Hornets Acquire Scotty Hopson
1:23pm: The deal is official, Charlotte announced via press release, which also revealed the Hornets will receive some cash from the Cavs. The exact amount wasn’t disclosed, however.
1:12am: The Hornets will receive Scotty Hopson from the Cavaliers in a restructured version of a draft-night trade agreement between the clubs, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Brendan Haywood and the rights to No. 45 overall pick Dwight Powell are headed to Cleveland, Lloyd adds, so Hopson is essentially replacing Alonzo Gee, who was in the original version of the agreement. The Cavs sent Gee to New Orleans on Friday in a separate trade. The net effect will likely be the same for the Hornets, since it appeared they were primarily seeking cap flexibility in the deal.
Hopson’s contract, like Gee’s, is non-guaranteed. The 24-year-old appeared in only two games for seven minutes during his brief Cavs tenure, and it’s his only NBA experience, having spent the rest of his pro career overseas. The Cavs signed him using their room exception this past March to a prorated deal for the waning days of 2013/14, with a non-guaranteed 2014/15 salary tacked on. It was something of a clumsy maneuver for the Cavs, since they could have signed a long-tenured veteran to the minimum salary and tacked on a greater non-guaranteed salary for 2014/15, thus giving themselves a more attractive trade asset. Using the room exception also forced the Cavs to give Hopson a significantly higher prorated salary for 2013/14 than they would have doled out if they’d signed him or someone else to the minimum salary.
Cavs GM David Griffin redeems himself with his acquisition of Haywood, whose unusual contract sets him up to become a valuable trade weapon next summer, as I explained. Powell, a power forward from Stanford, joins No. 33 overall pick Joe Harris among second-round picks vying for a roster spot with Cleveland this year.
Carmelo Anthony Deciding Between Knicks, Bulls
SATURDAY, 11:33pm: Anthony is still torn between Chicago and New York, and a decision is expected by Monday, tweets Zwerling.
2:40pm: The Lakers get the sense that Anthony is indeed down to just the Knicks and Bulls, but since they haven’t heard from him, they’re holding out hope, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
2:06pm: The Lakers haven’t been told they’re out of the running for Anthony, a source tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 12:15pm: Carmelo Anthony has narrowed his choices to the Knicks and Bulls, a source close to the star forward tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (Twitter link). Presumably that means the Lakers are out of the hunt, though it seems Anthony, who was reportedly expected to re-sign with the Knicks as of two days ago, is a ways off from a decision. He isn’t going to make his call today, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
The Rockets and Mavs also met with Anthony last week, but they were already reportedly out of the running. The primary focus of free agency shifts to Anthony, No. 2 on the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, now that LeBron James, No. 1 on that list, is headed to the Cavs.
The Bulls would have to make a series of moves to clear the necessary cap space to sign Anthony, and if the Lakers are truly out of the picture, that would seem to make it more difficult for the Bulls to coerce the Knicks into a sign-and-trade. He’s eligible for a starting salary of nearly $22.5MM, and while the Knicks have offered that salary, plus the maximum 7.5% raises over the length of a five-year deal, Anthony has indicated that he’d be willing to take less. He’d have to take significantly less to sign with the Bulls, particularly if the Knicks don’t agree to a sign-and-trade.
Latest On Pau Gasol
SATURDAY, 12:13am: The Lakers made a pair of offers to Gasol prior to today that were even higher than the two-year, $10MM figure Wojnarowski cited, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). They were worth $23MM over two years and $29MM over three years, and Gasol rejected them both.
FRIDAY, 11:05pm: According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), the top two contenders for Gasol are the Bulls and the Spurs. If the Bulls can’t work out a sign and trade with Lakers, it’s likely he goes to Spurs, notes Shelburne.
10:00pm: If Gasol ends up in Chicago, it’s unlikely to be as part of a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles for Boozer, tweets Wojnarowski.
7:40pm: The Hawks are making an aggressive pitch for Gasol, tweets Wojnarowski. Atlanta is reportedly offering $11MM per year, but Gasol will likely pass on the offer, adds Wojnarowski.
FRIDAY, 5:47pm: Gasol has turned down a two-year, $10MM per year deal with the Lakers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
10:33am: Gasol met Wednesday night with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
THURSDAY, 8:15am: The Spurs are moving closer to the front of the pack for Gasol, Wojnarowski tweets. The Bulls remain a favorite, as Wojnarowski suggests, and sources indicated to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that the Bulls hope to pursue a sign-and-trade with the Lakers involving Gasol and Carlos Boozer. It’s unlikely that the Bulls would give Gasol a deal longer than three years, Johnson adds.
