GM Believes Hawks Have Become Free Agent Destination
President of basketball operations Travis Schlenk believes the Hawks are now a destination for top free agents and All-Star level players seeking a trade, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes.
“I think last year kind of put us back on the NBA map as far as a destination,” he said. “Those who want to get traded, they want to go somewhere they think they can win. And I think now that perception of us is out there, because we do have a young core that did show success in the playoffs. So the hope would be when a star player does ask to be traded, we’ll be one of the destinations he’ll be open to coming to.”
Acquiring a second star to pair with Trae Young could be somewhat difficult, though Schlenk sees it as a possibility.
“I still think when you look at the depth of our roster and the young talent that we have, we don’t have draft assets like we have in the past anymore, but we now have guys under contract that you could match some of the bigger salaries,” he said.
The Hawks have one spot open on the 15-man roster, but Schlenk doesn’t plan to fill it right away. The team is close to the luxury tax, so when a 15th player is added, it will likely be on a non-guaranteed deal.
However, if Atlanta is in title contention again, owner Tony Ressler won’t mind paying the tax, according to Schlenk.
“Certainly, Tony is willing to pay the tax if we are going to be a contender,” Schlenk said. “I’m probably more conscious of it than Tony is, to be honest with you. It’s my job to manage his money. He’s got a lot more of it than I do, so I worry about it more than he does.”
Another order of business that the Hawks would like to take care of before the start of next season is reaching an extension agreement with Kevin Huerter, according to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He’s one of the NBA players eligible for a rookie scale extension.
The talks should heat up next week, Spencer adds.
Bulls Notes: Caruso, Dosunmu, Simonovic, Valentine, Williams, DeRozan
Alex Caruso‘s four-year, $37MM contract has a $3MM guarantee in the fourth season, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reveals in an Instagram video. The Bulls used up $8.6MM of their $9.536MM mid-level exeption for Caruso’s first-year salary, giving them just enough room to sign No. 38 overall pick Ayo Dosunmu, Marks adds.
We have more on the Bulls:
- Second-round pick Marko Simonovic had an impressive summer league debut, contributing 13 points and five rebounds in 15 minutes against New Orleans, Sam Smith of the team’s website writes. “This is everything new for me,” said Simonovic, a 6’11” power forward. “I’m coming from Europe and everything is different. But I feel really good and people tell me I look good. I think next season I can help the team.”
- The Bulls have renounced their rights to Denzel Valentine and Cristiano Felicio, according to the RealGM transactions log. While that doesn’t rule out the possibility of re-signing those players, Chicago needed to renounce the rights to them and seven other players to complete all its off-season moves. Felicio signed with a club in Germany earlier this week.
- Patrick Williams believes he can learn plenty from DeMar DeRozan, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “He’s a really good wing in this league. Mostly, I want to be at the level that he’s at,” Williams said. “When he gets here, I’ll definitely ask him some questions about how he plays in the mid-post and kind of what he sees after an important possession. I’m definitely excited to learn from not only him but everyone else as well.” DeRozan was officially acquired on Wednesday.
- In turn, DeRozan is impressed with the talent level on the roster, Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic writes. “Great organization. The history behind it is definitely amazing. But for sure, the talent,” he said. “Looking at players like Zach (LaVine), I’ve been a fan of Zach since he’s been in the league. Just looking at the overall squad. Seeing (Nikola) Vučević there, that was my teammate in college. So, it’s been great.”
Suns Sign Elfrid Payton To One-Year Deal
AUGUST 10: The Suns have officially signed Payton, the team announced today (via Twitter).
AUGUST 9: Payton and the Suns have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Gambadoro (Twitter link) confirms that the deal is for a veteran’s minimum salary, as he previously reported.
AUGUST 5: The Suns are close to an agreement on a one-year contract with free agent guard Elfrid Payton, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets.
Evan Sidery of Basketball News broke the news on the Suns’ negotiations with Payton (Twitter link), while John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 confirms (via Twitter) that the club has made a one-year, minimum-salary offer.
If the contract is finalized, Payton would be signing up for a second stint with the organization. He played 18 games with Phoenix during the 2017/18 season.
Payton started 63 games with the Knicks this past season but his production declined after the All-Star break and he was benched during the first-round playoff series against Atlanta. Payton averaged 10.1 PPG and 3.2 APG in 23.6 MPG during the regular season.
The Western Conference champions have reached agreements with their top two point guards, Chris Paul and Cameron Payne, so Payton would slot in as a third-stringer behind that duo if the two sides finalize a deal.
