Pacific Notes: Calipari, Lakers, Chandler, Love
Despite his denials, people close to Kentucky coach John Calipari tell Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (on Twitter) that he wants another shot at the NBA as a coach/GM. This week, Coach Cal was heavily connected to the Kings‘ head coaching job but both sides have since denied such talk. Of course, Calipari’s last run in the NBA with the Nets did not go well.
- Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) has heard rumblings of both Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love joining up with the Lakers. Both players are represented by Excel Sports Management.
- Even if the Lakers roster were to consist of just Kobe Bryant and no one else, the Lakers could not afford both DeAndre Jordan and LaMarcus Aldridge at their market value, Larry Coon of CBA FAQ writes. On Tuesday, it was reported that the Lakers could be trying to corral both players this summer.
- It was reported on Tuesday afternoon that Jim Buss would not be in attendance for the Lakers‘ pitch meeting with Aldridge, but plans have changed and he will in fact be there, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The meeting will also include Bryant, team president and governor Jeanie Buss, GM Mitch Kupchak, assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, coach Byron Scott, senior vice president of finance Tim Harris, as well as representatives from Time Warner Cable and AEG.
Demetris Nichols Drawing Interest
Demetris Nichols has had discussions with teams about a potential NBA return, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. The Grizzlies are among the interested clubs and the T’Wolves and Pelicans have also inquired on him. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) says that Nichols’ agent has cast a wide net and the T’Wolves haven’t gone much further than a basic inquiry yet.
Nichols, the Euroleague’s reigning leader in three-point shooting percentage, played two seasons in the NBA between 2007 and 2009 without a great deal of success. However, Nichols is coming off a season in which he shot 57.5 percent from three-point range with CSKA Moscow, albeit in limited playing time. The 6’6″ guard has played for the Cavaliers, Bulls, Knicks, in the D-League, and several overseas clubs. In the D-League, Nichols was a former First Team All-D-League selection.
Qualifying Offers: Tuesday
Here are the latest qualifying offer decisions to come in..
- The Spurs extended QOs to Kawhi Leonard and Cory Joseph, making them restricted free agents, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- Knicks forwards Travis Wear and Alexey Shved and Spurs big man Aron Baynes did not receive qualifying offers, according to Pincus (on Twitter).
- Pacers forwards Chris Copeland and Shayne Whittington, Sixers center Henry Sims, Nuggets center Ian Clark, Celtics center Gigi Datome, Wolves big man Arinze Onuaku, Mavs center Bernard James, Lakers guard Vander Blue, and Kings forward Derrick Williams did not receive qualifying offers, Pincus tweets.
- The Grizzlies have made Nick Calathes a restricted free agent by extending him a QO, according to Pincus (on Twitter).
- The Warriors have made Ognjen Kuzmic a restricted free agent, Pincus tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Sixers declined to offer guard Glenn Robinson III a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. However, Philly has shown an inclination to revisit a longer-term deal for Robinson this summer, according to those same sources. In 35 games as a rookie, Robinson averaged 2.1 PPG.
- The Hornets will not make a qualifying offer to guard Jeffery Taylor, according to a source that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter). Taylor will now become an unrestricted free agent.
- Pero Antic, who was rumored to be going overseas, was given a qualifying offer by the Hawks, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). If the Hawks need to maximize their cap space, Pincus adds (link), they can revoke the qualifying offer to Antic and renounce him.
- As expected, the Magic have extended qualifying offers to both Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (on Twitter).
- The Rockets made Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels restricted free agents by extending QOs to them, Pincus tweets.
Rajon Rondo Seeking One-Year Deal
Teams inquiring on Rajon Rondo will be told emphatically that the guard prefers a one year deal, Chris Mannix of SI tweets. Rondo, who has a tarnished reputation at this point, is looking to restore his value and cash in next summer.
Rondo’s value at this point is difficult to peg, with speculation suggesting that he’d struggle to make salaries of $10-12MM on his next deal. Recently, it was reported that there is mutual interest between Rondo and the Kings. Rudy Gay is working to recruit the once highly-regarded athlete to Sacramento, but Gay himself is also being brought up in trade talk. The Lakers, with whom the Kings have reportedly engaged in talks regarding Cousins, have also been mentioned as Rondo suitors. All of these teams will apparently have to sign Rondo as a rental if they want him, but that could be seen as a plus given the risk factor involved with the 29-year-old.
