Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Won’t Use Amnesty Provision

July 11th, 2013 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons won't use their amnesty provision this year, a source tells TNT's David Aldridge (Twitter link). As I noted in our amnesy primer, Charlie Villanueva and Greg Monroe were Detroit's only remaining eligible players, and Monroe wasn't going anywhere, so this news essentially means that Villanueva is safe.

Aldridge notes that the likely reason for the decision is to ensure that team salary exceeds the required $52.8MM floor, but the salary of amnestied players still counts for floor calculations, so I don't think that's it.

Perhaps Detroit simply just has little incentive to pay Villanueva to play elsewhere, especially since the cap room the move would create probably wouldn't be used to sign anyone else. When you take into account all the players the Pistons have signed or will sign, plus their drafted players, there are 17 guys in the mix for 15 roster spots, so further additions seem unlikely. Villanueva's expiring $8.58MM deal could also be used to facilitate a trade later on in the season.

Because Villanueva and Monroe are both entering the final year of their respective contracts, this decision, if it's final, means Detroit won't use its amnesty clause during the course of the 2011 CBA.

Odds & Ends: Johnson, Blair, Mavs, Deng, Jazz

July 11th, 2013 at 12:51am CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars introduced free agent signee Josh Smith to the media today, but Dumars says he isn't done upgrading the roster, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News observes. The team also brought Rasheed Wallace aboard as an assistant coach this week, providing a link to its championship past. Here's more from the rest of the league as teams and players covet the Larry O'Brien trophy:

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears Ivan Johnson is drawing interest from several teams, including the Hawks (Twitter link). Atlanta declined to offer Johnson a qualifying offer this summer, but the team can still re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Johnson let go of agent Larry Williams last week.
The Mavs have "poked around" free agent DeJuan Blair, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com tweets, so it appears the club may have some level of interest. The team is focusing on its frontcourt, and GM Donnie Nelson doesn't think the Mavs will be bringing on any more guards, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes at the end of his roundup.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks the Mavs should have been more willing to take a risk on Andrew Bynum.
An NBA GM from outside the Bulls organization tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com that Luol Deng could command between $11MM and $12MM on the open market next summer. Deng and the Bulls appear to be working toward an extension (Twitter link).
The Jazz may have had "different conversations with Mo Williams" if the team hadn't wound up with Trey Burke on draft night, GM Dennis Lindsey told reporters today, including Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).
Royce White, who's headed to the Sixers via trade, intends to play for the team, but is still reluctant to make frequent flights, as he tells Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register (link via USA Today).

Renounced Players: Wednesday

July 10th, 2013 at 9:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As teams clear cap space to finalize signings and trades, it may mean renouncing Early Bird or Bird rights to their own free agents, in order to remove cap holds from the books. Once a player is renounced, his previous team has no more claim to him that any other team — he could still be re-signed, but it would have to be done using cap space or an exception. Some of those decisions are more notable than others, but for completion's sake, we'll track the latest of these cap-clearing moves right here:

Mo Williams is the most prominent name among the several whose rights the Jazz renounced today, according to the RealGM transaction log. Al Jefferson, DeMarre Carroll and Earl Watson, who already have deals to join other teams, are also on the list, as are the long-retired Brevin Knight and Greg Ostertag.
Bobcats are set to re-sign Josh McRoberts, but they won't be using their Early Bird rights to do so, as they've renounced his rights, RealGM shows. The team also renounced their rights to Reggie Williams, who's heading to the Rockets, and it cut ties with DeSagana Diop, Byron Mullens and Jannero Pargo, too.
Golden State will sign Jermaine O'Neal, so the Suns have renounced his rights, as well as their rights to Wesley Johnson and Diante Garrett, as RealGM notes.

