Southwest Notes: Morey, Rockets, Noel, Ferrell
Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who recently signed a four-year extension, continues to work on large-scale moves after a quiet draft, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. On draft night, the Rockets had just one second-round pick and used it on Isaiah Hartenstein, who will remain overseas next season, Feigen tweets. The Rockets also traded their second-round pick, Dillon Brooks, to the Grizzlies for a second-round pick next season. Morey discussed his approach:
“We were very focused on two things, to get someone who can help us now and in the future. The second, we did a lot of potential discussions with teams that advanced a little bit today. Obviously, we’re focused on the team now, focused on chasing Golden State. Anything we can push in the future to help us upgrade the team, potentially through trade, we’re ready to do.”
The Rockets were discussing Paul George with the Pacers on Thursday and continue to do so, but nothing was considered close on draft day, per Feigen. The team was simultaneously having conversations directed at making cap room available if they needed it for an expensive free agent addition. Morey stated that the team was considering some deals to move into the first round of the draft, but the Rockets prioritized saving cap space to pursue big trades.
What else is going on in the Southwest division?:
- According to The Dallas Morning News, Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson is “fairly optimistic” the team can sign former Baylor power forward Johnathan Motley.
- The Mavericks’ top priority this offseason is not to snag unrestricted free agent Jrue Holiday, but rather to re-sign Nerlens Noel, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.
- Stein also tweets that the Mavs are focused on developing and cementing their core of Harrison Barnes, Nerlens Noel, Seth Curry, and now Dennis Smith Jr.
- The Mavs do not intend to exercise their team option on DeAndre Liggins, who was claimed on waivers during the last week of the season, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN (link via Twitter).
- MacMahon also tweets that the Mavs have informed Yogi Ferrell that they are picking up his team option for next season.
Rockets To Sign L.J. Peak, George De Paula
The Rockets have agreed to free agent deals with a couple of undrafted prospects, though the moves are not yet official. Per Mark Berman of Fox 26, the club has an agreement in place to sign Georgetown’s L.J. Peak.
Ranked 46th of DraftExpress.com’s list of top 100 prospects, the junior Hoya will look to stick on a roster seeking to add as many potential weapons as possible. In Peak, the Rockets will get a 21-year-old fresh off a campaign in which he posted 16.3 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Per Chris Haynes of ESPN, the Rockets will also take a flyer on Brazilian point guard George de Paula. An international early entrant in this year’s draft, de Paula comes in at No. 72 on DraftExpress’ big board.
At this time it’s not entirely clear whether the deals will be for Summer League or for training camp, but it sounds like both players should have a spot on Houston’s 20-man camp roster.
Rockets Trade Dillon Brooks To Grizzlies
JUNE 23, 12:11am: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies confirmed in a press release announcing the acquisitions of both Brooks and Rabb.
JUNE 22, 10:47pm: The Rockets drafted Oregon’s Dillon Brooks at No. 45 and will trade him to Memphis, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. In return, Houston will receive the worst of the Grizzlies’ 2018 second-rounders. In addition to their own, Memphis has the rights to picks from Charotte and Miami.
A 6’7″ junior, Brooks averaged 16.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Ducks. He could be part of a youth movement for the Grizzlies, who also acquired 35th pick Ivan Rabb from the Magic tonight.
Houston eliminated a potential financial commitment by dealing the 45th pick and using the 43rd choice on 19-year-old Isaiah Hartenstein, who will likely spend at least one more year overseas. That fits in with the Rockets’ reported desire to clear cap room and pursue elite free agents next month.
Celtics’ Paul George Talks Stalled After Gaining Momentum
8:07pm: Discussions between the Pacers and Celtics on George have stalled for now, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
7:06pm: The Pacers and Celtics are engaged in “serious” discussions about a potential Paul George trade, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). While the sides remain apart on a potential deal, talks have gained momentum, per Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
The Celtics used their third overall pick tonight to select Jayson Tatum. If the Pacers and C’s can come to an agreement on a George deal, it’s not clear whether or not Tatum will be involved in the swap.