The Lakers were once viewed as an “inevitable” destination for Rondo, but the addition of D’Angelo Russell might rule them out.
Kings Interested In Jeremy Lin
The Kings have guard Jeremy Lin on their radar, according to Chris Mannix of SI (on Twitter). Lin averaged 11.2 points on 42.4% shooting this season, his lowest output in both categories since his rookie season in 2010/11.
Lin, in all likelihood, would come relatively cheaply after a largely unsuccessful stint with the Lakers. His scoring average has declined in each of the three years since his “Linsanity” season with the Knicks. A few months ago, Lin – who will be a free agent in a matter of hours – indicated that he would like to stay with the Lakers.
“That would be great,” Lin said of staying in Los Angeles. “There’s so much that needs to happen, but that’s definitely an option for me.”
For what it’s worth, Lin also indicated that he had a productive exit interview with coach Byron Scott. For his career, Lin has averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.8 APG in 26.9 minutes per contest. His career 15.5 PER casts him roughly as an average player in terms of efficiency.
Eastern Rumors: Pierce, Bass, Chandler
The Wizards‘ wish list in free agency will hinge heavily on what happens with Paul Pierce, Jorge Castillo off The Washington Post writes. Pierce can re-sign with Washington for 120% of what he earned during last season, about $6.6MM. It’s not clear how long the Wizards will wait for Pierce to make a call, however. It’s conceivable that Pierce could be drawn to a Celtics return or a reunion with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference..
- The agent for Celtics forward Brandon Bass’s agent tells Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe there have been indications that numerous teams will have interest in his client. However, Tony Dutt also says there’s mutual interest in a return. “I think Brad [Stevens] and Danny [Ainge] understand the value of what Brandon brings,” Dutt said. “He loves Boston, and if it works out for him to stay there, we’d be more than happy.” Bass averaged 10.6 PPG and 4.9 RPG per game last season.
- Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter) notes that Tyson Chandler and coach Jason Kidd are both represented by Excel Sports. In addition to Kidd, many Bucks players are also represented by Excel, as shown in the Hoops Rumors Agency Database. Earlier today it was reported that there is mutual interest between Chandler and the Bucks.
- Hawks free agent shooting guard John Jenkins has left BDA Sports Management, according to Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. Jenkins appeared in just 37 games the past two seasons after playing in 61 contests as a rookie in 2012/13. The former first-round pick has posted averages of 5.6 PPG and 1.6 RPG while connecting on 38 percent of his shots from three-point range.
- The Hawks announced that guard Kyle Korver is expected to be ready for training camp after having right elbow surgery to remove loose bodies today, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Rumors about Rodney Stuckey‘s perceived bad attitude hurt his stock during last summer’s free agency, league sources tell Candace Buckner of the Indy Star. “Moody, can’t be coached, bad guy, can’t win with him,” said an Eastern Conference insider, repeating the circulated gossip. “Anybody that really knows him, would know … he’s one of the most misunderstood guys in the league.” Buckner hears that at least five teams have expressed interest in speaking with Stuckey, who flourished this past season with the Pacers.
- With Greg Monroe headed elsewhere, the Pistons will need to add two backup centers this summer, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press writes. The Pistons won’t be spending big on backup fives, but they could be looking at guys like Brandan Wright, Kosta Koufos, or maybe even Omer Asik, Ellis writes. GM Jeff Bower confirmed that he wants to have six bigs and not five next season.
- The Raptors didn’t send back any salary to the Thunder in the trade that brought in Luke Ridnour, so they had to use one of their trade exceptions. Their $2.358MM exception for John Salmons, which expires tonight, wasn’t quite large enough for Ridnour’s $2.75MM salary, so they either used part of their $3,445,947 Steve Novak trade exception, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders surmises (on Twitter), or, in a less likely scenario, part of the $6.4MM trade exception they created just last week in the Greivis Vasquez deal.
- Travis Wear will play on the Knicks‘ summer league team and probably will be invited to training camp unless he gets a guaranteed offer elsewhere, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Rumors: Clippers, Chandler, Davis
If DeAndre Jordan leaves for the Mavs, the Clippers will try to sign and trade for Tyson Chandler, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). However, the Clippers are still “hopeful” that they’ll retain Jordan. Here’s more from the West..
