s option. However, letting him go would let the Lakers chase a star as well as a secondary target like DeMarre Carroll, in whom they also reportedly have interest. The notion that the Lakers are inclined to let go of Hill gives deference to the idea that the team has zeroed in on Jahlil Okafor as its primary target for the No. 2 pick, assuming the Timberwolves draft Karl-Anthony Towns first overall, though that’s just my speculation.
Hill, a BDA Sports Management client, is coming off a career year. The five-year veteran poured in 12.0 points per game this past season, the first in which he’s put up a double-digit scoring average. His 7.9 rebounds and 26.8 minutes per game, as well as his 57 starts, are also career highs.
David West Opts Out From Pacers
JUNE 30TH, 1:12pm: The Pacers didn’t receive paperwork indicating that West would opt in by Monday night’s deadline for him to do so, so he has officially opted out, the team confirms, as Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports reports (Twitter link).
JUNE 24TH, 2:07pm: David West has decided to turn down his $12.6MM player option, reports Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Larry Bird wouldn’t confirm the report, telling Buckner that he hasn’t spoken with West or agent Jeff Austin (Twitter link). His choice gives the team the chance to open the cap space necessary for a legitimate run at Monta Ellis, in whom the Pacers reportedly have interest.
Mystery had surrounded West’s intentions with the option, just as it does with Roy Hibbert, who possesses a player option worth more than $15.514MM, though Pacers coach Frank Vogel said this spring that he had a gut feeling that West would opt in. That proved incorrect, and now West, who turns 35 in August, is free to seek out a new team or see if he can pry more salary, a longer deal, or both from Indiana.
The Raptors reportedly pursued West via trade at the deadline, and Toronto still appears to have a need at power forward. Indiana appeared reluctant to part with him as it chased a playoff berth last season. Bird has made it clear he wants to change the team’s style of play to a more up-tempo attack, and while he seemed to push Hibbert to opt out, it would be tough for the Pacers to implement a small-ball style if Hibbert opts in and West re-signs.