Suns, Heat, Pelicans Agree To Trade
4:46pm: John Reid of The Times-Picayune has Cole going to New Orleans in the deal. In his summary, it’s Cole, Hamilton and Williams to the Pelicans and Salmons to the Suns. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has the Suns getting Miami’s 2017 and 2021 first-rounders, Salmons and Danny Granger (Twitter links). Miami’s 2017 pick is top-seven protected and the 2021 selection is unprotected, Coro notes. However, there’s confusion even among some executives, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
4:17pm: Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today has Hamilton headed to the Pelicans and not the Suns (Twitter link).
2:28pm: Cole and Salmons are part of a larger deal involving Goran Dragic, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Cole, Justin Hamilton and two first-round picks go to Phoenix for Dragic and Zoran Dragic, while Salmons goes from New Orleans to Phoenix. Shawne Williams head to New Orleans (All Twitter links).
2:17pm: The Pelicans are acquiring Norris Cole from the Heat, a source tells Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). John Salmons is headed to Miami, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Sixers Acquire JaVale McGee, First-Rounder
2:41pm: The deal is official, the Nuggets announced. It’s McGee, the rights to Maduabum, and the first-rounder that Oklahoma City owed the Nuggets heading to Philly in exchange for the rights to Akyol.
1:07pm: The Sixers also received the rights to Nigerian forward Chu Chu Maduabum from Denver in the trade, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
11:29am: The rights to draft-and-stash prospect Cenk Akyol are headed from the Sixers to the Nuggets, tweets Orazio Cauchi of Sportando.
11:17am: Denver will get the rights to one of the foreign players stashed overseas by the Sixers, a source tells Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter). Mannix also notes that the Nuggets will create a sizable trade exception in the deal.
10:58am: The Nuggets and Sixers have agreed to send JaVale McGee to Philly, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) Wojnarowski had just reported that the sides were deep in talks (Twitter link). Philadelphia gets the Thunder’s 2015 first-round pick, which Denver picked up in the Timofey Mozgov trade last month, according to Wojnarowski. Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reported moments earlier that the Nuggets were closing in on a trade involving McGee.
McGee missed most of 2013/14 thanks to stress fracture in his leg and has also missed time this year because of an injury in the same area. Across the last two seasons, McGee has played in a grand total of 22 games for the Nuggets. The high-flying 7-footer has career averages of 8.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG. His best season arguably came in 2011/12, split between the Wizards and Nuggets, where he averaged 11.3 PPG and 7.8 RPG in 25.2 minutes per night.
Denver reportedly wanted to move McGee more than any other player on the roster. They tried repeatedly to swing a deal for Brook Lopez with the Nets involving McGee, but that never came to fruition.
Thunder Discuss Enes Kanter Deal
The Thunder have had talks about acquiring disgruntled center Enes Kanter from the Jazz as they wait to decide whether to pull the trigger on the Brook Lopez–Reggie Jackson proposal with the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Oklahoma City is making a hard push for Kanter, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News, but still, a strong belief remains that the Brooklyn deal will get done, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter). It not immediately clear whether Jackson would be involved in a Kanter trade. Oklahoma City has also talked to the Pacers as the Thunder search for alternatives to the Lopez-Jackson deal, but nothing materialized with Indiana, Wojnarowski tweets.
Kanter made it clear last week that he’s frustrated with his role and wants a trade
Nets, Thunder Close To Lopez, Jackson Deal
1:21pm: Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons aren’t moving on Jarrett Jack or Heat guard Norris Cole today, according to David Mayo of MLive.com (on Twitter).
1:01pm: The Thunder are looking at a deal with another team, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that’s the holdup on the Jackson-Lopez front (on Twitter).
12:47pm: Garnett’s decision regarding his no-trade clause won’t affect the Lopez-Jackson deal, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The Nets are ready to make it happen and are waiting on the Thunder, Mannix says. That would seem to suggest a two-teamer is most likely, but that’s just my speculation.
