Lakers Sign Montrezl Harrell To Two-Year Deal
NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers have officially signed Harrell, per a press release from the team. He and Marc Gasol – who reached an agreement with L.A. on Sunday – will replace JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard up front.
NOVEMBER 20: The Lakers have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent center Montrezl Harrell, agent Rich Paul tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement.
This is one of the more surprising pieces of news tonight, as Harrell has spent the last three seasons with Los Angeles’ other team, the Clippers. The big man is coming off the best year of his career, having averaged 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 63 games (27.8 MPG). He was named the league Sixth Man of the Year in September.
Coming off such a productive season, Harrell was expected to be in line for a significant raise, but his pay bump will be a more modest one. He’s expected to sign for about $19MM over two years, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who tweets that the second year will be a player option.
That price allows the Lakers to slide him into their mid-level exception. According to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), Harrell will be turning down more money from the Hornets to join the Lakers. It’s fair to assume the big man’s Klutch Sports connection helped seal the deal for the Lakers — LeBron James and Anthony Davis are among his new teammates who are also repped by Klutch.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN outlines (via Twitter), with Harrell getting the full MLE and Wesley Matthews being signed using the Lakers’ bi-annual exception, the team is now hard-capped and has about $20MM in wiggle room below that threshold. With nine players under contract so far, there’s still a chance the team could bring back some of its own unsigned free agents, but it’ll be a tight fit squeezing in a market-value deal for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and filling out the rest of the roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Lakers, Gasol, KCP, Hawks, More
Having lost Dwight Howard in free agency, the Lakers may be eyeing another former Defensive Player of the Year. Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that Marc Gasol has emerged as a free agent target for the Lakers. Gasol was drafted by L.A. way back in 2007 but was traded to Memphis in a package for his brother Pau Gasol and never appeared in a game for the Lakers.
As we wait to see if the two sides attempt to work toward a deal, let’s round up a few more free agency rumors…
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets that it sounds like the Lakers‘ initial talks with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope haven’t been particularly fruitful. However, Shelburne cautions that it’s still early.
- Having reached a deal to sign Danilo Gallinari, the Hawks remain in communication with point guard Rajon Rondo and swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic, sources tell Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
- The Jazz accomplished their main goals in free agency early, securing commitments from Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Favors. Now, they’ll shift their focus to working on contract extensions for Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Timberwolves Re-Sign Malik Beasley To Four-Year Deal
NOVEMBER 27: The Timberwolves have made it official, announcing today in a press release that Beasley has re-signed with the team.
NOVEMBER 20: The Timberwolves have reached a deal to re-sign restricted free agent shooting guard Malik Beasley, agent Brian Jungreis tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Beasley will sign a four-year, $60MM contract to remain in Minnesota, according to Charania, who reports – along with Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) – that the deal includes a team option in year four.
After a strong breakout season in Denver in 2018/19, Beasley had his role reduced at the start of the 2019/20 season and was eventually shipped to Minnesota in a deadline deal. He had the best stretch of his career in 14 games as a Timberwolf, averaging 20.7 PPG and 5.1 RPG on .472/.426/.750 shooting, lining himself up for a nice payday as a restricted free agent.
There was a sense that Beasley’s recent legal troubles may complicate his RFA payday, but if those off-court issues affected his value, it doesn’t appear the impact was significant. He faces felony charges of fifth-degree drug possession and threats of violence after being arrested in September and recently had his parental rights challenged.
However, the franchise has supported Beasley through that situation, according to Krawczynski, who notes (via Twitter) that this new deal represents a “big show of faith.” It seems the Timberwolves still view the young wing – who turns 24 next week – as a building block for the future — he’ll join Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards as the cornerstone pieces in Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hawks, Danilo Gallinari Finalizing Three-Year Deal
The Hawks and free agent forward Danilo Gallinari are finalizing a three-year deal worth $61.5MM, agent Michael Tellem informs ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Gallinari, 32, had a strong season in Oklahoma City in 2019/20, averaging 18.7 PPG and 5.2 RPG on .438/.405/.893 shooting in 62 games (29.6 MPG). He’ll now head to Atlanta, where he’ll become one of the Hawks’ go-to scoring threats alongside Trae Young and John Collins, stretching the floor in the frontcourt.
