Northwest Notes: Whiteside, Thunder, Goodwin
Shortly after being traded from the Heat to the Trail Blazers last week, center Hassan Whiteside immediately received numerous texts messages from a key member of Portland’s organization: Damian Lillard.
Lillard welcomed Whiteside to the team, having an open dialogue about what the franchise is capable of doing with a healthy roster entering the 2019/20 season.
“I think the things that stuck out the most was he was just communicating and stressing that it had to happen on both ends,” Whiteside said, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “Regardless of what we are feeling at the time, we all have the same goal. And he said he would never try to stand me up or show out on me, or another person, and he expects the same. And he was like, ‘If Coach talks, just respect it.’”
Whiteside privately and publicly sent signals that he wanted more playing time during his time in Miami. His relationship with head coach Erik Spoelstra was rocky, with the 30-year-old rarely influenced by a leader such as Lillard throughout his career.
“I’ve never had anybody approach me like that,” Whiteside said. “Outside of D. Wade, maybe, but D. Wade wasn’t there a couple years. But what Dame showed me was how serious he is and what kind of leader he is. That made me even more excited about coming here because he was showing me his teammate side, his leadership side.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:
- Multiple NBA executives believe the Thunder won the Russell Westbrook trade with Houston last week, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Huge win for Oklahoma City,” said one unnamed executive. By trading Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul, 2024 and 2026 first-round picks and the right to swap picks in 2021 and 2025, the Thunder were able to add to their already lengthy collection of future picks and assets.
- Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman details why the Thunder continue to acquire future draft picks in trades this month. In addition to Westbrook, Oklahoma City also traded away Paul George for five first-round picks (2021 via Miami, 2022, 2023 via Miami, 2024 and 2026), plus two pick swaps (2023, 2025). The team also moved forward Jerami Grant to Denver for a future first-round pick (2020).
- The Nuggets have withdrawn their qualifying offer for two-way player Brandon Goodwin, according to RealGM. Goodwin is now an unrestricted free agent.
Pacific Notes: Green, Suns, Bradley, Gabriel
New Lakers guard Danny Green was forced to wait some extra time before deciding where to sign in free agency, with the 32-year-old explaining how difficult of a process that was after leaving the city of Toronto for Los Angeles.
Green, a veteran three-and-D player, wanted to see if teammate Kawhi Leonard would re-sign with Toronto before making his own decision. However, Leonard’s situation took several days to finalize, leaving Green, his agent Joe Branch, and multiple NBA teams out of the loop.
“Those five days [in free agency] seemed like five months,” Green said, as relayed by Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. “And each day that went by, I checked in with ‘Whi and I’m like, ‘Yo, what’s going on with your meeting?’ ‘I have a meeting tomorrow.’ So, [it was] like, ‘Tomorrow? So I have to wait another day?’ You think a day, it goes by pretty fast but the way it was happening, the way I was talking to him, you would think it was a week. Like, ‘I got to wait another day, dude? Like, come on!’”
“So you go to the next-best team you think in the league is and that was here,” Green said of signing with the Lakers. “Just with the foundation, they only had three players on the roster at the time, but those three players are pretty damn good and you know with those three you can build something special.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division today:
- The Suns quietly made some constructive roster moves this offseason, Greg Moore of the Arizona Republic writes. Phoenix was able to sign free agent point guard Ricky Rubio, re-sign forward Kelly Oubre Jr. and draft the likes of Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome.
- Avery Bradley will have something to prove in his first season with the Lakers, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. “My goal is to come here and give myself a chance to show what I can do,” Bradley said. “I feel like it’s been a rough couple of years for me obviously with trades, (never) being in one place a long period of time and then going through that. It’s been hard on me and my family, but I feel like this is going to give me some stability and give me the opportunity to go out there and really show what I can do on both sides of the floor.”
- Kings two-way forward Wenyen Gabriel is starting to show the organization more to his game, as written by Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Gabriel averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and two blocks in four summer league games. “I’m trying to keep it simple here in summer league and show that I can complement the team,” Gabriel said. “So I’m out there trying to show my defensive ability and my switching ability and also my ability to shoot the ball as well.”
Bucks Re-Sign Khris Middleton
JULY 11: Middleton’s new deal with the Bucks is now official, the team confirmed today in a press release.
“Khris is a critical piece of our core,” GM Jon Horst said in a statement. “As an All-Star, Khris was an integral part of us winning 60 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. He has also established himself as a leader on our team both on the court and in the community. We’re thrilled Khris is staying in Milwaukee and look forward to even more success together.”
