Free Agent Rumors: Clippers, KCP, Lakers, Casspi
Free agent big man Willie Reed is meeting today with the Clippers, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms the meeting and adds (via Twitter) that Jeff Withey is also sitting down with the club today. Los Angeles doesn’t have a whole lot of financial flexibility left, having used most of its mid-level exception on Milos Teodosic, but the club remains in the market for a backup for DeAndre Jordan, with Marreese Speights having opted out.
Here’s more on free agency:
- The Pistons‘ best offer to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was worth $80MM over five years, which “wasn’t even close” to what the free agent guard was seeking, a source tells Jake Fischer of SI.com (Twitter link). Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) also hears the two sides weren’t at all close, though he doesn’t confirm those specific figures. Caldwell-Pope is now an unrestricted free agent.
- The Lakers have shown some interest in Rodney Stuckey, but have only had preliminary discussions on that front, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Alex Kennedy (Twitter link) first reported L.A.’s interest in Stuckey.
- Before he agreed to sign with the Warriors on a minimum salary deal, Omri Casspi turned down a one-year, $4.5MM offer from a probable lottery team, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who notes that Casspi opted for a chance at a title instead of the bigger payday.
- The Timberwolves are said to be trying harder to unload Cole Aldrich‘s contract in an effort to land C.J. Miles, but the team remains reluctant to attach a first-round pick, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Pistons Renounce Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
11:04am: The Pistons are renouncing Caldwell-Pope, which will make him an unrestricted free agent, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The timing of the move is interested, since the Nets’ cap room may be tied up for several days as they wait for official word from the Wizards on Porter. We’ll see if Caldwell-Pope waits on Brooklyn or quickly pursues a deal with another team.
11:02am: In the wake of their trade agreement for Avery Bradley, the Pistons are prepared to move on from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, reports Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). According to Ellis, Detroit is looking to add “two more guys” to its roster. But Caldwell-Pope may not be one of them.
[RELATED: Celtics to trade Avery Bradley to Pistons]
Talks between the Pistons and Caldwell-Pope haven’t progressed so far, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN tweeted earlier today. Windhorst noted that there’s a possibility Detroit will pull Caldwell-Pope’s offer and make him an unrestricted free agent. While that hasn’t happened yet, it doesn’t look like the Pistons will match a big offer sheet for KCP.
Caldwell-Pope, 24, is viewed as one of the top two-way wings left on the market, but the qualifying offer he received from the Pistons gives Detroit the opportunity to match any offer sheet he signed. However, having added Langston Galloway, Eric Moreland, and Bradley, the Pistons have upwards of $109MM in salary commitments and have a hard cap of $125.266MM.
While Caldwell-Pope may not receive a maximum salary deal, any offer worth more than about half the max would put the Pistons in a tough spot. And with Galloway and Bradley now in the mix, the team’s need for another guard has diminished — especially since Bradley can provide the sort of three-point shooting and defense that KCP did.
A report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier today suggested that the Pistons may be aggressive in trying to extend Bradley, but the club’s cap situation limits its ability to make a competitive offer. Ellis (Twitter link) hears from a source that Bradley won’t do an in-season extension since the money is too low, but the team still hopes to have him long term in Detroit. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer and the Pistons will hold his Bird rights.
Whether or not Caldwell-Pope’s qualifying offer is rescinded by the Pistons, it may make sense for his camp to wait to see what happens with the Nets and Otto Porter. The Wizards are expected to match Brooklyn’s offer sheet for Porter, and Caldwell-Pope may be next up on the Nets’ wish list.
Pistons Sign Eric Moreland
The Pistons have signed Eric Moreland, according to a team press release. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) reports that the arrangement is for three years and adds that the deal is not fully guaranteed.
Signing Moreland for three seasons means the team will have to use part of its mid-level exception to sign the big man. Detroit has already used part of their mid-level on Langston Galloway to a three-year, $21MM contract.
Moreland played for the Canton Charge last season and he averaged 12.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest. He was named an All-Star of the G-League as well as All-NBA G-League Third Team.
The big man last played in the NBA for the Kings during the 2015/16 campaign. During that season, he played in eight games, scoring just a point per contest.
Moreland was known as a defensive-minded big during his time in the collegiate ranks at Oregon State. He left the school as its all-time leader in blocks, but he was not selected during the 2014 draft.
Free Agent Rumors: Wolves, Knicks, Waiters, Jazz
The Timberwolves were linked to free agent swingman C.J. Miles earlier today, but weren’t necessarily considered a probable landing spot for Miles due to the team’s lack of cap flexibility. However, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who passed along the initial report on Miles, the Pacers are open to the idea of a sign-and-trade which would net them Cole Aldrich‘s contract and OKC’s 2018 first-round pick from Minnesota.
Both teams would have to agree on that sign-and-trade scenario, and of course Miles would also have to be on board, so there may be some snags along the way. But as Wolfson points out, there are ways for the Wolves to get creative if they really want to land Miles or another free agent.
