Cavs Hope To Keep Luol Deng Long-Term
WEDNESDAY, 3:35pm: Asked today about re-signing, Deng said that he hopes Cleveland can be a long-term destination, but declined to go into further deal, as Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer outlines.
Deng also tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that he and his reps were never seeking $15MM annually in extension talks with the Bulls, and while he’s not upset with the organization, he’s bothered by that figure leaking (Twitter links). For what it’s worth, only one report suggested Deng was seeking $15-16MM per year, while most others pegged his desired figure in the $12-13MM neighborhood, as we noted below.
TUESDAY, 3:53pm: The Cavaliers didn’t waste any time today talking about how much they want newly-acquired Luol Deng to be a part of their future. While Deng has yet to put on a Cavs uniform, GM Chris Grant has already indicated that the goal is to keep the veteran forward around “long-term,” according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
Deng reportedly turned down a three-year, $30MM extension offer from the Bulls, but the Cavs are expected to revisit the topic of a contract extension with the 28-year-old. Still, negotiations won’t begin immediately, according to Grant, who says he wants Deng to get acclimated in Cleveland first (Twitter link via the Plain Dealer).
If the Cavs offer Deng an extension, they’ll only be able to tack on three years to his existing deal. While that could work for the team, Deng may prefer to hit the open market, where he could receive a five-year offer from Cleveland or four-year offers from rival suitors.
In his piece today evaluating the swap between the Cavs and Bulls, Grantland’s Zach Lowe noted that finding the right price point for Deng in free agency won’t be easy. Lowe suggests that the Cavs shouldn’t make a five-year offer, and should probably only go up to four years if that final season is at least partially non-guaranteed. With Deng’s Bird rights in hand though, Cleveland is now invested in finding a workable deal for the former Bull, who is said to be seeking at least $12-13MM annually.
Ford On Young, Cavs, Lakers, Bulls, Draft
As usual, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford devoted half of his weekly chat to NBA talk and the other half to draft chatter. He provided a handful of interesting tidbits this week on both subjects, so let’s check in on several of the highlights….
- According to Ford, the Cavaliers flirted with acquiring Thaddeus Young from the Sixers in a deal for Andrew Bynum, but Philadelphia wanted Cleveland’s own 2014 first-rounder, which was a non-starter.
- Danny Ainge keeps saying the 2014 draft class is overrated, which Ford interprets to mean that the Celtics GM actually loves it.
- The Lakers are “living in a fantasy land” when it comes to their asking price for Pau Gasol, says Ford, adding that L.A. wanted more from the Cavs for Gasol than what the Bulls got for Luol Deng.
- Ford doesn’t think the Bulls are done dealing, noting that there have been a lot of trade whispers about Kirk Hinrich, Joakim Noah, and Carlos Boozer. I imagine Chicago would be much more inclined to part with Boozer and/or Hinrich than Noah.
- NBA execs who value advanced metrics are concerned about Julius Randle‘s lack of steals this season (one in 385 minutes). While NBA teams still like Randle a lot, no GM or scout has suggested recently to Ford that his team would take the Kentucky big man first overall.
- The Magic and Kings “really like” Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart.
- “Virtually every GM in the league is in love” with Joel Embiid, who remains in the mix for the first overall pick.
- Ford hears that a Mormon mission after this season isn’t out of the question for Jabari Parker, which prompted him to ask several GMs where they’d take the Duke forward if he declared for the draft and announced he was going on a two-year mission. Surprisingly, a few still said they’d take Parker first overall, says Ford.
Central Links: Bennett, Rose, Bulls, Bucks
The Bulls won their first game since trading Luol Deng, beating the Suns 92-87 last night, but the victory, Chicago’s third straight, didn’t pull the club any closer to the division-leading Pacers, who also won their third in a row. Indiana’s 13-game lead in the Central is by far the biggest margin between any division leader and second-place team in the NBA. Let’s round up a few items from out of that Central Division:
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wonders why the Cavaliers have yet to assign No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett to the D-League to help him develop, a topic which has been discussed among executives at this week’s D-League Showcase in Reno.
