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Pacific Notes: McGee, Crawford, Hibbert, Cousins

July 4th, 2015 at 3:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers plans to talk to free agent center JaVale McGee today, reports Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports. L.A. is seeking a replacement for DeAndre Jordan, who announced Friday that he will sign a four-year deal with the Mavericks. The Clippers have approximately $2.2MM in exception space available over the league minimum salary of $1.4MM, according to Wojnarowski. McGee, 27, has been a free agent since being waived by the Sixers in March.

There’s more news from the Pacific Division:

  • The Clippers may try to trade Jamal Crawford in their quest for a new center, according to speculation from one executive who spoke with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Crawford will make $5.675MM next season.
  • It’s unlikely that the Clippers can swing a three-team deal to land Roy Hibbert, according to Broderick Turner and Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. There have been discussions about a trade that would send a newly signed Jordan to Dallas, a newly signed Monta Ellis to the Pacers and Hibbert to Los Angeles. However, it seems unlikely that Dallas would agree to help a potential rival for a playoff spot.
  • The Lakers haven’t tried to reopen trade talks for Kings center DeMarcus Cousins, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. He notes that Sacramento isn’t interested in dealing Cousins, despite reported discussions between the teams last month.
  • The Kings‘ reported interest in Denver guard Ty Lawson was exaggerated, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Trade rumors surrounding Lawson have intensified since the Nuggets drafted Emmanuel Mudiay. Free agent point guard Rajon Rondo announced Friday that he intends to sign with Sacramento.
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Pacers, Mavs, Clippers Discuss Trade For Hibbert

July 4th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pacers have contacted the Mavericks about a possible sign-and-trade deal involving center Roy Hibbert, Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). The proposed deal would also include the Clippers, Turner notes. In the proposed deal, Indiana would send Hibbert to Dallas in exchange for Monta Ellis, who would then ship Hibbert to the Clippers in exchange for DeAndre Jordan, Turner relays (on Twitter). A source within the Mavericks’ organization doubts that the team would agree to such a transaction, since Dallas has no desire to help the Clippers improve their roster, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays (via Twitter). Indiana is also exploring other trade options involving the center, MacMahon adds.

Hibbert, who is scheduled to earn $15.514MM next season after exercising his player option, is no longer in the Pacers’ long-term plans, as the team is looking to implement a faster style of play. Indiana had reportedly been aggressive in their attempts to trade Hibbert prior to the 2015 NBA draft. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird and coach Frank Vogel signaled this spring that they wanted to move on from the 28-year-old.

The big man’s contract has a 15% trade kicker included, and even though the starting salary in his deal was for the max, the kicker still has value, as he’s since accrued seven years of service and is eligible for a max worth roughly 30% of the salary cap instead of just 25%, noted Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. The kicker would add more than $2.327MM to his base salary, which the Pacers would be required to pay, though it would count toward his cap hit for whichever team were to take him on.

This potential three-way deal would benefit the Pacers the most financially, as the Mavs have already agreed to a deal with Jordan, and don’t need to free up cap space to accommodate his addition. The Pacers can likewise fit in Ellis’ new deal under their cap figure, but would certainly love to have Hibbert’s player-friendly deal off of its books for next season. As for the Clippers, in the wake of losing Jordan and the team not having sufficient cap space to sign an impact player, agreeing to the trade would allow the franchise to add a starting-caliber big man without requiring additional cap clearing moves. That last point is why the Mavs would be hesitant to agree to such a trade, and Indiana or Los Angeles would likely need to add further compensation for Dallas to consider such a trade, though that is merely my speculation.

Hibbert made 76 appearances for Indiana last season, all as a starter, and averaged 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game. His shooting numbers were .446/.000/.824.

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Knicks, Mavs Tentatively Consider Roy Hibbert

July 2nd, 2015 at 3:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:32pm: The Knicks would also target Hibbert if they miss on Jordan and Robin Lopez, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).

11:56am: The Mavericks remain hopeful about luring DeAndre Jordan from the Clippers, but if they don’t, they would consider trading with the Pacers for Roy Hibbert, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). It would be a “salary-dump deal,” MacMahon says, presumably meaning that Dallas would absorb Hibbert into cap space instead of taking back players from Indiana. The Clippers’ chances at keeping Jordan are reportedly 50-50, though the Lakers and long shot Knicks also loom as threats.

Indiana seems eager to part with Hibbert, having reportedly been aggressive in their apparent attempts to trade him before the draft. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird and coach Frank Vogel signaled this spring that they wanted to move on from Hibbert, who nonetheless picked up his player option worth more than $15.514MM.

Hibbert has a 15% trade kicker in his deal, and even though the starting salary in his deal was for the max, the kicker still has value, as he’s since accrued seven years of service and is eligible for a max worth roughly 30% of the salary cap instead of just 25%, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links here). So, the kicker would likely add more than $2.327MM to his salary. The Pacers would have to pay that, though it would count toward his cap hit for whichever team were to take him on.

