Nicolas Batum Re-Signs With Clippers
AUGUST 13: The Clippers have officially re-signed Batum, the team announced today in a press release.
“Nico is a terrific player, a selfless teammate and a consummate professional, who lifts us in a lot of different ways,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “He fit in perfectly from the beginning, and we’re grateful he’s chosen to return.”
AUGUST 2: Forward Nicolas Batum has agreed to re-sign with the Clippers on a two-year contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The contract includes a player option in the second year, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.
Los Angeles held Non-Bird rights on Batum, allowing the team to re-sign him for $120% of his minimum salary. By utilizing those rights, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), the Clippers still have the $5.9MM taxpayer exception at their disposal.
It’s a coup for the Clippers, who were expected to face plenty of competition for Batum’s services, including from Portland, Golden State, Miami, and Indiana
After getting buried on Charlotte’s bench the previous season, Batum enjoyed a career revival with the Clippers. He averaged 8.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.2 APG in 67 regular-season games, including 38 starts. He also averaged 8.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 2.1 APG in 16 postseason games.
Batum began his career in 2008 with Portland.
Maurice Harkless Re-Signs With Kings
AUGUST 8: Harkless’ deal with the Kings became official late on Saturday night, according to a press release from the team.
“Moe is a consummate professional with a unique unselfishness that makes our group better,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “He provides the team with physical defensive versatility and we are fortunate to have Moe’s leadership and veteran experience.”
AUGUST 2: Maurice Harkless has agreed to re-sign with the Kings on a two-year, $9MM deal, agent Nima Namakian told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The journeyman forward was part of a swap with Miami in March that sent Nemanja Bjelica to the Heat. He averaged 6.9 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 24.9 MPG during 26 games with Sacramento, including 20 starts.
Harkless has played for six franchises during a career that began in 2012.
Sacramento possessed non-Bird rights on the defensive-minded Harkless, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. That allowed the Kings to sign him at 120% of his $3.6M 2020/21 salary without eating into their $9.536MM mid-level exception.
Bulls Sign Alex Caruso To Four-Year Deal
AUGUST 10: The Bulls have officially signed Caruso, according to the transactions log at NBA.com.
AUGUST 2: The Bulls have agreed to a four-year, $37MM deal with free agent guard Alex Caruso agent Greg Lawrence tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Based on the terms of the agreement, it sounds like the team will use most of its mid-level exception on Caruso.
The unrestricted Lakers free agent will provide a defensive presence in Chicago’s restructured backcourt.
The Bulls agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Pelicans to acquire starting point guard Lonzo Ball and Caruso will likely be the primary backup, though he could also get some minutes at shooting guard. He has made 37.7% of his 3-point attempts during his career.
Caruso has been a rotation player for much of the last two seasons. He averaged 6.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG and 1.1 SPG in 21.0 MPG this past season.
Knicks, Evan Fournier Agree To Four-Year Deal
The Knicks and Evan Fournier are in agreement on a four-year contract that could be worth up to as much as $78MM, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The fourth year isn’t guaranteed, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).
The Knicks, who entered the free agent period with the most money to spend, were looking for a wing to provide an offensive boost. Fournier will step right in as the team’s starting shooting guard or small forward.
He averaged 17.1 PPG and 3.4 APG in a combined 42 regular-season games with Orlando and Boston during his walk year. He missed time due to back, groin and knee injuries and also was placed under health and safety protocols after contracting COVID-19 in April.
Fournier averaged 15.4 PPG in five postseason games.
During the 2019/20 season, Fournier averaged a career-best 18.5 PPG in 66 games. He’s a career 37.9% 3-point shooter.
The Celtics signaled they wouldn’t try to re-sign Fournier when they acquired Josh Richardson from Dallas.
Spurs Sign Zach Collins To Three-Year Contract
AUGUST 11: The signing is official, the team confirms in a press release.
AUGUST 2: The Spurs have decided to roll the dice on injury-plagued free agent forward Zach Collins.
Collins is departing the Trail Blazers on a three-year, $22MM deal, agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The 10th pick of the 2017 draft, Collins has seen his career sidetracked by injuries. The Trail Blazers decided not to extend him a $7MM qualifying offer, making Collins an unrestricted free agent.
Collins has only appeared in 11 games the past two seasons due to shoulder, foot and ankle injuries.
Collins had a major setback in late June when another fracture was discovered in his left foot. He underwent a second revision surgery to repair a left medial malleolus stress fracture and will require another 4-6 month recovery period.
“Obviously with me being a free agent, it makes it tough,” Collins said last month. “But I’m less concerned about what type of deal I’m going to get, or how many years it’s going to be, or who I’m going to play for … I’m more focused on this rehab and getting this ankle right.”
Bartelstein was confident he could land a multi-year contract for his client, even though Collins will miss at least a portion of next season.
San Antonio is adding at least one other free agent forward, as it also reached a three-year agreement with Doug McDermott.
