Mavericks Decline To Make QO To Collison
Point guard Darren Collison is a free agent after the Mavericks refused to make him a qualifying offer, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The QO would have paid him just over $4.5MM for 2013/14.
The move was expected as the Mavericks want to clear up as much space as possible in their pursuit of Dwight Howard. Collison started 47 games for Dallas last season, averaging 12.0 PPG with 5.1 APG and 2.7 RPG. The soon-to-be 26-year-old could still re-sign with the Mavs, but he’ll have to wait and see how things play out with their offseason first.
Hoops Rumors Originals
This week, Hoops Rumors wrapped up our 30 team “Offseason Outlook” series, previewing the summer head for everyone in the NBA. Check out the analysis from Luke Adams, Chuck Myron, and myself as we get set for the July 1st kickoff to free agency. Here’s more of our original work from the past week..
- Our own Alex Lee compiled the latest version of his mock draft just before Thursday night.
- Chuck looked at the rise and fall of international draftees.
- Luke compiled the list of salaries for the first round players of the 2013 draft.
- If you’ve been following along with the Offseason Outlook series, here are the ones from this past week: Pelicans, Jazz, Timberwolves, Suns, and Spurs.
- Luke updated us on the 2013/14 team and player options.
- Chuck hosted a live chat throughout the draft.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- If you missed Luke’s weekly chat, here’s the transcript.
Hawks Won’t Extend QO To Ivan Johnson
The Hawks won’t extend a qualifying offer to Ivan Johnson, making him a free agent this summer, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Hawks GM Danny Ferry was very noncommital in a recent interview when asked if he would give Johnson a QO rather than allowing him to become a restricted free agent.
While Johnson won’t necessarily be back with Atlanta next season, we learned earlier today that teammate Jeff Teague has received the QO from Ferry & Co. Teague’s deal will be worth more than $4.5MM, but the club has apparently decided that the ~$1.2MM needed for Johnson just wasn’t worth it.
Several Teams In On Andrew Bynum
There will be no shortage of interest in free agent center Andrew Bynum when the clock strikes midnight tonight, sources tell Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld. One source specifically mentioned the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers as two teams expected to reach out to Bynum along with all of the franchises with cap space that are pursuing center Dwight Howard.
Howard will meet with the Hawks, Mavericks, Lakers, Warriors and Rockets. Of those five, the Hawks, Mavs, and Rockets have the necessary space under the cap to make a max, or near max, offer without needing to do a sign-and-trade.
Bynum, of course, missed all of last season with the Sixers due to serious knee problems. However, his people have been on the record saying that he'll be ready for the start of training camp. Despite his issues, Bynum will be the most talented center on the market once Howard signs.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Korver, Thunder
The Lakers are in limbo as they await Dwight Howard's free agent decision, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The situation isn't entirely new to L.A. though as they went through a similar in 2004 when Kobe Bryant gave some thought to leaving the team but staying in the same building by signing with the Clippers. Ultimately, an eleventh-hour phone call from the late Jerry Buss kept him in purple-and-gold. Here's the latest from around the Association..
- The Nets are among the club's with interest in Kyle Korver but they're far from alone in that, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Brooklyn's extremely high payroll also limits them in their pursuit of the free agent sharpshooter.
- The Thunder's draft was underwhelming to some, but star Kevin Durant likes OKC's haul and believes that most of the criticism comes from a lack of name recognition, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The Thunder took Pitt center Steven Adams at No. 12, traded up three spots to take Colorado forward Andre Roberson at No. 26, took Alex Abrines out of Spain at No. 32, and acquired Grant Jerrett, originally the 40th pick out of Arizona by Portland.
- Undrafted free agent Laurence Bowers will play for the Grizzlies' summer league team, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter). The Missouri forward has promise but is viewed as a tweener.
Andrei Kirilenko To Opt Out
Andrei Kirilenko is opting out of his deal with the T’Wolves, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). The Russian will hit the open market rather than earn $10.22MM with Minnesota next season.
