Ryan Raroque | Hoops Rumors

Wizards Sign Bradley Beal

By Ryan Raroque | at July 8, 2012 6:19 pm

The Wizards have officially signed Bradley Beal, the third-overall selection of this year's NBA Draft. Michael Lee of The Washington Post reports that the 19-year-old shooting guard is guaranteed around $7MM over the first two years of his contract, with two consecutive team options in his third and fourth year.

0 comments Transactions Washington Wizards Bradley Beal

Mavericks, Cavaliers, Rockets May Interest Bynum

By Ryan Raroque | at July 8, 2012 5:25 pm

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that the Mavericks and Cavaliers are teams with cap space that could interest Andrew Bynum during his pending free agency in 2013. He also mentions the Rockets as another potential suitor. The Lakers recently exercised Bynum's $16.1MM team option for the 2012-13 season, and the 24-year-old center is currently slated to become a free agent next summer.

4 comments Cleveland Cavaliers Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Los Angeles Lakers Andrew Bynum

Batum Wants To Move On From Portland

By Ryan Raroque | at July 7, 2012 10:31 pm

Despite averaging a career high in points (13.9), rebounds (4.6), blocks (1.0), and steals (1.0) last season, Nicolas Batum has expressed his desire to leave the Trail Blazers. He and his agent, Bouna N'Diaye, met with Portland GM Neil Olshey, scouting director Chad Buchanan, and capologist Joe Cronin on Thursday in an attempt to persuade the team not to match the Timberwolves' offer sheet, writes Chris Haynes of CNNSW.

7 comments Minnesota Timberwolves Portland Trail Blazers Nicolas Batum

Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Bulls, Meeks, Mayo, Tolliver

By Ryan Raroque | at July 7, 2012 9:51 pm

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago reported earlier that the Bucks presented Kirk Hinrich with an offer of about $4 MM per year, while the Bulls have made an offer somewhere between the veteran's minimum and around $2 MM per year. The proposed length of either deal is still unknown. Although the Bulls have been relatively quiet at this point during the offseason, Sam thinks that Chicago could eventually become financially viable for free agent point guards such as Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Jerryd Bayless, and Delonte West, who could be available if they are not acquired during the first wave of free agent signings. Derek Fisher and Jonny Flynn were also mentioned as potential additions.

We are currently less than four days away from the end of the NBA's moratorium period, and here is the rest of what we've heard around the league this evening…

Ersan Ilyasova plans to meet with Bucks owner Herb Kohl on Tuesday, which is seen as an important opportunity in the team's effort to retain the 6'10'' forward (Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reports). Earlier this week, we reported that Milwaukee offered a deal worth around $40MM over five years.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweeted that the Lakers are scheduled to meet with unrestricted free agent Jodie Meeks early next week. In another tweet, Amico says that the Celtics have reportedly stepped up their interest in O.J. Mayo, but thinks Boston would likely have to add him via a sign-and-trade.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweeted that although the Timberwolves express interest in Anthony Tolliver, the team has not made any promises. Zgoda also added via Tolliver's agent that there are five other teams that have shown interest.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer answered some questions from Cleveland fans about the Cavaliers' offseason. While the team appears committed to keeping Anderson Varejao, Boyer thinks that his name will be brought up by other teams during trade discussions. With regards to free agency, she believes that Anthony Tolliver, Sonny Weems, Jonny Flynn, and Royal Ivey could be targets.
Ben Golliver of the BlazersEdge wonders if there are more front office changes coming after the resignation of Larry Miller, considering that the Trail Blazers still have executives held over from two prior regimes (Twitter link).
Carmelo Anthony publicly endorsed the Knicks' efforts to recruit Marcus Camby, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Bulls forward Taj Gibson told Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago that he'd like the team to keep Omer Asik and would be ecstatic if the team somehow found a way to bring unrestricted free agent Kirk Hinrich back to Chicago. The two had been teammates during Gibson's rookie season.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes about Austin Daye and Charlie Villanueva as two players who will look to stake their claim as the stretch-four in Lawrence Frank's rotation. Both are in Orlando participating in summer league practices, but only Daye will compete on the Pistons' summer league team.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel talked about Jameer Nelson's return to the Magic and what it means for his leadership role moving forward.

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2 comments Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves New York Knicks Orlando Magic Portland Trail Blazers Anderson Varejao Anthony Tolliver Austin Daye Charlie Villanueva Delonte West Derek Fisher Ersan Ilyasova Jameer Nelson Jerryd Bayless Jodie Meeks Jonny Flynn Kirk Hinrich Marcus Camby O.J. Mayo Omer Asik Ramon Sessions Raymond Felton Royal Ivey Sonny Weems Taj Gibson

Hornets Buy Out Rashard Lewis

By Ryan Raroque | at June 30, 2012 6:17 pm

SATURDAY, 6:17pm: The Hornets announced that they have bought out Lewis.

TUESDAY, 11:02pm: Rashard Lewis will be bought out by the Hornets and is set to become an unrestricted free agent, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Lewis is under contract for over $22MM in 2012/13, but only about $13.7MM is guaranteed, so New Orleans will shave nearly $9MM off of its cap figure for next year.

