Nets Acquire Jarrett Jack In Deal With Cavs, Celts
10:06am: The second-rounder going from the Celtics to the Cavs is for 2015, according to Cleveland’s official announcement on the trade. It’s top-55 protected, and if it doesn’t fall within the final five picks of the second round, Boston’s obligation regarding the pick will be extinguished.
THURSDAY, 9:21am: The trade is official, the Nets announce.
“Jarrett is a proven NBA veteran who will add versatility to our backcourt,” Nets GM Billy King said in the team’s statement. “The team had a need in that area and we are excited that we were able to secure Jarrett to fill that role. Sergey is a player who we have followed closely for several years. He is a versatile forward and will be a welcome addition to our roster.”
WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Cavs will receive the draft rights to Ilkan Karaman, Christian Drejer and Edin Bavcic from the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. They were second-round picks in 2012, 2004 and 2006, respectively. The first-rounder going from Cleveland to Boston is top-10 protected in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and becomes unprotected for 2019, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).
9:46am: The Cavs, Nets and Celtics will complete a three-team trade that sends Jarrett Jack to the Nets and opens up the cap flexibility necessary for Cleveland to give LeBron James a max contract, as Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe confirms (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported that the clubs were on the verge of a deal. Sergey Karasev will go to the Nets as well, while Marcus Thornton, Tyler Zeller, and a first-round pick are headed to Boston. The first-rounder the Celtics are getting is for 2016, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reported, and Holmes says that pick is coming from the Cavs (Twitter link). The Celtics send a future second-round pick to the Cavs, Holmes tweets.
It appears as though the Celtics will slip Thornton, who’s set to make $8.575MM next season, and Zeller, set for slightly more than $1.5MM, into the nearly $10.3MM trade exception left over from last year’s Paul Pierce trade, as Goodman pointed out. The Cavs No. 1 option is using the max-level cap flexibility the deal creates to chase LeBron, but if not, they’ll reportedly go after second-tier free agents, with Trevor Ariza apparently among their targets.
Cleveland and the Nets were reportedly working for weeks on a trade involving Jack and Thornton, but with the Cavs uninterested in taking back Thornton’s salary, the involvement of a third team became necessary. The Hawks were among the teams the Cavs were reaching out to, but the idea of acquiring Thornton was apparently a turn-off for them. Enter the Celtics, who’ve been looking to acquire assets necessary to enhance their standing for a Kevin Love trade.
The Nets end up with a backup point guard to replace Shaun Livingston, who signed with the Warriors. They also receive Karasev, just a year removed from having been the 19th overall pick in the 2013 draft, to help inject youth into a veteran-laded team. The Nets believe Jack could even start next to Deron Williams, as Livingston did for much of last season, while they were eyeing Karasev during the draft last year, TNT’s David Aldridge tweets.
Eastern Rumors: Ariza, Celtics, Sixers
The Wizards have spoken with Luol Deng, but remain committed to re-signing Trevor Ariza, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Here’s more from the East:
- Washington is prepared to offer Ariza a raise from last year’s $7.7MM salary, but not upwards of $9MM, which is what the small forward is reportedly seeking, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Both Ariza and the Wizards have anticipated waiting until LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony make their decisions before any progress for Ariza can be made.
- J. Michael of CSNWashington.com tweets that Ariza is assured of receiving more more money from another team, but that the Wizards hope he will want to remain in Washington for less.
- The Bulls are now being linked as suitors for Ariza by Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Rockets are weighing whether to match Chandler Parsons‘ offer sheet with the Mavs, or pursue Ariza at a lower price, tweets Broussard.
- The Celtics like the newly acquired Tyler Zeller, but don’t have long term plans for Marcus Thornton, whom they acquired in the same three-team trade, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn says it’s likely Boston will deal away Thornton’s contract or let it expire.
- Before the Celtics agreed to take part in today’s swap, the Cavs reached out to the Magic and just about every other team in the league as they sought a third team to take Thornton in a three-team deal with the Nets, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie acknowledged that his team is in position to help other clubs with its ample cap flexibility, pointing to that as a way to faciliate trades, as he told Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News as part of a Q&A.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nets, Cavs, Celtics Close To Jarrett Jack Trade
9:38am: The Cavs will probably end up with a future second-round pick when the deal gets done, according to Stein (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 9:35am: An agreement is close on a three-way deal involving Cleveland, Brooklyn and Boston that would send Jack to the Nets, Stein tweets. Karasev would go to Brooklyn as well. The Celtics would receive Thornton, Tyler Zeller and a first-round pick, Stein adds (on Twitter). It’s unclear what the Cavs would get, but it appears as though they would receive the cap flexibility to acquire LeBron. Boston would be using its nearly $10.3MM trade exception to acquire Thornton, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, who adds that the first-rounder the Celtics are getting is for 2016 (Twitter link).