George is one of the top trade candidates available now that Jimmy Butler is now off the board, with the Bulls having reached an agreement to send him to the Timberwolves. Before finalizing that deal, the Pacers and Wolves discussed a deal involving George, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 in Minneapolis. The Pacers asked for Zach LaVine and more in return, which Minnesota refused, opting for Butler instead.
The Rockets also haven’t given up their pursuit of George, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. I’d expect the Lakers to check back in as well if a deal appears close.
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
Jazz Rumors: Beverley, Rubio, Draft, Favors
The Jazz continued this afternoon to engage in talks for Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, who notes (via Twitter) that Utah also has another point guard on its radar.
It’s possible that other point guard is Timberwolves veteran Ricky Rubio. Jody Genessy of The Deseret News reports that Utah has explored the possibility of acquiring Rubio in a trade. However, Genessy acknowledges that there’s no traction on that front for now.
Here are several more Jazz-related rumors:
- According to Genessey, the Jazz continue to be “very active” in trade talks as they explore the possibility of moving up in the draft. Utah currently has the 24th and 30th overall picks, but wouldn’t mind moving up into the 12-17 range to grab a shooter, sources tell The Deseret News.
- The Jazz aren’t shopping Derrick Favors, who is entering the final year of his contract, but he is receiving “a lot of interest” from teams, says Genessy. Although Utah would prefer to keep Favors, he’s not entirely off-limits.
- The Jazz still feel “pretty comfortable” that Gordon Hayward will remain with the team after opting out, but the club doesn’t know for sure, which is complicating offseason planning, writes Genessy.
- Utah has increased its international budget, making a draft-and-stash prospect a possibility for one of the club’s picks tonights, per Genessy. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweets that the Jazz, Spurs, and Nets are all keeping a close eye on international big man Isaiah Hartenstein, who will likely be picked in the 20s tonight.
Draft Notes: Ball, Ntilikina, Bulls, Mavericks
The Lakers are widely expected to take Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 pick after trading D’Angelo Russell on Tuesday, but Ball tells Adam Zagoria of FanRag Sports that he hasn’t received a guarantee from the team. Ball worked out twice for L.A., with the second time reportedly at the request of the Lakers after a disappointing showing in the first session. “I think they were both fine,” he said. L.A. is still giving “real consideration” to Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
There’s more news as teams lock in their draft strategies:
- French point guard Frank Ntilikina held a last-minute workout for the Knicks this morning, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Sources tell Berman that the Mavericks, who are also in the market for a point guard, talked to the Timberwolves about trading up from the ninth pick to the seventh to have a shot at Ntilikina, but talks collapsed because of Minnesota’s high asking price. The Wolves would prefer to use that pick as part of a package to get Jimmy Butler from the Bulls. Today’s workout was conducted by former Knicks player developmental coach Chris Brickley, who tutored Ntilikina last summer.
- If the Bulls do move Butler, they will likely target Fox or Josh Jackson, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.
- The Celtics are also interested in the seventh pick and have spoken to the Wolves about a possible deal, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Boston may want an extra draft choice to sweeten its offer to the Knicks for Kristaps Porzingis.
- Responding to Damian Lillard‘s request for a better supporting cast, the Trail Blazers are trying to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Mitch Lawrence of The Sporting News. Portland’s priority in any deal is getting rid of a bad contract, according to Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). The Blazers made an offer for Paul George, but it “doesn’t move the needle” for the Pacers, relays Jason Quick of CSNNW (Twitter link).
- The Raptors, who hold the No. 23 pick, are gauging interest around the league and are willing to trade down, according to Scotto (Twitter link).
- The Nuggets, who have the 13th selection, are another team that may try to move down, tweets Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He notes that Denver has a history of making draft-night trades.