12:24pm: Jackson is enthusiastic about a potential deal to the Nets, league sources tell Wojnarowski, who hints that Brooklyn’s apparent willingness to unload Jack and sign Jackson to a lucrative deal this summer are major components to that. Jackson is indeed willing to sign long-term in Brooklyn, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter), and that was key to Brooklyn’s pursuit of the would-be trade, as Wojnarowski reported earlier (below). Both Wojnarowski, in his full piece, and Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) have the would-be two-teamer as Lopez to the Thunder for Perkins and Jones, though Wojnarowski says a broader structure of the deal involving other teams remains in play.
12:08pm: The Pistons are a possible landing spot for Jack, sources tell Windhorst (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Detroit would be a part of the Lopez-Jackson deal.
11:42am: The Nets could send Jack to the Wizards as part of a larger deal, a league source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link)
11:09am: Jackson’s relationship with his teammates on the Thunder has deteriorated quite a bit, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
10:43am: The fate of a Nets-Thunder deal involving Jackson and Lopez rests with the Thunder, and for now it would be just a two team arrangement, reports Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
10:40am: The Nets are one of multiple options the Thunder are looking at regarding Jackson, but a deal between Brooklyn and Oklahoma City remains close, Broussard tweets.
10:20am: Jackson’s camp believes a deal will likely get done, Amick tweets. The Timberwolves and Sixers could be included, perhaps with the Thaddeus Young-for-Kevin Garnett possibility lumped in, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Nets are again looking to flip Perkins or have him conveyed elsewhere, Windhorst tweets.
10:15am: A deal is close, but not done, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). The teams are talking about deal that would see Oklahoma City relinquish Jackson, Perry Jones III and Perkins as Nets feel out Jackson’s willingness to re-sign, as Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Brooklyn is prepared to part with Jack, and the team would make Jackson the starter of Deron Williams, Wojnarowski adds. League sources once more tell Wojnarowski that it’s believed Jackson will command between $13MM and $14MM this summer. Oklahoma City and Brooklyn are exploring potential third teams to add to the deal, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
10:04am: Brooklyn “needs to” include Jarrett Jack in any Jackson-Lopez deal, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A deal might involve Perkins and Ish Smith heading Brooklyn’s way in addition to Jackson, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
9:49am: The Nets and Thunder are having serious talks about a deal involving Brook Lopez and Reggie Jackson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported minutes earlier that there was a decent chance the Nets and Thunder would regather momentum toward a trade involving Lopez if the Nets become convinced they can re-sign Jackson this summer (Twitter link). The Nets and Thunder went deep into discussions on Lopez last month, but those conversations didn’t involve Jackson. The Thunder appear to have been the party with interest in striking up the Lopez talks again while the Nets have seemed hesitant.
Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets all appear interested in swapping for Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him. The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.
Lopez is due a player option worth more than $16.744MM for next season, though there are conflicting reports about whether he’d pick it up. Talks between the Nets and Thunder would have sent a package including Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb to Brooklyn, and the Nets had reportedly spoken to the Wolves about Thaddeus Young and had interest in flipping Perkins to Minnesota for him. Still, Brooklyn remained reluctant to do such a deal with Oklahoma City, apparently because it didn’t want to relinquish Lopez in what would amount to a salary dump with a package centering on Perkins, in spite of the Young discussion.
Blazers Acquire Arron Afflalo
1:17pm: Denver has followed with a press release announcing the deal, too. There’s no mention of a separate second-rounder changing hands, apart from the two second-rounders that would go to the Nuggets if the protected first-rounder doesn’t convey.
1:05pm: The Blazers announced that the deal is now official.
“Arron is a proven winner with playoff experience who will be easily integrated into our culture,” Blazers GM Neil Olshey said. “He possesses a skill set that compliments our style of play on both ends of the floor and will make an immediate impact as we continue our playoff push. Alonzo is an elite athlete and defender who adds a unique element to our perimeter. We thank Thomas, Will and Victor for their contributions to the team and wish them all the best for the future.”
10:33am: The Nuggets and Blazers have struck a deal that will send Arron Afflalo to Portland, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Will Barton, Victor Claver, Thomas Robinson, a future lottery-protected first-round pick and a second-round pick go to the Nuggets, who also give up Alonzo Gee, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter links). The first-rounder headed Denver’s way is for 2016, and is again lottery protected in 2017 if it doesn’t convey that year, Wojnarowski tweets, adding that if it doesn’t get to Denver in 2017, it becomes two future second-round picks.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported this week that the Blazers appeared the front-runners for Afflalo and that the Nuggets appeared poised to receive the first-rounder they sought for him. It appeared some other teams tried to make a late run at him but fell short.