Earlier updates:

The Hawks have cleared out unwanted cap holds from their books, renouncing their rights to Hilton Armstrong, Erick Dampier, Devin Harris, Dahntay Jones, Randolph Morris, Zaza Pachulia, Johan Petro, Josh Smith, and Etan Thomas, according to RealGM.com's transactions log.
RealGM.com also has the Trail Blazers renouncing multiple players, including Luke Babbitt, J.J. Hickson, Eric Maynor, and Nolan Smith.
Most interestingly, according to RealGM.com, the Bucks have renounced their rights to Monta Ellis. That doesn't necessarily preclude a sign-and-trade, but it would mean the team would have to use cap space rather than Ellis' Bird rights to accommodate a deal.
The Pelicans have renounced their rights to Louis Amundson, Xavier Henry, and Roger Mason Jr., the team announced today in a press release.
In order to clear cap room for their signings, the Pistons renounced Will Bynum, Jose Calderon, Vernon Macklin, Corey Maggette, Jason Maxiell, and Ben Wallace, according to RealGM's transactions log. The Pistons plan to re-sign Bynum, but removing his $6MM+ cap hold and signing him to a smaller figure using cap space makes the most sense.
After renouncing their rights to Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom, the Clippers have also renounced Bobby Simmons, according to RealGM.com's transactions log.

Pelicans, Kings, Blazers Agree To Three-Way Deal

July 10th, 2013 at 7:15pm CST by Luke Adams

7:15pm: The Kings press release on the deal has Sacramento acquiring Vasquez from the Pelicans in exchange for Evans. The Kings also say they wind up with a 2016 second-round pick and future second-round considerations, presumably from the Blazers.

6:43pm: The Blazers announced their part, with Lopez and Harris coming from the Pelicans in exchange for Jeff Withey, future second-round draft considerations, and cash.

JULY 10TH, 6:12pm: The Pelicans have confirmed their end of the trade, via press release. They acquire Evans and Withey, send Lopez and Harris to the Blazers, and ship Vasquez to the Kings.

JULY 4TH, 6:04pm: Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Portland will send Jeff Withey to the Pelicans and a future second round pick to the Kings as part of the three-team deal (Twitter links).

4:44pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports (via Twitter) that Terrel Harris, who is on a non-guaranteed contract, will also be sent to the Blazers in the deal. Meanwhile, Portland will pay Lopez's 15% trade kicker, which will be worth about $1.57MM in total, spread equally across the next two seasons. Stein adds that Sacramento will be receiving two second-round picks from the Blazers, rather than one.

4:39pm: The Pelicans will receive cash and future draft picks from the Blazers in the deal, tweets John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Sam Amick of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that the Kings will also receive a future second-rounder from Portland.

3:55pm: The Pelicans, Kings, and Trail Blazers have verbally agreed to a three-way deal that will make Tyreke Evans a Pelican, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). The deal will send Evans to the Pelicans, Robin Lopez to the Trail Blazers, and Greivis Vasquez to the Kings, with the Blazers sending out picks and cash, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Evans had been preparing to sign a four-year, $44MM offer sheet with New Orleans, so rather than lose him for nothing, the Kings decided to negotiate a sign-and-trade deal. The Pelicans had been motivated to move Lopez in order to make room under the cap for their offer to Evans, so involving the two players in the same deal made sense. Meanwhile, with New Orleans putting together a backcourt that will feature Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Eric Gordon, Vasquez was the odd man out, making him expendable as well.

Sacramento agreed to complete the three-way deal with the Blazers and Pelicans after Jose Calderon passed on an opportunity to sign with the team. According to Wojnarowski, the Kings wanted to sign Calderon and flip Vasquez to another team, but the Spaniard decided he didn't want to be part of a full-blown rebuild in Sacramento. Calderon will continue to negotiate with other teams, including the Pistons, tweets Wojnarowski.

As for the Pelicans, they get their man in Evans and figure to use him off the bench in a Manu Ginobili-type role, behind a starting backcourt of Holiday and Gordon. It's not clear where the cash and picks coming from the Blazers are headed, but I would guess the Pelicans will acquire something from Portland, since New Orleans is sending out multiple players in the move.

For Sacramento, the deal gives the team the opportunity to regain some value for Evans, and Vasquez's modest $2.15MM salary will allow the club to retain plenty of cap space to pursue other players. The Kings previously withdrew a four-year offer for Andre Iguodala, but should still have the flexibility to pursue Iguodala again, if they so choose. Sacramento may also get in on those draft and cash considerations from Portland, though we'll have to wait for further word.