- Derrick Rose and his camp don’t have a leg to stand on if they’re unhappy with the Bulls‘ decision to trade Deng, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Publicly, team management has indicated that Rose has shown no indication of being upset with the Bulls’ direction, despite whispers that the star point guard wouldn’t be on board with a rebuilding period.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel is skeptical that the Bulls will be a serious candidate to land LeBron James this summer, but acknowledges that Chicago will likely be linked to many players leading up to free agency.
- Klay Thompson tells Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link) that he thought there was a 90% chance he’d end up being drafted by the Bucks back in 2011.
Possible 10-Day Contracts From The D-League
With the D-League Showcase under way in Reno, more league attention has been turned the direction of the young players outside the NBA. The Showcase alone is not the reason for the shift in focus. All of the players on NBA rosters are now guaranteed salaries for the remainder of the season, and teams are now able to sign players to 10-day contracts. Below are a few of the players that have already drawn attention around the league.
- Ike Diogu is playing well at the D-League Showcase and league sources say he could draw interest from Lakers, Clippers, Thunder and Pelicans, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
- James Nunnally of the Bakersfield Jam is a D-League call-up candidate and has had meetings with the Cavs, Bulls, and Thunder at the D-League showcase in Reno, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick later tweeted the Hawks are also a team interested in Nunnally.
- James Southerland has met with at least three teams this week, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. He has played one game with the Bobcats and spent the summer with the 76ers and Warriors.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Kennedy On Gordon, Rockets, Cavs, Hawes
The Bobcats are shopping Ben Gordon, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Sulia). Charlotte has talked to many teams about the guard and is trying to move Gordon’s $13.2MM expiring deal for a player who can help the team win now. The Bobcats, sitting at No. 7 in the East, are expected to be buyers at the deadline, because they want to make the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. More from Kennedy..
- In addition to the Bobcats, the Rockets and Suns have also been identified as buyers as the deadline approaches. Phoenix may be open to trading a draft pick or a young asset if it means making the team better today and ensuring a playoff berth.
- The Cavaliers have been termed as the most active team in the league in terms of trade talks, but they’re quieting down after landing Luol Deng and unloading Andrew Bynum. It’s still possible that they make another move before February 20th, but they want to see how their team looks with Deng before working the phones again.
- The Pistons aren’t sure whether they should be buyers or sellers at the deadline, according to league sources. They had playoff expectations entering the season after adding Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Chauncey Billups among others, but they have struggled early on. Within the organization, it sounds like there are some people who want to be buyers in order to ensure a playoff berth, but there are also some who don’t believe the pieces fit together very well and think Detroit should sell.
- In addition to Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and other 76ers players are available.
Latest On Andrew Bynum
Here’s the latest on the NBA’s hottest soon-to-be free agent..
- The Knicks one of a few teams who have not at least made an inquiry into Andrew Bynum, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks may have decided that they have enough interesting personalities on their club as it is.
- Bynum’s preference would be to hook on with the Heat, with the Clippers as his second favorite, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- It doesn’t sound like the Clippers will be in on Bynum however, write Arash Markazi and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “I honestly haven’t given it a lot of thought, I can tell you that,” coach Doc Rivers said of searching for a big man. “We’ve had very few discussions about anyone big right now. We’re far more focused on the perimeter part of our team.“
Fallout, Leftover Details From Deng/Bynum Trade
Late last night, the Cavaliers and Bulls struck 2014’s first deal, and arguably the most interesting swap of the ’13/14 season so far, with Chicago sending Luol Deng to Cleveland in exchange for Andrew Bynum‘s contract and several draft picks. In our story on the trade last night, we made note of a few potential ramifications of the deal, including the possibility of the Cavs re-signing Deng in July, and the effect that losing the All-Star forward will have on the Bulls’ chances of a high lottery pick. There are many other leftover details related to the trade to round up though, so let’s dive right in and tackle a few of them….
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last night that Deng turned down a three-year, $30MM extension offer from the Bulls before the team decided to trade him. In his full piece on that news, Woj notes that Chicago was unwilling to go as high as $12-13MM over four or five seasons for the 28-year-old.
- Following up with more details on those extension talks, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) hears there’s a chance the two sides also discussed a four-year, $40MM contract, while Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets that Deng’s reps may have been looking for a deal in the $15-16MM per year range.
