Bucks Release Ersan Ilyasova
8:10pm: The Bucks have confirmed they’ve requested waivers on Ilyasova.
2:07pm: The Bucks are waiving forward Ersan Ilyasova before his salary for 2020/21 becomes guaranteed, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Ilyasova is under contract for $7MM in ’20/21, the final year of his deal. However, that amount is fully non-guaranteed until tomorrow, so Milwaukee can avoid being on the hook for his salary by releasing him now.
On its surface, the decision isn’t a surprising one. Ilyasova saw his role reduced in 2019/20, as he recorded 6.6 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 63 games, playing just 15.7 minutes per contest. In the postseason, he logged just 23 minutes in three games.
However, the implications of waiving him are worth noting. He was expected to be moved to Sacramento part of the deal that would have sent Bogdan Bogdanovic to Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade.
However, that deal reportedly fell apart on Wednesday. With Ilyasova hitting waivers, it will be very difficult for the two sides to rekindle that agreement, since his $7MM expiring contract was important for salary-matching purposes. In other words, the Bucks’ decision to cut Ilyasova suggests they really are moving on from Bogdanovic.
Ilyasova will be an unrestricted free agent able to sign outright with any team, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers this weekend.
Nets, Clippers, Pistons Complete Kennard/Shamet Deal
The Nets, Clippers, and Pistons have officially completed a three-team trade, Brooklyn announced in a press release. The deal is an amalgamation of a series of moves that were previously reported separately. Here’s what the swap looks like as a whole:
- Nets acquire Landry Shamet (from Clippers), Bruce Brown (from Pistons), and the draft rights to Reggie Perry (No. 57 pick; from Clippers).
- Clippers acquire Luke Kennard (from Pistons), Justin Patton (from Pistons), the draft rights to Jay Scrubb (No. 55 pick; from Nets), the Trail Blazers’ 2023 second-round pick (from Pistons), the Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick, the Pistons’ 2025 second-round pick, and the Pistons’ 2026 second-round pick.
- Pistons acquire Dzanan Musa (from Nets), Rodney McGruder (from Clippers), the draft rights to Saddiq Bey (No. 19 pick; from Nets), the draft rights to Jaylen Hands (from Nets), the Raptors’ 2021 second-round pick (from Nets), and cash (from Clippers).
Got all that?
Besides combining these three trades into one giant transaction, the three teams exchanged a few more pieces that weren’t previously reported — most notably, the Clippers received a whopping four future second-round picks from Detroit as part of the deal. Patton and Hands’ draft rights also weren’t mentioned in previous reports, though they’re minor pieces.
The most important parts of the deal from Brooklyn’s perspective are Shamet and Brown, who will compete for backcourt minutes in 2020/21. The Clippers acquire Kennard, a knockdown outside shooter who should fit in well alongside L.A.’s stars, and stock up on future second-round picks. And the Pistons were able to land a top-20 pick that allowed them to nab Bey, a prospect who had been viewed as a potential lottery pick entering draft night.
QO Updates: Wanamaker, Hernangomez, Fall, Chiozza, More
The Celtics won’t be making a qualifying offer to guard Brad Wanamaker, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The decision will ensure that Wanamaker becomes an unrestricted free agent on Friday, rather than an RFA.
The decision is a little surprising, as Wanamaker’s QO would only have been worth about $1.82MM. And he was a fairly reliable bench contributor in Boston in 2019/20, averaging 6.9 PPG and 2.5 APG on .448/.363/.926 shooting in 71 games (19.3 MPG). However, with Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard entering the mix, the Celtics don’t have a ton of roster spots to go around.
There’s still a chance that Wanamaker could return to the Celtics, particularly if Gordon Hayward ends up elsewhere, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
Here are several more updates on qualifying offer decisions from around the NBA:
- The Timberwolves, as expected, tendered a qualifying offer to power forward Juan Hernangomez, making him a restricted free agent, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That QO is worth about $4.6MM. Hernangomez could accept it, but is more likely to try to negotiate a new, longer-term deal with Minnesota.
- The Celtics extended qualifying offers to both of their two-way players, Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters, the team announced in a press release. Those QOs are for new two-way deals with $50K guarantees.
- The Pacers won’t extend qualifying offers to big man Alize Johnson or two-way players Brian Bowen and Naz Mitrou-Long, tweets Scotto. All three players will become unrestricted free agents.
- Among other two-way players, Nets guard Chris Chiozza will receive a qualifying offer, but Pelicans guard Josh Gray won’t, according to Scotto (Twitter links). The Heat also won’t send a QO to two-way player Kyle Alexander, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Gordon Hayward Opts Out, Will Become Free Agent
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward has turned down the $34.2MM player option on his contract for 2020/21 and will become an unrestricted free agent, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While Hayward won’t be able to match the $34.2MM salary he would have earned if he has simply opted in, his decision signals that he’s confident he’ll be able to secure a multiyear deal that features a far larger overall guarantee. Al Horford took this path with the Celtics a year ago, turning down a $30MM option to sign a four-year contract that guaranteed him $97MM.
While Horford left Boston, there’s no guarantee that Hayward will do so. The Celtics hold his Bird rights and still have the ability to sign him to a new long-term contract. However, it sounds like they’ll face plenty of competition for his services. The Hawks and Knicks – the two clubs with the most cap room in the NBA – have both been linked to the veteran forward.
A sign-and-trade is also a possibility, so teams over the cap could be in play for Hayward as well. As Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets, the Pacers – who have been frequently linked to the Indiana native – have explored potentially trading for him.