Meanwhile, the Blazers continue to make use of their summer cap space by making trades rather than signing free agents, as Lopez will be absorbed using the team's room under the cap. Portland also agreed to acquire Thomas Robinson from the Rockets without including any outgoing salary. At the moment, only $500K of Lopez's 2013/14 salary is guaranteed, but the next two years of his contract will become guaranteed this weekend, since he won't be waived by tomorrow. He'll earn $5.12MM next season and $5.34MM in '14/15.

The three teams will be able to finalize the transaction when the July moratorium lifts next Wednesday.

Pistons Sign Josh Smith To Four-Year Deal

July 10th, 2013 at 12:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

JULY 10TH, 12:11pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link).

JULY 6TH, 3:47pm: Smith's deal includes $54MM in base salary, but the value could rise to $56MM if he reaches performance incentives, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.

2:54pm: No sign-and-trade is planned at the moment between the Pistons and Hawks, so the Smith acquisition figures to be an outright signing, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Windhorst also says the Rockets never engaged in sign-and-trade discussions about Smith with the Hawks.

2:34pm: Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears the deal totals just $54MM (Twitter links).

2:01pm: Josh Smith and the Pistons have agreed to terms on a four-year, $56MM deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Detroit lands perhaps the most enticing name on the free agent market now that Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are locked up, using its cap space to reel in the athletic forward. The Rockets appeared to be pursuing a sign-and-trade for Smith as recently as last night, but couldn't get any traction on a move that would have reunited Howard with his AAU teammate.

The deal falls short of the maximum contract Smith was looking for, and gives him just a slight bump from the $13.2MM he made last season with the Hawks. The Warriors and Hawks also had interest, and the Celtics reportedly were set to target Smith in the wake of having traded Paul Pierce, but no team pursued him with as much vigor as Detroit, as Wojnarowski writes. The Pistons met with the client of Wallace Prather and Brian Dyke in the first hours of free agency, and though an offer didn't come out of that encounter, it was clear the team regarded him as more than the "Plan B" he appeared to be for other suitors who were waiting to hear from Howard.

The Pistons also had their sights on Andre Iguodala, and would like to have re-signed Jose Calderon, but with both of them agreeing on deals with other teams, it looks like president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and company circled back to their No. 1 option. The team should still have close to $10MM in cap room to complement an impressive front line of Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

The 27-year-old Smith saw his numbers dip a bit from his career year in 2011/12, averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this past season. Though Smith is multitalented, the hole in his game is three-point shooting. He took more shots from behind the arc than ever in 2012/13, but he connected on just 30.3% of his 2.6 long-range attempts per game.

2013 Amnesty Primer

July 9th, 2013 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Today is the last day of the July moratorium, which means NBA teams can officially resume full activity beginning tomorrow. In addition to signaling the end of the moratorium, July 10th also marks the first day that teams are eligible to amnesty players. This year's amnesty period will run from the 10th until the 16th — after that, teams that still haven't used their amnesty clause won't get another chance to do so until next July.

With amnesty week upon us, here's a refresher on how the process works, which teams still have the amnesty option available, and which players remain amnesty-eligible….

How does it work?

The amnesty provision provides a team an opportunity to clear a bad contract from its books for salary cap and luxury tax purposes. Although a team still has to pay the remainder of the amnestied player's salary, as it would for any released player, the player's salary no longer counts against the team's cap (except for minimum payroll purposes) when the amnesty clause is used. For instance, if and when the Lakers amnesty Metta World Peace, they'll still pay him his full $7,727,280 salary for 2013/14, but will remove that figure from the cap, significantly reducing the team's tax bill.

The amnesty provision can be used on any player, as long as the following rules are observed:

A team can only amnesty one player — not one player per season.
The amnesty provision can only be used on a player who signed his contract prior to July 1st, 2011. If a contract was signed, extended, or renegotiated after that date, the player cannot be amnestied.
A team can only use its amnesty provision on a player who was on its roster on July 1st, 2011. If a player was traded after that date, he cannot be amnestied.
The amnesty clause can only be used during the seven days following the July moratorium. If a team doesn't amnesty a player during that week, it won't get another chance to do so until the following July.
A team that has yet to use its amnesty clause can do so in any of the next three years. The 2015/16 season is the last year in which a player can be amnestied under the current CBA.