JUNE 30: Free agent Khris Middleton will re-sign with the Bucks on a five-year, $178MM contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal is expected to include a player option in the final season.
Middleton, 27, is coming off a season where he averaged 18.3 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field and 38% from 3-point range. He was a key contributor to the Bucks’ success last season, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Middleton was eligible to receive a maximum salary of $189,903,600 on a five-year contract, so the Bucks will get a slight discount below that rate. Milwaukee is still paying him more than he could have received from any other team — a rival suitor’s offer would have maxed out at around $141MM over four years.
Milwaukee is also expected to re-sign center Brook Lopez to a four-year, $52MM deal, as reported by Wojnarowski. The team will bring back veteran guard George Hill as well, agreeing to re-sign him to a three-year, $29MM deal after waiving him to avoid a $17MM guarantee for 2019/20.
While the Bucks did well to lock up most of their key free agents, Malcolm Brogdon won’t be back. The Bucks have reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade to send Brogdon to the Pacers, who will pay him $85MM over four years. Milwaukee will get back multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder, in exchange for Brogdon.
The Bucks are on track to stay out of the tax with Brogdon out of the picture. The team could use its $4.8MM room exception to add another rotation piece.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Sixers Re-Sign Mike Scott To Two-Year Deal
JULY 11: Now that the Sixers’ other major signings are complete, the team has formally announced Scott’s new deal, which will utilize the room exception.
“Mike epitomizes what Philadelphia loves – a fierce competitor with a tireless work ethic, who’s driven by the desire to win,” GM Elton Brand said in a statement. “His toughness, grit and passion are palpable, as the city of Philadelphia has come to know. We are thrilled to have Mike back with the 76ers.”
JUNE 30: The Sixers have agreed to a two-year, $9.8MM deal with free agent Mike Scott, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal features no options, tweets Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
Scott, a key player off the Sixers’ bench last season, will continue to provide production in the frontcourt for the team. He shot a scorching 41 percent from deep in his 27 games with Philadelphia, averaging a steady 7.8 points per contest.
Sixers general manager Elton Brand quickly worked around losing J.J. Redick and Jimmy Butler on the first night of free agency, bringing back promising guard Josh Richardson from Miami and agreeing to a four-year, $109MM contract with star big man Al Horford.
In addition to Scott, Horford and Richardson, Philadelphia also reached a deal with Tobias Harris to keep him in town, committing four years and $180MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Magic Re-Sign Michael Carter-Williams
JULY 10: Carter-Williams’ new deal with the Magic is official, per a press release from the team (Twitter link). Terms were not disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum-salary arrangement with Orlando up against the tax line.
JULY 1: The Magic have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent point guard Michael Carter-Williams, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Carter-Williams, who turns 28 in October, joined Orlando on two 10-day contracts in March and impressed the team with his play. He signed for the remainder of the season on April 4 and was a key cog off the bench entering the playoffs.
Carter-Williams joins D.J. Augustin and Markelle Fultz as current point guards in the Magic’s projected rotation, with the club also reaching free-agent agreements with Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross and Al-Farouq Aminu during the first day of free agency.
Named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2014, Carter-Williams has played for the Sixers, Bucks, Bulls, Hornets, Rockets and Magic across his six year-career. He was selected 11th in the 2013 draft by Philadelphia.
Mavericks Sign Seth Curry To Four-Year Contract
JULY 10: The Mavericks have officially signed Curry, the club announced today in a press release.
As we detailed earlier today, Dallas could use either cap room or the mid-level exception for over-the-cap teams to sign Curry.
JULY 1: Free agent guard Seth Curry has agreed to a contract with the Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The agreement between the sides is a four-year deal worth $32MM, Marc Stein of the New York Times reports. Curry can officially sign his contract once the moratorium period ends on July 6.
Curry is coming off an impressive season with Portland, averaging 7.9 points in 18.9 minutes per game. He has been one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters in recent years, making 45.0% of his outside shots in 2018/19 to increase his career rate to 43.9%.
The terms of Curry’s deal will allow the Mavericks to remain flexible. If the team decides to make use of its cap room, Curry’s signing can be completed using space. If Dallas opts to stay over the cap and make use of its $21MM trade exception, Curry’s deal could fit into the mid-level exception.
The Mavericks remain interested in free agent Danny Green, Stein adds in a separate tweet, but Green is determined to wait on Kawhi Leonard‘s decision before making a choice on where to sign.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Thunder Sign Mike Muscala
JULY 10: The Thunder have officially signed Muscala, the team announced today in a press release.
As we relayed earlier this week, Oklahoma City gave Muscala the opportunity to reconsider his options after the team agreed to trade away Paul George. However, the big man decided to remain committed to OKC.