- Several teams have expressed an interest in moving into the late part of the lottery, according to Givony (Twitter link). He lists the Lakers, Hawks, Nets, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Rockets as teams that might try to acquire a pick in the 10-14 range.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey Signs Four-Year Extension
5:06pm: Morey’s new deal is now official, with the Rockets announcing the extension in a press release.
“Daryl has consistently proven to be one of the top minds and innovators in our league,” Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to continue to work with Daryl towards our pursuit of winning another championship for the Rockets, the City of Houston, and our fans all over the world.”
12:28pm: The Rockets have agreed to a four-year extension with GM Daryl Morey, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. He is now under contract through 2021/22.
Morey, who had one year remaining on his current deal, joined the organization in 2006 and took over GM duties a year later. He has turned the Rockets into consistent contenders, and the team posted the NBA’s third-best record this season.
His most successful move has been a 2012 trade that brought James Harden from Oklahoma City in exchange for a package of players and draft picks.
Jazz Inquire About Patrick Beverley
The Jazz are among 12 teams that have contacted the Rockets about starting guard Patrick Beverley, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Sources tell Jones that Utah GM Dennis Lindsey is searching for a veteran point guard. Incumbent starter George Hill is a free agent and may not return to the team next season, although Jones hears that the Jazz will try to keep Hill even if they acquire Beverley.
While it may be trickier for the Jazz to land Beverley after July 1, the team would have plenty of flexibility to acquire him before the new league year begins. As our salary cap snapshot for Utah shows, the Jazz finished the season more than $13MM+ below the cap, which is more than enough room to accommodate Beverley’s $6MM salary. That cap room would disappear after July 1 due to pricey free agent cap holds.
The Rockets are reportedly trying to move Beverley, along with Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams to create cap space for a maximum offer to a top-level free agent.
Paul George Trade May Not Happen Before The Draft
The Pacers have talked to several teams about trading star forward Paul George, but don’t feel pressured to complete a deal before Thursday’s draft, writes Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star.
Team president Kevin Pritchard has had discussions with the Rockets, Cavaliers and Lakers about moving George, and the Wizards and Clippers have also expressed interest. However, the Pacers haven’t liked any of the offers enough to move forward with a deal.
The Pacers are hoping trade offers will improve tomorrow afternoon in anticipation of the draft. However, George’s public statements about wanting to go to L.A. are limiting what teams are willing to part with.
A source told Taylor that the Pacers may decide to listen to offers all summer, and maybe into training camp, before making a deal. Another source speculated that George’s value will continue to drop the longer the Pacers wait.
After Tuesday’s trade with the Nets, the Lakers reportedly offered Indiana both the 27th and 28th pick along with their choice of Julius Randle or Jordan Clarkson in exchange for George. A source said the Pacers are holding out for a significantly better offer.
Another source said that George wouldn’t object to playing for the Pacers next season if no deal is completed.
Rockets Target Paul, Griffin, Millsap, Lowry
1:41pm: In an effort to create cap space, the Rockets are making Beverley, Anderson and Lou Williams all available in trades, Stein writes in a full story. Williams will make $7MM next season in the final year of his contract.
12:33pm: The Rockets will chase several of the top free agents on the market this summer, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sources tell Stein that Houston plans to pursue Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap and Kyle Lowry.
Paul, who is expected to opt out of a nearly $24.3MM salary, will be the top point guard on the market and is rumored to have strong interest from the Spurs, among others. Griffin is expected to use an early termination option and give up a salary of nearly $21.4MM. The Hawks are reluctant to offer Millsap a maximum deal and have reportedly talked to other teams about a sign-and-trade. Lowry is a former Rocket who was traded to Toronto in 2012.
All four players will be seeking max offers, which mean the Rockets, who currently have a maximum of $11.7MM to operate with, will have to clear significant cap room. Houston reportedly is seeking to trade starting guard Patrick Beverley, which would save about $5.5MM and create a backcourt opening for Paul or Lowry. Finding a taker for Ryan Anderson (nearly $19.6MM next season) or Eric Gordon (more than $12.9MM) would open a lot more.