0 comments New Orleans Pelicans Rashard Lewis

Odds & Ends: Allen, Evans, Davis

By Ryan Raroque | at June 26, 2012 11:07 pm

According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, the general consensus around the league is that Ray Allen will join the Heat next year (Twitter link). Since the team will be about $2MM above the tax apron, the most that Miami would be able to offer would be the mini-mid level exception of $3MM. Here's more of tonight's miscellaneous links, including Tyreke Evans, Baron Davis, and the Bulls…

0 comments Chicago Bulls Dallas Mavericks Miami Heat New York Knicks Sacramento Kings Toronto Raptors Baron Davis Brandon Roy Deron Williams Jonas Valanciunas Luol Deng Ray Allen Tyreke Evans

Dahntay Jones Exercises Option With Pacers

By Ryan Raroque | at June 26, 2012 8:15 pm

Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida reported that guard Dahntay Jones picked up his $2.9MM player option to remain with the Pacers next season, according to Jones' agent Mark Bartelstein (Sulia link). Jones appeared in 65 games this year, averaging 5.3 PPG in 16.2 MPG while shooting 42.3% from three.

2 comments Indiana Pacers Transactions Dahntay Jones

Bobcats, Pistons Swap Maggette For Ben Gordon

By Ryan Raroque | at June 26, 2012 7:08 pm

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted that the Bobcats have acquired Ben Gordon and a lottery-protected first round pick from the Pistons in exchange for Corey Maggette. According to a tweet by David Aldridge of NBA.com, the conditional first-round pick will be lottery protected in 2013, top-eight protected in 2014, first pick-protected in 2015, and unprotected in 2016. Detroit will also receive a trade exception of about $1.3MM in the deal.

Wojnarowski also mentioned (via Twitter) that Detroit will save nearly $15MM by trading the remaining two years of Gordon's contract in exchange for Maggette's expiring deal. Gordon is due $12.4MM next season with a $13.2MM player option for 2013-14, while Maggette will be in the final year of a contract where he is due about $10.9MM.

Viewed as one of Joe Dumars' significant free agent acquisitions during the 2009 off-season, Ben struggled to find the same niche that he established in Chicago. After making the playoffs in four of his first five seasons with the Bulls and averaging more than 31.0 MPG from 2005-06 to 2008-09, the former UConn Husky missed the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the Pistons and never averaged more than 28 MPG.

While Charlotte may not be a team ready to contend for the playoffs just yet, it could present an opportunity for a significant increase in playing time. Gordon averaged 12.5 PPG while shooting 44.2% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range last year, and holds career averages of 43.6% shooting from the field and 40.6% shooting from three. Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap recently spoke about the team's need for shooters, which should bode well for Gordon:

"The ability to make the 3(-pointer) is really important because it allows you to play inside. What happens (in the absence of quality shooting) is the defense collapses and it gets crowded in there…It's always nice to have guys who can shoot a basketball."

Detroit will be Maggette's sixth NBA team in thirteen seasons, and his third consecutive year in which he's been traded. The 32-year-old guard/forward averaged 15.0 PPG, 4 RPG, and 36.4% from beyond the arc, but shot just 37% from the field overall this past season and missed a significant amount of games due to lingering injuries. Although he is slated to undergo minor knee surgery this summer, there is little doubt that he will be ready to play by the start of next season.

With nearly $11MM coming off the books next summer, the Pistons also have the opportunity to clear an additional $8.5MM if they chose to amnesty a contract such as Charlie Villanueva's, who is owed a total of about $16.6MM through 2014. The Bobcats can definitely afford to take on Gordon's deal, as he and Tyrus Thomas (along with at least this year's lottery pick) would be the team's only guaranteed contracts heading into the 2013-14 season.

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6 comments 2013 NBA Draft Charlotte Hornets Detroit Pistons Transactions Ben Gordon Charlie Villanueva Corey Maggette

Atlantic Notes: Deron Williams, Prigioni, Celtics

By Ryan Raroque | at June 26, 2012 6:00 pm

While optimists in Dallas believe that the chances of signing Deron Williams are 50-50, Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that the Mavericks are becoming increasingly worried that their prized free agent target will re-sign with the Nets. On Sunday, we mentioned that Brooklyn can offer a $100 MM extension over five years, whereas Dallas can offer $75 MM over four. Here are more of this evening's rumblings out of the Atlantic Division…

0 comments Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Dallas Mavericks New York Knicks Deron Williams Doc Rivers Kevin Garnett Pablo Prigioni Ray Allen

Orlando Expected To Name GM This Week

By Ryan Raroque | at June 19, 2012 10:42 pm

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports that the Magic are expected to make a decision on their GM search no later than this work week, adding that CEO Alex Martins had planned all along to name a GM within 10 days of the NBA Draft. The three finalists – Jeff Bower, Rob Hennigan, and Dennis Lindsey – have all met with the DeVos family to conclude the final round of interviews.

Dave Twardzik, the current assistant GM, has been handling draft preparation in the meantime.

0 comments Orlando Magic Dennis Lindsey Jeff Bower Rob Hennigan

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Author: Ryan Raroque