TUESDAY, 2:16pm: The Knicks aren’t entirely out of the running for Gasol, but they’re way behind the Bulls, Thunder and Lakers, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Spurs are on the “periphery,” Berger adds.
1:55pm: The Bulls and Thunder remain the front-runners for Pau Gasol, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter), but Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com conflicts that report as far as the Thunder go, hearing that Oklahoma City believes it merely has a long shot hope for the free agent big man (Twitter link). The Lakers are “lurking” as a possibility for Gasol while the Spurs continue to forge ahead with their pursuit, Wojnarowski adds.
The Yahoo! scribe identified the Bulls and Thunder as Gasol’s most favored destinations late last week, and the 34-year-old met Monday with Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Confusion over Oklahoma City’s standing in the race for Gasol isn’t new, as multiple reports painted different pictures last week. In any case, it seems that Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have also been recruiting the Arn Tellem client, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week.
The Bulls have pitched Gasol on the idea that he would start for them, while the Lakers have used the notion that he’ll be back with them next season as part of their recruiting efforts with other free agents, confident he’d return if they can sign Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James. The Spurs envision signing him for the $5.305MM mid-level exception, and Gasol would reportedly consider San Antonio if he decides to sign for less than he could receive elsewhere. The Thunder also appear to be in the mix at the mid-level unless they can work a sign-and-trade, but the Bulls might be able to offer more if they amnesty Carlos Boozer, and the Lakers hold his Bird rights.
Bogdan Bogdanovic Signs To Play In Turkey
10:14pm: Bogdanovic’s NBA escape clause for the summer of 2016 involves a buyout of 1 million euros, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. That’s the equivalent of more than $1.36MM at today’s exchange rate.
11:08am: Suns first-round pick Bogdan Bogdanovic has officially signed with Fenerbahce Ulker of Turkey, the team announced on Twitter (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). NTV Spor’s Ismail Senol originally reported the deal (Twitter link; translation via Carchia), which runs four years. It’s worth $4.6MM, according to Croatia’s Sportske Novosti (hat tip to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic). The 21-year-old shooting guard, who was the 27th overall pick last month, won’t have a chance to get out of the contract and join the NBA for two years, as David Pick of Eurobasket.com reported earlier.
The Suns and Bogdanovic agreed in writing earlier this week that he wouldn’t sign an NBA contract this year, so his $930,500 cap hit was removed from Phoenix’s books. The Suns also drafted T.J. Warren 14th overall, Tyler Ennis 18th overall, and Alec Brown 50th overall this year, and there was little chance from the beginning that all of them would play for the team as rookies in 2014/15.
Bogdanovic played with Serbia’s KK Partizan last season and averaged 14.9 points and 3.7 assists in 30.2 minutes per game. If he doesn’t come to the NBA in 2016, he’ll no longer be bound by the rookie scale, so if he continues to develop, he might be in line for much more than NBA rookies are accustomed to, as Bulls prospect Nikola Mirotic seemingly will be. Bogdanovic is not to be confused with Nets draft-and-stash prospect Bojan Bogdanovic.
Jazz Sign Rodney Hood
6:42pm: The signing is official, the team has announced.
1:20pm: The Jazz have signed No. 23 overall pick Rodney Hood, as Hood reveals on his verified Twitter account. He’ll likely receive slightly more than $1.29MM this coming season, as our chart of salaries for 2014 first-round picks shows.
The 6’8″ former Duke Blue Devil touted his versatility and readiness to play when he spoke to Zach Links of Hoops Rumors before the draft. He averaged 16.1 points per game with 42.0% three-point shooting this past season in his lone year at the school after transferring from Mississippi State.
The Jazz took Hood at the back end of the range into which Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors thought he would fall when he examined the 21-year-old’s prospect profile. That sets Utah up with the potential for strong value from the pick. The Jazz also have the rights to No. 5 overall pick Dante Exum, who remains unsigned but will likely ink soon.
Latest On Kevin Love
6:16pm: Sources told Broussard that the Cavs made an offer of Dion Waiters, Anthony Bennett and a first-round pick for Love, but that framework is a no-go, Broussard writes.
3:49pm: The Cavs have told Wiggins he won’t be traded, but the Wolves continue to insist on his inclusion if they’re to give up Love, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, who says that the Cavs would have to bring a third team into the deal to find a workable solution.
2:36pm: The Warriors would be willing to trade David Lee, Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and a future first-round pick in a deal that would net them Kevin Love, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Still, Klay Thompson remains off-limits, and the Warriors remain steadfastly against taking Kevin Martin in any such deal, Wolfson adds in a second tweet.
