Latest On Luol Deng
The Hawks were reportedly mulling a run at Luol Deng as of last week, and it looks like they’ve indeed moved forward with a pursuit, as coach Mike Budenholzer was set to meet Thursday with the 29-year-old forward, USA Today’s Sam Amick reports. Amick also adds the Rockets to the list of suitors for the client of Herb Rudoy and Ronald Shade.
Deng is seeking $12MM salaries, roughly the same amount of space Atlanta has beneath the cap, Amick writes. Atlanta’s deal with Thabo Sefolosha has apparently boosted the team’s stock with Deng, who has a close relationship with his former Bulls teammate, and Deng is also friends with Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver, another former sidekick in Chicago, Amick notes.
Reports on Thursday indicated that the Clippers and Deng had mutual interest and that the 10-year veteran would speak Thursday with Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers, who’s searching for sign-and-trade scenarios to upgrade his capped-out roster. Still, it looks like Rivers is demanding too much for Cleveland’s liking for the Cavs to go along with a sign-and-trade involving Deng, Amick says.
Deng is unlikely to make his decision before Carmelo Anthony does, according to Amick, and the Rockets in particular would be inclined to wait as they hold out hope of signing ‘Melo. The Heat, Wizards, Mavs, Suns, Bulls have all been reported to have interest in Deng since the start of free agency, but while Shade has said his client would welcome a chance to re-sign with Chicago, Amick deems the idea of Deng reuniting with the Bulls as a long shot. Washington would only remain in the market for Deng if they can’t come to terms with Trevor Ariza, Amick also says.
Latest On LeBron James
With the LeBron James sweepstakes officially underway, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com is reporting (Twitter link) that officials from the Cavs, Mavs, Rockets, and Suns have already met with LeBron’s agent Rich Paul this week in Cleveland.
More on the four-time MVP:
- Rich Paul invited three teams – the Cavs, Mavs, and Suns – to the offices of his Klutch Sports headquarters to listen to pitches. In those meetings, Paul suggested that if Pat Riley cannot quickly put a strong supporting cast together in Miami, LeBron could meet face-to-face with other suitors, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Meanwhile, Rockets officials were not granted a meeting with Paul and therefore have decided to focus on Carmelo Anthony.
- ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reports that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is flying to Cleveland to meet with James’ agent, Rich Paul (link via Chris Broussard of ESPN on Twitter).
- One team official who met with James’ agent in Cleveland tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link) that he believes LeBron’s reported exploration of other teams is a “smoke screen.” Presumably, that team official sees this as something of a power play for James to get the players that he wants around him in Miami.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link) confirms “without question” that the Cavaliers were one of the teams that had a sit down with Paul.
- The three finalists for James’ services could return to Cleveland early next week to make presentations with Paul and LeBron present, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Wojnarowski also tweets that an official who was part of meetings says “There’s clearly a breakdown in communication between LeBron and (Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh).“
- In another tweet, Wojnarowski also reports that unless Pat Riley lines up talent appealing to James within the Heat’s cap structure soon, “LeBron seems ready to explore [the] market.”
- Suns owner Robert Sarver was in Cleveland yesterday to meet with Paul, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The possibility of teaming up James with either Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh was discussed, notes Broussard.
Cavs Hesitate To Make Offer To Gordon Hayward
THURSDAY, 9:42am: The possibility remains that the Cavs will eventually extend an offer to Hayward, Amick writes.
WEDNESDAY, 9:53pm: The Cavs won’t give Hayward an offer sheet, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Cleveland likes the 23-year-old, but they believe that Utah will match any offer and they don’t want to tie up their cap space. Their reluctance to bind their flexibility may or may not be related to their hopes of signing LeBron James.
7:45pm: The Cavs’ belief that the Jazz will match any offer sheet for Hayward is strongly discouraging Cleveland from extending one, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
3:49pm: The Cavs are undecided about a max offer to Hayward, writes Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer, who believes a sign-and-trade is a more likely scenario, pointing to Utah’s predraft trade talk with Cleveland as having established a familiarity between the respective front offices.
2:40pm: A source close to the Cavs tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that the details of the team’s meeting with Hayward have been “greatly exaggerated” (Twitter link).
1:10pm: Some sources give Marc Stein of ESPN.com different figures, but most tell him that the Jazz have been willing to give Hayward four years and $48MM while he’s been seeking four years at $52MM (Twitter link). Previous reports indicated the Jazz were willing to go above that four-year, $48MM amount during extension talks this fall.
12:38pm: The Jazz remain intent on matching any offer to Hayward, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News hears (Twitter link).
12:04pm: The Cavs are believed to be readying a max offer sheet to present to Gordon Hayward during his visit with the team today, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Jazz have been steadfast that they’ll match any offer, but it appears Cleveland is prepared to test their resolve.