10:23am: The Hawks are among the teams the Cavs have recruited as a potential landing spot for Thornton, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The Hawks have nonetheless shown little interest in Thornton, Berger adds (on Twitter).
8:51am: The Cavs, who had reportedly been shopping Jack and draft picks, are now doing the same with Thornton and picks on the assumption they’d be able to get Thornton from the Nets, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports details. Cleveland is also making Sergey Karasev available in trades, Wojnarowski adds.
JULY 7TH, 7:59am: The Cavs and Nets have a deal in place contingent upon finding a third team to absorb Thornton, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports said Sunday on Fox Sports Radio, and as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio confirms. The Suns, Mavs and Timberwolves are among the teams potentially interested in Thornton, Amico hears. Cleveland has been shopping Jack and dangling a draft pick to go along with him, as Wojnarowski reported this weekend, and one way or another, the Cavs intend to trade Jack before the coming season begins, a source tells Amico. Unloading Jack has become key to Cleveland’s efforts to clear max cap room for LeBron James, as we passed along earlier.
JULY 2ND, 9:56pm: As predicted by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, the Nets and Cavs are revisiting talks of a Thornton-Jack swap, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.
1:43pm: The Kings are interested in Jack, too, but they’re holding off until they know what happens with restricted free agent Isaiah Thomas, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
JULY 1ST, 8:14pm: The loss of Shaun Livingston is likely to resurrect the Thornton-for-Jack trade talks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
JUNE 23RD, 8:01am: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is also hearing denials of Thornton-Jack talks, though Jack’s name has come up as the Cavs discuss potential trades with other teams, Amico says.
SATURDAY, 3:47pm: League sources deny that the Nets and Cavs have discussed a Thornton/Jack swap, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
2:36pm: The Nets and Cavs are discussing a trade that would center around Marcus Thornton and Jarrett Jack, reports Marc Stein of ESPN. Cleveland is interested in freeing up cap space by shedding Jack’s contract, which is guaranteed through 2015/16, in favor of Thornton’s expiring pact, says Stein, who adds that Brooklyn is among the few teams in the league undeterred from acquiring Jack’s extended deal.
Jack signed a $25MM contract with the Cavs last summer after a successful 2012/13 campaign in which he came off the bench behind Stephen Curry for the Warriors. His 2013/14 season was a disappointing one however, as the point guard shot just 41% from the floor and posted a career-low 11.5 PER.
Thornton was acquired by the Nets at last season’s trade deadline, and he proved to be a valuable asset for Brooklyn, averaging 12.3 points per night in just 23.8 minutes per contest. He’s set to enter free agency after the 2014/15 season.
According to Stein, the Nets fear they’ll lose free agent-to-be Shaun Livingston this offseason after a year in which the often-injured point guard exceeded expectations on a minimum-salary contract, and the club is looking to replace his production by acquiring Jack from the Cavs. Brooklyn, deep in the luxury tax, would only be able to offer Livingston a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $10MM using the taxpayers mid-level exception. The Timberwolves are one team rumored to be interested in Livingston that can make a more lucrative offer.
And-Ones: Crawford, Hayward, 76ers
With a logjam at the guard spots and limited payroll flexibility, the Warriors are willing to help Jordan Crawford find his next team with a sign-and-trade deal, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The source added that the former Xavier guard has drawn interest from the Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks, and Nets (Twitter links).
You can find more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below:
- The Hornets were pleased with their meeting with Gordon Hayward today, but the Jazz maintain that they’ll match any offer sheet for the 24-year-old forward, tweets NBA.com’s David Aldridge.
- 76ers GM Sam Hinkie said that he’s involved in plenty of conversations, but not as many as the media has been reporting, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Hinkie doesn’t think the addition of a high-profile guard will hurt Michael Carter-Williams‘ confidence, adding that the 2013/14 Rookie of the Year is the team’s point guard of the future.
- Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will not be in attendance during LeBron James‘ meeting with Pat Riley tomorrow, a source tells Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio.
- ESPN’s Marc Stein says he’s been strongly advised to dismiss rumblings that Nike has purchased billboards in Cleveland in anticipation for LeBron’s eventual free agency decision; however, It doesn’t mean that LeBron has ruled out a return to the Cavaliers either (Twitter links).
- Former Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin will join the Kings as an assistant coach, a source tells Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune. A week ago, we relayed that Corbin was set to interview for a spot on Michael Malone’s coaching staff.
- Nik Stauskas is slated to sign his rookie deal with Sacramento today, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
- Timberwolves president/head coach Flip Saunders admits that he should have sent Chase Budinger to the D-League last season for a rehab assignment last season, noting that the swingman’s return from knee surgery has been a tough transition (Twitter link via Nate Sandell of 1500 ESPN).
- The Knicks added Joshua Longstaff and Rasheed Hazzard to Derek Fisher‘s coaching staff, notes Jonah Ballow of NYKnicks.com. Longstaff was previously a Thunder assistant, while Hazzard formerly worked for the Lakers.
- Former Oakland star Travis Bader signed a deal with ASVEL in France but would be allowed to opt out of his contract if he can make an NBA roster, writes Brian Calloway of the Detroit Free Press.
And-Ones: Bosh, Rockets, ‘Melo, Thunder
Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski told FOX Sports 1 that Chris Bosh told the Rockets something that they don’t want to hear: “I want to be in Miami, I want to play with LeBron [James],” (link via Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders). More from around the league..
- Carmelo Anthony is “torn” over where to spend the prime years of his career, a friend of the Knicks All Star forward tells Frank Isola of the Daily News. Anthony, 30, is still debating his next move with the Knicks, Lakers, and Bulls as his top three choices, the source claims.
- The Knicks are feeling uneasy about the Melo situation, Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Meanwhile, the Bulls are encouraged by his indecisiveness, writes Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times.
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks met today with Pau Gasol, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- In his introductory press conference, new Nets coach Lionel Hollins presented himself as a very different man than Jason Kidd, writes Mitch Abramson of the Daily News.
- A bunch of teams, including the Warriors, concluded early after July 1st that Channing Frye would get more than the mid-level exception, tweets Zach Lowe of Grantland. However, teams didn’t expect him to land with the Magic. Frye is set to ink a four-year, $32MM pact with Orlando.
- Kobe Bryant is recruiting Steve Blake and Caron Butler to the Lakers, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
- Blazers point guard Mo Williams is scheduled to meet with the Mavericks tomorrow, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Free Agent Rumors: ‘Melo, Ariza, Stephenson
The Lakers aggressively pitched to Carmelo Anthony the idea that he can be the star of the team once Kobe Bryant‘s contract expires in 2016, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com hears (Twitter link). ‘Melo was to have taken the weekend to make his free agent choice, but it appears he still hasn’t made up his mind. Here’s more from a wild Monday of free agency:
- The Cavs, Lakers, Heat and Mavs are all pursuing Trevor Ariza, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Wizards are presumably still in the hunt, as well. The swingman is seeking salaries of $9-11MM, Berger adds.
- The Mavs have indeed shown interest in Lance Stephenson, reversing their previous stance against signing him, reports Chris Broussard of ESPNDallas.com, but it’s still very unlikely the shooting guard will end up in Dallas, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The Pacers‘ recent five-year, $45MM offer disappointed the Alberto Ebanks client, who’s begun shopping for other teams, Broussard writes.
- The Celtics are also interested in Stephenson, Broussard adds (via Twitter).
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) continues to hear that the Thunder are ahead of the Heat in the Anthony Morrow chase. Along with Pau Gasol, Morrow has been a prime OKC target in free agency.
- A Chinese team offered Sebastian Telfair a two-year, $7MM deal as word of an impending deal with the Thunder leaked, agent Joel Bell tells Shams Charania of RealGM. Telfair passed that up to strike a one-year, minimum-salary agreement with the Thunder.
- Paul Pierce‘s representatives are telling teams that he’s looking for a two-year deal worth $9-10MM per season, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter). The Jeff Schwartz client is waiting to see if teams are willing to offer more money once the first-tier free agents come off the board, Mannix adds (Twitter link).
