Spurs Sign LaMarcus Aldridge
JULY 9TH, 2:39pm: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
JULY 4TH, 11:21am: The Spurs and unrestricted free agent LaMarcus Aldridge have reached an agreement that will bring the talented forward to San Antonio, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). The arrangement will be for four years, and approximately $80MM, Wojnarowski notes, almost assuredly a max deal. The pact also includes a player option for the final season, the Yahoo! scribe relays.
The deal between San Antonio and Aldridge brings his nine year career with the Trail Blazers to a close. The 29-year-old appeared in 71 games for Portland during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 35.4 minutes of action per contest. His shooting numbers last season were .466/.352/.845. Aldridge’s career numbers through 648 games, all with the Blazers, are 19.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 1.9 APG, with a slash line of .485/.276/.796.
The departure of Aldridge doesn’t come as surprise to the Blazers, who were informed by the forward on Friday night that he had narrowed his choices down to either the Spurs or the Suns, Wojnarowski tweets. A source told David Pick of Eurobasket.com as early as Wednesday that Aldridge would sign with the Spurs and turn down the hard-charging Suns (Twitter links), though he continued to take meetings in the days that followed. Aldridge had two sit-downs with the Lakers, and also met with the Heat, Rockets, Raptors, and Mavs during the free agent process. He cancelled a scheduled meeting with the Knicks, who never appeared to be serious contenders to land the big man.
Aldridge’s signing will have an impact outside of lining the forward’s pockets and giving the Spurs a new star to pair alongside Kawhi Leonard, who reached an agreement on a five year, estimated $90MM contract of his own with the team on Wednesday. Popovich, who has mulled calling it quits when Tim Duncan decides to hang up his sneakers and retire, is now looking to coach for the four remaining years on his contract, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. San Antonio is now aggressively pursuing unrestricted free agent David West as it reloads for 2015/16, tweets Wojnarowski.
Phoenix is likely heartbroken over missing out on the star forward, as it had reportedly made a strong impression on Aldridge, and he would have been the star the team so desperately seeks to acquire. The Suns would have instead focused on trying to convince Kevin Love to come to Arizona if Aldridge had simply stuck to his pledge of a year ago to re-sign with the Blazers, Jake Fischer of SI Now relays (via Twitter). Love has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal for about $110MM with Cleveland. While the agreement cannot be finalized until July 9th, it would indeed have been a shocking turn of events for Love to spurn the Cavs for the Suns, so Phoenix will have to settle for Tyson Chandler as its lone coup on the big man market.
Clippers Re-Sign DeAndre Jordan
2:31pm: The deal is official, the Clippers announced via press release.
THURSDAY, 9:14am: The Clippers haven’t sent out a press release or formal announcement, but they did acknowledge the move on Twitter with a photo of Jordan and the words “We’re officially centered.” Jordan put pen to paper with Relativity Sports agent Jarinn Akana present, but not Fegan, his primary agent, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The agency has yet to provide certification of the contract, Spears notes, so it can’t yet become official. Also present when Jordan signed the contract were Rivers, Paul, Griffin and Paul Pierce, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Mavericks never got to meet with him face-to-face, as was supposed to have been the case, Shelburne adds (on Twitter). The deal contains a 15% trade kicker, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
11:21pm: Jordan’s deal is actually for four years, $87.6MM, with a player option after the third season, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets (h/t to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders).
10:05pm: The deal is reportedly a five-year maximum salary contract in excess of $110MM, and includes a player option for the final season, Stein tweets.