Furkan Korkmaz Re-Signs With Sixers
AUGUST 9: The Sixers have officially re-signed Korkmaz, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 2: The Sixers have agreed to re-sign wing Furkan Korkmaz on a three-year, $15MM contract, agents Mike Lindeman and Jeff Schwartz told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’s a fully guaranteed deal, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Philadelphia has full Bird rights on Korkmaz, which will allow the team to ink him without cutting into its mid-level exception, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
Korkmaz was a late first-round pick in 2016 and joined Philadelphia the following season. Last season, he appeared in 55 games, including 11 starts, and averaged 9.1 PPG. He’s a career 37.7% 3-point shooter and he’s taken 786 of his 1,260 career shot attempts from beyond the arc.
He’ll once again add depth at the small forward spot for an organization angling to make deeper playoff runs.
Jeff Green Signs Two-Year Deal With Nuggets
AUGUST 12: Ten days after agreeing to terms with the Nuggets, Green has officially signed his new contract, the club announced in a press release.
“We are very excited to welcome Jeff and his family to Denver,” Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience to our team; his impact will be felt both on the court and in the locker room.”
AUGUST 2: Free agent big man Jeff Green is leaving the Nets and joining another contender. He’s agreed to a two-year, $10MM deal with the Nuggets, agent Jason Glushon informed ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter link).
The deal will include a player option in the second year, Andrews adds. The Nuggets will likely use a portion of their $9.536MM mid-level exception to sign Green.
The well-traveled Green has passed through 10 organizations in a career that began in 2007 with the Seattle SuperSonics. Green, who will turn 35 this month, has revived his career after Utah waived him during the 2019/20 season.
He had a successful run with Houston the remainder of that season, including several productive playoff performances. In his lone season with Brooklyn, he averaged 11.0 PPG and 3.9 RPG while making a career-high 41.2% of his 3-point tries in 68 regular-season games, including 38 starts.
Denver also agreed to re-sign JaMychal Green on Monday. That increases the possibility that another one of its free agent big men, Paul Millsap, will sign elsewhere.
Eastern Notes: Griffin, Nets, Harris, Cavs, Raptors Staff
The Nets plan to re-sign unrestricted free agent Blake Griffin and are also looking to add depth at center as the free agency period begins, general manager Sean Marks told ESPN’s Malika Andrews and other media members (Twitter link). Money does not appear to be an object — Marks said the Nets are “married to the luxury tax” and owner Joe Tsai is willing to spend whatever it takes to win.
We have more from the Eastern Conference
- A report that the Sixers are shopping Tobias Harris isn’t accurate, a source familiar with the situation tells Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice. It’s likely that the Harris trade rumor is old news, since his name came up as part of a larger deal with the Rockets earlier this year before James Harden was dealt to the Nets.
- Along with the pending acquisition of Ricky Rubio, the Cavaliers could look to add another veteran or two in free agency, particularly on the wing, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic writes. Doug McDermott and Reggie Bullock are two names to watch with Cleveland dangling all or part of its mid-level exception for their services. The Rubio deal with the Timberwolves can become official on Friday.
- The Raptors have added Earl Watson, Trevor Gleeson and Nathaniel Mitchell to Nick Nurse‘s coaching staff. However, former assistant Nate Bjorkgren, who was fired after a season as the Pacers’ head coach, will not return to Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter links).
Cavs Preparing $100MM Offer To Jarrett Allen
The Cavaliers are preparing to give restricted free agent Jarrett Allen a five-year offer worth approximately $100MM, Marc Stein of Substack tweets.
Cleveland traded for Allen in the multi-team James Harden blockbuster this past season with the intent of retaining Allen for years to come. The Cavaliers drafted USC big man Evan Mobley with the No. 3 overall pick on Thursday and want to pair him up with Allen to form their long-term frontcourt duo.
The Cavaliers reportedly view the Raptors as their main threat to re-signing Allen but it’s widely speculated that Cleveland would match any offer sheet. The five-year offer would be a preemptive strike by Cleveland’s front office to lock up Allen.
Allen averaged 13.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG across 51 contests after the Cavs acquired him.
Mavs Trade Josh Richardson To Celtics
JULY 31: The Celtics will send Moses Brown – recently acquired from Oklahoma City – to Dallas in the deal for Richardson, tweets Charania. A simple one-for-one swap, the trade is now official, according to an announcement from the Mavs.
JULY 30: The Mavericks are finalizing a trade that would send swingman Josh Richardson to the Celtics, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Richardson will exercise his $11.6MM option in order to make the deal happen, Charania adds.
The Celtics are using a $11.05MM trade exception acquire in the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade last year in order to make the deal, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Richardson made $10.86MM this past season, so Boston will finalize the deal on Saturday before the league calendar flips. The Mavericks will generate a trade exception worth the same amount.
Dallas could have up to $34MM in cap room entering free agency, though creating that much space would require renouncing Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s cap hold, Marks adds.
Richardson averaged 12.1 PPG and 2.6 APG in 59 regular-season games with Dallas this past season, including 56 starts. He’s a career 35.8% 3-point shooter and 83.2% free throw shooter with the reputation of being a quality perimeter defender.
The Celtics also agreed to a three-way deal on Friday in which they shipped big man Tristan Thompson to the Kings and acquired guard Kris Dunn from the Hawks. However, Dunn could be moved as part of another trade, according to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).