Latest On Matt Barnes, Clippers
11:51am: Barnes will begin meeting with other teams today, tweets Shelburne.
10:30am: After agreeing to acquire Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick yesterday, the Clippers remain "very interested" in re-signing Matt Barnes, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. That interest appears to be mutual, with Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reporting that Barnes would still like to return to L.A.
However, according to Broussard, if the Clippers don't "do something fast," Barnes will begin meeting with rival suitors. The Mavericks, Nuggets, Nets, Knicks, and Spurs have all shown interest in Barnes, says Broussard. Various reports have also linked the Trail Blazers and Lakers to the veteran forward.
L.A. only has Barnes' non-Bird rights, but still has the full mid-level exception available as well. A non-Bird offer from the Clips for Barnes would limit his starting salary to about $1.48MM, whereas an offer using the MLE could start at any salary up to $5.15MM. Given how well Barnes played for the Clippers in 2012/13 and how many suitors he appears to have, I'd be surprised if the 33-year-old was willing to settle for that $1.48MM first-year salary.
Latest On Dwight Howard
The Lakers just wrapped up their meeting with Dwight Howard, wrapping up the last of the pitches that the big man will hear. We've heard a lot of confidence coming out of the Rockets' camp, but they'll have to vie with the incumbent Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Hawks. Here's the latest on D12..
- Howard is leaving California for a few days to mull over his decision, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, coach Rick Carlisle, and GM Donnie Nelson were all at the Mavs' pitch meeting, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). The pow-wow lasted almost three hours.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak released a brief statement after the club's meeting with Howard. “Jim Buss, Mike D’Antoni, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Harris and I, along with representatives from our partners at Time Warner Cable SportsNet and AEG, met this afternoon for approximately two hours with Dwight Howard and his representatives Dan Fegan and Happy Walters. At the meeting, we told him how important he is to the Lakers team, franchise, fans and community, and why we feel this is the best place for him to continue his career. We are hopeful that Dwight decides to remain a Laker,” said Kupchak.
Kyler On Pekovic, Spurs, Iguodala, Pelicans, C’s
Here's the latest on free agency from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld:
- The Trail Blazers are expected to extend a "massive" offer to Nikola Pekovic, according to Kyler. After acquiring Thomas Robinson, Portland won't have the necessary cap room to make a huge offer, but perhaps the team has another move in mind to clear some space.
- Al Jefferson, who is expected to meet with the Bobcats this week, has been linked to the Spurs as well. Kyler also hears from sources that San Antonio "kicked the tires" on a possible Marcin Gortat trade, so the Spurs are exploring ways to add a big man.
- The Mavericks may make Andre Iguodala a "serious offer" if they miss out on Dwight Howard, says Kyler.
- If Tyreke Evans wants to join the Pelicans, New Orleans would be open to moving Greivis Vasquez or Austin Rivers, either in a sign-and-trade with the Kings or in a separate deal, according to Kyler. However, the team seems more inclined to hang on to Eric Gordon.
- Sources close to Rajon Rondo say the Celtics have pledged to be aggressive in putting together a roster around him that will be competitive in 2013/14 and beyond, writes Kyler.
Knicks Preparing Offer For Elton Brand
10:45am: While Brand is interested in the Knicks, he also has a strong interest in returning to the Mavs, who remain fond of him, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
10:33am: Although there's definitely mutual interest between Brand and the Knicks, no deal is imminent, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times, adding that Brand is fielding offers from several contenders.
10:15am: The Knicks are preparing to make a contract offer to power forward Elton Brand, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). According to Zwerling, mutual interest is "high" between the Knicks and Brand, who is interested in joining a winning team.
Brand, 34, is coming off a mammoth five-year deal that paid him in excess of $18MM in 2012/13, but will be in line for a significant pay cut this summer. If he signs with the Knicks, he'd only be able to sign for the veteran's minimum or a portion of the team's mini mid-level exception ($3.18MM).
After reaching an agreement to acquire Andrea Bargnani, the Knicks will add a stretch four to a frontcourt that also includes Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. With Marcus Camby heading to Toronto though, and Kenyon Martin and Kurt Thomas on the open market, New York will likely to be looking to add a tough inside presence or two to complement its current lineup.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported over the weekend that Brand was on the Knicks' radar.
Clippers, Mavs Talking Mayo Sign-And-Trade
10:35am: Rivers is "strongly inclined" to keep Bledsoe, so the Clippers may offer Caron Butler and/or Jamal Crawford instead, in hopes of landing Mayo, says Broussard (via Twitter). I'm skeptical that Dallas would have a whole lot of interest in a non-Bledsoe package.
TUESDAY, 10:02am: As talks continue between the Clippers and Mavs on a possible deal, Rivers will meet Mayo for lunch today, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
MONDAY, 6:14pm: Matt Barnes could be part of the deal, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Barnes, told McMahon that Dallas was one of 12 teams to express interest in his client. The Mavs also have interest in Chauncey Billups.
