Southeast Notes: Dudley, Beasley, Haslem, Daniels
Jared Dudley said in a recent interview with Grantland’s Zach Lowe that he would have considered the Wizards in free agency if he had opted out of his contract, writes Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. Dudley, who was also considering a return to Phoenix, was traded from Milwaukee to Washington earlier this month and said the Bucks didn’t show much interest in retaining him if he had opted for free agency. Dudley surprised many when he opted in for $4.25MM next season before the trade, but he used the case of the still-unsigned J.R. Smith to explain his reasoning. “I wanted to opt out,” Dudley said. “The whole thing was to opt out. At the same time, you never want to opt out — you want to have a deal in place or at least have a backup plan.” Dudley underwent surgery Tuesday for a herniated disk in his lower back and is expected to be out of action for three to four months.
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Michael Beasley could have a chance to make the Heat roster if he is willing to come to camp without a guaranteed contract, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist sees Zoran Dragic as a “lock” to earn a roster spot because of his brother, Goran, while Josh Richardson‘s potential combined with a small contract gives him a good chance as well. Winderman adds that based on Beasley’s Instagram account, he is clearly taking another shot at the NBA.
- At 35, the Heat’s Udonis Haslem is giving no thought to retirement, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. “I feel fine,” Haslem said. “I feel like I could go three or four more years depending on how Coach might need to use me or what the situation might be.” Haslem’s workload was down again in 2014/15, logging less than 1,000 minutes for the second straight season. However, he may be called on more often next year, especially if backup center Chris Andersen gets moved to help avoid the repeater tax. Haslem’s spot on the roster is secure, as he is signed for a guaranteed $2.9MM.
- Nobody questions the shooting ability of the Hornets‘ Troy Daniels, but he’ll have to do more than that to earn a secure spot in the NBA, writes Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. The 24-year-old is already on his third team, and Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said the guard’s “physical development” will be key to his NBA future. “I’ve wanted to see him add weight and gain strength, which I think will help him at both ends of the floor,” Clifford said. “He can shoot the ball from long range. He has a good feel of how to play. Right now, in order to take advantage of the skills he has worked on, he has to get stronger.”
Pacific Notes: Lee, Stephenson, Pierce
The Celtics agreed to take David Lee from the Warriors in exchange for Gerald Wallace more than two weeks ago, but the move has still yet to officially take place. That should change by Monday, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link), and the Celtics sent a press release detailing an introduction of “offseason additions” scheduled for that day. While we continue to wait for the formal trade, here’s more from around the Pacific Division:
- Duje Dukan‘s deal with the Kings is for two years, with the first season being fully guaranteed and year two carrying a partial guarantee, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets.
- Clippers swingman Lance Stephenson said that nagging injuries and his game being too similar to Kemba Walker‘s were contributing factors to his down season with the Hornets last year, and led to him being dealt to Los Angeles, Jared Zwerling of BleacherReport writes. When asked why he was traded, Stephenson told Zwerling, “It just didn’t work. I felt like me and Kemba do the same type of stuff, and it just didn’t click. Kemba is like a smaller me. He dominates the ball and he’s a playmaker. And then my jump shot wasn’t falling, so it was a tough season. I had toe and groin injuries. I’m telling you, this was worse than my rookie year when I didn’t even play. I was really mentally down. I was trying everything to try to figure out what I can do to help this squad.“
- Veteran forward Paul Pierce said he chose to sign with the Clippers because he wanted another shot at winning a title, and wants to end his career playing in Los Angeles, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post relays. “I’m at the point in my career where it’s winding down,” said Pierce. “I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I wanted another opportunity to win a championship. I thought just being here would be a great fit. I’m a veteran. I could be another voice in the locker room and I can just pretty much fill any role that they need me to play. If I didn’t think the Clippers were close then, no matter home or not, I probably wouldn’t have made this decision. “
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Hornets Sign Tyler Hansbrough
WEDNESDAY, 3:16pm: The signing is official, the Hornets announced.
TUESDAY, 9:30pm: The Hornets and unrestricted free agent Tyler Hansbrough have come to terms on a deal, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer reports (Twitter link). The length and terms of the agreement are unknown at this time.
Hansbrough appeared in 74 games for the Raptors last season, averaging 3.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 14.3 minutes per contest, and his shooting line was .521/.143/.698. In six NBA seasons since becoming the No. 13 overall pick back in 2009, the forward ‘s numbers are 7.2 PPG, 4.5RPG, and 0.5 APG. His career slash line is .439/.053/.746.
The 29-year-old returns to North Carolina, where he had starred for the the Tar Heels while in college. The Mavericks had also reportedly expressed interest in Hansbrough, whose rights were renounced by Toronto back on July 9th, according to the RealGM transactions log.
Jeff Taylor Close To Deal With Real Madrid
Three-year NBA veteran Jeff Taylor and Real Madrid of Spain are drawing close to agreement, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The small forward who’s spent the past three seasons with Charlotte turned down an offer this past weekend from an Israeli team. Little chatter about NBA options for the 2012 31st overall pick has emerged since the Hornets decided against making a him qualifying offer.