Wolfson has more on the Wolves, tweeting that he has heard the team made an offer to Nick Young. That offer would likely be worth the $4.3MM room exception, and Young turned down a $5.67MM player option with the Lakers last month, so I’d be surprised if Minnesota’s offer is enough to land him, but the club clearly remains on the lookout for shooting help.
Here’s more on free agency:
- The Knicks continue to stay in touch with free agent guard Dion Waiters, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Waiters and Rajon Rondo remain on the Lakers‘ radar.
- With Gordon Hayward and Otto Porter off the board, the Jazz have expressed interest in Rudy Gay, says Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). As Royce Young of ESPN tweets, Patrick Patterson essentially took the deal that Gay was unwilling to with the Thunder, so OKC may be out, leaving the Heat and Jazz as the top contenders for Gay.
- Having already brought back nearly all of their key free agents, the Warriors are also considered likely to re-sign Zaza Pachulia, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
- After a strong showing for the Pistons in Summer League play, Eric Moreland is believed to have received a multiyear contract offer from Detroit, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Free Agent Rumors: Wolves, Young, Knicks, Gay
Although the Warriors remain an option for Nick Young, several other teams are in the mix, per Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). Oklahoma City and New Orleans have been mentioned as possible landing spots, and Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) says the Timberwolves have also inquired.
As Wolfson notes in a separate tweet, Minnesota has reached out to Gerald Green as well. The Timberwolves are “casting a wide net” for wing options, in the hopes that a bigger name falls into their lap for the $4.3MM room exception, says Wolfson.
Here are more free agency updates from around the NBA:
- According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Knicks have told multiple agents that they believe they’re closing in on a deal with a guard. Kyler suggests that mystery guard may be Derrick Rose or Shelvin Mack. Of those two, Mack seems like the more probable candidate, as a Sunday report suggested that Knicks GM Steve Mills isn’t bullish on bringing back Rose.
- Rudy Gay was “impressed” by the Clippers‘ presentation to him on Sunday, but no deal is in place between the two sides, tweets Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The team met with Danilo Gallinari on the weekend as well.
- Appearing on Zach Lowe’s ESPN podcast for the first time, cap guru Bobby Marks expressed skepticism that the Nets will go after Pistons restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as aggressively as they pursued RFAs a year ago. Brooklyn has frequently been linked to KCP and Otto Porter, but there has been no word yet about a Nets offer for either player. Brooklyn was scheduled to meet with Porter today, according to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com.
Nets Consider Offers For Porter, Caldwell-Pope, Ingles
After J.J. Redick announced an agreement with the Sixers this afternoon, the Nets are turning their sights toward a trio of restricted free agents, reports Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
Armed with $28.5MM in cap space, Brooklyn will consider Wizards forward Otto Porter, Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jazz forward Joe Ingles. Any offer sheet the Nets submit to any of them can be matched by their current team, but that won’t deter Brooklyn GM Sean Marks.
“We have an analytic value,” he said. “We have a scouting value placed on these players, and if we feel comfortable with an offer to these players, whether restricted or unrestricted, we’ll make those deals. But we’re not going to go chase things.”
The Nets submitted sizable offer sheets to Portland’s Allen Crabbe and Miami’s Tyler Johnson last summer and to Houston’s Donatas Motiejunas in December. All three were matched, leaving the Nets empty-handed.
There are questions about the availability of this year’s targets as well. The Wizards have vowed to match any offer that Porter brings them. However, Washington’s attempt to re-sign him in late-night negotiations ended without a contract, and there are reports that Brooklyn would be willing to offer $106MM over four years, starting at $24.75MM for 2017/18. Porter is expected to hold several meetings with several teams starting Sunday.
The Pistons have also stated that they plan to keep Caldwell-Pope, but their signing today of Langston Galloway and the drafting of Luke Kennard indicates that a backup plan is being formed in case Caldwell-Pope becomes too expensive.
The Nets have arranged a meeting with Ingles, although Lewis sees him as a secondary option in case the attempt at Porter is unsuccessful. The Washington Post is reporting that Ingles may have a four-year, $60MM offer from the Magic, but Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel says the team’s interest in Ingles is being overstated (Twitter link).
Pistons Sign Luke Kennard To Rookie Contract
The Pistons have signed 2017 first-round pick Luke Kennard to his rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release.
The 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, Kennard will be in line for a deal worth more than $15MM over the next four years. His salary during his rookie campaign will be $2,759,280, as our breakdown of rookie scale salaries shows.
Kennard is one of several first-rounders to sign his new NBA contract on the first day he was eligible to do so. Because the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement no longer provides any additional cap flexibility to teams that keep their first-rounders unsigned, there is little incentive to delay in inking draftees anymore.
The 21-year-old averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 26.7 minutes in 36 games as a freshman. His three 20-point games as a freshman were the most by a Duke freshman and he ranked seventh among ACC freshmen in scoring (11.8 PPG), per the press release.