Mavs Sign Tim Hardaway Jr. To Four-Year Deal
AUGUST 9: The Mavericks have officially re-signed Hardaway, the team announced today in a press release. Bartelstein tells Stein (Twitter link) that the total value of THJ’s four-year deal came in at $75MM.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that Hardaway’s new contract will decline in value across each of its four seasons. Hardaway will earn $21.3MM during the first year of the agreement, 2021/22, and that number will eventually dip to $16.2MM for Hardaway’s age-32 season, 2024/25.
AUGUST 2: The Mavericks and their top free agent, guard Tim Hardaway Jr., have agreed to a four-year, $72MM contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that the actual value is $74MM, so we may have to wait to see the official terms once it’s finalized. Marc Stein of Substack (Twitter link) first reported that the Mavs were expected to re-sign the veteran wing.
Hardaway is one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market and Dallas prioritized bringing back one of its primary offensive threats.
Hardaway, 29, averaged 16.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.8 APG last season while shooting 39.1% from the field. He also excelled in the postseason, then said after the season he was hoping he could work out a deal with his current club.
“If you were to talk to anybody in this organization and anybody that’s around me, they will definitely say that I love it here,” Hardaway said.
Hardaway’s four-year, $71MM deal he signed with the Knicks in 2017 expired at the end of the season.
Hornets Sign James Borrego To Contract Extension
AUGUST 9: Borrego’s extension with the Hornets is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
“We’re extremely pleased with the job that Coach Borrego and his staff have done in their three years in Charlotte,”president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “Coach and his staff have built a strong player development program and it has resulted in the continued improvement of our young players. He has implemented an exciting style that our team likes playing and our Hornets fans enjoy watching. Coach has built strong relationships with our players, has demonstrated a great knowledge of the game and has provided tremendous leadership for our group.
“We’re thrilled to have signed him to an extension and look forward to the future with him leading our team as we continue to grow and improve.”
AUGUST 7: The Hornets and head coach James Borrego are finalizing a multi-year contract extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Charlotte had already decided to pick up its option on Borrego’s contract for next season and this will give him more long-term security.
When Charlotte hired Borrego in 2018, he was given a contract with three guaranteed years, along with an option for the fourth. Although his record is just 95-124 with the Hornets, he has spent most of that time overseeing a rebuilding project.
Borrego was an assistant coach for eight years with New Orleans, Orlando and San Antonio before becoming a head coach. He served as an interim head coach with the Magic for 30 games during the 2014/15 season.
Spurs Acquire Doug McDermott In Sign-And-Trade
AUGUST 8: McDermott has joined the Spurs in a sign-and-trade deal, the Pacers announced in a press release.
Indiana got a future second-round pick in return, while San Antonio received McDermott, a future second-rounder and the option to swap second-round picks in a future draft. The Pacers also created a $7.3MM trade exception in the deal, equivalent to McDermott’s 2020/21 salary.
AUGUST 2: Pacers free agent forward Doug McDermott has agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal with the Spurs, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
McDermott cashed in off a career year with Indiana in which he averaged 13.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 1.3 APG. He’s a career 40.7% 3-point shooter, though he’s more than just a perimeter threat. He averaged a career-high 10.1 shot attempts and made 53.2% of them in his walk year.
McDermott’s most recent contract, which he signed with Indiana in 2018, was a three-year deal worth $22MM.
Retaining McDermott at the number he agreed to with the Spurs would have added to the Pacers’ luxury tax concerns, though they were hoping to re-sign him.
The Pelicans, Suns, and Nuggets were among the teams that were rumored to be potential suitors for the 29-year-old McDermott. The Spurs had an edge over many other teams due to ample cap space, while many others could only offer their $9.536MM mid-level exception.
San Antonio could simply sign McDermott with its cap room or work out a sign-and-trade with Indiana.
Kings Acquire Tristan Thompson In Three-Way Deal
AUGUST 7: The three-team trade is now official, the Kings, Celtics, and Hawks all announced today in press releases.
The 2023 second-round pick that the Hawks are sending to Boston originally belonged to the Trail Blazers and was shipped to Atlanta by the Clippers in the Lou Williams trade in March, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
JULY 30: The Celtics are trading veteran big man Tristan Thompson to the Hawks for guard Kris Dunn, forward Bruno Fernando and a 2023 second-rounder, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
However, Thompson isn’t staying with the Hawks. He’s being forwarded to the Kings, with guard Delon Wright going to Atlanta.