9:47pm: In what turned out to be one of the more bizarre free agency dramas in recent memory, DeAndre Jordan has reversed course and has elected to re-sign with the Clippers, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). The center had reached a verbal agreement with the Mavericks last week, but changed his mind after having time to mull over his decision. The exact length and amount of the contract are unknown, but it is almost assuredly a maximum salary arrangement. The signing cannot become official until after midnight Eastern time this evening. Mavs team owner Mark Cuban has begun to notify people within the Dallas organization that Jordan is remaining in Los Angeles, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
The unusual circumstances surrounding Jordan’s free agency convinced Clippers officials that they needed to remain at Jordan’s side until he is formally able to put pen to paper on a new contract, given that Jordan had already changed his mind once during the process, Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com note. Sources informed the ESPN duo that Jordan, in a meeting today at his Houston home with several teammates and top Clippers officials, indicated to the team that he intended to renege on last Friday’s commitment to sign a four-year, $80-plus million max deal with the Mavericks and return to Los Angeles instead.
There were conflicting reports regarding Jordan’s agent, Dan Fegan, that he steered the center toward the Mavs because of the close relationship Fegan has with Cuban. One of Jordan’s reasons for wanting to leave Los Angeles was his desire to have an expanded offensive role. Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers reportedly informed Jordan that he wasn’t aware of the veteran’s desire for a larger role, and the Clippers offered to hire a big man coach and increase Jordan’s number of touches on the offensive end. Jordan was apparently tired of playing third wheel behind Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. The center also reportedly didn’t see eye-to-eye with Paul, though there were conflicting reports on just how much of a factor that was in Jordan’s initial willingness to leave Los Angeles.
Jordan made 82 appearances for the Clippers last season, averaging 11.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 34.4 minutes per game, with a slash line of .710/.250/.397. The big man’s numbers through seven NBA seasons are 8.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 1.7 BPG, with a shooting line of .664/.125/.417.
Hawks Re-Sign Paul Millsap
1:36pm: The deal is indeed official, the Hawks confirmed via press release.
JULY 9TH, 12:46pm: The team hasn’t made any formal announcement, but Millsap refers to it as official on his verified Twitter account.
JULY 1ST, 5:43pm: The Hawks and forward Paul Millsap have reached an agreement on a new contract, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The deal will be for three years, and approximately $58MM, with a player option included for the final season, TNT’s David Aldridge relays (on Twitter). Millsap also received interest from the Magic, who were the biggest threat to take Millsap away from Atlanta, as well as the Pacers, Mavericks, and Knicks.
Atlanta will presumably use cap space to ink the veteran and not his Early Bird rights. Millsap’s deal will pay him approximately $18.8 MM for the 2015/16 campaign, $19.646MM in 2016/17, and $20.492MM during the final season, which includes the previously mentioned player option, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets.
Millsap made 73 appearances for the Hawks last season, all as a starter, and averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 687 games are 13.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a slash line of .503/.340/.728.
Warriors Re-Sign Draymond Green
JULY 9TH, 1:21pm: The team hasn’t sent out a formal announcement, but GM Bob Myers said today to reporters, including Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group, that the deal is official (Twitter link).
JULY 2ND, 8:40am: It’s $82MM, not $85MM, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe and Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group report (Twitter links). Green gets $14.26M this coming season, $15.33M in 2016/17, $16.4M in 2017/18, $17.47M in 2018/19, and $18.54M in 2019/20, Kawakami tweets.
JULY 1ST, 9:59pm: The Warriors and Draymond Green have come to terms on a five-year, $85MM deal that will see the forward return to Golden State, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Green’s deal is for less than the maximum, which would have been five years, and approximately $91MM, but it’s nevertheless a major raise for a player who toiled away for the league minimum last season. The contract is fully guaranteed, and contains no options, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
The signing comes as no surprise, though talks had reportedly stalled earlier today. The B.J. Armstrong client was noted as being willing to take less than the max to stay with the Warriors and help the club keep its roster together, despite the interest from other teams. Both the Hawks and the Rockets were reported to be suitors for the bruising forward, though the opportunity to remain in Golden State and pursue another NBA title was likely too strong a pull for Green to ignore, regardless of dollar figures.
“Excited, thankful, and grateful to be back in the Bay. Thanks to Peter Gruber, Joe Lacob, Bob Myers, Rick Welts and the entire Warriors organization,” Green said in his official statement. “Thanks to coach Steve Kerr and staff for helping me become a better player, and thanks to my teammates for being great and accepting. I love the fans, thanks for being great, now let’s chase championships.”