We’ve heard that the Wolves would like to bring Kirilenko back, but aren’t keen on a deal that would pay him $10MM+ per season. Kirilenko’s opting out may not be a sign that he is expecting a deal with an AAV beyond $10MM, but the 32-year-old could be seeking something in that neighborhood on a multi-year deal.
If the Wolves do not retain Kirilenko, they could be left with a decent chunk of cap space this summer. With AK off of the books, the Wolves have roughly $39MM in guaranteed salary for next season. Of course, the Wolves will have to commit a considerable amount of money to Nikola Pekovic if they decide to match his offer sheet. All indications are that the club wants to retain the 27-year-old.
New York Notes: Nets, Garnett, Knicks, Howard
Here's the latest out of New York, where the Nets have managed to capture the backpages of the tabloids..
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn't afraid to gamble with the team's future in order to win right now, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. While Garnett and Pierce can't be expected to produce as they did in their primes, something has to be said for Brooklyn's gusto in acquiring them.
- The Knicks' summer league squad, which will feature Iman Shumpert and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., figures to be among the best this year, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Nets dodged a bullet by not landing Dwight Howard last summer, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Lawrence would prefer to see Kevin Garnett crawling up and down the Nets' court rather than watch the inconsistent efforts of Howard.
- According to the Jerusalem Post, Amare Stoudemire is in talks to join a group purchasing Israeli basketball club Hapoel Jerusalem. The big man spent a portion of the 2010 offseason exploring his Jewish roots in Israel.
Celtics Notes: Rondo, Garnett, Pierce
In theory, Danny Ainge is wise to get something for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, but Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter) wonders how much a trio picks in the 20s will help the Celtics going forward. Here's more out of the Atlantic..
- The Celtics might not be all that bad next season, opines Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. The main factor, several league sources said, is All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo. If Rondo, who is returning from a major injury, is determined enough, then some believe that he can will the weakened C's into the postseason.
- The end of the Big Three era in Boston isn't about loyalty, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com. Time had run its course in Boston and there wasn't much of an alternative for Ainge & Co.
- Earlier today, we learned that Keith Bogans will see a substantial raise when he joins Boston in mid-July.
Keith Bogans To Get $5MM In 2013/14
There's still a lot of debate over who the winner is in the Nets/Celtics swap, but one player in the deal has undoubtedly come out on top. Keith Bogans, who earned just $854K with the Nets last season, will see a substantial raise next season thanks to being included in the deal in a sign-and-trade.
In order to make the numbers work, the veteran will earn $5MM next season with the Celtics under his new contract, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. The guard/forward will get a three-year deal, so it will be roughly $15MM over three seasons , with the final two unlikely to be guaranteed (link).
By Pincus' math (link), the Celtics will also receive a $7.37MM trade exception in the swap for part of Kevin Garnett's salary. None of these numbers are set in stone, however, as they are only approximations until the deal can be consummated on July 10th.
The early thinking on Bogans' contract is that he is allowed to receive up to the average league salary as a player with bird rights, which comes out to roughly $5.2MM (link). However, a raise of 20% or more in his salary triggers the Base Year Compensation rule of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is designed to prevent teams from using players in a sign-and-trade for the express purpose of salary matching.
Under BYC, the player's outgoing salary is either his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. Bogans will see ~$5MM in 2013/14 under the new deal, but his salary for the purposes of the trade will be calculated as ~$2.5MM. Regardless, the 33-year-old will see a raise of about $4.2MM next season thanks to the blockbuster deal.
Knicks Close To Acquiring Andrea Bargnani
The Knicks are on the verge of landing Andrea Bargnani in a trade with the Raptors, a source tells Howard Beck of the New York Times. The Knicks are offering Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick for the Italian big man.
Several teams have pursued Bargnani, but the Knicks have emerged as the “strong favorites” to land him, and an agreement could come soon, the source said. 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.