Sixers, McGee To Work Buyout?
8:07pm: Philadelphia has no intention of discussing a buyout arrangement with McGee, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.
5:15pm: The Sixers and JaVale McGee are headed for a buyout, as Tom Moore of Calkins Media believes (Twitter link). McGee was acquired by Philadelphia from the Nuggets earlier today along with the Thunder’s 2015 first-round pick and the rights to Nigerian forward Chu Chu Maduabum in exchange for the rights to draft-and-stash prospect Cenk Akyol.
The 27-year-old center out of Nevada is earning $11.25MM this season, and is scheduled to make $12MM for the 2015/16 campaign. It’s unclear how much of next year’s fully guaranteed salary Philadelphia would be willing to absorb if the team decided to waive McGee as part of a buyout agreement. With McGee’s injury history it would be a bit surprising to see him give up a major chunk of next year’s salary, though that is just my speculation.
McGee missed most of the 2013/14 campaign due to a stress fracture in his leg and has also missed time this year because of an injury in the same area. The big man has only appeared in a grand total of 22 games for the Nuggets over the last two seasons. The athletic 7-footer has career averages of 8.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. McGee’s career slash line is .541/.200/.587.
Pelicans Acquire, Waive Ish Smith
8:04pm: The Pelicans have waived Smith, the team has announced.
7:22pm: The Pelicans have acquired guard Ish Smith from the Thunder, New Orleans has announced. In addition to Smith, New Orleans will also receive the rights to Latavious Williams, cash considerations, and a 2015 protected second round pick. Oklahoma City in return will garner a 2016 protected second round draft pick. Oklahoma City needed to reduce its roster count to the league maximum 15 players, and the trade of Smith will accomplish just that. The Pelicans now have 14 players on their roster with the addition of the point guard.
Smith appeared in 30 games this season for the Thunder, averaging 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Since going undrafted out of Wake Forest back in 2010, Smith has appeared in 221 career games for the Suns, Magic, Rockets, Bucks and Grizzlies, averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds. His career slash line is .388/.216/.581.
Williams was the 48th overall selection by the Heat in 2010. Williams currently plays for Bilbao Basket of Liga ACB in Spain, where he has appeared in 21 games this season, averaging 7.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Nuggets Sign Joffrey Lauvergne
4:02pm: Denver has once more announced the signing and restored the press release to the team website.
2:59pm: The Nuggets sent out a press release recalling the announcement of the signing, and the page about the pact that was on their website has been replaced by an error message.
FEBRUARY 19TH, 2:37pm: The deal is official, the Nuggets announced.
FEBRUARY 11TH, 4:27pm: The Nuggets and Lauvergne are finalizing a two-year, fully guaranteed deal worth more than the minimum salary, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The pact will also contain a team option for a third season, Charania notes.
6:02pm: The Nuggets and Lauvergne should reach an agreement on a multi-year contract by next week, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reports (Twitter links).
FEBRUARY 5TH, 8:16am: Khimki Moscow and Lauvergne have officially parted ways, the team announced (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Nuggets face “logistical hurdles” before they can formally bring him stateside, a league source told Wojnarowski for his full story, but ostensibly, Khimki Moscow’s announcement clears one of them.
FEBRUARY 4TH, 8:55pm: The Nuggets are working on a deal to sign 6’11” forward Joffrey Lauvergne, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Lauvergne was set to cut ties earlier today with Khimki Moscow, his Russian team, a source told David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The Nuggets currently have 14 players on their roster, so no corresponding roster move would be required in order to ink Lauvergne.
The 23-year-old Frenchman was originally selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Lauvergne was subsequently dealt to the Nuggets, along with Darrell Arthur, for Kosta Koufos.
Lauvergne was averaging 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per game for Khimki Moscow this season. His career European professional numbers are 6.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His career slash line is .476/.269/.694.
Wolves Trying To Acquire Kevin Garnett
1:31pm: The Nets believe that Garnett will OK the deal, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
12:35pm: Belief is growing that Garnett will waive his no-trade clause, but he hasn’t decided yet, as Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).
