Celtics Push Back Guarantee Dates For Johnson, Jerebko
The Celtics are leaning toward fully guaranteeing the contract of Amir Johnson for the 2016/17 season, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reports (via Twitter). If Johnson remains on the roster past July 7th his salary of $12MM would become locked in, but if the team parts ways with him prior to that date there would be no financial commitment on its part. The original date for Johnson’s guarantee to kick in was the 3rd, but the two sides agreed to extend the deadline, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The team also reached an identical arrangement with Jonas Jerebko, who is scheduled to earn $5MM next season if he remains on the roster past the 7th, Goodman relays.
Boston is desperately seeking to add a star-caliber player to its roster this summer and cutting ties with Johnson and/or Jerebko could free up valuable cap flexibility for a run at one. As it currently stands, the Celtics are expected to open free agency with approximately $18.8MM in cap space, but could free up enough room to float a max offer to a player like Kevin Durant if the duo were off the books. Pushing back the guarantee dates for both players will allow Boston more flexibility to test the market without stripping down its roster unnecessarily were executive Danny Ainge to strike out in his free agent pursuits.
Johnson made 79 appearances for Boston last season, including 74 starts. He averaged 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 22.8 minutes per outing. The high-energy big man shot .585/.233/.570 from the field on the campaign. Jerebko, 29, saw action in 78 games, all as a reserve, and averaged 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per night. He shot .413/.398/.782 from the field.
Free Agent Notes: Batum, Parsons, Anderson
With Chandler Parsons reportedly seeking a max contract and the Mavs unwilling to pony up that amount, there is virtually “no chance” that the forward will return to Dallas next season, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. Parsons has added meetings with the Lakers and the Grizzlies to his agenda, the scribe writes. A max contract for Parsons with the Mavs, who own his early Bird rights, would be worth $98.8MM over four years. Other teams can offer him a maximum of $94.8MM over the same span, MacMahon notes.
With NBA free agency set to get underway with a vengeance at midnight, here are the latest news, notes and rumblings from around the league:
- Unrestricted free agent swingman Nicolas Batum has scheduled face-to-face meetings with the Hornets and Mavericks in Dallas and will talk to the Knicks, Lakers and Wizards via phone, MacMahon tweets.
- The Knicks are one of the teams scheduled to meet with Evan Turner once free agency kicks off, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (Twitter links). The scribe also notes that the Pelicans have strong interest in signing Turner, but Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets that no meeting between the swingman and New Orleans has been set at this time.
- The Timberwolves are interested in signing Knicks unrestricted free agent forward Lance Thomas for a bench role, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (on Twitter). Minnesota will have some competition for Thomas’ services, with New York reportedly interested in re-signing the player and the Thunder, Nets and Mavericks all expected to make a play for the 28-year-old.
- The Sixers are interested in bringing back Ish Smith as a reserve for next season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- Unrestricted free agent power forward Jon Leuer has received interest from the Knicks, Lakers and Suns, Wolfson tweets. The 27-year-old made 67 appearances for Phoenix this past season and averaged 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per outing.
- The Nets have a glaring hole at power forward after trading Thaddeus Young and may make a run at unrestricted free agent Ryan Anderson, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter). The Rockets are trying to schedule a meeting with Anderson for this weekend, adds Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Point guard Rajon Rondo has a meeting scheduled with the Nets, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
- The Trail Blazers have a face-to-face meeting scheduled in Los Angeles on Friday with Parsons and Portland guard Damian Lillard is expected to be in attendance, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group relays (via Twitter).
- The Heat‘s free agent pitches will include the optimism of a return to action next season for big man Chris Bosh and the organizational stability provided by coach Erik Spoelstra, writes Michael Wallace of ESPN.com.
Bucks To Extend John Hammond’s Contract
The Bucks and GM John Hammond have agreed to a one-year contract extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports (Twitter links). The extension will run through the 2017/18 campaign, notes Wojnarowski. The dollar value of the arrangement is not yet known.
Milwaukee hired Justin Zanik as GM-in-waiting earlier this month and this extension will allow Hammond to work alongside the new executive and smooth the transition, Wojnarowski writes. Hammond will remain with the organization as a consultant after he steps down as GM, the scribe adds. The Bucks recently signed coach Jason Kidd to a three-year, $16.5MM extension of his own.
Hammond has been GM of the Bucks since 2008 and the franchise has gone 273-367 under his watch in the regular season and 5-12 in the postseason. During his tenure he won the 2009/10 Executive of the Year award, which was the only season under Hammond that the team has finished the year over .500.
Wolves Waive Greg Smith
4:31pm: The Wolves officially announced that they have waived Smith.
4:24pm: The Timberwolves have waived center Greg Smith, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). Provided he clears waivers, the big man will become an unrestricted free agent as a result of the team parting ways with him.