Golden State faces plenty of competition for the league’s top trade candidate. Love, who can hit free agency next year, is seemingly “100%” on board with the idea of staying in Cleveland long-term, should the Wolves deal him there, now that LeBron James is back with the Cavs, so Cleveland seems like a major player. Most reports have indicated that the Cavs wouldn’t give up No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to acquire Love, as the Wolves are demanding, but multiple executives from around the league told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that they believe Wiggins will be in play in those talks, as we noted earlier.
Still, the Warriors maintain that they won’t give up Thompson even if the Cavs make a strong push for Love, a source tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link). Thompson is eligible for a rookie-scale extension this summer, and co-owner Joe Lacob has vowed to lock him up, though Lacob didn’t specify whether he envisions doing so via extension or next summer in restricted free agency.
Cavs Trade Alonzo Gee To Pelicans
4:46pm: The deal is official, the Cavs announce. Gee goes to the Pelicans, and Cleveland will get the Clippers’ 2016 second-round pick, which New Orleans acquired in a previous trade, protected through pick No. 55. If it doesn’t fall within the final five selections in 2016, the Pelicans don’t owe the Cavs anything.
4:36pm: The Cavs will still acquire No. 45 overall pick Dwight Powell from Charlotte as part of a reworked Haywood deal, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
3:09pm: The Pelicans will waive Gee upon receiving him from the Cavs, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
2:57pm: The Cavs and Pelicans have struck agreement on a deal that sends Alonzo Gee to New Orleans, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the teams were close to a deal, which nullifies the agreement that Cleveland had to send Gee to the Hornets for Brendan Haywood. Cleveland apparently still plans to acquire Haywood from Charlotte via other means, as Stein reported. A source also told Stein that Gee could wind up as part of the Pelicans’ deal with the Rockets to acquire Omer Asik,
Gee’s $3MM salary for this season is non-guaranteed, so it’s conceivable that the Pelicans envision waiving him to create the necessary cap flexibility to accommodate their deal for Asik, though that assumes New Orleans is giving up salary as part of the trade. The Cavs are reportedly still trying to clear room for a max contract for LeBron James, as Stein wrote earlier, and losing Gee, whose salary can be taken off the books, wouldn’t advance Cleveland toward that end unless other deals are in the works.
The 27-year-old Gee has been a part of the rotation for Cleveland for the better part of the last two seasons, and he started all 82 games in 2012/13. He mostly came off the bench this past season, averaging 4.0 points in 15.7 minutes per game.
Bulls Pursuing Dwyane Wade
4:31pm: A person close to Wade tells ESPN’s Mark Jones that the shooting guard has no interest in playing for the Bulls, adding that Wade recently sold the house he had there (Twitter link).
3:20pm: The Bulls are “gauging interest” with Dwyane Wade, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether Wade, a Chicago native, would be receptive to a homecoming, given his longstanding ties to the Heat, for whom he’s played his entire NBA career. Wade spent Thursday with LeBron James in an apparent attempt to recruit him back to the Heat, but with James off to the Cavs and Chris Bosh nearing a commitment to the Rockets, the Bulls want to see whether a third member of Miami’s star trio is also willing to leave South Beach.
Wade, 32, has seen his game decline in recent years as trouble with his knees has arisen. Still, he remains a dangerous force, having averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds this past season. He’s No. 7 in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
The Bulls are one of two teams that Carmelo Anthony, who’s No. 2 on that free agent list, is reportedly deciding between as he makes his choice of where to sign. The Bulls have also been in hot pursuit of Pau Gasol, and are a favorite for him, too.
Wade passed up two years and about $42MM left on his deal when he opted out in June, ostensibly to help the Heat re-sign James. He’ll have a tough time finding a deal with salaries anywhere close to what he would have made.
LeBron Aftermath: Gilbert, Contract, Wade, Bosh
LeBron James, agent Rich Paul and adviser Maverick Carter met with Dan Gilbert for four hours in Miami last week, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Previously, it had been believed that James had only met in person with the Heat this month. It was a moment of mutual reconciliation, as Wojnarowski details.
“We had five great years together and one terrible night,” Gilbert said. “I told him how sorry I was, expressed regret for how that night went and how I let all the emotion and passion for situation carry me away. I told him I wish had never done it, that I wish I could take it back.”