- The Nets, Trail Blazers and Spurs have worked out free agent Ivan Johnson, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- The Hornets are among the teams set to meet with unrestricted free agent Kent Bazemore, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
- Free agent Matt Bonner has remained in contact with the Spurs on a possible reunion and is waiting for the roster to unfold, sources tell RealGM’s Shams Charania (on Twitter). No other clubs are in the mix for him yet.
Nets Rumors: Pierce, Hollins, Bogdanovic
The Nets aren’t in the running for either LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, but given their role in reported talks with the Cavs involving Jarrett Jack as Cleveland attempts to clear salary cap room for James, Brooklyn is still at the forefront of NBA conversation. Here’s the latest:
- Paul Pierce remains high on the notion of re-signing with the Nets, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that the 36-year-old would like to play at least two more seasons (Twitter link). Brooklyn has rebuffed the Clippers’ attempts to acquire Pierce via sign-and-trade.
- New Nets coach Lionel Hollins was reportedly a strong candidate for the Lakers job before he wound up with Brooklyn, but in his introductory news conference today, he indicated that the Lakers didn’t push hard enough for him, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. “I’m all about who wants me,” Hollins said. “If they wanted me, they would have hired me.”
- Hollins also made it clear he wouldn’t attempt to usurp the role of GM Billy King, as predecessor Jason Kidd apparently tried to do prior to Kidd’s exit, notes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- Brooklyn’s discussions with draft-and-stash prospect Bojan Bogdanovic center around what would be a deal for the $3.278MM taxpayer’s midlevel exception, as Bontemps details.
And-Ones: Early, Bazemore, Lin, Nets
The Knicks may have gotten the steal of the draft when they selected Cleanthony Early with the 34th pick, opines Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The article also notes that Early plans on using his draft night slide as motivation, saying, “At the end of the day, they made their decision, they made their choices, and they’re going to have to live with that, they’re going to have to stick with that. I’m going to have to live with that, I’m going to have to stick with that. But the only difference is, the way my heart is set up and the way I am, I’m going to use it as motivation. It fires me up. If I ever feel like I am being overlooked or I feel like I got something to prove, I’m willing to accept that challenge. The only thing I have to do is get in the gym and continue doing what I’ve been doing.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Trevor Mbakwe‘s contract with Germany’s Bamberg has opt out clauses for both the NBA and the Euroleague, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- It’s been a strange ride for the Nets that got even stranger when Jason Kidd left town, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Reports of a deal between the Hawks and Kent Bazemore are premature but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that he has a face-to-face meeting with Atlanta tomorrow.
- The Sixers are willing to trade with the Rockets for Jeremy Lin, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, but Philly wants a first rounder included in any deal.
- The Cavs are trying to create a maximum salary slot for LeBron James, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Cleveland is searching for a third team to take Marcus Thornton from the Nets, so the Cavs could then unload Jarrett Jack, Wojnarowski reports.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Eastern Notes: Anthony, Bucks, Meeks
The Lakers interest in Carmelo Anthony could possibly help the Bulls acquire the free agent forward, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson opines that the presence of a third serious contender could make the Knicks more amenable to a sign-and-trade deal for Anthony if they are unable to re-sign him.
More from around the league:
- The Bucks are looking to sign a point guard this summer, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Their primary targets will be the Suns Eric Bledsoe and the Raptors Greivis Vasquez, both players are restricted free agents, so their teams will have the opportunity to match any offer.
- The Nets are attempting to sign Bojan Bogdanovic of Fenerbahce, and the proposed deal is for a length of three years, reports David Pick of Eurobasket (Twitter links).
- The three-year, $19.5MM deal the Pistons agreed to with Jodie Meeks has been criticized for being an overpay, but Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press thinks it could turn out to be a good deal for the team.
And-Ones: Clippers, Williams, LeBron
Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) wonders what the Clippers recent signing of Spencer Hawes will mean for the extension chances of DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford with the team.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Unless the Clippers are willing to trade J.J. Redick or first-round picks to the Nets for Paul Pierce, a sign-and-trade is unlikely, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- Free agent forward Marvin Williams has been in discussions with the Spurs, Heat, Wizards, Hornets, Clippers, Magic, and Suns, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter link).
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman breaks down the Thunder‘s Summer League roster.
- The Lakers indeed met today with Rich Paul, the agent for LeBron James, as expected, Aldridge tweets.
- Talks are advancing between Luol Deng and the Hawks, though no agreement is pending, notes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link).