There was reportedly mutual interest between the C’s, who employ Hayward’s college coach, and the 24-year-old swingman, though Boston’s agreement with Avery Bradley might alter that equation. The Suns apparently have had interest in a deal at least approaching the max, and the Hornets reportedly like Hayward, too. Still, the Cavs have targeted Hayward for months, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), and they have no shortage of cap flexibility to accommodate Hayward’s max, which would be roughly 25% of the salary cap.
The Jazz and Hayward reportedly discussed an extension last fall worth more than the four years, $48MM that Derrick Favors agreed to take in his extension. There’s probably about a $2MM difference in between the average annual value of Favors’ deal and the starting salary in a max deal for Hayward, but a max deal would entail raises of 4.5% if Hayward signed with another team and 7.5% if Hayward re-signed with the Jazz.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jazz are content to have the Cavs sign Hayward to the offer sheet and match, since the max deal Utah could give him, which entails larger raises and a fifth year, would be larger. The Jazz would have three days to match should the Cavs sign the Mark Bartelstein client to the offer sheet when they’re eligible to do so after the July moratorium is over.
Jamal Crawford Seeks Contract Extension
As the Clippers explore possible trades with Jamal Crawford, the guard’s agent says that his client wants a contract extension next summer, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
“Our intention is to get an extension with the Clippers or anywhere else that he may be traded based on the fact that he’s undervalued for the production he’s providing,” agent Andy Miller said.
Crawford has become a subject of sign-and-trade discussions for the Clippers, who explored deals for Cleveland’s Luol Deng and Spencer Hawes. The 34-year-old has two years and $11MM left on his deal, including a team option for the 2015/16 season. Crawford is eligible for an extension next summer, and believes he’s out-performed his deal.
Crawford had a strong year for Los Angeles, averaging 18.6 PPG in 30 minutes per game on his way to his second career Sixth Man of the Year award.
Central Notes: Waiters, Monroe, Morrow, Bucks
The Central Division has been a hub of activity again today, with the Pacers striking a trio of deals a day after the Pistons reached agreements with Jodie Meeks and Cartier Martin. Here’s the latest from the NBA’s busiest division in free agency so far:
- The Cavs aren’t actively shopping Dion Waiters in spite of apparent interest from around the league, but a source close to the shooting guard tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that Waiters believes there’s a strong chance he’ll be dealt.
- Multiple sources told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that Greg Monroe would sign his qualifying offer if Josh Smith remained on the roster, but Monroe’s camp denies it, and Lowe calls it an “empty threat” that represents the exercise of the restricted free agent’s only true leverage.
- The Pistons are no longer interested in Anthony Morrow after coming to terms with Meeks and Martin on Tuesday, reports John Reid of The Times Picayune. The Pelicans have been in contact to see if they can reach a deal to re-sign him, according to Reid, who suggests the Thunder and Bulls are suitors, too.
- Bucks owner Marc Lasry admitted it was a mistake to keep GM John Hammond in the dark about the team’s negotiations with Jason Kidd, observes Andrew Wagner of The Associated Press. He also apologized to former coach Larry Drew for the way the club handled his ouster, as USA Today’s Sam Amick noted earlier.
Latest On Gordon Hayward
WEDNESDAY, 11:53am: Hayward is meeting with the Cavs in Cleveland today, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
TUESDAY, 5:22pm: The Jazz clearly want to keep restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, but it seems like other teams will give them a run for their money. The Jazz are vowing to match any offer to Hayward gets but Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) is hearing fresh rumbles that the Cavs are thinking about giving the forward a hefty offer sheet.
The Celtics love Hayward too, but A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com (via Twitter) hears from a source that it’s “highly unlikely” that the C’s will land him. That same source reiterated that the Jazz plan to match any offer sent his way. Still, Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) notes that there is mutual interest between the RFA and Boston. Coach Brad Stevens would love to have Hayward on his roster and the feeling is reciprocated from the 24-year-old.
Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Deng, Jamison
Suns managing partner Robert Sarver expressed confidence in his club’s chances of luring LeBron James to Phoenix, writes Bob Young of the Arizona Republic. “We are in a good position,” he said. “We have a lot to offer, too, with the depth of our roster compared to some of the other teams. We think we have a favorable opportunity, but obviously he’ll make his decision when he wants to make it. He’ll look at the facts and make a decision.”
