Raptors Sign D.J. Augustin
JULY 22ND: The Raptors have officially signed Augustin, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 17TH: D.J. Augustin and the Raptors have reached agreement on a one-year deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He'll make $1.26MM, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun wrote today that he expected the Raptors to use the $2.15MM left on their mid-level exception rather than their $2.016MM biannual exception, but Augustin's deal would fit within either. Augustin will likely become the primary backup to point guard Kyle Lowry, since the team's deal with Julyan Stone appears to be off.
Augustin's name hasn't been mentioned frequently this month, as our rumors page on him doesn't show any entries since February, except for today's. The Pacers shopped him at the trade deadline, but couldn't find any takers for his expiring contract as he struggled through a disappointing season. The Thad Foucher client notched career lows in points (4.7) and assists (2.2) per game, as well as field goal percentage (35%). Perhaps in Toronto he'll be able to find the form he showed in 2010/11, when he started all 82 games for the Bobcats and put up 14.1 PPG and 6.1 APG against just 1.9 turnovers per contest.
Atlantic Links: Stone, Knicks, White, Celtics
The battle for the Atlantic Division title in 2013/14 figures to be an intra-city affair between the Knicks and Nets. The Raptors don't appear to be on their level, and the Celtics and Sixers have taken clear steps back, so while we await a Big Apple showdown, here's the latest from the Atlantic:
- As part of his mailbag column, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star confirms the Raptors' deal with Julyan Stone is off. Smith suggested as much earlier this week. Stone, who was reportedly in line for $1.9MM over two years, failed his physical, and the club doesn't have any plans to rekindle negotiations with him.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News has plenty of criticism for the Knicks front office, and notes that there's mutual displeasure between Iman Shumpert and the team. The report he references about owner James Dolan's desire to trade Shumpert was an off-the-record remark from Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.com that remains unsubstantiated, but it's clear that all is not rosy in Madison Square Garden.
- James White, whom the Knicks waived last month, appears to have no shortage of overseas opportunities. Chinese league teams arranged for him to fly to Las Vegas so they could explore the possibility of signing him, and the 30-year-old swingman has also met with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, reports David Pick of One.co.il. (All Twitter links).
- The Celtics' agreement to sign Phil Pressey could push Colton Iverson, the team's second-round draft pick last month, to play in Europe this season. Iverson's camp has indicated they're willing to accept a deal with an overseas team to help the C's save roster space, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes amid his weekly league roundup.
Mavericks To Waive Josh Akognon
The same need for salary cap room that forced the Mavs to waive Bernard James is prompting them to do the same with Josh Akognon, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Akognon, who spent most of last season in China, will have lucrative offers to return there, but he'd prefer to stay in the NBA, as Stein also tweets. The Mavs would like to give him the opportunity to do so with a training camp invitation if he clears waivers, Stein adds (Twitter link).
Akognon has been on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal with Dallas, who originally signed him to a 10-day contract in April. Any team can claim him off waivers and short-circuit the Mavs' plans of bringing him back on board, just as is the case with James. He's the leading scorer on the summer-league Mavs at 17.5 points per game, so there could well be interest from other NBA clubs. The 5'11" 27-year-old also lit up scoreboards in China, pouring in 29.0 PPG this past season and 28.2 in 2011/12.
The Dallas front office is trying to accomodate several deals they've already agreed upon with free agents this summer. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, Dallas has landed five new players this month, and the Mavs are still chasing Greg Oden. The agreements with Monta Ellis and Wayne Ellington haven't become official yet, so it appears the releases of James and Akognon are to make room for them.
Akognon is a client of the Alpha Basketball Agency, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Western Rumors, Kaman, Johnson, Splitter, Mavs
The top two free agents this summer came from Western Conference teams, and Dwight Howard and Chris Paul remain in the West, though Howard left the Lakers for the Rockets. That helps maintain the perception of the Western Conference as the stronger side of the league, even as the Heat have won the last two championships. Here's more on a few of the West's teams:
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News is high on the resourcefulness of the Lakers this summer in the wake of Howard's decision to bolt. Within the piece, Chris Kaman says he didn't have a lot of other options when he signed with the Lakers, though several other teams reportedly showed interest. Wesley Johnson acknowledged offers from "a lot of different teams," but he called his choice of the Lakers "a no-brainer."
- The Hawks and Trail Blazers talked about deals for Tiago Splitter with agent Arn Tellem, and while Splitter gave thought to leaving the Spurs this month, he jumped on San Antonio's four-year, $36MM offer, and he says the Spurs were always his first option. The center goes in-depth on his choice with Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News.
- The Mavs may need to sign someone from their summer league team to compensate for the departure of Bernard James, according to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who examines some of the candidates.