Amnestied players are placed on waivers, but the waiver rules are slightly different than usual. An under-the-cap team can still place a full waiver claim on an amnestied player, if it doesn't mind being on the hook for the rest of the player's contract. However, clubs also have the option to submit partial waiver claims, in what essentially amounts to an auction for the player's services. If no team places a full claim, the team with the highest partial claim is awarded the player. If two teams bid the same amount, the club with the worse record wins out. If neither a full or partial claim is submitted, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

For a few more details on the amnesty process, check out our complete explanation in the Hoops Rumors glossary.

Which teams still have the amnesty provision available?

Exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used the amnesty provision in the last two offseasons, leaving 15 clubs with the option of amnesty still at their disposal. These are the teams still in play, per our amnesty provision tracker:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Charlotte Bobcats
Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
Los Angeles Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz

The Pelicans no longer have any amnesty-eligible players left on their roster, and reports have suggested the Bobcats will amnesty Tyrus Thomas, while the Lakers will amnesty World Peace. That would leave just 12 teams with the amnesty option available.

Which players are still eligible to be amnestied?

While there are 35 players still eligible to be amnestied, some are likelier candidates than others. I examined a few of this summer's potential amnesty candidates back in March, but here's the complete list of players that technically remain amnesty-eligible, along with the total money left on their deals:

Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford ($36MM)
Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo ($24.86MM), Avery Bradley ($2.51MM)
Charlotte Bobcats: Tyrus Thomas ($18.08MM)
Chicago Bulls: Joakim Noah ($36.7MM), Carlos Boozer ($32.1MM), Luol Deng ($14.28MM)
Detroit Pistons: Charlie Villanueva ($8.58MM), Greg Monroe ($4.09MM)
Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant ($30.45MM), Pau Gasol ($19.29MM), Metta World Peace ($7.73MM), Steve Blake ($4MM)
Memphis Grizzlies: Zach Randolph ($34.3MM), Mike Conley ($26.08MM)
Miami Heat: LeBron James ($61.77MM), Chris Bosh ($61.77MM), Dwyane Wade ($60.49MM), Mike Miller ($12.8MM), Udonis Haslem ($8.96MM), Joel Anthony ($7.6MM)
Milwaukee Bucks: Drew Gooden ($13.37MM), Larry Sanders ($3.05MM)
New Orleans Pelicans: No players eligible
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant ($56.99MM), Kendrick Perkins ($18.63MM), Nick Collison ($4.83MM), Thabo Sefolosha ($3.9MM)
Sacramento Kings: John Salmons ($14.58MM), DeMarcus Cousins ($4.92MM)
San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker ($25MM), Matt Bonner ($3.95MM)
Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson ($13.6MM), Linas Kleiza ($4.6MM)
Utah Jazz: Derrick Favors ($6.01MM), Gordon Hayward ($3.45MM)

Pistons Make Offer To Will Bynum

July 8th, 2013 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

Last week, we heard that the Pistons were considering a number of free agent point guards, including Will Bynum, Jose Calderon, and Chauncey Billups. Calderon has since agreed to sign with the Mavs and Billups continues to receive interest from a handful of teams, but according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), the Pistons have an offer on the table for Bynum.

Despite committing a good chunk of their available cap space to a deal for Josh Smith, the Pistons still have room left over to hang on to Bynum's cap hold and make him a competitive offer. As Zwerling notes in his tweet, unless the veteran guard is willing to take a discount, an offer from the Pistons likely rules out the possibility of him joining the Knicks. Zwerling had written earlier today that Bynum was one of New York's targets, but the team could only offer a starting salary of up to $1.7MM, or the veteran's minimum.

Bynum, 30, has spent his last five seasons in Detroit, averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.3 APG in 282 total contests.

Odds & Ends: Morrow, Ellis, Rivers, Collison

July 7th, 2013 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's tonight's look around the Association..