- Although the Bulls will sneak below the tax threshold when they waive Bynum, that move will leave them with 12 players, one short of the league minimum. ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst points out (via Twitter) that adding a player today for the prorated veteran’s minimum would still keep the Bulls below the tax, albeit not by much. Chicago also doesn’t have to add a 13th player immediately, since teams can drop to 12 for up to two weeks at a time, so the club could retain a little flexibility by waiting, then signing players to 10-day contracts.
- More financial details from Windhorst (Twitter link): Chicago’s total payroll and tax savings add up to more than $20MM+, and the Bulls will also receive another $2-3MM when this year’s tax money is dispersed, assuming team payroll remains below the $71.748MM threshold.
- A source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that this likely won’t be the last trade of the season for either the Bulls or the Cavs (Twitter link).
- The Cavs had been trying for “quite some time” to move the Kings‘ first-round pick, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The pick isn’t quite as valuable as Cleveland’s other first-rounders, since its protection, combined with the Kings’ recent futility, could result in it eventually becoming a second-round pick. The first-rounder is top-12 protected this year, then top-10 protected from 2015 to 2017. Lloyd adds that the Cavs tried to give the pick back to Sacramento or loosen the protection in various deals before sending it to Chicago.
- Pau Gasol and the Lakers were connected to the Cavs frequently over the last week, but L.A. remained adamant about receiving a young player or premium pick from Cleveland, which wasn’t going to happen, tweets Amico. ESPN.com’s Marc Stein adds (via Twitter) that acquiring Deng was always the Cavs’ dream scenario, which is why the team was willing to send picks to the Bulls, but not the Lakers.
- According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), the Lakers still believe they have other ways to get under the luxury tax after not landing Bynum. In my opinion, that’ll be pretty difficult.
- In his trade story at ESPN.com, Windhorst adds the Knicks to the list of teams expected to have interest in Bynum once he clears waivers.
- The Bulls created a modest trade exception in the deal, worth the difference in Deng’s ($14,275,000) and Bynum’s ($12,250,000) salaries: $2,025,000.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes that the Cavs completed this trade with Kyrie Irving‘s long-term future in mind, while ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell says that the divorce of Deng and Tom Thibodeau may lead to an adjustment period for both guys over the next few weeks.
Cavaliers Acquire Luol Deng For Bynum, Picks
The Cavaliers and Bulls have reached an agreement on a trade that will send Luol Deng to Cleveland in exchange for Andrew Bynum and draft picks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst confirms that the Cavs have acquired Deng (Twitter link), while team owner Dan Gilbert also tweeted confirmation of the deal, welcoming Deng to Cleveland.
According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), the Bulls will receive a first-round pick and a pair of second-rounders from the Cavs in the swap, in addition to Bynum. The first-rounder will be the Kings’ 2014 pick, which is top-12 protected, while the second-rounders will be Portland’s 2015 and 2016 picks, according to an official release from the Cavs. The Bulls will also have the rights to swap first-rounders with the Cavs in 2015, but only if Cleveland’s pick doesn’t fall in the lottery, tweets Lloyd.
Although the Cavs will surrender a handful of draft picks in the deal, the move fills a giant need for the team, with Deng assuming a starting small forward role that has changed hands several times since LeBron James left for Miami in 2010. The Cavs also find a taker for Bynum, who had fallen out of favor in Cleveland, and was being shopped to the Lakers and Jazz, among other teams. So for now, Pau Gasol and Richard Jefferson will remain in L.A. and Utah, respectively, though both veterans are on expiring deals and could be involved in more trade rumors before February 20th’s deadline.
As for the Bulls, several recent reports had indicated that the team was reluctant to move Deng, still believing that he could be re-signed next summer. However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the 28-year-old turned down a three-year, $30MM extension offer from Chicago last week, which was a prelude to this trade. The deal gives the Bulls the opportunity to dip below the tax this season and to add future assets, as well as greatly increasing the odds that the club will land a prime spot in the 2014 draft lottery.
Assuming the Bulls officially waive Bynum on Tuesday, as ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell confirms they will (Twitter link), the team will shed $8.275MM in payroll by paying Bynum’s $6MM guarantee rather than Deng’s $14.275MM salary. According to ShamSports’ salary figures for Chicago, that would reduce team payroll to about $71.01MM, giving the club a little breathing room below the $71.748MM luxury tax line.