Central Notes: Shumpert, KCP, Holiday
The reported agreement between the Pistons and Langston Galloway has some speculating that the team may be willing to let Kentavious Caldwell-Pope leave as a restricted free agent, though, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press notes that the signing won’t necessarily affect Detroit’s dealings with the shooting guard (Twitter links). The Pistons will likely make additional roster moves in order to retain Caldwell-Pope, Ellis opines. By using more than $5.192MM of their mid-level exception to ink Galloway, the Pistons will have a hard cap of $125.266MM for the 2017/18 league year, which could create problems if another team gives Caldwell-Pope a maximum salary offer sheet.
With free agency well underway, here’s more of the latest news and rumors from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers are reportedly seeking to move Iman Shumpert via trade and several teams have had discussions with Cleveland regarding the shooting guard, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype relays (via Twitter). The team reportedly wants to clear Shumpert’s salary of $10,337,079 off its books for the coming season.
- The Bulls have expressed interest in signing unrestricted free agent Justin Holiday, Kennedy relays in a separate tweet. The Knicks, Mavs and Wolves are also among those interested in the swingman’s services.
- The Bulls primary focus for this offseason and beyond is to land a top four pick in next June’s NBA Draft in order to have a shot at selecting Michael Porter Jr., Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times relays. “We’re not going to be throwing huge money at people right out of the gate,’’ VP of basketball operations John Paxson told reporters earlier this week. “We have to be disciplined and patient. You need the right veterans, guys who are good teammates and supportive of the young guys and can teach them how to be pros. If there was a young player who we thought fit our future, we would certainly look at that.’’
Pistons Sign Langston Galloway
JULY 6, 2:09pm: The deal is official, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
JULY 1, 1:08pm: There will be no options on Galloway’s three-year deal with the Pistons, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
12:38pm: The Pistons are expected to sign Langston Galloway to a three-year contract worth about $21MM, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides are finalizing an agreement.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 2017 NBA Free Agent Tracker]
A former Knick, Galloway signed a two-year pact with the Pelicans as a free agent last summer, and averaged 8.6 PPG on .374/.377/.769 shooting in 55 games for the team. However, when New Orleans and Sacramento agreed to a blockbuster February trade involving DeMarcus Cousins, Galloway was part of the package sent by the Pelicans to the Kings. In 19 games for Sacramento, Galloway finished the season by averaging 6.0 PPG and shooting .404/.475/.917.
The second year of Galloway’s previous contract was a player option worth $5.434MM, which he turned down in June. While he had a lesser role last season than he’d had in New York, Galloway’s age (25) and his three-point shot (39.0% in 2016/17) make him an appealing pickup for a team in need of backcourt help.
The Pistons fit that bill, having been in the market for a guard in free agency this summer. Galloway figures to provide the team with some depth at both backcourt spots. His deal will likely be completed using Detroit’s mid-level exception.
By using more than $5.192MM of that mid-level exception, the Pistons will have a hard cap of $125.266MM for the 2017/18 league year, which could create problems if another team gives Kentavious Caldwell-Pope a maximum salary offer sheet. Having entered the offseason with about $95MM in guaranteed salaries for ’17/18, Detroit may have to move another contract in order to sign Galloway and match a big offer for KCP.
Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Hayward, Gay, Kings
The defending NBA champion Warriors started free agency off with a bang, agreeing to terms with two-time Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry to the richest pact in league history. The team will reportedly sign Curry to a five-year deal worth $201MM+ and now the focus turns to retaining the remainder of Golden State’s championship-winning roster.
Last year’s prized acquisition, Kevin Durant, led the team to a championship and is now a free agent. However, Chris Haynes of ESPN (via Twitter) reports that teams have not reached out to Durant’s camp to gauge his interest in leaving because they see it as a “waste of time.” Earlier this week, it was reported that Durant will wait to re-sign with the Warriors to allow the team to finish other offseason business, and he will not meet with other teams during that stretch.
Below are additional rumors surrounding this year’s free agency period:
- If the Heat’s pursuit of Gordon Hayward falls through, the team may turn its attention to fellow free agent Rudy Gay, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical (via Twitter). Mannix adds that Gay told the outlet he should be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
- The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor (via Twitter) cites three league sources who believe the Heat are the frontrunners for Hayward. The sunny beaches and warm weather of Miami, a popular coach in Erik Spoelstra, and a prominent role in which he can be the team’s primary scorer are all lucrative incentives, O’Connor notes. However, O’Connor acknowledges that it’s a fluid situation, and a lot could change based on Hayward’s meetings.
- Restricted free agent Alan Williams is a “serious” candidate to sign with the Knicks, a source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link). While the Suns could match any offer for Williams, their willingness to do so may hinge on who else they’re able to land in free agency.
- The Kings are intent on landing a power forward in free agency, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, who tweets that Zach Randolph, Patrick Patterson, and Taj Gibson are all on Sacramento’s radar. We had previously heard about the team’s interest in Randolph and Patterson.
- According to Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), the Pistons have been in contact with Reggie Bullock, Aron Baynes, and restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope since free agency opened late on Friday night.