The Grizzlies, Warriors, and Bobcats are the latest teams to show interest in Anthony Morrow, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The Lakers, Spurs, Suns, Rockets, and Knicks have all reached out as well.
Nothing is imminent at this point between the Hawks and Monta Ellis, but the two sides are engaged in talks, Kennedy tweets.
Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck took a shot at former coach Doc Rivers, telling Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that "Doc left us, period." Still, Grousbeck is confident his team can rebuild, as Bulpett observes in a separate piece.
Many around the league are surprised that the Clippers were able to snag Darren Collison for a starting salary of just $1.9MM, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets.
The Spurs called 6'8" sharpshooter James Southerland to see if he would consider playing overseas next season if they took him with the 58th pick in last month's draft. Southerland turned down the offer and went undrafted, and is trying to prove himself with the Sixers and Warriors in summer league, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
Josh Smith's agreement with the Pistons shatters the notion that marquee free agents won't come to Detroit, observes MLive's David Mayo, who examines how Smith fits on the team and what moves might be next for Joe Dumars and company.

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Pistons, Cavs, Ellington

July 7th, 2013 at 7:52am CST by Spencer Lund

The Clippers seem to be done with all their moves this summer and will probably just sign minimum level contracts from here on out, writes Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). But Pincus also tweeted an update on the Clippers' salary info after the Darren Collison signing that used part of their available MLE earlier tonight.

The deal means Matt Barnes will get less as part of his announced re-signing with the Clippers yesterday. It was reported he'd worked out a three-year deal worth between $11-$12MM, but after Pincus' math that's likely to drop as they split the MLE with Barnes dropping to $10MM over three years.

Here's some more around the league, including teams pursuing free agent Wayne Ellington and the Cavs' future after signing Jarrett Jack.

League sources tell RealGM's Shams Charania that the Kings are eyeing free agent Sam Young of the Pacers.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio says free agent guard Wayne Ellington is drawing interest from the Bulls, Bucks and Pistons (Twitter).
About the Pistons, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt says (via Twitter) that even though they landed free agent Josh Smith, they still want a point guard and shooting wing, the latter role one Ellington could fulfill.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com says (via Twitter) that there are 34 players making over $13.5MM next season. He goes on to say that number helps put "youknowwhat" into perspective. We're guessing it's the four-year $54MM (or $56MM, with performance incentives) Josh Smith just agreed to signed for with the Pistons.
A source has told 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson the Timberwolves are maintaining a regular dialogue with unrestricted free agent Alan Anderson's camp (Twitter).
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal takes a look at how the Cavs roster is beginning to take shape in the wake of their agreement with Jarrett Jack.
Lloyd adds (via Twitter) that the Jack signing probably ends their flirtation with Ellington, whom they didn't tender a qualifying offer because they wanted an upgrade of the kind Jack gives them.

Free Agent Rumors: Bynum, Teague, Kirilenko

July 6th, 2013 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

Free agents continue to reach deals with teams across the NBA in advance of Wednesday, when agreements can become official. Here's the latest on the moves that could be next:

The Mavs were in contact with Andrew Bynum even before Dwight Howard turned them down, and Stein tweets that Dallas is indeed pursuing the oft-injured Bynum now that Howard is out of the picture. Still, the Mavs will make a detailed and careful evaluation of the big man's health before reaching an agreement, according to Stein.
Jeff Teague's camp is becoming increasingly frustrated with the Hawks, who have yet to engage in meaningful negotiations on a new deal, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The point guard is a restricted free agent, so Atlanta controls his destiny.
The Kings aren't considering Andrei Kirilenko, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
The Knicks remain in play for Elton Brand, as do other teams, but a decision could come this weekend, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
The Jazz and Grizzlies also made offers to Dorell Wright, who wound up agreeing to join the Blazers instead, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Thunder also made an offer, as previously reported, Haynes notes.
Decision makers within the Blazers front office have led The Oregonian's Joe Freeman to expect that the team won't re-sign Elliot Williams (Twitter link).
Joe Dumars, fresh off his agreement to sign Josh Smith, has his sights on a perimeter sharpshooter for the Pistons, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (on Twitter). Keith Langlois of Pistons.com agrees, and hints that the team could hit the trade market as well (Twitter link).