Gallinari spoke last month about potentially prioritizing the chance to win a title over finding the most lucrative contract possible in free agency. While Atlanta is a team on the rise and badly wants to make the postseason in 2021, joining the Hawks certainly won’t give the veteran forward his best chance at a championship.
Still, it’s hard to fault Gallinari for opting for a lucrative long-term deal, since this may have been his last, best opportunity to secure a big multiyear payday. According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the $61.5MM that Gallinari will receive is the largest amount ever on a multiyear contract for a player in his 30s who has never made an All-Star team.
The Hawks, who entered the evening with more cap room available than any other NBA team, still have about $26MM to work with, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
An earlier report indicated that Atlanta was confident about landing at least two players from a group that included Gallinari, Rajon Rondo, Joe Harris, and Davis Bertans, so those are the players to watch for the Hawks. Given the positional overlap between Bertans and Gallinari and the fact that Harris is considered likely to re-sign in Brooklyn, Rondo looks like the team’s best bet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kings Sign De’Aaron Fox To Five-Year Max Extension
NOVEMBER 25: The Kings have officially locked up Fox to his new five-year extension, per the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll earn just over $8MM in 2020/21 before his new deal begins in ’21/22. 
NOVEMBER 20: The Kings and De’Aaron Fox have agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary contract extension, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). The new deal will go into effect starting in 2021/22, with Fox playing out the final year of his rookie contract in ’20/21.
According to Charania, the deal will start at 25% of the cap unless Fox meets certain Rose Rule criteria, in which case it could be worth up to 30% of the cap. ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link) reports that the Rose Rule terms in Fox’s new deal call for a starting salary of 26% of the cap if he makes the All-NBA Third Team, 28% for All-NBA Second Team, and 30% for All-NBA First team.
The exact value of Fox’s new contract will depend on where the 2021/22 cap lands. If it increases by 3% over this year’s figure, which is currently the expectation, Fox would earn $163MM over five years on the standard max, or up to $195.6MM if he meets his Rose Rule criteria.
For the Kings, it’s a massive investment in their cornerstone player, who averaged a career-best 21.1 PPG to go along with 6.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.5 SPG in 51 games (32.0 MPG) last season. While it will be interesting to see how lottery pick Tyrese Haliburton fits alongside Fox, Sacramento is making it clear with this move that the Haliburton pick has no impact at all on Fox’s long-term future with the franchise.
The Kings will now have three players earning more than $20MM annually beginning in 2021/22, though Harrison Barnes‘ and Buddy Hield‘s futures in Sacramento are far less certain than Fox’s.
Fox is one of a handful of players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason who is expected to receive the max. Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell are also in line for maximum-salary deals.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jazz Sign Derrick Favors To Three-Year Contract
NOVEMBER 25: Favors’ new deal with the Jazz is now official, per the NBA’s transactions log.
NOVEMBER 20: The Jazz and center Derrick Favors are reuniting, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have reached an agreement on a deal.
Jones says the three-year pact will be worth about $27MM, with a third-year player option (Twitter link). That suggests that Utah is using nearly its full mid-level exception on Favors.
The Jazz and Favors have been linked for several weeks, with Favors spending time in Utah from 2011-2019. The team traded him to New Orleans last year in exchange for 2021 and 2023 second-round picks.
This past season, Favors averaged nine points, 9.8 rebounds and 24.4 minutes per game with the Pelicans, starting in 49 of his 51 contests. The veteran big man was drafted third overall back in 2010 after spending one season at Georgia Tech.
For Utah, Favors is expected to provide frontcourt production behind the likes of Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert. The Jazz lost a grueling seven-game series to Denver in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs, playing without Bogdanovic due to injury.
Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Clippers Re-Sign Patrick Patterson
NOVEMBER 25: Patrick Patterson’s deal with the Clippers is now official, per a team press release.
NOVEMBER 20: The Clippers are bringing back veteran forward Patrick Patterson on a one-year contract, his agent Sam Goldfeder tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
While Wojnarowski didn’t provide the terms of the contract, it’s probably safe to assume it’s another minimum-salary contract. Bobby Marks confirms as much (via Twitter).
Patterson, 31, spent the 2019/20 season with L.A. and played part-time minutes for the club, averaging 4.9 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 59 games (13.2 MPG). He shot the ball well from beyond the arc (.390 3PT%) but is unlikely to see his role expand going forward and will provide frontcourt depth off the bench.
The Clippers are expected to try to re-sign at least one or two more of their free agent forwards, with Marcus Morris and JaMychal Green also on the open market.
Free Agent Rumors: Harris, Crowder, Hayward, KCP, Cousins, Hartenstein
There are “strong indications” that the Nets will get a commitment soon from sharpshooter Joe Harris, despite the fact that he’s receiving considerable interest from other suitors, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
As we wait to see if Harris and the Nets come to an agreement, here are a few more free agency rumors:
- After agreeing to re-sign Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard early in free agency, the Heat are “in the game” to bring back Jae Crowder as well, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Miami is remaining over the cap and prioritizing retaining its own free agents so far this offseason.
- As rumors swirl that Gordon Hayward prefers to land with the Pacers, Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link) hears that the free agent forward has little interest in joining the Hawks.
- Teams that are monitoring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency expect the Knicks to have interest in the veteran wing, Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes.
- DeMarcus Cousins is receiving some attention from teams early in free agency tonight, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’s not yet clear which teams may be in the hunt for the former All-Star.
- Free agent big man Isaiah Hartenstein is receiving some interest from the Nuggets, a league source tells Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Denver just lost backup center Mason Plumlee and appears to be in the market for some frontcourt depth.
Pistons Sign Mason Plumlee To Three-Year Deal
DECEMBER 1: Plumlee’s deal with the Pistons is now official, the team announced in a press release.
NOVEMBER 20: The Pistons have agreed to a three-year, $25MM deal with free agent center Mason Plumlee, agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
Plumlee, who has served as Nikola Jokic‘s backup in Denver in recent years, is a solid, steady option in the middle who moves the ball well on offense. He averaged 7.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG in 61 games (17.3 MPG) for Denver in 2019/20.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the Pistons had about $10MM in projected cap room before free agency began, so it sounds like a good chunk of that money will go to Plumlee. It’s not clear what this means for Christian Wood‘s future — he overlaps positionally with Plumlee to some extent, and this deal reduced the team’s cap flexibility. However, it’s possible that additional moves will reopen a path to re-signing Wood.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, have now lost one of their three frontcourt players that reached unrestricted free agency this evening. Denver is expected to make an effort to re-sign both Jerami Grant and Paul Millsap.
Lakers Sign Wesley Matthews To One-Year Contract
NOVEMBER 22: The Lakers have officially announced their deal with Matthews, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link).
NOVEMBER 20: Free agent swingman Wesley Matthews intends to sign a contract with the Lakers, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Matthews turned down a player option with Milwaukee to reach free agency this week.
The Lakers’ deal with Matthews will be a one-year pact worth $3.6MM, says Charania (via Twitter). It sounds like the club will use its bi-annual exception – which has an exact value of $3,623,000 – to lock up the 34-year-old.
Although Matthews’ prime years are behind him, he remains a reliable three-and-D option, having started all 67 games he appeared in for the NBA-best Bucks last season. He recorded 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.4 APG with a .364 3PT% in 24.4 minutes per contest, and has never made fewer than 36.0% of his threes in a single season since entering the league.
The Lakers were in need of a wing who could shoot, with Danny Green having been traded away and Avery Bradley departing in free agency. Matthews can fill that role without breaking the bank.
The Lakers will be hard-capped at $138.93MM this season as a result of using the bi-annual exception.