Free Agent Rumors: Kirilenko, Andersen, Collison
It's been a busy night in NBA free agency, as Dwight Howard has decided, after much back-and-forth, that he'll sign with the Rockets. His decision appears to have set in motion a domino effect, with Jose Calderon heading to the Mavs and a pair of ex-Jazz players agreeing to terms with the Hawks. Here's more on the latest from around the league:
- The Wolves and Andrei Kirilenko didn't speak about the notion of a return today, but the team hasn't given up and retains his Non-Bird Rights, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports via Twitter.
- With several teams showing interest in him, Chris Andersen remains in "decision mode," according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Andersen, who was expressed a desire to re-sign with the Heat, figures to make a decision early next week, says Zwerling (Twitterlinks).
- Darren Collison will be prioritizing winning over salary or a starting role in free agency, sources tell Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. According to Ingram, Collison has been in contact with the Cavs, Kings, Spurs, and Clippers so far. We had previously heard about Cleveland's interest, but the rest of that list of potential suitors is new.
- The Blazers are still pursuing Dorell Wright, but they're one of several teams with strong interest, according to The Oregonian's Jason Quick. (Twitter link). His agent, presumably Greg Lawrence, tells Quick a decision is coming soon.
- Though the Hawks used up some of their cap space on agreements with Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll tonight, Atlanta remains the team most likely to make a lucrative offer to try to lure Nikola Pekovic from the Wolves, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- The Hawks were considering an offer to Mo Williams before they decided to do a deal with Millsap instead, tweets HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis.
- The Knicks had strong interest in re-signing Chris Copeland, but never made him an offer before he chose the Pacers instead, notes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
- The Nets are still seeking to sign a backup point guard, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Warriors Eyeing Iggy; Talking To Sixers, Cavs, Jazz
As Dwight Howard remains undecided on where he'll sign, the Warriors continue to explore potential salary-dumps, having engaged in talks on complicated deals with the Sixers, Cavaliers, and Jazz, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com named the Cavs and Jazz, along with the Hawks, as potential trade partners for Golden State earlier today, while a subsequent report suggested the Warriors were talking to Utah about Andrew Bogut. Various outlets have since downplayed any talks involving Bogut, though multiple Bay Area scribes believe the Warriors may just be trying to save face with their incumbent center (Twitter links).
As Berger reported earlier, the Warriors' attempts to dump Richard Jefferson's and Andris Biedrins' contracts aren't necessarily related to the team's pursuit of Howard. Berger noted that Andre Iguodala was another possible target for Golden State, and Wojnarowski backs that up in a tweet of his own.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), Iguodala would like to join the Warriors and has already had "deep talks" about going to Golden State. However, Amick points out that the Nuggets have "strongly rebuffed" the idea of signing-and-trading Iguodala to the Warriors, so clearing the necessary cap space would be Golden State's only way to sign him. Simply moving Jefferson and Biedrins likely wouldn't create enough room for Iguodala, since the Warriors would still have about $50MM in guaranteed salary on their books even without those two contracts.
Warriors’ Efforts To Clear Cap Not Only Tied To D12
While there's been speculation that the Warriors would only attempt to unload big expiring contracts like Andrew Bogut, Richard Jefferson, and Andris Biedrins if Dwight Howard chooses Golden State, that's not necessarily the case, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger reports that even if Howard commits to sign elsewhere, the Warriors are still interested in trying to clear cap space, perhaps to pursue another impact free agent such as Andre Iguodala.
According to Berger, the Warriors have offered Bogut, Jefferson, and Biedrins to the Hawks, Jazz, and Cavaliers, three of the only NBA teams with enough cap room to absorb one or more of those contracts without sending out salary in return.
Berger writes that Golden State would have to move two of those three players in order to clear enough space to sign Howard outright, though I believe all three would actually have to be dealt. Even if the Warriors were to move the two larger salaries (Bogut and Jefferson), the team would still have about $45MM left on its books, by my estimation. That would rule out a max offer for Howard, but would likely be enough room to squeeze in a competitive offer for a player like Iguodala.
While Bogut has a little value on his own, Jefferson and Biedrins, who are making $11MM+ and $9MM respectively, have significant negative trade value. I'd imagine that any team taking on either of those players would demand multiple draft picks, including at least one first-rounder.
Chris Copeland Undecided On Offer Sheets
Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Twitter) reports that free agent forward Chris Copeland has not decided on an offer sheet as of yet. Aside from the Pacers and Jazz, the Lakers remain very much in the picture, although Berman implies that L.A. has their focus on resolving the Dwight Howard situation first. Earlier today, we heard that Copeland had at least three offer sheets on the table, and while the Cavaliers seemed to be one of the three suitors, it appears that Utah may have been the third team Berman was alluding to.