- The Pelicans want to get a new deal done with Anthony Davis quickly, according to John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Negotiations can continue until Halloween, but New Orleans apparently wants to get everything sewn up this summer.
- The Mavs are concerned that Al-Farouq Aminu will get a relatively big offer, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (on Twitter). If that happens, they’ll try to talk him into deal he could opt out of next summer.
- The Lakers would be a winning taker of Brendan Haywood‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Cavs, but it’s not clear if L.A. has anything Cleveland would want in return, Sam Amico of FOX Sports tweets. There are conflicting reports on the matter, but the Cavs may have recently discussed the center with the Spurs.
- Despite the uncertainty in Portland, Gerald Henderson says he’s excited to be with the Blazers, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian writes. Days ago, the Blazers sent forward Nicolas Batum to the Hornets for Henderson and forward Noah Vonleh.
Free Agency Rumors: Boozer, Williams, Heat
The latest free agent news..
- The Nets, Mavs, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, and Spurs are in on veteran big man Carlos Boozer, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets.
- In addition to the incumbent Kings (whose interest was previously reported), the Wizards, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Suns, and Knicks are expected to show interest in forward Derrick Williams, Broussard tweets. Williams can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Kings tender him a qualifying offer worth $4,045,894. The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 8.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 74 games last season.
-
The general sense among teams around the league is that Kyle O’Quinn will be able to draw $4-5MM salaries on his next deal and Shane Larkin $2-3MM on his, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. Sources tell Kyler that Gerald Green could be had for around $5MM a year, or slightly less on a deal that runs three or four years.
- The Mavs, Pacers, Grizzlies, Clippers, and incumbent Suns are the teams showing the most interest in high-flying big man Brandan Wright, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets.
- Jamario Moon is looking to make an NBA comeback and has signed with Hazan Sports Management, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Jared Dudley Exercises Option To Stay With Bucks
6;15pm: The two sides are working on a long-term extension deal, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter).
4:41pm: Jared Dudley has exercised his option to stay with the Bucks, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dudley is now scheduled to earn $4.25MM with the Bucks for 2015/16. Since Dudley’s contract was signed before new CBA in November of 2010, his ETO decision date was grandfathered in as June 30th rather than June 29th, Stein adds (link).
Dudley, who turns 30 on July 10th, came to the Bucks in a deal last August with the Clippers. At the time, he wasn’t happy with the move, but he said back in March that he eventually became comfortable in Milwaukee, thanks in part to Jason Kidd‘s coaching style. Dudley also said that he would like a long-term deal with the Bucks and that he was willing to take a discount to sign one. With the Bucks, Dudley also got to show the world what he can do when he’s healthy:
“The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I’m healthy, I’m the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix,” said Dudley, who claims that he played the entire 2013/14 season with a fracture in his right knee at the request of Doc Rivers.
In 72 games (22 starts) last season, Dudley averaged 7.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.8 APG. Dudley also shot 38.5% from downtown, an improvement over his 36% showing in 2013/14.
Lakers Pursuing Both Aldridge And Jordan?
Executives believe that the Lakers are looking to clear space in order to offer deals to both LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). As Woj previously reported (link), the Lakers are currently working to unload contracts in order to carve out significantly more cap space than they presently have.
On Tuesday, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported that Jordan is tired of being third in line behind Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and wants a larger role on offense. In that story, Broussard painted the Jordan chase as something of a two horse race with a 50/50 shot of him either staying with the Clippers or joining up with the Mavs. Now, it sounds as though Jordan could remain in Los Angeles while changing uniforms. Jordan, who’s said he won’t be “greedy” and seek a one-year deal that would take him to a surging salary cap next summer, can receive more money and a longer contract from the Clippers than from any other team. However, it’s likely that Jordan will sign a four-year deal with a player option on year four no matter which team he signs with, as Broussard reported earlier today. The Mavs, meanwhile, offer the advantage of no state income tax, which neither the Clippers nor Lakers can offer.
The Lakers are set to meet with Aldridge Tuesday night and Kobe Bryant is expected to be a part of their pitch. Magic Johnson, meanwhile, won’t be around for the Lakers’ initial free agent pitches, since he’s on vacation in Europe. On Monday it was reported that the Blazers big man is leaning towards signing with the Lakers.