JUNE 30: The Thunder have agreed to a deal with free agent forward Mike Muscala, his agent, Sean Kennedy of Excel Sports Management, tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Muscala, a 6’11” floor-spacer, is set to bring some much-needed shooting to Oklahoma City in the frontcourt next season. He split last year with Sixers and Lakers, averaging seven points per game on 35% shooting from behind-the-arc.
Oklahoma City also worked to secure a commitment with free agent center Nerlens Noel on Sunday, but Noel has since backed out of the agreement, according to Wojnarowski. It’s not clear if the team’s deal with Muscala will impacts its willingness to bring back Noel.
[UPDATE: Noel has reached a new agreement with the Thunder]
Muscala has made stops with Atlanta, Philly, Los Angeles, and now Oklahoma City across his six-year career.
Bucks Re-Sign George Hill
JULY 9: Hill has officially re-signed with the Bucks, the team announced today in a press release.
“George is a consummate pro and an important part of our team,” GM Jon Horst said in a statement. “His veteran leadership and steady guard play were instrumental to our success last season, both during the regular season and the playoffs. We are thrilled to have him back with the Bucks.”
JULY 2: The Bucks officially waived Hill on Monday, according to the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll clear waivers this week, and then Milwaukee will be able to officially re-sign him once the moratorium ends on Saturday.
JUNE 30: The Bucks are set to re-sign veteran guard George Hill on a three-year, $29MM deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The deal has a partial guarantee in year three, tweets Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Milwaukee plans to waive Hill, who was originally set to make $18MM next season, and formally sign him to his new contract once the moratorium period ends on July 6.
Hill was a key cog for the Bucks during the postseason, scoring 11.5 points per game on 53% shooting from the floor and 42% shooting from 3-point range. Milwaukee values his experience, leadership and mentality on the hardwood and in the locker room.
The Bucks lost guard Malcolm Brogdon to Indiana on Sunday, but the team also worked to secure multi-year commitments from Hill, Khris Middleton, and two Lopezes — Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez.
Milwaukee will need to make at least one more roster move to fit Hill’s new contract in under the cap, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). While the deal is worth the same amount as the mid-level exception, the Bucks won’t have that exception available because they’ll need to use cap room to re-sign Brook Lopez.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kings Re-Sign Harrison Barnes To Four-Year Deal
JULY 8: The Kings have officially announced their new deal with Barnes, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.
JUNE 30: The Kings will finalize a four-year, $85MM deal with free agent forward Harrison Barnes, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal will decline annually, accounting for just 14% of the team’s cap during the final season. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to terms.
Barnes, 27, was traded from the Mavericks to the Kings at February’s trade deadline in the third year of the four-year, maximum-salary contract he signed with Dallas back in 2016. For the season, he recorded 16.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG with a .420/.395/.824 shooting line in 77 games (32.9 MPG).
Barnes had a player option for the 2019/20 season that would have paid him more than $25MM, but opted to turn it down. Based on his new deal, it’s clear why he went in that direction — his new contract won’t be quite worth $25MM annually, but it will give him substantially more long-term security than his option would have.
When the Kings acquired Barnes from Dallas during the season, reports indicated that the team viewed him as its answer at small forward. However, head coach Dave Joerger ended up frequently using his new acquisition at the four. Presumably, Sacramento’s front office and new head coach Luke Walton are aligned on how to best use Barnes going forward.
Even after reaching deals with Barnes, Trevor Ariza, and Dewayne Dedmon today, Sacramento still projects to have up to about $13MM in cap space, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks. However, the team could only create that room by renouncing Willie Cauley-Stein‘s cap hold.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Jazz Sign Bojan Bogdanovic To Four-Year Deal
JULY 7: The Jazz have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed Bogdanovic.
JUNE 30: The Jazz have agreed to a four-year, $73MM deal with free agent Bojan Bogdanovic, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Bogdanovic scored a career-high 18 points per game last season with Indiana, also holding career-best shooting marks of 49.7% from the field and 42.5% from 3-point range. The Jazz have agreed to trade veteran forward Derrick Favors – who has a $17.65MM non-guaranteed salary – to New Orleans to clear space for the incoming forward.
Utah plans to add Bogdanovic, a talented offensive option on the wing, to a roster that already includes the likes of Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles and Rudy Gobert.
In addition to Bogdanovic, the Jazz also agreed to a two-year, $10MM deal with free agent forward Ed Davis.
As for the Pacers, they pivoted away from Bogdanovic – and many of their other free agents – by agreeing to acquire T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jeremy Lamb.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.