Afflalo, 29, has been averaging 14.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG in 33 minutes per contest this season. Meanwhile, the guard’s below average 11.7 PER rating is his worst in several years. However, Afflalo is only a year and change removed from his time in Orlando where he was regarded as one of the league’s brighter two guards under the age of 30. For his career, Afflalo has averaged 11.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.0 APG for the Pistons, Magic, and Nuggets. In total, he has shot 38.4% from downtown.
The Blazers, at 36-17, are currently tied for third place in the Western Conference with the Rockets.
Goran Dragic Rumors: Thursday
The intensity of trade chatter surrounding Goran Dragic picked up Wednesday, when the guard said flatly of Phoenix’s front office, “I don’t trust them anymore.” We’ll use this post to round up the Dragic rumors as today’s 2pm Central time trade deadline approaches, with any additional updates on top:
- The Heat are in the lead for Dragic as the Suns continue to talk with multiple teams, and while the Suns continue to send signals they won’t trade him, no other team wants to believe that, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
12:30pm update:
- The Suns are holding firm to their preference to move Isaiah Thomas rather than Dragic, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (on Twitter). Dragic was designated as the heir apparent to Steve Nash and owner Robert Sarver wants to keep it that way.
9:37am update:
- The Heat are offering two first-round picks for Dragic, but Sarver is still resistant to a trade, according to Broussard (Twitter link).
9:16am update:
- The Suns want a first-round pick and a “young player with significant potential” or two first-rounders in return if they’re to part with Dragic, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Nik Stauskas and a first-round pick were among the assets the Kings were willing to offer, league sources tell the Yahoo! scribe. The timing of Dragic’s trade request is what’s upsetting Sarver, Wojnarowski hears.
8:57am updates:
- The Kings are growing hesitant to make a deal for Dragic, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). There’s “no way” that Dragic will sign a long-term deal with the Kings, Pacers, Rockets, Celtics, or any other team that’s not among his preferred destinations, a source tells Broussard (Twitter link).
- Dragic’s trade request has miffed Suns owner Robert Sarver, who’s refusing to go along with it, at least at this point, league executives tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are offering a package for Dragic that includes Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jose Calderon, Broussard tweets.
- No deal between the Suns and Lakers involving Dragic appears likely, a source tells Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- The ability to offer a fifth year in a new contract this summer, which is the exclusive domain of whichever team holds his Bird rights, won’t have much sway on where Dragic decides to sign, a source tells USA Today’s Sam Amick. Of course, Bird rights also give a team the opportunity offer raises of 7.5% instead of 4.5%.
- There’s “nothing of substance” to the reported interest of the Celtics in either Dragic or Reggie Jackson, given the ability of both to hit free agency this summer, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald hears. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge spoke of his hesitancy to “get rid of multiple draft picks for players with uncertainty in the free agent market” in a radio appearance this morning on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter).
Grizzlies Re-Sign JaMychal Green
THURSDAY, 12:34pm: The Grizzlies formally announced the signing via press release.
TUESDAY, 12:24pm: The Grizzlies and JaMychal Green have agreed to what will be the power forward’s second 10-day contract with the team, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The first expired with the beginning of the All-Star break last week. It’ll be the third 10-day pact for the power forward, who spent a single 10-day stint with the Spurs last month, but this will be the last short-term arrangement he can sign with Memphis this season, which would have to sign him for at least the balance of the season next time.
Green has been much sought-after, with the Knicks, Bucks, Bulls and Blazers apparently interested after he began the season with San Antonio’s D-League affiliate. He averaged 23.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game across 20 D-League appearances this year, though his NBA playing time has been sparse, as he’s seen just 6.3 MPG in six total regular season games with Memphis and San Antonio.
The move will restore the Grizzlies to a full 15-man roster, assuming they don’t make any other transactions before Green’s signing takes place. Memphis is relatively close to the tax threshold, but another 10-day contract for Green, who’s in his first season of NBA regular season action, almost certainly won’t cost more than the minimum salary of $29,843.