The rumors swirling around Jose Calderon's possible interest in joining the Lakers could theoretically have an effect on whether or not Copeland would sign with the purple and gold, since Calderon would likely command the mini-MLE or a significant portion of it. Yesterday, we relayed the reported mutual interest between Copeland's camp and the Jazz, and that Copeland's agent expected more discussions with Utah. While the Pacers have a portion of their $5.15MM MLE to make a competitive offer, the Jazz have more than enough cap room to make a significant bid as well.
Eastern Notes: 76ers, Rondo, Stevens, Copeland
As we continue further into the offseason, the 76ers remain the only NBA team without a head coach. When asked today if the team had begun interviewing head coaching candidates, GM Sam Hinkie was quick to avoid much comment, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey points out that their head coaching search might not conclude until after the summer league, and that Michael Curry – one of the candidates for the job – is leading their summer league roster. He also writes that Spurs assistant Brett Brown could still figure to be another candidate, along with other NBA assistant coaches – David Fizdale of the Heat, Melvin Hunt of the Nuggets, and Chris Finch and Kelvin Sampson from the Rockets – who were at some point tied to the job as well.
Here are some more news and notes out of the Eastern Conference:
- A source close to Rajon Rondo says that the 27-year-old point guard is approaching the Celtics' hiring of Brad Stevens with an open mind, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Washburn wonders if Stevens would considering bringing his former assistants from Butler – namely Matthew Graves (who was recently named the coach of South Alabama in March) and Drew Cannon – onto his coaching staff in Boston, noting that there may be an update on Cannon tomorrow (Twitter links).
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald confirms that Cavaliers assistant general manager David Griffin reached out to forward Chris Copeland and his agent yesterday. Finnan isn’t sure that the team would look to sign him with Clark now on board, but notes that the team does have the flexibility to sign both players.
- Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld speculates that Brandon Jennings could be a candidate to play the upcoming year on a qualifying offer for the Bucks and become an unrestricted free agent next summer (Sulia link).
- With the market for small forwards drying up, the Cavs had to overpay a little bit in order to secure Earl Clark from free agency, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Though with Cleveland holding a team option for Clark’s second year, Lloyd adds that the team still has a chance to keep some flexibility next summer.
- Jan Vesely would still like to remain in the NBA once his contract expires with the Wizards after this year, according to his agent Alex Raskovic (hat tip goes to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando via Twitter).
- J. Michael of CSN Washington thinks that it would be wise for the Wizards to pass on a possible reunion with Antawn Jamison.
- In addition to Maz Trakh, John Loyer, and Bernard Smith, the Pistons are expected to add another assistant coach to Maurice Cheeks' staff on Sunday, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Stein’s Latest: Nets, Spurs, Cavs, Belinelli, Neal
In between arguments about the relative merits of In-N-Out Burger, ESPN.com's Marc Stein has found time this afternoon to pass along several nuggets related to free agency. Here are the highlights from the ESPN.com scribe's Twitter account:
- The Nets are still targeting point guards, with Shaun Livingston and John Lucas III among the players on the team's radar, says Stein (via Twitter). The club lost C.J. Watson to the Pacers in free agency.
- Prior to agreeing to sign with the Spurs, Marco Belinelli had a more lucrative offer on the table from the Cavaliers, says Stein, adding that Belinelli couldn't resist the lure of the Spurs' "all-world operation" (Twitter link).
- There are "strong indications" that restricted free agent Gary Neal won't be returning to the Spurs, which is why the team moved quickly to bring Belinelli aboard, tweets Stein. According to Stein (via Twitter), Neal is receiving interest at a price point that San Antonio is reluctant to match.
Knicks Likely To Re-Sign Prigioni, Not Copeland
Holding only non-Bird rights on a pair of restricted free agents this summer, the Knicks aren't expected to be able to re-sign both Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni unless both players are willing to accept discounts. With Copeland drawing plenty of interest from rival teams, it appears he's on the verge of signing an offer sheet that would end his time as a Knick, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Berman hears from sources that Copeland has three offer sheets to choose from. The Pacers, Lakers, and an unknown team, perhaps the Cavs, are the clubs believed to have offers on the table for Copeland. The Lakers, like the Knicks, have limited cap flexibility, so New York could potentially match an L.A. offer sheet. However, the Pacers intend to use a portion of their $5.15MM mid-level exception, while the Cavs have a chunk of cap space available. Both teams could offer Copeland a starting salary that exceeds $3.18MM, which is the maximum the Knicks could match with their own mini MLE.
Although the Knicks may be preparing to lose Copeland, the team appears to be a good bet to re-sign Prigioni. According to Berman, New York has made the point guard a two-year offer worth about $2.3MM. Since such a deal would exceed the minimum salary, the club would have to use a portion of its mid-level on the offer, leaving a little more than $2MM to try to bring back Copeland or sign an outside free agent.