10:23am: The Wolves have “cautious optimism” that Garnett will waive his no-trade clause, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).
9:40am: Garnett found out about Minnesota’s interest in a reunion weeks ago, but he wasn’t on board with the idea initially, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
8:35am: Timberwolves brass and Garnett will speak today about the trade possibility, as Bontemps hears (Twitter link). Meanwhile, a source insists to Kennedy that the Nets are quite enamored with Young (Twitter link).
8:27am: Garnett still won’t do a buyout in spite of strong interest from the Clippers and coach/executive Doc Rivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Still, Garnett is considering “the one trade scenario,” Wojnarowski says, presumably a reference to the Wolves idea. The Nets and Wolves have had a ton of talks about Young, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Young almost wound up with the Mavericks, and a deal that was in the works fell apart when Dallas wound up with Amar’e Stoudemire, Kennedy tweets.
8:06am: The fate of any deal is largely up to Garnett to decide at this point, Stein tweets.
THURSDAY, 7:52am: The talks are “exploratory,” a source told Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press, though Stein, in the most recent update of his story, notes that sources deemed the discussions “serious.” The Wolves are still debating the merits of relinquishing Young, who’s in his prime and has played better of late, for Garnett, a 20th-year vet, the AP scribe adds. Most people around the league don’t think KG would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, and that’s the sense in Brooklyn, too, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. It’s unclear if the former Wolves star is prepared to put aside any lingering resentment toward owner Glen Taylor about the way they parted in 2007, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune indicates.
11:56pm: Garnett has been said to be unwilling to waive his no-trade clause as recently as the last few days, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets.
WEDNESDAY, 10:52pm: The Timberwolves and Nets are in talks regarding a trade that would return Kevin Garnett to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The 19-year NBA veteran has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means that Garnett could potentially veto any deal presented to him. Garnett spent his first 12 seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, and it would be a great ending to his storied career if he retired while wearing a Timberwolves jersey. The big man has also said that he hopes to buy the Wolves when his playing days are over.
The 38-year-old is earning $12MM for the season, and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign. The veteran has appeared in 42 games for Brooklyn this season, and is averaging 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 20.3 minutes per night. Garnett’s career averages are 18.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.8 APG. His career shooting percentages are .497/.276/.790.
Young, 26, is making $9,410,869 this season, and he has a player option worth $9,971,739 for the 2015/16 campaign. The 6’8″ forward has appeared in 48 games for Minnesota this season, and is averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. His career numbers are 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG. Young’s career slash line is .495/.319/.698.
Latest On Ty Lawson
10:31am: There’s tension between Lawson and the Nuggets, and both parties are frustrated with each other, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders hears (Twitter link). A trade remains “very possible,” Kennedy adds.
8:42am: The Nuggets were never interested in a Lawson-for-Hill swap, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Lawson remains unlikely to be traded, Dempsey also tweets.
THURSDAY, 7:21am: Denver has listened to pitches for Lawson, but the front office has yet to seriously consider a deal, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 8:02pm: The Nuggets are trying to trade point guard Ty Lawson, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). If Denver is indeed able to move Lawson, coach Brian Shaw wants his team to acquire George Hill from the Pacers as Lawson’s replacement, Broussard adds. The Lakers have expressed interest in Lawson in addition to Goran Dragic of the Suns, the ESPN scribe notes. The Bucks, Kings, and Celtics are all reportedly interested in the veteran point guard as well.
Lawson, 27, has two more years left on his contract after this season. He is earning $11,595,506 this year, and will make $12,404,595 in 2015/16 and $13,213,482 during the 2016/17 campaign, the final year of his current deal. In 51 appearances this season, all as a starter, Lawson is averaging 16.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and a career-high 10.1 assists. His career numbers over five and a half seasons are 14.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 6.5 APG. His career slash line is .470/.373/.773.
