Free Agent Rumors: Redick, Ingles, Hayward, Gay
The first meeting for Clippers guard J.J. Redick was with the Sixers, posts Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN Now. On ESPN’s television coverage, Wojnarowski said Philadelphia would like to convince Redick to accept a short-term contract, “a one-year deal at a very big number, $20 million-plus, potentially.” The Timberwolves and Nets are also expected to be contenders for Redick, and he has expressed interest in joining former Clippers teammate Chris Paul with the Rockets. Wojnarowski adds that there is no chance of Redick returning to L.A.
There’s more from the early hours of free agency:
- Jazz forward Joe Ingles has received “serious interest” from the Magic and has three meetings scheduled for Saturday, tweets Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Ingles will meet with the Utah delegation this weekend, according to Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
- Heat center Hassan Whiteside has been actively recruiting Gordon Hayward to Miami, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. Whiteside will attend Hayward’s meeting with Heat officials on Saturday.
- Kings forward Rudy Gay has four meetings set up over the next few days, Kennedy adds (Twitter link).
- The Nuggets reached out to Utah’s George Hill during the first hour of free agency, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. Denver could create cap room to sign Hill by letting Danilo Gallinari leave, Begley notes.
- The Mavericks had a “great call” with Nerlens Noel, tweets Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Noel expressed a desire to re-sign with the team, but nothing has been finalized.
- The Lakers made calls tonight to Andre Iguodala, Rajon Rondo and Ben McLemore., tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Knicks and Bucks have also inquired about McLemore, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
J.J. Redick Interested In Rockets
One of the Clippers’ core players headed from Los Angeles to Houston this week, and Chris Paul may not be the last Clipper to make that move this offseason. According to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), J.J. Redick is interested in joining the Rockets if the finances work out.
Those finances may be tricky. With Houston poised to be an over-the-cap team heading into the new league year, the club would be limited to the $8.4MM mid-level exception. A sign-and-trade is also a possibility, though the Rockets already sent a number of noteworthy trade pieces to the Clippers in this week’s CP3 deal.
Redick is coming off a season in which he earned about $7.38MM, which makes Houston’s MLE look reasonable. But as the top unrestricted free agent shooting guard on the market, he’ll likely be in line for a major raise, and at age 33, this looks like his best chance at one last big payday. As Turner notes in his report, a team like the Nets or Sixers may be willing to make a much more aggressive offer for Redick, perhaps in the range of $16MM+ per year.
Our list of 2017’s top 50 free agents has Redick ranked at No. 16.
Wizards Will Aggressively Look To Retain Otto Porter
As expected, the Wizards are expected to do all they can to retain restricted free agent Otto Porter in free agency. According to Mike Wise of The Undefeated (Twitter link), Washington plans to make an “aggressive” offer to Porter right when free agency opens at midnight tonight, and will match any offer he receives from another team.
The only scenario in which the Wizards may let Porter get away is in a sign-and-trade for an upgrade at the small forward spot. However, there are few players and teams around the NBA that would be a match for such a deal, outside of Paul George and the Pacers. As Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets, the most likely outcome is that Porter signs an offer sheet and Washington matches it. The Nets are viewed as a threat to come after the 24-year-old in free agency.
Porter had his best year as a pro in 2016/17, averaging career bests in PPG (13.4), RPG (6.4), and SPG (1.5), while posting an incredibly efficient .516/.434/.832 shooting line. I ranked him eighth overall in Hoops Rumors’ list of this year’s top 50 free agents.
Based on the latest salary cap projections from the NBA, a max offer sheet for Porter would be worth just over $106MM for four years.
Eastern FA Rumors: Bulls, Teodosic, Nets, Raptors
The Nets were considered the frontrunners in the Milos Teodosic sweepstakes for much of the year, but point guard became less of a priority for the team after last week’s D’Angelo Russell, opening the door for another NBA team to make a play for Teodosic. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter), that team may be Chicago — Jones has heard the Bulls are “close” to reaching a deal with the EuroLeague star.
If the Bulls end up finalizing a deal with Teodosic, he would be the team’s third major point guard addition of 2017. Chicago also acquired Cameron Payne in a trade with Oklahoma City at the deadline, and landed Kris Dunn from Minnesota in last week’s Jimmy Butler blockbuster.
Here are a few more free agency rumors from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Wizards and Pistons are bracing for the Nets to make a strong push on restricted free agents Otto Porter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, respectively, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. Although those players have somewhat similar skill-sets, the Nets aren’t focused on filling a specific need or position in free agency, as head coach Kenny Atkinson tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
- The Raptors‘ brass will likely meet with agent Andy Miller in Orlando this weekend, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Miller represents both Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, Toronto’s top two free agents, who figure to be a part of those meetings as well.