The 25-year-old signed a multiyear deal with the team in March after his second 10-day pact with the club expired. Smith earned $137,380 for his work after inking the pact and was set to be paid $1,139,123 in 2016/17. The contract called for no guaranteed money, so Minnesota will not be on the hook for any salary by waiving Smith.
In 18 appearances for the Wolves Smith averaged 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .563/.000/.412.
Wayne Ellington Declines Player Option
Shooting guard Wayne Ellington has elected to decline his player option for next season and will become an unrestricted free agent, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (on Twitter). The scribe also confirms that point guard Shane Larkin has opted out of his deal as well. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders first reported that Larkin was opting out of his pact for 2016/17.
Ellington, 28, was set to earn $1,567,500 for his work in 2016/17, but with the increase in the salary cap for next season, should be able to markedly improve on that figure this offseason. He doesn’t project as a starter going forward, but he could help a squad in a reserve role.
The player made 76 appearances for Brooklyn this past season, including 41 starts. Ellington notched averages of 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line on the campaign was .389/.358/.857.
Carlos Boozer Eyeing NBA Return
Veteran forward Carlos Boozer is setting his sights on returning to the league next season, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Boozer last played in an NBA regular season game during the 2014/15 campaign when he made 71 appearances for the Lakers. The 34-year-old has been working out in Miami over the past year and hopes there’s an opportunity to land a bench role on a team where he can mentor younger players, the scribe adds.
“The previous season with the Lakers was a tough year,” Boozer told Wojnarowski “Kobe Bryant got hurt, Steve Nash went down and we had a young group still learning to win. I ended up taking the next year off, spent time with my kids and family and right now my body feels great. I feel terrific. I have been working out hard all year, and I miss the game. I want to play again.”
Boozer told the Vertical that he’s been working out five to six days a week and believes that his body has benefited from the rest of a year away from the NBA grind. The big man hopes he and his agent, Rob Pelinka, can identify potential contending teams that could use his skill set and experience. “I’ve been in the league for 13 years, and played in All-Star Games and been part of a gold-medal team in the Olympics [in 2008], and I think that I can be a help in a mentoring role,” Boozer continued. “I think I can help some younger guys. I’ve played against Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan and picked up a lot of things that can be helpful to young guys. I really like the opportunity of having a role on a team where I can give back on the knowledge that I’ve gained through the years.”
In 861 career regular season games Boozer has averaged 16.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists to go along with a shooting line of .521/.071/.722.
Lowe’s Latest: Horford, Howard, Noel
The Hawks are reluctant to offer unrestricted free agent Al Horford a fifth year this summer, and if the team maintains that rigid stance it could risk losing him to another suitor, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in his free agency primer. The scribe names the Pistons as a team to watch regarding the center and notes that Detroit is working to set up a meeting with Horford during the first 48 hours of free agency. With veteran point guard Jeff Teague having already been traded, if the Hawks were to lose Horford and swingman Kent Bazemore this summer, it could prompt a full rebuild in Atlanta, Lowe writes. The scribe also notes that coach Mike Budenholzer‘s status as a team executive gives him more security to undertake a re-tooling effort.
Here’s more from Lowe:
- Hornets unrestricted free agent forward Marvin Williams may be in line for a deal this summer in the range of two years and $38MM, according to Lowe’s estimations.
- Teams are balking at the notion of paying Dwight Howard a max salary, even if it’s on a short-term deal, Lowe notes. The scribe adds that the center has a free agent meeting set up with the Celtics.
- The Nets and Sixers have enough cap room to create early havoc in the free agent market and drive up prices around the league if they are aggressive in going after restricted free agents, Lowe writes. Brooklyn has strong interest in adding some high-character veterans, including Jared Dudley, Lowe relays. There are a number of teams that are worried Brooklyn will jump the market on unrestricted free agents with ties to new coach Kenny Atkinson (Jeremy Lin, Bazemore), and some under-the-radar young players, the scribe adds.
- The Raptors will need to move at least one large contract in order to have a shot at re-signing both DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo, Lowe notes. To that end, Toronto has approached the Sixers about a trade involving a rotation player and other assets in exchange for Nerlens Noel, who could potentially replace Biyombo as backup center. These talks have not gained much traction, according to Lowe.
- The Magic‘s acquisition of Jodie Meeks from the Pistons will have no bearing on their plans for restricted free agent Evan Fournier, Lowe notes, with Orlando being unsure of Meeks’ health heading into next season.
- Lowe also speculates that the cap boom may lead to an increase in contract extensions, noting that Paul George (Pacers), DeMarcus Cousins (Kings), John Wall (Wizards) and Derrick Favors (Jazz) are all potential extension candidates this year.