All the players in the three-way deal have expiring contracts. Thompson will make $9.7MM next season, while Dunn will secure just over $5MM and Fernando will collect $1.8MM. Wright will make approximately $8.5MM next season.
The move pushes the Celtics another $3MM below the luxury tax threshold, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Dunn had a player option on his contract and opted in earlier this week, which made the trade viable.
After nine seasons in Cleveland, Thompson played in 54 regular-season games with the Celtics, including 43 starts. He averaged 7.6 PPG and 8.1 RPG.
Dunn’s lone season in Atlanta was a washout due to an ankle injury. He only appeared in four regular-season games, but does give the Celtics another option for their backcourt rotation with Kemba Walker getting traded this offseason.
Fernando, an early second-round pick in 2019, appeared in 89 regular-season games during his first two years in the league.
Thompson gives the Kings some frontcourt insurance with Richaun Holmes entering free agency.
Wright averaged 10.0 PPG and 3.6 APG in 27 games with Sacramento after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline. Wright can play either guard spot and will likely slide into a backup role with Atlanta.
Bucks Acquire Grayson Allen From Grizzlies
AUGUST 7: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release. While Merrill’s salary for 2021/22 is not yet fully guaranteed, Memphis intends to guarantee his deal and keep him on the roster, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
AUGUST 6: The Grizzlies have agreed to deal guard Grayson Allen to the Bucks for guard Sam Merrill and two future second-round picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Allen, who is entering his fourth NBA season, had a breakout year for Memphis in which he started 38 of 50 games and averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.2 APG. The former Duke star has knocked down 38.1% of his 3-point attempts during his three-year career and will give the Bucks another perimeter option.
Milwaukee will absorb Allen’s contract using a $4.89MM traded player exception generated by a deal this past winter that sent guard D.J. Augustin to the Rockets, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Allen has an expiring $4.1MM contract and is eligible for a rookie scale extension. Merrill has a $500K guarantee on his contract and his $1.5MM deal will become fully guaranteed if he’s on Memphis’ roster through Sunday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. It’s uncertain whether Memphis plans to keep Merrill, a 2020 second-pick who appeared in 30 regular season games with the Bucks.
Milwaukee’s projected luxury tax bill will jump via this acquisition. The team’s luxury tax penalty will increase from $36MM to $44MM, Marks notes in a separate tweet. Milwaukee is right at $200MM in salary and luxury tax, Marks adds.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Paul, Ariza, Lakers, Howard
The two-year, $21.6MM commitment the Clippers made to Reggie Jackson, including a $10.38MM cap hit next season, will have major tax implications for the team, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. After accounting for new contracts for Jackson and Kawhi Leonard, who is expected to sign for the maximum, the Clippers’ tax bill is projected to be $95MM. Taking into account both salaries and tax penalties, the cost of the roster will be $265MM, says Marks.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- In a separate tweet, Marks provides the specific details on Chris Paul‘s new four-year, $120MM contract with the Suns, confirming a report that the deal includes $75MM in guaranteed money. It will start at $30MM before dipping in year two and increasing again in the third year, which is partially guaranteed for $15.8MM. The structure will allow Phoenix to stay out of the tax in 2021/22 and ensures the deal’s cap hit will be lowest in ’22/23, when potential new contracts for Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges go into effect.
- Trevor Ariza, who has signed a one-year deal with the Lakers, said that Russell Westbrook recruited him, Mark Medina of USA Today tweets. Westbrook called Ariza approximately 20 minutes after Westbrook was traded to the Lakers, the veteran forward said. He also said his children urged him to sign with the Lakers.
- The Lakers may be stockpiling aging veterans like Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard to help LeBron James and Anthony Davis win another title, but Howard said there won’t be a lack of energy or enthusiasm, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. “I think we have new life, all of us coming together and playing,” he said of the Lakers’ vets. “I think it’s going to provide new life being able to see who we have on our roster, who’s going to be playing alongside of us each and every day. I think we’ll have so much energy it will be hard to contain.”
Hornets Waive Caleb Martin
The Hornets have waived shooting guard Caleb Martin, according to a team press release.
Martin had a $1,782,621 salary for next season that was due to guarantee on August 15. By releasing him now, Charlotte won’t carry any dead on its cap for him in 2021/22.
Martin averaged 5.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.3 APG in 15.4 MPG while seeing action in 53 games. Martin, who went undrafted in 2019, appeared in 71 games the last two seasons.
The move clears some additional cap space for Charlotte to officially sign Kelly Oubre Jr., who agreed to a two-year deal on Friday.