- Luol Deng would welcome the chance to return to the Bulls, agent Ron Shade told Sam Amick of USA Today. “There’s always going to be a part of him that belongs to Chicago, and part of Chicago that belongs to him,” Shade said. “There were no hard feelings (about the trade). Moving forward, he’d look to have an amicable relationship (if he played with the Bulls).“
- Free agent forward Antawn Jamison, 38, is in good shape and is not contemplating retirement, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Kent Bazemore has meetings lined up with the Spurs next Tuesday followed by the Celtics next Wednesday, sources tell Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
- Anthony Morrow, one of the league’s best shooters, has received interest from 12 teams around the league since free agency began, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
- With Shaun Livingston out of the picture for the Nets, one option for the mini mid-level exception is Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources tell Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- In addition to the previously reported Hornets and Blazers, Josh McRoberts has drawn interest from the Mavs, Cavs, Heat, Clippers, Knicks, Spurs, Suns and Lakers, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Central Rumors: Melo, Bulls, Irving, Sessions
Carmelo Anthony says that he values winning over money and if he’s a man of his word, then the Bulls make perfect sense for him, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Here’s more on Melo and Chicago, plus other notes out of the Central Division..
- Melo met with the Bulls earlier today and a source tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter) that he followed that up with a dinner alongside Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, and others. Rose had to leave the dinner early, but coach Tom Thibodeau also stopped by (link). The dinner pitch is going “great,” according to the source who is in attendance (link). Prior to dinner, Rose took to the floor at Chicago’s practice facility and went through a private workout to show Anthony that he’s healthy, Kennedy writes.
- The Cavs sealed the deal with Kyrie Irving on a five-year, $90MM extension with an overnight meeting, but there was much more that went into wooing the guard. Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer runs it all down.
- A bunch of teams are showing interest in Ramon Sessions, including the Bulls, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times.
- A league source tells Candace Buckner of The Star (on Twitter) that the Pacers plan to dine with C.J. Miles tonight.
Central Notes: ‘Melo, Rose, Pistons, Bucks
Some in the Bulls organization doubted their ability to sign Carmelo Anthony away from the Knicks going into their meeting with the star forward today, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, noting that the sentiment didn’t apply to all of the Bulls brass. Indeed, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com hears that Bulls officials were confident as they readied to make their pitch (Twitter link), so evidently there was a split. Friedell heard more optimism in the immediate wake of the meeting (Twitter link), but Anthony still has the Mavs, Rockets and Lakers on this week’s agenda. Here’s more from the Central Division, home to the first two contract agreements of the 2014/15 season:
- Derrick Rose is loath to recruit, but he showed up at Chicago’s pitch to ‘Melo, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details. The presence of Taj Gibson, whom Anthony and coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly would insist on keeping if the Bulls were to clear salary to sign ‘Melo, was even more important, Johnson believes (Twitter link).
- Among the free agents Detroit considered, the only other player in the market for a contract similar to the one the Pistons have agreed to give Jodie Meeks was Trevor Ariza, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Pistons assistant GM George David resigned today, the team announced in a press release, confirming a report from Ellis (Twitter link). David and director of basketball operations Ken Catanella were jointly in charge of the front office this spring before the team hired Stan Van Gundy to replace Joe Dumars. Catanella will remain with the team, as Ellis reported in May.
- The Bucks made a splash with their new coach, but they plan a “somewhat conservative” approach in free agency this month, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Cavaliers had been expected to begin negotiations with draft-and-stash prospect Milan Macvan, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reported, but the Croatian power forward instead remains focused on opportunities overseas, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. Sources told Amico that there’s more money on the international market for Macvan than there would be from the Cavs.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: ‘Melo, Waiters, Pierce, Blatche
As Carmelo Anthony is set to visit with the Bulls today, two sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post that Anthony’s wife is quite satisfied with living in New York and doesn’t want him to leave the Knicks. ‘Melo and Tom Thibodeau are in agreement that the Bulls shouldn’t trade Taj Gibson in any scenario, even as the Bulls attempt to clear salary to sign the Knicks star, Berman also writes. Many around the league reportedly see the Knicks as having the inside track to retain Anthony, though the Bulls appear to have the lead among teams looking to take him away from New York. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics have made contact with about 30 players in the hours since free agency began, with Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons among them, tweets Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
- Cavs GM David Griffin said Friday that he sees No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins as “a big two-guard,” leading some executives to believe that the Cavs will look to trade Dion Waiters this summer, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). This also explains Cleveland’s push to sign Trevor Ariza, Kennedy surmises (on Twitter).
- The Clippers loom as the largest threat to sign Paul Pierce away from the Nets, but the Nets still seem optimistic about their chances of keeping him, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Nets GM Billy King reached out to all of the team’s free agents except Andray Blatche, as King told reporters today, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). That signals Blatche’s imminent departure from Brooklyn, Bondy concludes.
- Suitors believe they can pry restricted free agent Mike Scott from the Hawks with an offer sheet at the right amount, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- The Pistons are expected to meet with Anthony Morrow soon, according to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
- Head coach David Blatt and lead assistant Tyronn Lue helped sell Kyrie Irving on signing the $90MM extension with the Cavs in their overnight meeting, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Zach Links contributed to this post.