Wolves Re-Sign Chase Budinger
JULY 12TH: The Timberwolves have officially re-signed Budinger, the team announced today (Twitter link).
JULY 2ND: The Wolves have reached agreement on a deal with Chase Budinger that will keep him in Minnesota, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The deal will pay him $16MM across the next three seasons.
Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) adds that the deal will include an opt out after the second season (2014/15). For what it's worth, Budinger told Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) that a deal is "really, really close" but not finalized, though he could just be keeping things mum until it's all official.
We heard earlier this week that Budinger got a four-year offer from the Wolves, along with J.J. Redick. Budinger came to the Rockets roughly this time last year along with Lior Eliyahu and a 2012 first-round pick that turned out to be Terrence Jones. In his debut season for Minnesota, Budinger missed significant time with knee trouble but averaged 9.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 22 minutes per contest across 23 games.
The Wolves certainly weren't the only team in pursuit of the Arizona product and the Bucks were among the clubs making a serious run at him. The Pelicans, Pacers, and Mavericks were also said to have interest.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement on a pact. Budinger is represented by BDA Sports Management, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Wolves To Sign-And-Trade For Kevin Martin
JULY 11TH 9:13pm: The Timberwolves have officially announced, via the team's Twitter feed, that they've acquired Martin and cash from the Thunder and will send Ridnour and a 2014 second-round pick to the Bucks. The Wolves own the Lakers 2014 second rounder, which is the selection that will go to Milwaukee. Regarding the addition of Martin, Wolves president Flip Saunders said, "He is familiar with Coach Adelman's style of play and had success playing for him in Sacramento and Houston. We expect that to continue in Minnesota." (Twitter link)
The Bucks will send the draft rights to 2003 second round pick Szymon Szewczyk to Oklahoma City in the deal and get cash back from the Thunder, the team tweeted. The Thunder will have until July 11 of next year to acquire a player via the trade exception they picked up in the deal, tweets Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
JULY 11TH 10:18am: The Thunder will send cash to the T-Wolves as part of the sign-and-trade for Martin, and create a $7MM TPE, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). It's still not entirely clear what the Wolves are sending out in the trade — either that missing piece has yet to be reported, or the team intends to fold its Luke Ridnour deal into this one.
JULY 10TH: Marc Stein of ESPN.com pegs the deal in the $30MM range, noting that the Wolves and Thunder will roll the agreement into a sign-and-trade that will net Oklahoma City a trade exception. It's unclear exactly what the Thunder are getting in the trade, but presumably, draft picks and/or cash will be headed OKC's way.
JULY 2ND: Kevin Martin has reached agreement with the Wolves on a four-year, $28MM deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter) reported earlier tonight that Minnesota offered Kevin Martin a four-year deal in that vicinity. Martin is represented by Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Martin, of course, spent last season with the Thunder after coming over from Houston in the James Harden trade. The guard averaged 14.0 PPG while shooting 45% from the floor in 27.7 minutes per contest last season. Martin was a hot commodity this summer and the Blazers and Grizzlies were said to have serious interest in signing him.
It has been a busy day for the Timberwolves, who re-signed Chase Budinger just hours ago. The forward will get a $16MM, three-year deal from Flip Saunders & Co. Martin will pair with Ricky Rubio in the Wolves' backcourt, giving the club one of the more intriguing guard combos in the league.
The Thunder were said to be seeking a sign-and-trade for Martin if they could not retain him, but they'll now watch the guard leave without anything in return.
Spurs Sign Jeff Pendergraph
JULY 11TH: The Spurs have officially signed Pendergraph, the team announced today in a press release. The deal is for two years and $4MM, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
JULY 6TH: The Spurs have reached agreement with free agent forward Jeff Pendergraph on a two-year deal, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Pendergraph is a client of Impact Sports Basketball, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
The 6'9" forward saw 10 minutes per contest for the Pacers last season and put up 3.9 PPG with 2.8 RPG. Pendergraph spent his first season in the league with the Blazers and missed his sophomore year (2010/11) due to a knee injury.
Nuggets Sign J.J. Hickson
JULY 11TH: The Nuggets have officially announced the Hickson signing in a press release.
JULY 7TH: The Nuggets have reached agreement with J.J. Hickson on a three-year, $15MM deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The forward is a client of Andy Miller, according to the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
The 24-year-old has had multiple stops in the league during his short career and after he was cut loose by the Kings in March of last year, his stock didn't look so hot. However, he was picked up by the Blazers and as a featured player for the final quarter of the season, he averaged 15.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG.
He had another strong season in 2012/13, putting up 12.7 PPG and 10.4 RPG in 80 games, all of which he started.
Eric Bledsoe To Suns, Redick To Clippers
JULY 10TH: The Bucks have officially announced that the three-way deal has been finalized (Twitter link). Milwaukee will receive Toronto's 2014 second-round pick (via the Suns), and the Clippers' 2015 second-rounder, which is protected in '15 and '16, but unprotected in '17 (Twitter link). That Raptors pick also has some unusual protection, the details of which can be found at RealGM.com.