Update On Restricted Free Agents
There were only a dozen restricted free agents when the month began, and that number shrank by one when the Pacers pulled their qualifying offer to Tyler Hansbrough on July 2nd, making him an unrestricted free agent. Hansbrough wound up signing with the Raptors for a two-year, $6MM contract. Tuesday is the deadline for teams to rescind qualifying offers without the consent of the player, but that's only relevant for the five restricted free agents who remain unsigned. Here's a look at the latest on each of those five, as well as the details on the restricted free agents who've already signed this month, with an assist from the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Tracker.
- Chris Copeland — Signed a two-year, $6.135MM offer sheet with the Pacers. The Knicks declined to match.
- Tyreke Evans — Signed-and-traded to the Pelicans as part of a three-way deal. Evans' new contract is worth four years and $44MM.
- Gerald Henderson — A report earlier this month suggested that the Bobcats had begun shopping Henderson, since the two sides had reached a stalemate. Since then, we've heard the team still wants to bring him back and the two sides remain in communication, even though the 'Cats and agent Arn Tellem are far apart on financial terms. Tellem and Henderson are reportedly seeking a contract worth around $8MM annually.
- Brandon Jennings — The Jeff Schwartz client has reportedly been seeking $12MM a year, while the Bucks have apparently been willing to do just a bit over $11MM. Though Jennings isn't interested in returning to Milwaukee, he may not have a choice, as other teams' cap room is beginning to dry up. Both Jennings and the team see a sign-and-trade as the ideal outcome, but it may be more likely that Jennings signs his one-year qualifying offer.
- Timofey Mozgov — The Nuggets and the Justin Zanik client have discussed a multiyear deal, and GM Tim Connelly indicated earlier this month that they're making progress. Mozgov is drawing overseas offers, but his preference is to stay in the NBA. Most recently, the Kings have intensified their interest.
- Gary Neal — It seemed at one point this month that Neal was unlikely to return to San Antonio, but other reports have suggested the opposite. The Bucks have shown interest.
- Nikola Pekovic — The Wolves extended the Excel Sports Management client an offer, believed to be worth around four years and $50MM, and the two sides have been moving slowly after Pekovic's camp responded with a counter-offer. Owner Glen Taylor still expects to strike a deal.
- Pablo Prigioni — Re-signed with the Knicks for five years, $4,988,883
- Robert Sacre — Re-signed with the Lakers for three years at the minimum salary.
- Tiago Splitter — Re-signed with the Spurs to a four-year, $36MM deal.
- Jeff Teague — Signed four-year, $32MM offer sheet with the Bucks that the Hawks matched.
Latest On Mike Miller
8:25pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that the Nuggets are now receiving strong consideration from Miller's camp along with Oklahoma City and Memphis.
5:36pm: Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets that NBA sources have confirmed the Rockets' reported offer to Miller.
3:28pm: The Rockets have formally extended an offer, Stein tweets. Houston has the $2.652MM room exception available. Meanwhile, Marc Gasol has joined the Grizzlies contingent trying to persuade Miller to go to Memphis.
2:40pm: Stein mentions the Rockets as another team still in the running for Miller, while Kevin Durant is aggressively pitching Miller on Oklahoma City (Twitter link).
2:28pm: Miller and Thunder GM Sam Presti have had their scheduled meeting, and Miller sat down yesterday with Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and CEO Jason Levien, Stein reports (Twitter link).
1:59pm: The Thunder have spent the past couple of days as the apparent leaders in the race to sign Mike Miller, but Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida tweets that they have company. The Grizzlies, along with the Thunder, are the front-runners, though Miller is still evaluating his options, Tomasson says. Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears the Nuggets are a threat as well, with plenty of playing time to offer following the departures of Andre Iguodala and Corey Brewer this summer (Twitter link).
The Spurs, Rockets and Warriors were also linked to Miller when he cleared amnesty waivers this week, but it's not clear whether those teams remain in the mix. The Cavs strongly considered claiming Miller while he was still on waivers, but they haven't been mentioned as a candidate to sign him outright. A report surfaced this week that Miller was considering fusion surgery on his back, which was giving pause to teams with thoughts of claiming him off waivers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors speculated that the surgery news was leaked to dissuade the Cavs from claiming him, pointing out that Miller "made it clear to people around him" that he didn't want to play in Cleveland, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal tweeted.
The Thunder appear unwilling to go into luxury tax territory to bring Miller aboard, but they're reportedly willing to waive DeAndre Liggins or Daniel Orton to accomodate a minimum-salary contract for Miller. That may not be enough to corral the sharpshooter, as the Nuggets can use the bi-annual exception to sign him, and the Grizzlies have the bi-annual as well as the mid-level exception. The Thunder have both of those exceptions available, too, but using either of them would push the team above the $71.748MM tax threshold.