The Pacers are reportedly willing to move one of their high-salaried veterans to create cap space to pursue free agents with this summer, according to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report . Indiana is believed to be willing to trade anyone aside from Paul George to accomplish that, Bucher writes.
Hill is making $8MM this season, and is on the books for two more years beyond this one at the same rate. In 15 appearances for the Pacers this season Hill is averaging 14.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 23.9 minutes per contest. His career numbers through 448 games are 10.8 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 3.1 APG. Hill’s career shooting percentages are .448/.373/.806.
Bucks Dangle Henson, Mayo, Ilyasova
THURSDAY, 7:31am: Henson is available only for deals in which the Bucks would acquire a top-notch point guard in return, rival executives tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Milwaukee appears to be targeting a “splashy addition” for Henson, as sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that Jackson and Lawson would fit that bill.
WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: The Bucks are anxious to make a trade in the wake of reportedly reaching a buyout arrangement with Larry Sanders, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports. Milwaukee has been dangling Ersan Ilyasova, O.J. Mayo and John Henson in offers to other teams, Kyler notes. With Sanders’ cap hit beginning with next season being pared down significantly with the team poised to use the stretch provision to waive him, the Bucks will have some breathing room under the salary cap they can use to nab a player who is set to command big money as a free agent this summer, Kyler adds.
Milwaukee is in the market for a point guard, and has been mentioned in connection with Ty Lawson (Nuggets), Reggie Jackson (Thunder), and the Bucks have also been linked to big man Enes Kanter (Jazz), Kyler notes. The Bucks have maintained the stance that they would not mortgage their future for a quick fix, but they seem to be open to making a move that would bolster the roster for 2015/16 as well as improve the team’s shot at a playoff spot, the Basketball Insiders scribe relays.
Mayo, 27, is making $8MM this season, and is on the books for an identical amount for 2015/16. He has appeared in 53 contests this season, including 15 as a starter. Mayo’s numbers on the year are 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. His career stats are 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line is .432/.378/.823.
Ilyasova has two more years remaining on his deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.9MM for this season and next, and his $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 is partially guaranteed for just $400K. In 30 appearances this season, Ilyasova is notching 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 10.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG.
Henson, the 24-year-old big man out of North Carolina, also has a season remaining on his contract. He is earning $1,987,320 for the season and is set to make $2,943,221 next season. Henson’s numbers on the year are 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game.
Southeast Notes: Korver, Wizards, Heat
Kyle Korver passed up opportunities to sign with a contender before he re-signed with the Hawks in 2013, Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press reports. Korver was unhappy when the Bulls traded him to Atlanta in 2012, but by the following summer, he had changed his opinion of the organization, according to Mahoney. “I just really believed in what Atlanta was building and what they were doing, I could see my role in it,” Korver told Mahoney. “I just wanted to be a part of that.”
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards have turned their attention from trying to acquire Jameer Nelson from the Nuggets to focusing on a deal involving the Kings’ Ramon Sessions, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).
- Washington may look to sign Bobby Brown, who has recently returned from playing in China, if the team is unable to bolster its backcourt via a trade, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
- The Wizards have spoken to the Nuggets about Wilson Chandler, but Washington considers Denver’s demands too steep, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Grantland’s Zach Lowe indicated that the Nuggets were looking for multiple first-rounders for Chandler when Lowe hinted earlier this week that conversations between Denver and the Wizards had taken place.
- The Heat “badly” want to end up in the postseason and aren’t looking to swap veterans for prospects, a GM told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but that GM and one other said to Jackson that Miami’s lack of assets is holding the team back in trade talks.
- Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said that he does not anticipate Atlanta making another roster move, but he added that the team is always listening to offers, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “I think we feel great about our group,” Budenholzer said. “We like a lot of things that have been improving and getting better. Like we’ve said a few times over the last few days, the organization has a mindset every day of trying to get better and improve. So you have to be open and listen but I would not say we are anticipating anything.”
Magic Willing To Deal Maurice Harkless
WEDNESDAY, 4:46pm: Orlando is seeking a first-round pick or a “talented young player” in return for Harkless, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, which conflicts with Zillgitt’s report that the Magic are only looking for a minimal return.