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Paul Millsap Deciding Between Magic, Hawks

July 1st, 2015 at 1:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:18pm: Millsap is leaning toward re-signing with the Hawks, according to Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links).

11:11am: The Hawks are confident they can retain Millsap, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

8:48am: Paul Millsap met with the Magic overnight, reports Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter), and at this point he’s deciding between those two teams, as Jones and TNT’s David Aldridge report (Twitter links), even though the Pacers and Mavericks also have interest, according to Jones (Twitter link). Orlando offered the power forward a four-year, $80MM deal, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN (on Twitter). The Knicks are interested, too, but Millsap won’t meet with them, nor will he do so with Indiana or Dallas, Broussard adds (Twitter link).

Atlanta has made the same offer the Magic have, Broussard writes in a full story. Their offers appear to be for the max, as the estimated starting salary for a player with Millsap’s experience is roughly $19MM, though that figure doesn’t factor in any rise in the cap projection that would lift the max by about $600K. If the cap winds up as much as $2MM over the previously projected $67.1MM figure, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported was a distinct possibility, it would ostensibly help the Hawks retain both Millsap and DeMarre Carroll, though Orlando’s aggressive entry into the Millsap sweepstakes keeps the pressure on. Atlanta, armed with only Early Bird rights on the two of them, had been losing faith in the idea of re-signing them both.

The Jazz reportedly planned an active pursuit, but as free agency drew near, and especially after the selection of Trey Lyles at pick No. 12 last week, Utah increasingly appeared to be a long shot, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. Orlando’s play for Millsap is a significant development for the club that’s been in a rebuilding phase since trading Dwight Howard nearly three years ago, and if the Magic land Millsap and turn away from fellow forward Tobias Harris as a result, it could well have implications for the restricted free agency market, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Magic have long coveted Millsap, having attempted to trade for him before the 2012/13 season, notes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

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Free Agent Rumors: Gasol, Carroll, Green, Lin

July 1st, 2015 at 10:21am CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies and Marc Gasol are likely to reach a deal, as long expected, today or Thursday, as TNT’s David Aldridge hears (Twitter link). Gasol and Grizzlies owner Robert Pera are both in Spain today, working out the details on a new deal, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link). While we wait for what appears to be an inevitable conclusion for the Arn Tellem client, here’s more from the first day of free agency:

  • The Pistons are believed to have spoken to DeMarre Carroll overnight, according to Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
  • New York would reportedly like to meet with Danny Green, and that interest appears mutual, as “anybody turning down a meeting with them would be crazy,” Green said to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I don’t think people are scared of the Knicks,’’ Green said. “They’re rebuilding. … Some guys want to go where they’re already winning. They get a couple of good pieces this summer, I’m sure it’ll attact more guys.’’
  • Jeremy Lin heard from the Lakers overnight, and the Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pacers, Bulls and Clippers, a league source told Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Still, Lin appears unlikely to re-sign with the Lakers, Media opines on Twitter.
  • The Lakers reached out to Wayne Ellington overnight, and the Cavaliers, Warriors, Wizards, Spurs and Hawks also showed interest, Medina reports in a separate piece.
  • Willie Green and the Knicks have engaged in preliminary discussions, speaking twice since free agency began overnight, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
  • Mike Dunleavy had no shortage of interest from others, but he’s quite pleased about his new deal with the Bulls, as he expressed to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). “I’m thrilled to be back,” Dunleavy said. “It’s a really fair deal. I’m looking forward to playing for [coach Fred Hoiberg] and love our team.”
  • The Magic‘s apparent four-year, $80MM offer to Paul Millsap has executives more optimistic that Orlando won’t match offers for restricted free agent Tobias Harris, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Marc Stein of ESPN.com had speculated as much earlier.
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Monta Ellis In Talks With Pacers

July 1st, 2015 at 4:00am CST by Chuck Myron

4:00am: Indiana is believed to be offering Ellis a deal in the three-year, $32MM range, Wojnarowski reports.

1:25am: Ellis and his family are traveling to Indiana to meet with Pacers officials on Wednesday, Wojnarowski relays (via Twitter).

1:06am: The Hawks, Nuggets and Kings are calling on Ellis tonight, too, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

JULY 1ST, 12:31am: Ellis is “gathering traction” in talks with the Pacers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Bird is determined to reach a deal and the Pacers are pushing hard, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter).

JUNE 30TH, 11:22am: The Kings have interest in Ellis, too, Broussard hears (Twitter link).

12:11pm: Interest is mutual between Ellis and the Heat, and the shooting guard also plans to talk to the Hawks, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, who suggests that Ellis would generally prefer to sign with an East Coast team.

JUNE 24TH, 10:15am: The Pacers and Heat are interested in signing Monta Ellis, who’s opting out of his contract with the Mavs to become a free agent, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Interest from both would presumably hinge on other option decisions. The Heat would be unlikely to have the cap space necessary to chase Ellis if Dwyane Wade opts in to his $16.125MM salary for next season or if the sides work out a new deal. The same is the case with the Pacers and both Roy Hibbert and David West, who also hold player options.