- The Pacers may look to trade shooting guard Monta Ellis this summer in an effort to free up more cap space, Lowe notes. Ellis, who is set to earn $10,763,500 in 2016/17, still has three years remaining on his current pact.
- The NBPA is encouraging players to sign contracts that decline over time so they can get as much guaranteed money up front as possible, Lowe relays. This push is likely related to a potential lockout next summer when the league and union have the ability to opt out of the current CBA.
Alonzo Gee Declines Player Option
Pelicans small forward Alonzo Gee has elected to decline his player option for 2016/17 and will become an unrestricted free agent as a result, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops reports (Twitter link). Gee was set to earn $1,379,400 next season.
The swingman appeared in 73 games this past season for the Pelicans and averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 22.4 minutes per outing. His slash line on the campaign was .518/.283/.667.
Gee, who finished the season in street clothes courtesy of a ruptured right quadriceps muscle, enters the open market at a good time given the surge in the salary cap to approximately $94MM. It remains to be seen what teams will be interested in his services given his struggles from beyond the three-point arc. However, the 29-year-old remains a strong defender and could slot in nicely on a contending team’s bench.
Qualifying Offers: Sullinger, Daniels, Barnes
If an NBA team wishes to ensure a player who is eligible for restricted free agency actually becomes one, that team must issue a qualifying offer before the new league year begins on July 1st. Clubs are gradually making those qualifying-offer decisions official, with the latest round of offers noted below:
- The Warriors submitted qualifying offers to Harrison Barnes ($5,194,227) and Festus Ezeli ($3,013,123), making both restricted free agents, the team announced via press release.
- The Kings have submitted a qualifying offer for combo guard Seth Curry, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee relays (via Twitter). Curry’s offer is worth $1,215,696, with the 25-year-old having earned $947,276 for his 44 appearances this past season.
- The Celtics submitted qualifying offers to frontcourt mates Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller, Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald tweets. Sullinger’s offer is worth $4,433,683, while Zeller’s comes in at $3,695,169.
- The Hornets officially announced today that a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 was submitted for shooting guard Troy Daniels, making him a restricted free agent.
- The Raptors submitted a qualifying offer to Nando De Colo in order to retain his rights, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star tweets. De Colo isn’t likely headed stateside anytime soon, having signed a three-year contract extension with CSKA Moscow earlier this month. The cap hold for the 29-year-old is $1,901,900.
- The Grizzlies submitted a qualifying offer to guard Nick Calathes, as the RealGM transactions log shows. The 27-year-old, who is under contract from the Greek club Panathinaikos, last played in the NBA during the 2014/15 campaign. The move by Memphis was merely a procedural one in order to retain Calathes’ rights.
- The Nets have submitted a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431 to Markel Brown, making him a restricted free agent, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweets. Brooklyn declined to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 to Willie Reed, making him an unrestricted free agent, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops tweets.
- The Warriors declined to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431 to James McAdoo and the player will now become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets. The team also passed on submitting a qualifying offer worth $1,215,696 to Ian Clark, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
- The Pelicans won’t tender a qualifying to James Ennis ($1,180,431), but remain interested in re-signing him if the price were reasonable, Scott Kushner of The Advocate tweets.
- The Sixers declined to submit a qualifying offer to Isaiah Canaan ($1,215,696), making him an unrestricted free agent, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group tweets.
Dwyane Wade Open To Exploring Free Agent Market
8:17pm: Wade is trying to create bargaining leverage with Miami by putting out feelers to other teams, a league source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link).
WEDNESDAY, 5:48pm: Wade’s representatives have reached out to the Spurs and the Mavericks to inform them that the shooting guard would potentially be interested in joining them were he to leave Miami, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (audio link) relayed during an appearance on 790 AM today.
TUESDAY, 8:21pm: In what appears to be a repeat of last summer’s contract talks, the Heat and Dwyane Wade‘s initial discussions have failed to find a common ground thus far, and as a result, the guard is open to listening to offers from other teams, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com relays. The franchise and Wade had several contentious weeks of contract discussions last year before they agreed on a one-year, $20MM deal for the 2015/16 campaign, the scribe adds. It’s unclear how far apart the two parties currently are on a new contract.
According to Windhorst’s sources, Wade’s representatives have made it known to multiple teams over the last several days that he will be testing the open market. However, some teams are skeptical about Wade being willing to leave Miami after 13 seasons and perhaps see his agent’s machinations as merely a bargaining tactic with the Heat, Windhorst notes.
“I hope that everything is quiet and works out the way I want it to,” Wade said after the season came to a close. “But I have no control over that, as much as people might think. It’s a lot of moving parts in free agency. I’m not worried about it.”
Wade, 34, is coming off a solid campaign that saw him remain virtually healthy for the majority of the season. He appeared in 74 games and averaged 19.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 30.5 minutes per outing while shooting .456/.159/.793 from the field.