Warriors To Ask Ray Allen About Comeback?
- According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), the Warriors have pushed for a Ray Allen comeback since 2014, and will likely give the longtime shooting guard a call asking him about playing for the minimum this year.
Kevin Durant Leftovers: Warriors, FAs, Thunder
Kevin Durant dominated Fourth of July headlines this year, announcing on Monday that he has decided to sign with the Warriors later this week, rather than returning to the Thunder or heading to the Celtics, Heat, or Spurs. Many of the rest of Monday’s NBA headlines were directly correlated to Durant’s decision: Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut are both headed to the Mavericks, the Thunder may field trade offers for Russell Westbrook, the Spurs moved onto Plan B and locked up Pau Gasol, and Zaza Pachulia agreed to a deal far below his market value to join the Warriors.
In addition to those stories, we have a few more reactions and leftovers related to Durant’s signing, so let’s dive in and round up those items, sorted by KD’s new team and old team…
Warriors:
- In the wake of Durant’s decision, the Warriors were linked to several free agent bigs, with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reporting (via Twitter) that the team was eyeing Willie Reed and Dewayne Dedmon, while Marcus Thompson of The Bay Area News Group tweeted that Jermaine O’Neal is “game for a return” to Golden State. It was Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News that noted (via Twitter) the team’s interest in Pachulia, and it’s not clear whether or not that agreement will diminish the Dubs’ interest in those other low-cost bigs.
- A number of free agents have expressed interest in joining the Warriors on veteran-minimum contracts to help fill out the roster, according to Kennedy (via Twitter).
- In a piece for Sports Illustrated, Kennedy spoke to Draymond Green about the recruitment process for the Warriors and Durant. Meanwhile, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com reports that Andre Iguodala gave an “incredible pitch” during Golden State’s meeting with Durant last Friday.
- Sam Amick of USA Today goes a little more in-depth on how the Warriors landed Durant, providing some interesting details on Jerry West‘s involvement and how the Warriors’ two-hour meeting with Durant played out.
- As Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated outlines, the Warriors were able to sell Durant on their unselfishness, “no-stars” culture, and their potential to win multiple titles together.
Thunder:
- Thunder owner Clay Bennett and GM Sam Presti both issued statements on Durant’s departure, and they were far more measured than the infamous comic-sans statement Dan Gilbert put out when LeBron James left Cleveland. “Kevin made an indelible mark on the Thunder organization and the state of Oklahoma as a founding father of this franchise,” Presti said. “We can’t adequately articulate what he meant to the foundation of this franchise and our success. While clearly disappointing that he has chosen to move on, the core values that he helped establish only lead to us thanking him for the many tangible and intangible ways that he helped our program.”
- Marcus Thompson (Twitter link) has heard chatter suggesting that it’s uncertain that Westbrook would have chosen to remain with the Thunder long-term even if Durant has stayed, which the Bay Area News Group columnist suggests may have played a role in KD’s decision.
- Royce Young of ESPN.com, however, suggests that the Thunder aren’t as worried about Westbrook leaving Oklahoma City as they were about Durant heading elsewhere, with one team source suggesting to Young that Durant’s departure may make Westbrook more compelled to stay in OKC. Of course, a lot can change between now and July 1, 2017, but Young writes that the Thunder will try to sell Westbrook on the fact that it’s his team now.
- Sources tell Young that the Thunder may take some time before making any significant roster decisions. Given how fast free agency moves, that might mean just taking a few days to think things through — it may not be long before the club has to decide on whether or not to match an offer sheet for Dion Waiters, for instance.
- In his aforementioned story for USA Today, Sam Amick notes that the Thunder believe they would have had a very good chance to sign Al Horford if Durant had returned, which makes KD’s departure an even more bitter pill to swallow.
- Also at USA Today, Amick conducted a Q&A with Presti focusing on Durant’s departure.
Warriors To Rescind Harrison Barnes’ QO
The Warriors are set to renounce restricted free agent forward Harrison Barnes, now that Kevin Durant is headed to the Bay Area, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter link). Withdrawing their qualifying offer to Barnes would remove his $9,683,495 cap hold from the Warriors’ books, and would make Barnes an unrestricted free agent. We heard earlier today that Golden State will do the same for Festus Ezeli, making him a UFA as well.
[RELATED: Kevin Durant to sign with Warriors]
The Mavericks had been expected to put a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet for Barnes when the July moratorium comes to an end, and Dallas remains “full steam ahead” on its plans to offer Barnes that contract, according to Stein. Now that he won’t be a restricted free agent, Barnes will be free to sign with the Mavs outright, rather than waiting to see if Golden State would match an offer sheet.
There hasn’t been confirmation yet that Barnes has formally agreed to terms with the Mavericks, so it’s possible that another team – perhaps one that missed out on Durant – that appeals more to Barnes could swoop in to match Dallas’ offer. But it looks for now as if the former seventh overall pick will probably sign with the Mavs later this week.