JULY 2ND: The Clippers, Bucks, and Suns have reached agreement on a three-team deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler will go to the Suns, Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick (sign-and-trade) will head to the Clippers and two second-round picks will be sent to the Bucks, according to sources. The Clippers and Suns will each kick in a second-rounder, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
Redick's brand new deal will pay him $27MM over the next four years, Wojnarowski (link) hears from sources. The shooting guard will also get a trade kicker in his contract, Wojnarowski tweets.
The Clippers were in the market for a shooter this summer and they get a tremendous one in the former Bucks guard. Redick averaged 14.1 PPG last season for the Bucks and Magic, though his downtown shooting dipped to 36.6% versus his 40% clip from the previous six seasons. It's also worth noting that Redick attempted 5.8 threes per game, versus 3.1 prior to 2012/13.
Bledsoe is a major acquisition for the recently-crowned GM Ryan McDonough. The 23-year-old guard will team up with No. 5 overall pick Alex Len for the Suns who are hoping to recover from a rough 2012/13 campaign. The Clippers were extremely high on Bledsoe and his potential, but even ardent supporter Chris Paul acknowledged earlier this year that he would likely be traded to fill a greater need. Bledsoe was stellar last season, averaging 8.5 PPG and 3.1 APG in 20.4 minutes per contest, serving primarily as Paul's understudy. Bledsoe's addition figured to change things for point guard Goran Dragic and may also effect last year's first-round pick Kendall Marshall.
The Suns also get Butler in the swap and they'll pay him $8MM in his upcoming walk year. The veteran averaged 10.4 PPG last season, his lowest mark since his sophomore campaign in 2003/04. He started all 78 games that he played in for the Clippers last season but played just 24.1 minutes per contest. One has to imagine that he'll see a good amount of burn for the rebuilding Suns.
Dudley started 50 games (79 played in total) for the struggling Suns last season, averaging 10.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG. The 6'7" forward has a reasonable contract as he earns $4.25MM in each of the next two seasons and can make the same amount in 2015/16 if he triggers his player option. While he's not the centerpiece of the deal for L.A., he can certainly be a valuable addition to their bench.
As for the Bucks, this deal is something of a head-scratcher. Milwaukee parted ways with Tobias Harris in a six-player deal to acquire Redick back in February and five months later, they have just two second-round picks to show for it.
Knicks Acquire Andrea Bargnani
JULY 10TH, 11:07am: The Knicks and Raptors have both confirmed that the deal is now finalized (Twitter links). Toronto receives Camby, Novak, Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick, and 2014 and 2017 second-rounders in exchange for Bargnani.
JUNE 30TH, 11:20pm: The Raptors just completed the deal that will send Bargnani to New York, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The deal cannot be officially made until July 10th, however.
9:38pm: Martin isn't interested in being sent to Toronto in a sign and trade deal, meaning that the Knicks will have to look elsewhere, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Earl Barron or Quentin Richardson are probably in line for a nice payday, but not a Keith Bogans-style one (link).
8:49pm: The deal will likely be made official on July 10th, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that a sign-and-trade of a minimum salary player such as Kenyon Martin or Pablo Prigioni would get the deal done.
8:33pm: The trade will not be approved by the league office tonight and as a result, the teams will have to restructure under 2013/14 cap figures, tweets Beck. Both sides are still motivated to do the deal, but it will have to be re-worked after July 1st. It's unclear at the moment as to why the league office shot the deal down (Twitter links).
6:33pm: The Raptors are getting the Knicks' 2017 second-round selection plus the 2014 second-round pick from OKC, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
6:03pm: The Knicks will send a 2016 first round pick in the deal, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (on Twitter). Frank Isola of the Daily News (on Twitter) points out that the deal must be finalized tonight for salary cap purposes. The Knicks will send not one, but two second-round picks to the Raptors in the trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
The Knicks have already traded their own second-rounders through 2016, so the second-rounders are probably be the Kings' 2014 pick (top-55 protected) and the Thunder's 2014 pick. Otherwise, it will involve one or both of the club's original 2017/2018 seletions.
5:50pm: The Knicks have agreed to a deal that will bring Andrea Bargnani to New York, a source tells Howard Beck of the New York Times (agreement news via Twitter). The Knicks will send Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick north of the border for the Italian big man. The deal has been agreed to but is awaiting final approval from the NBA (Twitter link).
Several teams have pursued Bargnani, but the Knicks recently emerged as the “strong favorites” to land him. The former No. 1 overall pick has career averages of 15.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG in seven NBA seasons. He's owed $22.25MM over the next two seasons.
Moving Barngani would be the first major move by new Raptors decision-maker Masai Ujiri. Outgoing GM Bryan Colangelo was open about his desire in past years to move Bargnani, but no deal ever materialized for him.
We heard earlier today that the Knicks were open to the idea of trading the sharpshooting Novak. The 30-year-old shot an eye-popping 47% from long range in 2011/12 but came back down to earth when he shot at a 42.5% clip from downtown last season. Novak will earn a combined $11MM over the next three seasons.
Camby, 39, returns back to the organization that drafted him in 1996. The shot-blocking big man has impressed in recent years with his tremendous rebounding but played in just 24 games for the Knicks last season. He'll earn $7.5MM between next season and 2014/15.