- Rudy Gay has been linked to the Heat in the past, but Miami isn’t currently among the teams to arrange a free agent meeting with him this weekend, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- Asked if the Knicks were still be seeking free agents who fit into a specific system, head coach Jeff Hornacek suggested this week that the team’s focus will be more on talent than system fit, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. That sounds like good news for free agents who weren’t fond on Phil Jackson‘s triangle.
Lowe’s Latest: George, Hayward, Ibaka, Gallinari
A proposed scenario that would see the Celtics sign Gordon Hayward, trade for Paul George, and sign George to a contract extension isn’t realistic, writes Zach Lowe in his latest report for ESPN.com. As Lowe points out, there would be no reason for George to re-up with Boston right away in that scenario unless he could renegotiate a maximum salary, and it would be extremely difficult for the C’s to accommodate such a deal without moving Al Horford.
Knowing that if they acquire George, he could be a rental, the Celtics have thus far been unwilling to include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, or the Lakers’ 2018 first-rounder in any of their offers to Indiana, Lowe reports. Lowe’s best guess at Boston’s offer is a package that would include Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and one of the team’s other first-round picks. The C’s will be reluctant to go much higher than that, given their fear that George could leave in 2018 — Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times wrote on Thursday night that the Pacers forward is still telling friends he expects to be a Laker in 2018.
While George could just be a one-year rental, the Celtics have competition for him. According to Lowe, the Wizards would likely be willing to sign-and-trade Otto Porter and include a first-round pick. The Cavaliers would swap Kevin Love straight up, though that doesn’t interest Indiana much, per Lowe. If the Nuggets get involved again via three-way talks for George and Love, they could offer Gary Harris and a first-round pick, though NBA execs expect Harris to command upwards of $20MM annually on his next contract, which is due soon, says Lowe.
Here’s more from Lowe with the free agent period right around the corner:
- Lowe views Hayward as less than a 50-50 bet to stay with the Jazz, with both the Celtics and Heat as legitimate suitors. The ESPN scribe adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if a mystery fourth team ends up getting a meeting with Hayward.
- The market for Raptors big man Serge Ibaka and Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari is expected to be in about the $20MM-per-year range, sources tell Lowe.
- The Sixers have told player agents that they plan on signing one-year contracts in free agency this summer to preserve future cap space. They may also use some of their current cap room to sign Robert Covington to a renegotiated extension, writes Lowe.
- Lowe expects the Bucks to sign Tony Snell to a deal in the range of $10-12MM annually.
- Despite drafting De’Aaron Fox, the Kings may still spend on a free agent point guard as a veteran mentor, particularly if they decide they want to chase a playoff spot right away, says Lowe.
- The Grizzlies are “crossing their fingers” that the market for RFA power forward JaMychal Green isn’t as competitive as expected, according to Lowe.
Nets To Retain Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris
The Nets will hang onto Sean Kilpatrick and Joe Harris, allowing their 2017/18 salaries to become fully guaranteed, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). Both players are on minimum salary deals and will earn $1,524,305 next season.
Although Wojnarowski classifies the Nets as having picked up team options on Kilpatrick and Harris, there are no formal options for the club to exercise. Instead, Brooklyn simply has to keep the duo on its roster, since both contracts call for their 2017/18 salaries to become guaranteed if they’re not waived by June 30.
Kilpatrick, 27, has enjoyed an increased role since joining the Nets in February 2016. In his first full season with the team, the 6’4″ guard averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG, with a shooting line of .415/.341/.843.
Harris, another shooting guard, also had a career year in 2016/17, averaging 8.2 PPG and 2.8 RPG with a .425/.385/.714 shooting line in 52 games (11 starts) for Brooklyn.
Kilpatrick and Harris will both be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2018.
Iguodala Drawing Interest From At Least Seven Teams
Andre Iguodala wasn’t able to take home the NBA’s 2016/17 Sixth Man of the Year award on Monday night, but he’s on the verge of landing a nice consolation prize in the form of a lucrative new contract. According to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, at least seven teams from around the league are expected to make an effort to pry Iguodala away from the Warriors.
The Timberwolves, Spurs, Clippers, Sixers, Magic, Nets, and Jazz are among the clubs with interest in Iguodala, per Haynes. Previous reports have suggested that the Bulls, Suns, and Hawks also may have interest in the veteran swingman, though Chicago has since entered a rebuilding phase, and Phoenix and Atlanta may opt to go in another direction.