The Mavericks have also emerged as a strong potential trade destination for Andrew Bogut, per Stein (Twitter links). Golden State will almost certainly have to move Bogut to accommodate Durant’s new deal, and the team would like to send the veteran center to a destination he likes, according to Stein, who adds that Barnes and Bogut are good friends.
One NBA team executive tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (Twitter link) that his club previously had interest in Bogut, but is no longer interested in making a trade. “I’m not helping [the Warriors],” the exec said. While that’s a noble stance, there figures to be at least one team willing to acquire Bogut — the trade cost figures to be cheap, and Bogut’s salary isn’t exorbitant compared to what some free agent centers will sign for this week.
Latest On Kevin Durant
9:59pm: The Heat are still alive in the race for Durant, according to a tweet from InsideHoops.com. A source says the theory that Durant is deciding between the Thunder and Warriors is untrue.
8:43pm: Durant was impressed by the Celtics’ presentation on Saturday and is still “seriously considering” signing with Boston, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.
7:55pm: Durant is not expected to make an announcement before Monday, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The final decision will come down to the Thunder and Warriors, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A source close to the Warriors told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that Golden State pitched “culture, dynasty, style of play” to Durant, but the source wouldn’t be surprised if he stays in Oklahoma City (Twitter link).
3:25pm: Durant spoke over the phone with Warriors executive Jerry West yesterday, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News tweets. A source told Kawakami that Durant likes the Warriors, but is unsure about leaving the Thunder (Twitter link). Nevertheless, Durant is strongly considering the Warriors and his decision will be released on the Players’ Tribune, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
9:05am: Kevin Durant plans to make a decision tonight or Monday, but that’s the only certainty as he prepares to meet his fifth and final suitor, writes Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. Heat representatives will get the last chance to woo Durant this afternoon, following the Celtics and Spurs, who met with him Saturday, and the Warriors and Clippers, who had meetings Friday. The Thunder have requested a final session with Durant, but he and his representatives have not decided whether to grant that.
Officials from the four teams that have talked with Durant so far haven’t been able to determine whether he is leaning toward any of them, Broussard reports. He speculates that the Clippers may have taken themselves out of the running Saturday night by using a big chunk of their cap space on the three-year, $35MM deal they gave to Austin Rivers.
The Celtics may have improved their bargaining position with Saturday’s commitment by Al Horford, according to Broussard. Durant’s agent, Rich Kleiman, had been trying to convince Horford to join Durant in Oklahoma City, and there may be incentive now to team them up in Boston. However, a source told Broussard that while the Horford addition may enter into Durant’s decision, it won’t be a major factor.
Miami will send owner Micky Arison, chief exective officer Nick Arison, team president Pat Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra, GM Andy Elisburg and executive Alonzo Mourning into today’s session with Durant, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Meeting Durant so close to his deadline puts the Heat in a difficult position, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel, who says Riley’s main goal may be to dissuade Durant from choosing the Celtics.
Jackson says the Heat consider themselves an underdog for Durant, but they have several strategies to take on his $26.5MM first-year salary if he does choose Miami. The easiest would be to trade Goran Dragic and Josh McRoberts without taking salary back, start Hassan Whiteside‘s contract at $20MM rather than $22MM and try to convince Dwyane Wade to accept the approximately $16MM still left.
Durant reportedly flew to Boston on Friday to visit the city, then made a return flight with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, according to a report from CSNNE. The Celtics were happy with the active role that Brady played in the Durant presentation, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI. Brady joined the Celtics’ contingent along with co-owner Steve Pagliuca, president Danny Ainge and players Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk.
Western Notes: Durant, Rondo, Crawford, Mack
Kevin Durant has concluded his meeting with the Heat, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The session lasted about two hours, according to Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Durant plans to meet with representatives from the Thunder this afternoon before making his final decision. He also talked to the Warriors, Clippers, Spurs and Celtics this weekend, although L.A. is now out of the running.
There’s more news from the Western Conference:
- The Kings are “moving on” from free agent point guard Rajon Rondo, according to Aldridge (Twitter link). Aldridge says Sacramento is comfortable with Darren Collison as its starter and will seek a backup in free agency.
- The Sixers have made a “significant” offer to Clippers free agent combo guard Jamal Crawford, tweets Dan Woike of Orange County Register, and several other teams are interested. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been contacted by the Kings, Hawks, Nets, Mavericks, Celtics and others, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- The Jazz have to make a decision on point guard Shelvin Mack this week, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Mack’s $2.4MM salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on Thursday. Mack became the starter in Utah after a midseason trade from Atlanta and averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 assists in 28 games. The Jazz are trading backup point guard Trey Burke to the Wizards.
- The Timberwolves are interested in Jordan Hill, but Pau Gasol remains their top priority in free agency, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
NBA Taxpaying Teams For 2015/16
With the salary cap set for the new league year, the NBA has finalized its luxury-tax calculations for the 2015/16 season, and the champion Cavaliers will be on the hook for a hefty bill. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, owner Dan Gilbert and the Cavs, having spent well beyond the luxury-tax threshold last season, owe a tax payment of $54MM.