5:10pm: The Clippers and Mavs are involved in discussions about a Mayo-for-Bledsoe deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas is holding off on a major move until Dwight Howard makes his decision, but the team is becoming increasingly confident that it will find a sign-and-trade partner for Mayo, Stein also tweets.
11:51am: Clippers coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers has "serious interest" in O.J. Mayo, and the shooting guard was the second free agent the team called after speaking to Chris Paul last night, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. The team may pursue a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks involving Eric Bledsoe to acquire Mayo, according to Amick (Twitter links).
The Clippers will have plenty of competition for the Landmark Sports Agency client. Mayo is reportedly also meeting with the Wolves, and Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Bobcats and Bulls are all likely suitors as well. Mayo could have stayed with the Mavs on a $4.2MM player option, but it appears he'll net much more than that on the market.
The Clips go into the offseason with about $44MM guaranteed on their books, but with Paul's max salary pushing $19MM, a weighty offer for Mayo could push the team close to tax territory, unless the Clippers can shed significant salary in a sign-and-trade. I'd doubt the Mavs are looking to take back too much in return for Mayo, however, as they look to retain cap flexibility.
Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic
Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.
As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….
- It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
- According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
- The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
- Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
- Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
- The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Western Notes: Mavericks, Pachulia, Lucas III
A few bits of news scattered throughout the Western Conference:
- The Spurs are reportedly targeting John Lucas III in free agency, according to a tweet from ShamSports.com's Mark Deeks.
- The Oregonian's Joe Freeman is reporting that there's a mutual interest between the Trail Blazers and free agent center Zaza Pachulia. However, the talks are only in preliminary stages.
- Eddie Sefko from the Dallas Morning News reports that the Mavericks had discussions with several big-name free agents today, including Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bynum, and Monta Ellis.
- Tyreke Evans met with the Kings on Monday, according to USA Today's Sam Amick. It still isn't clear on whether the team would match a lucrative four-year offer sheet by the Pelicans, or whether Evans will even sign that offer sheet.
Wolves, Mavs Discuss O.J. Mayo Sign-And-Trade
The Mavs and Timbewolves have engaged in sign-and-trade talks about O.J. Mayo, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, with J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour likely heading to Dallas in return. The Mavericks are also discussing a Mayo sign-and-trade with the Clippers involving Eric Bledsoe, though any Mayo deal probably hinges on Dallas missing out on Dwight Howard. Dallas would no doubt prefer the Bledsoe deal to any of the Minnesota trade options, so the Wolves appear to be down the list of options, notes Wolfson (on Twitter), who also points out that a Minnesota-Dallas trade isn't imminent.
Any sign-and-trade would require Mayo's consent, and Mayo and Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders were scheduled to meet today. Still, there are more than a half dozen teams with interest in the shooting guard, who seems destined to improve on the $4MM option for next season that he turned down from the Mavs.
The Mavs are reportedly becoming more and more confident they can work out a sign-and-trade for the Landmark Sports Agency client, and having at least two such deals in the works seems to indicate that's the case. Mayo tailed off after a hot start last season, but he still averaged 15.3 points per game and showed career-best 40.3% three-point shooting.
The Mavs aren't the only ones who've had multiple sign-and-trade deals in the works. Before Mike Dunleavy agreed to sign with the Bulls, the Wolves and Bucks were discussing a sign-and-trade that would have sent Ridnour to Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Bulls Close To Deal With Mike Dunleavy
The Bulls are the front-runners for Mike Dunleavy, and they're negotiating a two-year, $6MM deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Other teams remain in play, but there's confidence an agreement can be reached, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski pointed earlier to the Rockets as another option for Dunleavy, if Houston falls short of signing Dwight Howard (Twitter link). The Mavs, Lakers and Wolves are also in the mix, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Knicks reportedly like him, too. Still, Dunleavy is intrigued by the chance to play alongside Derrick Rose, Johnson notes (on Twitter).
The 32-year-old Arn Tellem client spent the past two seasons with the Bucks, where he made a career-high 42.8% of his three-point attempts this past season. When I examined his free agent stock, I figured he could fit in as a role player on a contending club, and that appears to be just what he would sign to do in Chicago. The Bulls would be using their mini mid-level to bring him aboard.
Warriors, Nuggets, Mavs Contact Jarrett Jack
The Warriors, Nuggets, and Mavericks are among the teams that have reached out to Jarrett Jack on the first day of free agency, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group has more details on the Warriors' meeting with Jack, describing it as "positive," though no offer was made. While Golden State would like to keep its veteran point guard, the Warriors' financial flexibility is limited, with team salary in such close proximity to the tax. The club may pursue Darren Collison if bringing back Jack isn't possible, according to Thompson.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks are seeking a veteran point guard to complement rookies Shane Larkin and Gal Mekel, but the Nuggets' interest is a little surprising, considering Denver has Ty Lawson and Andre Miller under contract for next season.