According to Haynes, the Timberwolves and Sixers both have interest in Iguodala as a veteran leader for their young squads, while the Jazz view Iguodala as a contingency plan should they lose Gordon Hayward in free agency. The Spurs have internally discussed the possibility of trying to add both Iguodala and Chris Paul, according to Haynes, who confirms that San Antonio has explored trading Danny Green and LaMarcus Aldridge.
As Haynes explains, Iguodala has become one of the hottest free agents on the market this summer because teams view it as a priority to get him out of Golden State. Building a super-team to compete with the Warriors isn’t realistic for most franchises, so chipping away at the Warriors’ core by signing away one of the team’s key contributors is a more logical way to close the gap between Golden State and the rest of the league.
While earlier estimates for Iguodala’s new contract indicated the Warriors might be able to bring him back for an annual salary in the range of his current $11.1MM+ figure, a report from Shams Charania of The Vertical last week suggested that number could be much higher if the 33-year-old heads elsewhere. According to Charania, there’s a belief among teams around the NBA that Iguodala could approach $20MM per year on a new deal.
Outside of the Warriors’ stars, Shaun Livingston and Iguodala represent the team’s most important veteran free agents. Haynes says that Livingston should be popular in July as well, reporting that the veteran point guard may command a salary in the range of $10-12MM per year.
Nets’ Brass Talks Free Agency, Roster, Culture
With D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov officially in Brooklyn, the Nets’ focus now turns to building and sustaining a positive, winning culture. Despite a league-worst 20-62 record in 2016/17, the Nets have made major strides by drafting promising young prospects, signing productive veterans, and relying heavily on an experienced coaching staff.
“Look, this is a new start for us as an organization. It started a year ago, we turned the page a little bit and this is another step in that direction,” Nets general manager Sean Marks told a scrum of reporters – including Hoops Rumors – at Monday’s introductory press conference. “We’re not gonna dwell on the past, just like how I don’t dwell on ‘Jeez, I wish I still had that first pick.’ I get asked that question every day. Nothing I can control there.”
The Nets’ now-infamous trade for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry in 2012 cost the team several first-round picks, the latest of which turned into Washington’s Markelle Fultz, selected first overall by the Sixers last week. However, as Marks observes, dwelling on miscalculations of administrations past will not bring Brooklyn from the cellar to contention.
Veteran Trevor Booker was solid for the Nets last season; a healthy Jeremy Lin showed he’s cut out for the New York City atmosphere; 2015 draft pick Rondae Hollis-Jefferson took on an increased workload; and 2016 draft pick Caris LeVert was solid in limited time. Now the team aims to upgrade through the most sensible method.
“Listen, I think we kind of undervalue or not talk about Mozgov, [because] he’s an effective player. He’s a big guy who can fit into how we play the game, which is important,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We have Booker, we can play Rondae at the four. I think Sean and I are talking about the roster and how it’s going to fit into free agency. We’re heavy in those discussions.”
Marks echoed his coach’s sentiments, noting that the organization is taking an all-encompassing view to potential roster upgrades.
“We are going to keep all of our [options] in our back pocket and see what happens,” Marks said. “Whether it’s restricted free agency, just free agency, or capitalizing on some other trades that come up. We’re focused on all those things.”
Coaching will be key for a young Nets team — after all, Russell, arguably one of the team’s most significant acquisitions since moving to Brooklyn, is still just 21 years old. There have also been reports that Lin, who signed a three-year pact last summer, has spoken to and urged players around the league to consider Brooklyn in free agency.
“Everyone can tell this culture is completely different. There’s a freshness, a different vibe. I think what we did after the All-Star break will help, but also, players just want to be treated the right way and I know there’s definitely a lot of interest,” Lin said recently (via Nets Daily). “Players are asking a lot about us because they saw the way Kenny coached, saw how hard these guys play night in and night out, how unselfish we played, they want to be a part of that.”
That positive culture will immediately be tested with Russell, a player whose talent has never been questioned, but who has been criticized for a perceived lack of maturity and leadership. He sat on the stage Monday sandwiched between Atkinson and Mozgov – his new coach and last year’s teammate – and said all the right things.
Russell didn’t take shots at Magic Johnson, and had plenty of praise for his new teammates and organization despite only knowing them for a few days. The young point guard added that coming to New York was a “celebration.”
“I think he is aware this is a new chapter for him, and in a sense, he does get to start over,” Marks said. “That’s kind of the beauty of a trade. You get to come here and make it your own. All the preconceived notions that other teams, players, whatever they may have about you … it’s going to take time — not just D’Angelo, this is anybody that comes into a new organization — to develop that sort of trust and respect.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
New York Notes: Knicks, Rubio, Nets, Redick
The Knicks, who explored a possible Ricky Rubio deal at the trade deadline, talked internally prior to the draft about revisiting their pursuit of Rubio, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Nothing came of those talks on draft night, and New York nabbed its point guard of the future in Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 overall pick.