Here’s the complete list of taxpaying teams for the 2015/16 season, per Stein:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $54MM
- Los Angeles Clippers: $19.9MM
- Golden State Warriors: $14.8MM
- Oklahoma City Thunder $14.5MM
- Houston Rockets: $4.9MM
- San Antonio Spurs: $4.9MM
- Chicago Bulls: $4.2MM
The tax payments owed by those seven teams total nearly $120MM, and according to Stein, half of that money will be used to fund the NBA’s revenue-sharing program. The other half will be split up equally among the league’s 23 non-taxpaying teams, with each franchise receiving about $2.5MM.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Trail Blazers and Magic were the only teams to fall short of the $63MM floor, per Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). They’ll have to make up the difference by cutting checks to the players who finished the season on their respective rosters.
Latest On Jamal Crawford
12:44am: In addition to the teams mentioned below, the Sixers have also been in touch with Crawford, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPN.com. However, according to Markazi, despite the fact that Crawford was reportedly “disappointed” with the Clippers’ initial offer, the team remains optimistic that it can re-sign him.
11:47pm: There’s also mutual interest between the Cavaliers and Crawford, though it remains to be seen whether Cleveland has the spending flexibility to make it work, reports Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (via Twitter). The Cavs would likely have to make a mid-level offer to Crawford.
11:41pm: The Clippers agreed to new deals with two of their free agents on Saturday, but even though Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson will be returning, it appears Los Angeles might not be bringing the whole gang back together. The Clippers have made a contract offer to Jamal Crawford, but the veteran guard was disappointed with that offer, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Although Crawford is hardly a goner yet, he has drawn interest from several other teams around the NBA. According to Dan Woike of The Orange County Register (via Twitter), there’s mutual interest between Crawford and the Warriors, who are waiting to see whether or not they have a shot to land Kevin Durant. Conversely, as today’s free agent agreements signaled, the Clippers have been told that Durant won’t be joining them, per Ben Bolch and Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, the Nets have strong interest in Crawford, Mazzeo reports (Twitter link). Brooklyn is keeping a close eye on the shooting guard market, and is mulling the possibility of making a run at Allen Crabbe or Dion Waiters, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets. Unlike Crawford, both Crabbe and Waiters are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams – the Blazers and Thunder – could match an offer sheet.
The Knicks, Mavericks, Magic, and Heat have also been mentioned as possible Crawford suitors this week, though at least a couple of those teams have gone in another direction at the shooting guard spot.
Mavs Want To Ink Harrison Barnes To Max Deal
The Mavericks intend to sign Warriors restricted free agent Harrison Barnes to a four-year max offer sheet on July 7th, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The Warriors can match an offer to Barnes, of course, and Stein adds that the Mavs understand Barnes will likely only be available to them if the Warriors land Kevin Durant.
[RELATED: Warriors expected to retain Barnes if they don’t sign Durant]
The Warriors would have three days to match any offer sheet Barnes signs. Barnes, 24, has been with the Warriors since the team drafted him in 2012. Barnes turned down a reported extension totaling $64MM before the 2015/16 season, as Stein points out in a full story. He then had his best campaign as a pro, averaging 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 66 games.
While Barnes can be inconsistent, he is one of the league’s best three-point shooters and has been a key part of the Warriors’ success the past two seasons. His versatility, age and athleticism makes him too intriguing for the Mavs to pass up, Stein writes.
Western Rumors: Anderson, Rockets, Bazemore
The Rockets are scheduled to meet with Ryan Anderson on Saturday morning, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The Kings are also still in the mix for Anderson, writes James Ham of CSN California — Sam Amick of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that Sacramento reached out to the veteran forward right when free agency opened last night. According to Amick (via Twitter), Anderson still has at least four serious suitors, including Houston and Sacramento.
Here are several more free agent rumors and updates from across the Western Conference:
- The Timberwolves have expressed “strong interest” in Kent Bazemore, according to Michael Scotto of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Minnesota is in the market for a veteran wing, having reached out to Luol Deng as well. Of course, the Wolves also made an effort to trade for Jimmy Butler during last week’s draft.
- The Jazz are scheduled to have a second meeting today with free agent sharpshooter Jared Dudley, reports Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter links). Jones cautions that both sides still have multiple options in play, with Dudley generating “real interest” from the Suns too.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets that he keeps hearing the Kings don’t intend to sign Rajon Rondo.
- With his free agency underway, Trail Blazers RFA Allen Crabbe has changed his representation, hiring Aaron Mintz and Ty Sullivan of CAA Sports, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).
- The Spurs have expressed some interest in free agent big man Willie Reed, sources inform Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- Dewayne Dedmon, a Magic restricted free agent, has drawn interest from the Warriors, a source tells Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
Warriors Looking At James Ennis
- James Ennis has received calls from the Pelicans, Mavericks, Clippers, Warriors and Hawks, according to Scott Kushner of The Advocate (Twitter link).