Thunder, Others Interested In Norris Cole
12:11pm: The Pistons don’t have much interest in Cole, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link).
11:50am: Cole could be conveyed through the Suns to the Pistons if the Heat convince the Suns to take him on as part of a deal involving Goran Dragic, Wojnarowski tweets.
THURSDAY, 11:22am: The Thunder are a possible suitor for Cole as well, if they deal Reggie Jackson to the Nets, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
5:31pm: The Pistons are also interested in acquiring Cole, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to attach Granger to any deal involving Cole, Stein confirms.
WEDNESDAY, 12:25pm: The Wizards have been in pursuit of Norris Cole, but the Heat have set a high asking price, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The Wizards have been looking for backcourt help, but they’ve appeared more likely to make a free agent signing than a trade. Still, Washington is reportedly willing to give up a first-round pick in a deal.
Miami reportedly tried to attach Danny Granger to Cole when the Pistons recently offered Jonas Jerebko for Cole. Heat team president Pat Riley denied that he proposed a deal that would have sent Cole to the Nets, but trade rumors have continued to swirl, as the Hornets and Bucks appear to have interest in the soon-to-be restricted free agent. Cole switched agencies this past offseason, hiring Cleveland-based Rich Paul, but he hasn’t been linked to the Cavs and former Heat teammate LeBron James.
Cole’s outside shot has been off this season, as I noted when I examined his trade candidacy, and proficient shooting has been an asset the Wizards have targeted. That suggests Washington wouldn’t go too far to satisfy Miami’s demands, though that’s just my speculation. Cole is making $2.038MM this season in the final year of his rookie scale contract.
Sixers Interested In Chase Budinger
The Sixers are interested in obtaining Chase Budinger from the Timberwolves for draft considerations, and Philadelphia would then like to do a buyout deal with him, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Wolves were looking to include Budinger in any deal involving the recently-acquired Gary Neal, but so far there hasn’t been a taker for the guard. Budinger is coveted by teams who are looking for a small forward to help spread the floor, but his $5MM player option for next season is a deterrent to many. Of course, the Sixers appear to be less interested in his offensive acumen and more interested in the draft picks that they could get by agreeing to take on his contract.
The 6’7″ forward is averaging 4.5 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 14.9 minutes per game this season. Across six NBA seasons, the Arizona product has averaged 8.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 20.2 minutes per night.
Pistons Contact Nets About Joe Johnson
THURSDAY, 9:22am: The Pistons and Nets have found no traction in the talks, a Nets team source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Both Bondy and the Windrem, who writes in a full piece, hear there’s “nothing” going on.
WEDNESDAY, 9:55pm: Johnson confirmed that the rumors about the Nets making him available via a trade are true, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post tweets.
5:52pm: A league source has informed Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (Twitter links) that the Nets aren’t seriously considering sending Johnson to Detroit. If the Nets wished to simply dump Johnson’s salary, they could have done so back in January, Windrem adds.
4:19pm: Detroit offered the Nets a package consisting of Brandon Jennings and a number of expiring contracts for Johnson, Youngmisuk reports (Twitter link). Jennings is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
TUESDAY, 3:15pm: The Pistons have engaged the Nets to ask about trading for Joe Johnson, league sources tell Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). The Nets have at the very least been willing to trade Johnson since December, and some reports indicated that they were actively seeking to move him. It’s unclear just how motivated the Pistons are to make a deal, which would require the team to give up a boatload of assets to match Johnson’s $23.181MM salary.
Charlotte has heretofore been most prominently linked to Johnson, with talks that reportedly date back to January, when Brooklyn was discussing a three-way deal with the Hornets and Oklahoma City that involved Brook Lopez. Lance Stephenson was the centerpiece of the proposal that would have sent Johnson to Charlotte, but the Nets apparently aren’t interested in Stephenson at this point. The Nets seem disinclined to make a deal unless it helps them win this year, tweets Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has shown little hesitation to make bold moves, as his release of Josh Smith in December demonstrated. Johnson isn’t the superstar his salary suggests, but he’s a productive player and Brooklyn’s leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. He makes nearly $24.895MM next season, but his contract comes off the books after that, in advance of the much anticipated summer of 2016 when the salary cap is set to spike upward to around $90MM.