Blazers Acquire Thomas Robinson
JULY 10TH: The Blazers have formally finalized their acquisition of Robinson from the Rockets, according to team owner Paul Allen (via Twitter). The picks being sent to Houston will be a 2015 second-rounder from the Wolves or Nuggets (whichever pick is higher) and a 2017 second-rounder from the Blazers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
JUNE 30TH: The Trail Blazers have agreed to acquire forward Thomas Robinson from the Rockets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The deal allows Houston to clear enough cap space in order to offer a maximum contract to Dwight Howard.
Portland will send the Rockets the draft rights to Kostas Papanikolau and Marko Todorovic and two future second-round picks, league sources said. With the forward's salary now off of the books, the Rockets can offer Howard a four-year deal worth roughly $88MM in their meeting later tonight.
Robinson earns $3.5MM next season — not an unreasonable amount for a player with his potential, but too much for the Rockets as they need to squeeze in a max contract for this summer's top available big man. Houston also cut Aaron Brooks and Carlos Delfino loose last week in order to carve out space for D12.
The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft averaged 4.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG in limited playing time last season. This is his second trade with the first coming at the deadline earlier this year, sending him from Sacramento to Houston.
Blazers Sign Dorell Wright
JULY 10TH: The Blazers have officially signed Wright, according to team owner Paul Allen (via Twitter).
JULY 6TH: The Blazers have reached agreement on a two-year deal with Dorell Wright, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The pact will give the small forward a total of $6MM, Wojnarowski adds, and USA Today's Sam Amick reports that it includes no options and is fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
The Oregonian's Jason Quick heard last night that the Blazers were among several teams pursuing the Greg Lawrence client. The Thunder reportedly offered Wright his pick of contracts for either one or two years, and the Blazers did something similar, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who named the Spurs, Grizzlies and Mavericks as some of Wright's other suitors. The Wolves also appeared to be in the mix.
Wright spent last season with Philadelphia, where he came off the bench after spending two seasons as the starting small forward for the Warriors. His 37.4% three-point shooting was slightly above his career average of 36.7%, but his field goal shooting as a whole was just 39.6%, his lowest since a three-game cameo with the Heat as a 19-year-old rookie in 2004/05.
The free agent signing is the first of the summer for Portland, which has instead used its cap space to acquire Robin Lopez and Thomas Robinson via trade. The drafting of C.J. McCollum put together with these moves figures to boost the team's bench, which had been Portland's main weakness last year.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Bell, Billups, Datome, Grizzlies
Knicks coach Mike Woodson is trying to convince Chauncey Billups to rejoin the club, sources tell Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). However, the veteran is unlikely to accept a minimum deal. The Knicks saw another one-guard target come off the board tonight when the Pistons agreed to a deal with Will Bynum. Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- Raja Bell worked out for the Knicks today and stood out to the point where he could receive consideration for a roster spot, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Bell, who sat out all of last year, shot well and outplayed New York’s incoming rookies in one-on-one drills.
- Although an overseas report over the weekend suggested that the Grizzlies had made Italian forward Gigi Datome a contract offer, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says the two sides aren't close to a deal. Datome doesn't seem inclined to accept a one-year offer with his potential playing time in question, according to Tillery, who adds that he expects the Grizz to sign someone like Anthony Morrow (Twitter links).
- After checking in with the T'Wolves, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) gets the sense that Metta World Peace isn't a fit in Minnesota. There's one caveat, however – Rick Adelman has yet to chime in and could conceivably fight for him. But right now, there's no interest there.
- The representatives for free agent center Jason Collins have only had preliminary discussions with teams, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). It's still early for the reserve center market and Collins probably has to wait for the bigger fish to sign before he can.
- C.J. Leslie's deal with the Knicks will be partially guaranteed until January 7th, even if he is cut or waived before that date and will be fully guaranteed after that date, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. New York signed the N.C. State product as an undrafted free agent. He was widely regarded as a mid-second round talent prior to draft night.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Cavs Offered Bynum Two-Year, $24MM Deal
The Cavs are pushing for free agent center Andrew Bynum to accept a two-year, $24MM+, incentive-based contract offer, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Cavs execs met with Bynum in Cleveland on Monday, but could lose patience with waiting on him to make up his mind.
Cleveland's offer includes a team option in the second year of the deal, sources told Wojnarowski. The 25-year-old met with Hawks officials after his Ohio pow-wow and Cleveland has begun to engage free agents Andrei Kirilenko and Elton Brand on possible one-year deals that would preclude the Cavaliers from the ability to sign Bynum, according to league sources.
The incentives of a possible Bynum contract have incentives tied to completing training camp and reaching minutes and games-played plateaus in the regular season. The team option on year two could be giving the center pause as his camp has been looking for one-year, high-money deals that would allow him to hit the market again next summer.
The Cavaliers see the possibility of a Bynum reclamation project coupled with All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving making for a strong recruiting pitch to LeBron James next summer. They'll have competition for his services though. In addition to the Hawks, Bynum is also set to sit down with the Mavericks this week.