The long-term ramifications of the deal will be worth keeping an eye on over the next several months. While the Cavs’ dream scenario for the summer of 2014 is believed to revolve around bringing LeBron back to Cleveland, the team will now have a very viable alternative in Deng, with his Bird rights in hand heading into free agency.
For the Bulls, coach Tom Thibodeau may not be entirely on board with the trade, since he was considered Deng’s biggest fan. A December report also indicated that Derrick Rose wasn’t eager to go through a rebuilding process in Chicago, so it’ll be interesting to see how aggressively the team retools during the offseason, perhaps amnestying Carlos Boozer and bringing Nikola Mirotic stateside.
Meanwhile, Chicago now technically holds the rights to three 2014 first-rounders: Their own pick, the Bobcats’ pick, and the Kings’ pick. However, the latter two are heavily protected. Charlotte’s first-round pick is top-10 protected in 2014, top-eight protected in 2015, and unprotected in 2016. Sacramento’s first-rounder is top-10 protected in 2015, 2016, and 2017, after being top-12 protected this season. If the pick doesn’t change hands by 2017, Chicago would receive the Kings’ 2017 second-rounder instead.
If and when the Bulls waive Bynum, he’ll likely go unclaimed on waivers, meaning he’ll be eligible to sign with any team besides the Cavs as soon as this week. The Clippers and Heat are believed to be among his preferred destinations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Monday
Sunday brought several updates on the Cavaliers’ trade talks involving Andrew Bynum, but things have been quieter so far today. Although there’s still a little time for the Cavs to send Bynum to a team that plans to waive him by tomorrow’s contract guarantee deadline, the clock is ticking, and Cleveland’s window of opportunity won’t be open much longer. As we wait to hear whether Bynum will be on the move or staying put, here are Monday’s items on the former All-Star:
- Talks between the Lakers and Cavs are ongoing, with three-team possibilities still in play and the Cavs pushing for resolution by the end of the day, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. While some sources say a deal is close, Amico cautions that they were saying the same thing yesterday (Twitter links).
- Multiple executives not directly involved in talks for Bynum are hearing that the Kings could be involved in a potential deal as a facilitator, tweets Amico.
Earlier updates:
- The Cavaliers have yet to find a suitable offer, and while they continue to pursue a possible trade, it looks “highly unlikely” that they’ll move Bynum, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Assuming no deal is made, the Cavs can still save $6MM+ themselves by waiving the big man tomorrow.
- With Richard Jefferson available as a trade chip, the Jazz remain a possible trade partner for the Cavs, but Utah isn’t as involved as other clubs, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link).
- The Cavs approached the Grizzlies recently to ask about acquiring Zach Randolph, in a deal similar to the proposed Pau Gasol swap with the Lakers, tweets Amick. However, Memphis wasn’t interested, and isn’t in the mix for Bynum.
- As we heard late last night from ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, talks between the Cavs and Lakers were expected to continue into Monday, though there have been no updates on those negotiations yet today.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Roster, Williams
Noting that it wouldn’t be a normal season if Pau Gasol wasn’t at the center of several trade rumors, Kobe Bryant once again voiced his support for his longtime teammate yesterday, as he has done several times in the past.
“How much more am I supposed to support a guy, besides making a Pau flag and riding in there on a horse with Spanish-colored paint on my face like I’m the Spaniard William Wallace or something?” Bryant asked, according to Greg Beacham of The Associated Press. “I don’t know what else to do.”
As trade rumors continue to swirl around Pau, let’s round up a few more Lakers items….
- The Lakers’ trade talks involving Gasol aren’t limited to just their discussions with the Cavaliers, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes in his latest power rankings piece.
- According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, the Lakers are still weighing whether or not to keep all 15 players on their roster beyond tomorrow, which would ensure that all 15 contracts become fully guaranteed for this season. In Shelburne’s view, Shawne Williams, who has fallen out of the rotation, is the only candidate to be released, but even he will likely remain on the roster (Twitter links).
- In a story for ESPN LA, Shelburne focuses on Gasol, who acknowledged that there’s a chance yesterday’s game was his last one as a Laker: “Yeah, it could’ve. Any game could be your last game. It’s not something you think about very often. It could be due [to] an injury or a trade, anything like that, but I’m happy with the way that I’m playing. In the last few games I’m giving it everything I have, and that’s all I can do.”