The 33-year-old Miller, coming off a pair of championships with the Heat, isn't ready to retire any time soon, saying last month that he felt he could play for four or five more years. He might not be ready to accept a minimum-salary deal, even though he'll still be getting the remaining $12.8MM from his contract with the Heat.
Atlantic Notes: Blair, Knicks, Sixers, Rondo
It's been a month of upheaval for the Celtics, Nets and Sixers, while the Knicks and Raptors have largely maintained the status quo on their rosters. Teams aren't done dealing yet, and here's the latest news related to Atlantic Division clubs.
- DeJuan Blair is still in discussions with teams, but he's likely to wind up with an offer of an annual salary around $3MM, putting him out of reach for teams like the Knicks, who are limited to the minimum salary, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com hears that the Knicks plan to bring as many as four members of their summer league team to training camp (not counting Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., who are already on the roster). Schlosser advocates for Alabama product Tony Mitchell to be one of them.
- The Sixers are still without a coach and, as Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com reports, they don't have a timetable for hiring one, either. The indecision isn't helping matters for the team, Kaskey-Blomain argues.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines the landscape for Rajon Rondo, the Celtics' lone remaining star. He's been the subject of plenty of trade rumors as he recovers from his torn ACL, an injury the team believes will be healed in time for the start of the season.
LeBron James Likely To Choose Either Heat, Cavs
Sources tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that LeBron James will likely opt out of his contract with the Heat next summer and choose between re-signing with the Heat and returning to the Cavaliers, where he began his career. That would appear to leave the Lakers, who are gearing up for a run at the four-time MVP, out of the picture. Of course, James won't be able to sign a new deal with any team until July 2014, so much can change between now and then.
James took less than the max to sign with the Heat in 2010, and he's set to make only slightly more than $19MM this year. That's a figure that's less than the 2013/14 salaries for Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire and the amnestied Gilbert Arenas, among others, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy points out via Twitter. James' deal includes raises to $20.59MM in 2014/15 and to $22.1 for 2015/16, but it would make financial sense for him to lock in a long-term arrangement next summer while he's still at or near his peak.
Amico hears that James' enjoyment of the recruiting process is one reason why he's likely to opt out next summer, which makes it curious that he'd narrow his choices to just two teams. I'd imagine he'd at least meet with the Lakers and others to hear what they have to say, though that's just my speculation.
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reported this week that James is not a lock to exercise his early-termination option next summer. The former No. 1 overall pick also has a player option he can decline in 2015, so James could take a year-by-year approach. With so much uncertainty, Amico argues the Cavs need not focus too much on the specter of a King James return, even if it appears they have a chance to get him.
Southwest Rumors: Barbosa, Oden, James
- Artur Barbosa, who doubles as the brother and agent of Leandro Barbosa, tells Terra Brasil that the Mavs have offered the veteran guard a contract, and that the Dallas option is preferable to the Bulls, who've also shown interest (translation via HoopsHype). The agent says he's also engaged in talks with the Rockets. The Mavs wouldn't comment last night about a Brazilian report linking them to Barbosa, so perhaps this is the report in question.
- Greg Oden is the top big man on the Mavs' radar following the team's signing of Samuel Dalembert and the release of Bernard James, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who names the Heat, Spurs and Pelicans as the other teams still in the mix for Oden (Twitter link).
- There's a legitimate chance that a team claims James off waivers from the Mavs, Stein writes in the same piece. A source close to James tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that he's heard teams are eyeing the big man. The Wolves haven't expressed interest yet, but Minnesota is prepared to waive center Chris Johnson if necessary to make way for a better option, Wolfson reports (Twitter links).
- Spanish club FC Barcelona announced the signing of Kostas Papanikolaou to a four-year deal (translation via Sportando's Emiliano Carchia). The Rockets hold the power forward's NBA rights, but it's unclear what the buyout clauses in his new contract are like. A report last weekend indicated that Papanikolaou "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, but signing a long-term European deal seems to run counter to that.
- Tyreke Evans is ready to embrace a sixth-man role with the Pelicans, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details.
Contract Details: Landry, Wolves, Turiaf
We've kept up with precise data on many of the new player contracts handed out around the league with four posts already this week. There's still more info trickling in, and here's the latest:
- Carl Landry will receive $6.5MM in each of the four seasons of his contract with the Kings, making the total value $26MM, HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus tweets.
- The Timberwolves used part of their $2.016MM bi-annual exception to sign Ronny Turiaf, who'll make $1.5MM in both seasons of his two-year deal, according to Pincus (Twitter link). Minnesota can use the remaining amount of the bi-annual at any time this season, but the team won't be allowed to carry it into 2014/15, when the Wolves won't have any portion of the bi-annual available.
- Pincus updated the HoopsWorld contract data for the Kings, Magic, Bucks, Timberwolves, Rockets, Warriors, Pistons, Cavaliers and Hawks.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports updated salary information for the Lakers and Hawks.