Taylor served a 24-game NBA suspension last season stemming from his guilty plea to misdemeanor domestic assault and property destruction charges this past fall. He struggled to regain his place in the Hornets rotation after that, appearing in only 29 games. The now 26-year-old started 13 of them, but saw a career-low 14.8 minutes per contest. Taylor also spent time on D-League assignment.
Real Madrid is a European power, and if he closes the deal and excels for the team, it would likely give the former Vanderbilt standout a path back to the NBA. The Nuggets are reportedly trying to lure point guard Sergio Rodriguez from Real Madrid, but it’s unclear if that’s at all related to Taylor’s negotiations.
And-Ones: Las Vegas, Motum, Taylor, Lockout
The success of the summer league in Las Vegas has created hopes that the city may one day have its own NBA team, writes Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. Former commissioner David Stern planted the seed during a 2007 meeting with Mayor Oscar Goodman, and the annual summertime gathering has strengthened the city’s position. The 20,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena is large enough to house an NBA franchise, and the NHL has started to break down the Las Vegas barrier, announcing recently that the city is a candidate for a future expansion team, along with Seattle and Quebec City. City officials should be patient, though. Celtics president Rich Gotham pointed out that the league has no immediate plans for expansion and that sentiment remains high to put a team in Seattle.
There’s more from around the world of basketball:
- The Jazz have offered a partially guaranteed contract to forward Brock Motum, tweets Angus Crawford of NBA.com/Australia. Team officials were impressed by his play in the summer league. Motum is “strongly” considering Utah’s offer, but is also listening to teams in Europe (Twitter link).
- Former Hornet Jeffery Taylor has turned down an offer from Maccabi of the Israeli Premier League, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. The news was relayed by Taylor’s agent, Todd Ramasar.
- The new contract that Miroslav Raduljica signed with Panathinaikos in the Greek League includes a $500K escape clause, according to Pick (Twitter link). The Serbian briefly played for the Wolves last season.
- The NBA is risking its historic success with tough labor talk, writes Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. Both the league and the players’ union issued statements this week, reminding everyone that a potential lockout is just two years away.
- Sixteen teams still have not used their $2.814MM room exception, tweets former Nets executive Bobby Marks.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Richardson, Taylor, Bynum
Faced with a luxury tax problem, the Heat have been aggressively trying to deal Mario Chalmers and Shabazz Napier, reports Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. An unidentified GM from another team said Miami’s preference is to deal Chalmers because he is due to make $4.3MM next season. Miami would reportedly settle for a second-round pick — or even less — to get Chalmers’ salary off its books. The GM adds that Chris Andersen is another candidate to be dealt, although the center has not been offered to the GM’s team. He also says the Heat are not trying to trade Josh McRoberts.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Miami will make an offer to Josh Richardson to keep his rights, but may encourage the rookie guard to play overseas, Jackson writes in the same story. Richardson will have to choose whether to seek a spot with a foreign club or try to make the Heat’s roster in training camp. Richardson hasn’t decided if he is willing to spend a year overseas, saying the NBA “has always been my dream; nobody wants to play anywhere else.” The Heat currently have 17 players under contract, stacking the odds against Richardson earning a roster spot.
- Former Hornet Jeffery Taylor has been offered a two-year contract by Maccabi of the Israeli Premier League, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Pick termed the situation a “done deal” if Taylor agrees. Last month, the Hornets decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Taylor, making him an unrestricted free agent. He spent three years in Charlotte, although his second season was cut short by an Achilles tear and the third was interrupted by a 24-game suspension imposed by the league.
- Barcelona may offer a contract to former Wizards guard Will Bynum, according to Enea Trapani of Sportando. Bynum spent most of the 2014/15 season in China, but signed with Washington late in the year and appeared in seven games.
Southeast Notes: Green, Durant, Gooden
Numerous coaches around the league have praised the Heat‘s signing of Gerald Green to a one-year pact, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relays. Kings coach George Karl said of Green, “Explosive guy coming off the bench. Can blow a game open. He reminds me a lot of J.R. Smith when I had J.R. in Denver. Sometimes you don’t like how he plays. Sometimes he’ll drive you a little crazy. But in the same sense, he has a power for a bench player that has All-Star talent. Now he doesn’t put it on the court every night. [But] when you have the ability to put it on the court every other game, that’s still a great weapon to have. I think [Heat coach] Erik [Spoelstra] will use him really well.”
Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards intend to go “all in” on pursuing Kevin Durant when he becomes a free agent next Summer, which means the team needs to show Durant through its roster moves that he’ll have the best opportunity to secure an NBA title in Washington, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. “The one thing I know about my brother is he wants to win,” said Damion James, Durant’s best friend and a member of the Wizards’ summer league team. “He’ll do whatever it takes to win. Whoever gives him the best chance to win is where he’s going to end up.”
- Aaron Harrison‘s two-year deal with the Hornets will pay him $525,093 in 2015/16 and $874,636 for the 2016/17 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
- The Wizards’ pact with Drew Gooden will see him earn approximately $3.3MM for the upcoming season and $3.5MM for the 2016/17 campaign, Pincus relays (on Twitter).