TUESDAY, 4:32pm: The Magic are willing to trade third-year forward Maurice Harkless, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports (Twitter link). Orlando only seeks what Zillgitt terms a minimal return for the 21-year-old former first-rounder out of St. John’s. The franchise is also reportedly willing to trade Andrew Nicholson, though the team is seeking a more substantial return for the power forward. Harkless is making $1,887,840 this season, and he is set to earn $2,894,059 during the 2015/16 campaign.
A report from Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders last month relayed that numerous teams had called Orlando regarding Harkless, but the Magic’s asking price was too high for inquiring teams. It is unclear if Harkless’ stock has fallen dramatically within the organization since then, or if the Magic have simply become more realistic about the trade market for their young swingman. Kennedy’s report also stated that Orlando’s front office hoped that interim coach James Borrego could coax more out of Harkless than former coach Jacque Vaughn did. This change apparently hasn’t occurred as desired, since Harkless has only logged a total of 12 minutes over Orlando’s last four contests.
Harkless has appeared in 27 games this season, and has averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per contest. These numbers fall short of Harkless’ career averages of 7.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG. His career slash line is .459/.317/.594.
Hawks Willing To Trade John Jenkins
The Hawks are open to dealing shooting guard John Jenkins, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders reports. Atlanta is reportedly seeking a second round draft pick in return for the 23-year-old out of Vanderbilt, Greene adds. Jenkins, who is earning $1,312,920, is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
The third year guard’s impending free agency is the reason why Atlanta has been unable to find a trade partner for Jenkins yet, Greene notes. Franchises are less inclined these days to part with draft picks for a player who will likely be just a short-term rental. The team and Jenkins have not discussed any potential buyout arrangement as of yet, Green relays.
Jenkins has appeared in just nine games this season for Atlanta, averaging 3.7 points and 1.0 rebound in 8.2 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 5.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 0.8 APG. Jenkins’ career shooting numbers are .446/.372/.853.
Wojnarowski’s Latest: Prince, Clippers, Nelson
With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline creeping ever closer, things are going to heat up rather quickly. The reports that the Suns are looking to trade Goran Dragic are likely just the beginning of what should be an interesting couple of days around the NBA. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports relayed some of the latest deadline rumors from around the league:
- The Celtics are continuing to try to include Tayshaun Prince in a trade package, but if unable to find a taker, the team will work out a buyout arrangement after the deadline, Wojnarowski notes.
- After missing out on Amar’e Stoudemire, who is reportedly on his way to Dallas once he clears waivers, the Clippers’ best chance to improve their roster will be to sign a free agent, Wojnarowski opines. Los Angeles may attempt to sign Prince if he is waived by Boston, Wojnarowski adds. The Blazers are also interested in Prince, the Yahoo! scribe relays.
- The Clippers have dangled Jamal Crawford in an effort to acquire a first round draft pick that the team could use to nab the Nuggets‘ Wilson Chandler or Arron Afflalo, the Yahoo! scribe adds. Los Angeles continues to show interest in the Suns‘ Gerald Green as well, Wojnarowski reports.
- Los Angeles had scouted Lance Stephenson recently, but the Clippers never engaged in discussions with the Hornets regarding the mercurial guard, Wojnarowski relays.
- There are several teams around the league that are hoping Jameer Nelson reaches a buyout arrangement with the Nuggets, Wojnarowski notes. Denver currently has no plans to cut the veteran point guard loose, adds the Yahoo! scribe.
- Wolves president Flip Saunders has shown little inclination that he wishes to deal Kevin Martin and Thaddeus Young, Wojnarowski relays.
- Teams that miss out on acquiring Afflalo may take a look at nabbing the Wolves‘ Chase Budinger, Wojnarowski writes. While teams like Budinger’s ability to spread the floor, his $5MM player option is a deterrent for some interested franchises, the Yahoo! scribe adds.