Green appeared in 79 games for the Warriors last season, averaging 11.74 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, with a slash line of .443/.337/.660. His career averages are 6.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG, while shooting .412/.321/.685.
Cavs Re-Sign Iman Shumpert
JULY 9TH, 1:04pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
“Iman is a versatile, two-way player who embodies much of the grit, determination and defense-first mentality our group became identified by,” GM David Griffin said. “He is evolving as a playmaker on both ends and his impact on our group was enormous throughout our Finals run.”
JULY 1ST, 6:34pm: The Cavaliers and restricted free agent Iman Shumpert have agreed to a new contract, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). The deal will be for four years and $40MM, and the final season will include a player option, Kennedy relays. The Lakers, Raptors, Bucks, and Mavericks were all interested in the defensive specialist’s services.
Shumpert was acquired at midseason by the Cavaliers along with J.R. Smith, who opted out of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. It’s unclear if Shumpert’s deal will mean that Smith is destined to play elsewhere in 2015/16, though LeBron James reportedly wants the Cavs to re-sign the guard, so one has to wonder if that could outweigh the team’s reservations about Smith.
The 25-year-old played well for the Cavaliers last season, appearing in 38 games, though only one as a starter. Shumpert notched averages of 7.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, along with a slash line of .410/.338/.667.
Knicks Sign Derrick Williams
JULY 9TH, 12:51pm: The deal is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter).
JULY 3RD, 9:44pm: After striking out on a number of high-profile free agent targets, the Knicks have reached an agreement with free agent forward Derrick Williams, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It is a two year pact for $10MM, and it includes a player option for the 2016/17 season, Broussard adds. Williams became an unrestricted free agent when Sacramento declined to tender him a qualifying offer.
The 24-year-old out of Arizona is a combo forward, and it’s not immediately clear how New York will utilize Williams. He could start at power forward alongside Carmelo Anthony, or come off the bench at either forward spot if the Knicks choose to keep ‘Melo at power forward, a position he has excelled at the last few seasons. The Mavericks, Kings, Wizards, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, and Suns all had some level of interest in Williams.
Williams began his NBA career in Minnesota, who made him the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft. He appeared in 74 games for the Kings last season, including six as a starter. Williams notched averages of 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 19.8 minutes per contest, to go along with a slash line of .447/.314/.684. His career numbers through four seasons as a pro are 9.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 0.6 APG, with a shooting line of .429/.301/.703.
Knicks Sign Robin Lopez
JULY 9TH, 12:42pm: The deal is official, the Knicks announced (on Twitter).
2:15pm: Jordan’s representatives have told the Knicks that they’re out of the running, so the Lopez deal will be a go at the end of the July Moratorium, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter).
1:44pm: The contract would contain no option clauses, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck (Twitter link).
JULY 3RD, 12:54pm: The deal would be for four years and $54MM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who reiterates that it’s contingent on the Knicks falling short in their long shot effort to sign Jordan (Twitter links).
10:22pm: A source close to Lopez says the big man has committed to join the Knicks, but his deal is in a holding pattern until DeAndre Jordan makes his final decision, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
JULY 2ND, 8:23pm: Free agent center Robin Lopez is engaged in discussions with the Knicks on a deal that would pay him in the range of $12M-$13M per season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Knicks are also looking at trying to land DeAndre Jordan after missing out on Greg Monroe, who agreed to sign with the Bucks earlier today. The Knicks would also target Roy Hibbert via a trade with the Pacers if they miss on Jordan and Lopez, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reported earlier.
Lopez came away from his Wednesday night meeting with the team possessing a positive impression of New York, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Interest is mutual,” a source said. “That’s for sure.” The 27-year-old is also garnering serious interest from the Lakers, Wojnarowski adds. Both franchises have a profound need of depth at the pivot, and the defensive-minded Lopez would be a solid fit for either franchise. The Pelicans and Bucks were also reported to be interested in Lopez at the commencement of the free agent signing period.
