Celtics Sign Sullinger, Melo, Joseph
The Celtics have officially signed 2012 draft picks Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo, and Kris Joseph, according to a team release. Sullinger and Melo were first-rounders, taken 21st and 22nd overall, while Joseph was taken in the second round, with pick No. 51.
Clippers In Advanced Talks With Jamal Crawford
TUESDAY, 9:46am: The Clips are meeting with Crawford today and are considered the frontrunner for him, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Los Angeles reportedly intends to offer Crawford a three-year deal worth the $5MM mid-level exception, and I wouldn't be surprised if he accepts it.
O.J. Mayo Seeking More Than Mid-Level
O.J. Mayo has informed teams he's interested in signing for more than mid-level money, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. According to Kyler, Mayo's representatives view the 24-year-old as a consolation prize for teams who miss out on Eric Gordon – potentially the Pacers, Rockets, Suns, and Hornets.
Ray Allen Rumors: Tuesday
So far during the free agent period, we've heard that the Heat are considering offering Ray Allen their full mini mid-level exception, the Grizzlies are offering their full mid-level exception, and the Celtics are offering more than either team. With a number of teams in the hunt for Allen, we'll round up all of today's rumblings on the veteran sharpshooter right here, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….
Odds & Ends: Hawks, D-Will, Calderon, Celtics
It's been another whirlwind day of player movement in the NBA, as the Hawks agreed to two significant trades, sending Joe Johnson to the Nets and Marvin Williams to the Jazz. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld speculated that Josh Smith may be the next Hawk to go (Twitter link), but Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com report that Smith is excited about the moves, which would free up plenty of cap space for next summer, when Atlanta could go after Smith and other major targets. Here's news from elsewhere around the busy Association.
Free Agent Rumors: Lin, Hinrich, Kaman, Nash
While a report surfaced last night suggesting that the Knicks may be reluctant to match a backloaded offer to Jeremy Lin, it doesn't appear that such an offer will come from Brooklyn. According to TNT's David Aldridge, the Nets haven't reached out to Lin, and appear to be viewing Steve Nash as Plan B if they can't lock up Deron Williams. Let's round up a few more free agent tidbits from around the league….
- While an earlier report (linked below) from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune suggests the Bulls will only offer the minimum to Kirk Hinrich, Johnson says he's now emerging as the team's top target (Twitter link).
- Chris Kaman had a "positive" meeting with the Pacers today, but no offer was made, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes Lin and Nash may be an either/or proposition for the Knicks.
Earlier updates:
Atlantic Notes: Young, Teletovic, Allen, Gordon
Earlier this afternoon we learned that the Raptors have offered Steve Nash a three-year, $36MM deal. The aging point guard is also being courted by the division rival Nets, Knicks, as well as the Mavericks. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic..
Free Agent Rumors: Terry, Lewis, Bass, Young
As the first day of free agency continues, reports continue to pour in on teams reaching out to certain players, perhaps to schedule meetings or make contract offers. We've rounded up plenty of those items already today, but we'll use this space to follow a few more updates, as they come in….
Ray Allen Rumors: Sunday
It's possible that we've heard more rumors and rumblings about Ray Allen than any other free agent on the market so far. The flurry of activity surrounding Allen makes some sense — he's a veteran player with a championship under his belt, and could be obtainable for the mid-level exception, making him a popular target for contenders in need of a shooter. Here's the latest on Allen:
Josh Howard Drawing Interest From Mavs, Others
12:15pm: In addition to the six clubs reported by Spears, two other teams have expressed interest in Howard, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune. Howard is seeking a multiyear contract, according to Smith (Twitter link).
10:10am: Nearly two and a half years after the Mavericks traded him to Washington in a seven-player blockbuster, Josh Howard is drawing interest from his old team. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Mavs are one of a handful of teams showing interest in the small forward. Spears names the Jazz, Lakers, Nets, Spurs, and Celtics as other potential suitors.