Hayward, 30, still didn’t quite look like his old All-Star self in 2019/20, but he was a lot closer than in his first two seasons in Boston. In 52 games this year, he averaged 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .500/.383/.855 shooting. His size and play-making ability will make him a popular target in free agency.
Suns Won’t Pick Up Frank Kaminsky’s 2020/21 Option
The Suns won’t be exercising Frank Kaminsky‘s team option for the 2020/21 season, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The option would have been worth $5MM.
[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2020/21]
Kaminsky, 27, averaged 9.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG on .450/.331/.678 shooting in 39 games (19.9 MPG) for Phoenix in 2019/20. A patella stress fracture shortened his season, however, and he played a very limited role during the Suns’ 8-0 run in the bubble at Walt Disney World.
Plugged-in Suns reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 predicted earlier this week that the team would likely prioritize re-signing Dario Saric in free agency while letting other bigs like Aron Baynes and Kaminsky walk.
Kaminsky will now be free to reach a deal with any team once the free agent period opens on Friday.
James Johnson Exercises Option, Clearing Path For Trade To Thunder
Timberwolves forward James Johnson has exercised the player option on his contract for the 2020/21 season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The move will guarantee Johnson a $16MM salary for the coming year, but it doesn’t mean he’ll remain in Minnesota. Charania confirms (via Twitter) that the veteran will be sent to Oklahoma City as part of the Ricky Rubio trade between the Wolves and Thunder. Johnson’s expiring contract was required for salary-matching purposes.
Johnson, 33, played well with the Wolves after being sent to Minnesota in a three-team trade at last season’s deadline, averaging 13.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 3.8 APG on .500/.370/.676 shooting in 14 games (24.1 MPG). Despite that strong finish, he was never going to match his $16MM option salary on the free agent market, so his opt-in comes as no surprise.
It’s not clear yet whether Johnson will remain in Oklahoma City after being acquired by the Thunder, or if his new clubs plans to trade or release him.
Celtics’ Enes Kanter Picks Up 2020/21 Player Option
Celtics center Enes Kanter has picked up his player option for the 2020/21 season, reports Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). The move locks in his $5MM salary for the coming year.
A report last month suggested that Kanter might surprise a lot of people by entering the free agent market. Given the current economic climate, as well as Kanter’s diminished role during the restart, he ultimately chose to keep the guaranteed money.
Kanter was part of the Celtics’ big man rotation most of the regular season, averaging 8.1 PPG and 7.4 RPG in 16.9 MPG. His defensive shortcomings and lack of a perimeter shot led coach Brad Stevens to lean on Daniel Theis in the postseason. Kanter, 28, made only 11 playoff appearances and averaged just 9.3 MPG in those outings.
Kanter doesn’t figure to get significant playing time next season but his expiring contract could come in handy at some point for Boston’s front office.
Knicks Eyeing Gordon Hayward
The Knicks have been aggressive in their pursuit of Celtics forward Gordon Hayward this week, sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Hayward’s decision on his $34.2MM player option for 2020/21 is due this afternoon, and Stein suggests there’s a “growing belief” around the league that the veteran could turn down that option. If he does, New York may emerge as his most logical landing spot, given that the team is projected to have upwards of $40MM in cap room after its series of roster moves today.
However, Ian Begley of SNY.tv throws some cold water on the idea of Hayward making the move to New York. According to Begley (via Twitter), some people in the Knicks’ front office have had interest in acquiring Hayward, but it’s considered less likely now that the team has used its picks in the 2020 draft.
The Hawks, another team that will have significant cap room this weekend, have also been identified as a potential suitor for Hayward. We should find out soon whether he has decided to opt into the final year of his contract with the Celtics or if he’ll hit the open market tomorrow.
Hawks To Waive Khyri Thomas
After acquiring him from Detroit, the Hawks intend to waive shooting guard Khyri Thomas, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
Atlanta will presumably finalize that move before Thomas’ $1.66MM salary for 2020/21 becomes guaranteed on Sunday. For now, the Hawks would only be on the hook for his partial guarantee of $745K.
The 38th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Thomas has only appeared in 34 games over two years for the Pistons, averaging 2.3 PPG in 7.5 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers.
Free Agency Notes: Heat, Gibson, Beasley, Millsap
Heat president Pat Riley provided a major hint on his free agency plans during his post-draft availability on Wednesday night, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press, who tweets that Riley said he hopes to “run this thing back.”
The Heat can essentially go one of two directions this weekend. One direction is renouncing most of their own free agents and opening up cap room to pursue outside FAs. The other is remaining over the cap and making an effort to bring back several of their own free agents, starting with Jae Crowder and Goran Dragic. It sounds like Riley is prepared to take the latter path.
Here’s more on free agency:
- Although the Knicks waived Taj Gibson and turned down Bobby Portis‘ option, Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link) hears that the team still has some mutual interest with both players, who could return on more modest salaries. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News suggests (via Twitter) that the Suns, Clippers, and Warriors are among the other clubs to watch for Gibson.
- Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas said today during an appearance on The Chad Hartman Show in Minnesota that drafting Anthony Edwards doesn’t mean the team doesn’t plan to re-sign Malik Beasley. “We hope that relationship (with Beasley) continues,” Rosas said (Twitter link via Dane Moore of News Talk 830 WCCO). Wolfson (via Twitter) thinks that the Wolves and Beasley could work out a two-year deal.
- Paul Millsap plans to weigh his options at the start of free agency and see what kind of market develops before making a decision, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. No deal is imminent yet for Millsap, who is expected to receive interest from the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, among others.
- Suns GM James Jones said on Wednesday night that his front office will be looking for “Suns fits” in free agency, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic writes. “I feel really good about our ability to build on the rest of our roster,” Jones said.