- Undrafted rookie Terran Petteway is trying to snag a training camp invite with the Hawks through his Summer League play, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. “Really, I like the way these guys play,” Petteway said when asked about his decision to play Summer ball with the Hawks. “They get up and down the floor. That’s my type of basketball, right there, getting up and down the floor. They play great defense and share the ball.” As for his future, Petteway said, “They [the Hawks] said they liked my activity on the defensive end and also I can score a little bit. That’s why I’m trying to get out here and show them I can be a two-way guard and a solid guy off the bench.”
Southeast Notes: Lin, Dragic, Dudley
Goran Dragic is thrilled that the Heat re-signed Dwyane Wade this offseason, but also notes that he would have returned to Miami regardless of Wade’s decision, as he said in a recent appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show on ESPN Radio (audio link), and as Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post transcribes. When Dragic was asked if he had been nervous about Wade returning, he said, “I was, a little bit. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was back in Europe and I read all the media reports. In the end, I’m really glad we signed him.”
Dragic also noted that he didn’t speak with any other teams during the free agent signing period. “No, because Miami was the first team that called me,” Dragic said. “The last three months of last season, I was really satisfied with the organization and the people around me and the players. I was considering Miami the first option… Miami Heat is the right organization for me. I want to win something. I could go somewhere else, but I was really happy the last couple of months here. That was the right decision for me… Basically Miami Heat was the first option. Then they called me first. [Team president] Pat [Riley] was talking and saying what kind of team it was going to be… and I said I need to be on this wagon.”
Here’s more out of the NBA’s Southeast Division:
- Jeremy Lin said that the Hornets entered the picture late in the free agent process, but he added that the team appeared to be sincere in its presentation and plan for him, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets. The point guard inked a two-year pact with the franchise last week.
- Charlotte’s signing of Lin using its biannual exception means that the Hornets have triggered the hard cap, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. If a team is hard-capped, it cannot exceed the tax apron under any circumstance. A team that has spent up to its hard cap can still ink players to non-guaranteed contracts for training camp or the regular season, but it must rid itself of such players before their salaries become guaranteed. The deal is worth the full value of the biannual exception, a total of $4,374,255 over two years, and it includes a player option, as Pincus shows on his Hornets salary page.
- Jared Dudley said that the Wizards were one of the teams he considered signing with before he opted in for 2015/16 with the Bucks, and he’s thrilled with the trade that sent him to Washington, The Associated Press relays. “I liked my situation in Milwaukee, but if they told me I was going to opt in and go to Washington, I would have opted in the first day because I can’t see a [situation] that’s better for me right now,” Dudley said.
Hornets Sign Aaron Harrison To Two-Year Deal
JULY 14TH, 5:45pm: The signing is official, the Hornets announced.
JULY 11TH, 9:48pm: The Hornets have signed former Kentucky guard Aaron Harrison to a two-year contract, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The contract includes a partial guarantee for this season and a team option for 2016/17 (Twitter link).
Harrison was passed over in the draft, but has made a strong impression on Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, Wojnarowski reports. He has put up impressive numbers while playing for the Hornets’ summer league team in Orlando.
Harrison spent two years at Kentucky and made two trips to the Final Four. He was named preseason SEC Player of the Year prior to his sophomore season.
Kings Sign Marco Belinelli
July 13th, 9:58pm: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.
July 3rd, 4:05pm: The deal wouldn’t fit within the mid-level exception, Stein notes via Twitter. That exception would only allow for a total of $17,129,640 over three years, and while it’s not uncommon for initial reported figures on deals to be off, this appears to be confirm that the contract will exceed the exception amount. That means the Kings will likely use cap room and lose the ability to create trade exceptions for the three players they’ve agreed to trade to Philadelphia, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (on Twitter).
1:36pm: The Kings and Marco Belinelli have reached agreement on a deal worth $19MM over three years, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The contract will include no option clauses, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Sacramento will likely use part of the cap space it’s set to clear in the wake of its trade agreement with the Sixers, though the deal is cheap enough to fit within the $5.464MM mid-level exception if the Kings choose to operate as an over-the-cap team.
The Hornets had reportedly planned a strong pursuit, and the Warriors had interest, too. The Heat put in a call to express their interest in the client of Sam Goldfeder and Jeff Schwartz, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), but Miami, like the Warriors, is likely limited to no more than the $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception. The Bulls might have gone after him if they’d have failed to sign Mike Dunleavy, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote, but they, too, would likely have been limited to the taxpayer’s mid-level.
Belinelli wanted to re-sign with the Spurs, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News heard (Twitter link). They were armed with Early Bird rights to bring him back on a deal comparable to the one he’s getting from the Kings, but they’re in hot pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge, and may well have had to renounce Belinelli’s rights to squeeze Aldridge under the cap.
Sacramento moves on from having missed out on Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews with a proven three-point marksman who’s nailed 39.2% of his attempts from behind the arc for his career. Still, outside of two seasons in New Orleans, he’s primarily been a reserve during his eight years in the NBA.