Still, Rubio reportedly remains on the trade block, and Ntilikina likely won’t be ready to step into the starting lineup right away, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the Knicks to see if they make a move for Rubio or another point guard when the new league year begins.
Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The Nets continue to be cited as a probable suitor for J.J. Redick, with Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reporting that multiple league sources expect both the Nets and Sixers to make a “hard push” for the free agent guard.
- The Nets had $3.4MM available to use in draft-day deal, but GM Sean Marks didn’t see any prospects worth trading into the second round to acquire, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. As Lewis notes, Brooklyn has until this Friday to use that cash before spending resets for the 2017/18 league year.
- French big man Louis Labeyrie, whose draft rights belong to the Knicks, will play on the team’s Summer League squad for the third straight July, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman suggests the 2014 second-rounder could have a better chance to earn an NBA contract this time around, with the Knicks in rebuilding mode.
- Earlier today, our Mark Suleymanov rounded up the highlights of the Nets‘ D’Angelo Russell/Timofey Mozgov introductory presser in Brooklyn.
D’Angelo Russell ‘Surprised’ By Trade To Brooklyn
With current Nets players practicing on the court behind the main stage, Brooklyn’s newest acquisitions, D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov, were showcased for the first time on Monday at the team’s practice facility.
Acquired from the Lakers in a blockbuster trade last week, the 21-year-old point guard and NBA champion center now join a rebuilding Nets franchise coming off a season in which the team had a league-worst 20-62 record. After two controversial years in Los Angeles, the former second overall pick Russell is excited about his fresh start.
“I was surprised,” Russell told the media – including Hoops Rumors – today. “I’ve never really been traded before and I didn’t know what to expect.”
On his way out of California, Russell was seemingly criticized by Lakers president Magic Johnson, who said he selected Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 pick and traded Russell because he was “looking for a leader.” However, Russell dismissed the criticism and expressed his excitement in moving from one big city to another.
“I can’t control what they [the Lakers] say. I’m gone so it’s the past,” Russell said. “Being 21 [years old], living in Los Angeles and coming to New York is not a complaint for me or my family.”
As for Mozgov, the 30-year-old Russian joins Brooklyn with three years left on the four-year, $64MM albatross of a contract he signed with the Lakers last season. Mozgov averaged 7.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 54 games (52 starts) last season and frequently received DNP-CDs late in the season so that the Lakers could play their youngsters.
The former NBA champion with the 2015/16 Cavaliers is familiar with New York City. Mozgov had a 34-game cameo with the Knicks in 2010/11 before he was traded to Nuggets as part of the deal that brought Carmelo Anthony to New York. In that brief time, then-Knicks assistant coach and current Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson saw the 7’1″ center develop – and believes Mozgov will be an asset in 2017/18.
“Timmy fits perfectly [in our system], he’s a competitive player, he’s a guy that loves to run the court he’s a physical player, and I think he rolls to the rim on pick and roll, which we love,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “At the end of the day, I love the person…so he fits perfectly in what we’re trying to build.”
Unless the Nets acquire another center, Mozgov figures to open the 2017/18 season as the starting big man in Brooklyn. The Nets will miss Brook Lopez – who was sent to the Lakers in the trade for the Nets’ new duo – and his three-point shooting. After attempting just 31 threes in his first eight years with the Nets, Lopez added a long-range game last season, making almost 35% (134 for 387) of his shots from beyond the arc. Mozgov has attempted 40 treys in his career and made just seven (17.5%) in his career, but will do what is asked of him.
“We’ll see if coach lets me shoot. [If he does], I will shoot,” Mozgov said. “I’m the guy who does whatever coach tells me to do; if he says shoot from half court, I will shoot from half court.”
Trust will be the key for a young Nets team. Russell was at the center of a highly publicized off-court saga with former teammate Nick Young in Los Angeles and his maturity was also questioned. The young point guard has already shown early signs of dedication, posting an Instagram video of him working out at the Nets’ practice facility late Sunday morning. Russell also mentioned speaking with Jeremy Lin and other Nets teammates about functioning well next season.
“It’s going to take time, not just D’Angelo, but anybody coming into the organization,” Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said. “To develop trust and respect, I think he’s well on his way to doing it.”
“There’s been some criticism and some doubts about him, but we’re a positive culture, positive coaching staff,” Atkinson added. “We’ll hold him accountable and be honest with him and that’s how guys better. He’s got a clean slate with us.”