James, later in the conversation, told Gilbert he wished he hadn’t put together “The Decision” television show, and soon the talk turned to the future. Here’s more on LeBron’s decision to head back to his native northeast Ohio:
- Even after meeting with Gilbert, James was still having trouble with the idea of going back to the Cavs in the wake of Gilbert’s scathing post-2010-decision letter, as USA Today’s Sam Amick details. James made up his mind Thursday that he would return to the Cavs, and worked with Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins into the night on the story in which he revealed his choice, according to Amick.
- Contract terms have yet to be negotiated, but James is expected to make a long-term commitment to the Cavs, and Cleveland is expected to offer the max, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
- James spoke with Heat owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley by phone Friday to inform them that he had decided to join the Cavs, but no one from the Cavs knew of his decision until he publicly revealed it via Sports Illustrated, as Windhorst writes in his piece.
- LeBron personally informed Dwyane Wade of his decision, but Chris Bosh, who’s traveling out of the country, heard the news through his agent, Windhorst tweets
Bosh Mulling Max Offers From Heat, Rockets
4:02pm: Miami has offered Bosh a deal for five seasons at the maximum salary in hopes of dissuading him from taking Houston’s four-year max offer, TNT’s David Aldridge reports (Twitter link). Only Miami can offer the fifth year.
3:52pm: The Heat are putting up a fight to keep Bosh, who’s set to make his decision today, Wojnarowski tweets.
1:55pm: Bosh will speak with Rockets coach Kevin McHale soon, and he’s nearing a commitment to the Rockets, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter).
1:28pm: The Heat would target Patrick Beverley in sign-and-trade talks, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).
1:10pm: The Rockets won’t reach out to the Heat about any sign-and-trade scenarios until they receive a firm commitment from Bosh, Wojnarowski tweets.
12:21pm: The Rockets believe that Bosh will commit to them soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
12:03pm: Bosh and the Rockets are moving quickly toward securing a deal, Wojnarowski tweets, seemingly indicating that he’s headed to Houston. If they do reach agreement, the Rockets will match the Mavs’ offer sheet for Chandler Parsons, Wojnarowski hears, echoing an earlier report.
FRIDAY, 11:55am: In the wake of James’ decision to sign with the Cavs, Bosh hasn’t made up his mind about signing with Houston, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick, though the Rockets believe they’ll have a commitment soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Rockets are moving quickly to complete a deal for Jeremy Lin to clear the necessary cap room for Bosh, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). They’ll also have to finalize their deal to send Omer Asik to the Pelicans, and the Pelicans are considering waiving Austin Rivers and using the stretch provision to clear cap space, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets, since they still don’t have room for Asik.
THURSDAY, 7:54am: Bosh has yet to decide whether he’d sign with the Rockets, regardless of what happens with LeBron, agent Henry Thomas tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston.
9:01pm: A source denies that any contingency plan is in place with Bosh and Houston, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.
6:57pm: Bosh’s intention would be to leave Miami for Houston if LeBron doesn’t re-sign with the Heat, league sources tell Wojnarowski. The Rockets are prepared to clear enough cap room to offer Bosh a four-year, $88MM contract per Wojnarowski’s sources, although it remains to be seen if Chandler Parsons‘ looming offer sheet signing with the Mavs adds a wrinkle to those plans.
WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: The Rockets and Bosh’s camp are in talks today amid uncertainty over where LeBron will play next season, Wojnarowski tweets.
TUESDAY, 7:20am: Wojnarowski clarifies his report about Bosh’s desire to play in Miami, tweeting that while Bosh indeed prefers to play there, he’s still open to Houston’s offer.
MONDAY, 1:56pm: Bosh is waiting to find out what James is going to do, not the other way around, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
1:47pm: Bosh spoke with the Rockets this morning for the first time, Wojnarowski writes. He still prefers to remain with the Heat and play with James, but the Rockets would be Bosh’s top choice should he leave Miami, according to Wojnarowski adds.
1:10pm: Chris Bosh is considering a max offer from the Rockets, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bosh received a lower offer from the Heat and spoke to LeBron James this weekend, Broussard adds.
Bosh’s camp and the Rockets had been continuing conversations today after Houston started making a strong push for the Henry Thomas client. Bosh hadn’t personally spoken with any Rockets officials as of last night, but it appears Houston is moving quickly on the sharpshooting big man. It also appears to indicate that the Rockets aren’t waiting around for either James or Carmelo Anthony to decide on their destinations. Perhaps they feel they’re out of the running for one or both of them, though that’s just my speculation.
The 30-year-old has expressed on multiple occasions that he’d like to remain in Miami, and he still prefers to play with James on the Heat next season, as Wojnarowski reported this morning. His conversation this weekend with James seems to have given Bosh the notion that James might not be back with the Heat next season.