The seven-footer made 59 appearances for the Blazers last season, averaging 9.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 27.8 minutes per game. His career numbers through seven NBA seasons are 8.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.2 BPG, with a slash line of .532/.000/.759.
Bucks Re-Sign Khris Middleton
JULY 9TH, 12:30pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
“Khris played a huge role in our turnaround last season and has become a leader on our young team,” GM John Hammond said. “Keeping Khris in a Bucks uniform was a huge priority for us this offseason, and we’re thrilled that he’ll continue to grow with our young core as we work towards building a championship-caliber team in Wisconsin.”
9:46am: Milwaukee and the Mike Lindeman client indeed have an agreement, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
JULY 1ST, 2:28am: The Bucks and restricted free agent Khris Middleton are close to signing a new deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The proposed arrangement will be for five years, and $70MM, Stein notes. The deal will include a player option for the fifth year, adds Stein. Milwaukee had tendered Middleton a qualifying offer worth $2.275MM, and would have had the right to match any offer sheet the forward were to sign with another franchise.
It doesn’t come as a shock that Middleton will return to Milwaukee, as the Bucks were set to match any offer sheets for the restricted free agent, according to a previous report by Stein. The ESPN scribe had pegged the degree of certainty that Middleton would be back with the Bucks in 2015/16 as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Retaining Middleton and signing a big man in free agency are Milwaukee’s top two offseason priorities, Stein adds (via Twitter).
Middleton’s proposed deal would be for less then the league maximum, but not by much. A league executive had told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that the young forward would draw an offer of around $15MM annually, with the max being an estimated $15.8MM for a player with his experience level, while another executive told Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times that he doubted Middleton would command that amount, and estimated the 23-year-old would only receive $9MM per year on his next deal. Deveney’s estimation was closer, with Middleton’s average annual salary on the pact coming in at approximately $14MM per season.
In 79 appearances this past campaign, including 58 as a starter, Middleton averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 30.1 minutes per night. His career numbers are 11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a shooting line of .453/.403/.858.
Nets Ink Thomas Robinson
JULY 9TH, 12:27pm: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
5:30pm: Robinson’s deal will be for the league minimum, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post tweets.
JULY 2ND, 4:44pm: The Nets are close to signing free agent Thomas Robinson, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter links). It will be a two year contract with a player option for 2016/17, Kennedy adds. Robert Windrem of NetsDaily first reported that the two sides shared mutual interest. The Spurs also were noted to have some level of interest in the free agent.
Robinson considered signing with the Nets last season after being waived by the Nuggets, with the forward reportedly agreeing to sign a 10-day contract with Brooklyn before being claimed by the Sixers. The 24-year-old is well-traveled, having played for five NBA teams since being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
In 32 appearances for Philadelphia last season, Robinson logged 8.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 18.5 minutes per game. His career numbers are 5.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 0.6 APG, with a slash line of .463/.000/.538.
Magic Sign C.J. Watson
JULY 9TH, 11:18am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.
8:20pm: The final season is partially guaranteed for $1MM, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.
8:57am: The Magic and Watson have reached an agreement on a three-year, $15MM deal, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (on Twitter).
JULY 4TH, 12:09am: The Magic are nearing an agreement with unrestricted free agent C.J. Watson, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It’s unclear as to the length and amount of the arrangement the two sides are discussing, though the guard is intent on securing a deal for the mid-level exception, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com relayed earlier this week. Watson would provide backcourt depth behind Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton.
Watson, 31, appeared in 57 contests for the Pacers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 10.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 24.9 minutes per night, and owned a slash line of .434/.400/.826. His career numbers are 7.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 2.5 APG, while shooting .425/.383/.806.
The Wizards, Clippers, and Mavericks were all reported to have interest in Watson. The point guard had expressed a desire to return to the Pacers back in April, saying, ”Hopefully I’ll be back here. I like it in Indy. I love the team and the atmosphere of the city. We’ll see what happens. It’s not really in my hands. So we’ll see.”