Speaking of outside free agents, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Knicks continue to pursue Sebastian Telfair, reaching out to the player himself rather than just his agents. It's not clear whether the Knicks are interested in signing both Prigioni and Telfair, or whether Telfair is viewed as a Plan B. But having lost Jason Kidd to retirement, the Knicks figure to be in the market for a third point guard.
FA Latest: Jefferson, Nets, Copeland, Collison
Let's have a look at the latest offseason news and notes from this Wednesday evening:
- Al Jefferson has spent the past day and a half with the Bobcats, as we know, but apparently the former Jazz center wants to wait until Dwight Howard signs before making any commitments, reports ESPN's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). According to Broussard, this is because if the Mavericks lose out on Howard, they could come calling on Jefferson. Jefferson is looking for a four-year deal, starting at $15MM per season, per Broussard (via Twitter).
- Considering the make up of the Nets roster, head coach Jason Kidd needs to hit the ground running, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Assistant coach Lawrence Frank ran much of Kidd's first practice on Wednesday while Kidd mainly observed, according to Bondy. Ian O'Connor of ESPN New York reports that the Nets deal with Frank is for four year and is worth more than one million dollars a year, making him the league's highest paid assistant.
- We rounded up the latest on Chris Copeland a bit earlier, but now Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York is reporting, via Twitter, that the Cavaliers are "in play" on Copeland with a potential multiyear offer and the Pacers are exploring roster options to create room for the 6-foot-8 forward. Sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that Copeland has three offers to choose from, which will make it next to impossible for the Knicks to retain him (via Twitter). None of the three are from the Jazz, tweets Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune.
- Mavericks free agent Darren Collison, in the process of sorting through his options, is intrigued by four potential destinations and hasn't ruled out a return to Dallas, writes RealGM's Shams Charania.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Smith, Billups, Martin, More
The news that the Celtics have landed Brad Stevens to be their next coach has shocked the NBA world. Sean Deveney of the Sporting News points out, via Twitter, that of the twelve new head coaches hired this offseason, eight have now been first timers, adding that the Sixers will probably make it nine of thirteen. The Stevens hire has also led to some speculation that Rajon Rondo will be on his way out of Boston. The Pistons have explored the possibility of trading for both Rondo and/or Rudy Gay, according to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (via Twitter). For what it's worth, Rudy Gay tweeted tonight that he hopes to play a full season in Toronto this year.
With the NBA offseason in full swing, let's look at some of the news churning out of the rumor mill:
- After meeting with several teams in Los Angeles the past few days, unrestricted free agent Josh Smith will return to his home in Atlanta today to contemplate his future, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
- It might be tough for the Clippers to keep Chauncey Billups after their acquisitions of J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley, reports Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears. Billups, 36, has drawn interest from the Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Kings, Nets and Wolves.
- Per ESPN's Chris Broussard on Twitter, unrestricted free agent Kenyon Martin is drawing interest from the Lakers, Clippers, Spurs, Knicks and Nets. However, Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that no offers have been made.
- After visiting with the Cavs for two days, Earl Clark was impressed with what Cleveland had to say, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News, who spoke to Clark's agent. Deveney has been all over the Clark rumors, and really likes how he would fit in Cleveland now that they took Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall.
- Considering the withdrawal of the Kings' offer to Andre Iguodala, the Nuggets are now in a much better spot if they are aggressive in trying to re-sign him, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Like many of the top free agents, Iguodala's options hinge on Dwight Howard's destination and in the meantime, Dempsey writes, now is Denver's opportunity to strike.
FA Updates: Evans, Josh Smith, Pekovic, Clark
Tyreke Evans has been one of the most intriguing stories in free agency so far, with the Pelicans having extended a four-year, $44MM offer to the 23-year-old. Still, Evans has yet to agree to sign that offer, and there's no guarantee he'll do so, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The situation remains fluid, and Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) believes if the Kings make Evans a comparable offer, he'd prefer to sign it and stay in Sacramento.
Let's round up a few more of today's free agent updates….
- As they continue to explore the possibility of making a big splash, the Warriors are trying to set up a meeting with Josh Smith, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Sulia). However, Smith doesn't seem as interested in the Warriors, who Thompson says "aren't going to jump as high as others to get him."
- Don't expect a whole lot of movement in talks for Nikola Pekovic until after Dwight Howard makes his decision, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News says (via Twitter) the Cavaliers are being extremely aggressive in their pursuit of Earl Clark, meeting with him yesterday and again today, though no offer has been extended yet.
- Dorell Wright met with the Thunder yesterday and was presented with one- and two-year contract offers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that Wright received a similar proposal from the Trail Blazers. The Spurs, Grizzlies, and Mavericks also have interest in Wright, says Spears (via Twitter).
- Australian forward Joe Ingles is drawing interest from four NBA teams, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com, listing the Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Clippers as possible suitors for the 25-year-old.