Ellis, a Relativity Sports client is surely seeking more than the $8.72MM he would have seen on his player option with the Mavs. The shooting guard has until midnight tonight to change his mind and opt in, but that would be unforeseen. The Heat have only about $43MM committed for next season against a projected $67.1MM cap, but they have a lucrative offer earmarked for Goran Dragic and also seemingly have interest in retaining Luol Deng, who has a player option worth $10.152MM. A continued partnership with Wade, who’s reportedly open to leaving the team amid tense negotiations, would presumably push the team well into tax territory, though Miami is reportedly shopping Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen in an effort to clear salary. Ellis would ostensibly be a replacement for Wade at the shooting guard position in Miami.

Indiana, unlike Miami, doesn’t have a star entrenched at two-guard, though with $36MM in guaranteed salaries on the books, Hibbert’s option of more than $15.514MM and West’s, worth $12.6MM, would largely close the door on any chance the Pacers have at opening cap room without making a trade. The deadlines both face to decide on their respective options aren’t until next week, GM Kevin Pritchard said, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), and it’s unclear what they’ll choose to do. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird earlier this spring seemed to encourage Hibbert to opt out as Indiana seeks a faster style of play.

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Eastern Rumors: Knicks, Millsap, Wade

June 30th, 2015 at 10:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Madison Square Garden named long-time talent agency executive David “Doc” O’Connor as its next chief executive, as The Associated Press writes.  O’Connor comes from CAA, the same agency that represents Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Paul George.  O’Connor will officially join the Knicks on July 15th. Here’s more out of the East..

  • Paul Millsap‘s possible price range of $17-$19MM would be too high for the Knicks, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders tweets.  The Knicks are said to be eyeing the Hawks free agent.
  • Heat people are optimistic a deal will get done with Dwyane Wade, even though Wade is expected to at least consider other options, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.  Meanwhile, two Wade associates cite the Lakers as his top choice other than the Heat.
  • The Celtics are expected to show interest in free agent forward Amir Johnson and they could also pursue a reunion with former Celtic Gerald Green, Chris Mannix of SI tweets.
  • Pending free agent Rodney Stuckey will have at least two “serious” suitors besides the Pacers when he hits free agency tonight, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets.  The guard is very much interested in staying with the Pacers, but Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com (on Twitter) hears that his asking price might be around $6MM.  He hears that roughly six teams have expressed interest.
  • There’s mutual interest between the Pacers and Lavoy Allen, but the two sides won’t have deep discussions until the Pacers see what kind of money they have available, Agness tweets.
  • Free agent guard John Jenkins has signed with Relativity Sports, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).  The Hawks guard, who appeared in just 37 games the past two seasons after playing in 61 contests as a rookie in 2012/13, left BDA Sports Management earlier this month.
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Qualifying Offers: Tuesday

June 30th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are the latest qualifying offer decisions to come in..

Earlier Updates:

  • The Sixers declined to offer guard Glenn Robinson III a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  However, Philly has shown an inclination to revisit a longer-term deal for Robinson this summer, according to those same sources.  In 35 games as a rookie, Robinson averaged 2.1 PPG.
  • The Hornets will not make a qualifying offer to guard Jeffery Taylor, according to a source that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).  Taylor will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • Pero Antic, who was rumored to be going overseas, was given a qualifying offer by the Hawks, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).  If the Hawks need to maximize their cap space, Pincus adds (link), they can revoke the qualifying offer to Antic and renounce him.
  • As expected, the Magic have extended qualifying offers to both Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets made Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels restricted free agents by extending QOs to them, Pincus tweets.
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Free Agency Rumors: Boozer, Williams, Heat

June 30th, 2015 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent news..

  • The Nets, Mavs, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, and Spurs are in on veteran big man Carlos Boozer, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets.
  • In addition to the incumbent Kings (whose interest was previously reported), the Wizards, Rockets, Lakers, Heat, Suns, and Knicks are expected to show interest in forward Derrick Williams, Broussard tweets.  Williams can become a restricted free agent this summer if the Kings tender him a qualifying offer worth $4,045,894.  The former No. 2 overall pick averaged 8.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 74 games last season.
  • The general sense among teams around the league is that Kyle O’Quinn will be able to draw $4-5MM salaries on his next deal and Shane Larkin $2-3MM on his, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in his NBA AM piece. Sources tell Kyler that Gerald Green could be had for around $5MM a year, or slightly less on a deal that runs three or four years.
  • The Mavs, Pacers, Grizzlies, Clippers, and incumbent Suns are the teams showing the most interest in high-flying big man Brandan Wright, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets.
  • Jamario Moon is looking to make an NBA comeback and has signed with Hazan Sports Management, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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David West Opts Out From Pacers

June 30th, 2015 at 1:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

JUNE 30TH, 1:12pm: The Pacers didn’t receive paperwork indicating that West would opt in by Monday night’s deadline for him to do so, so he has officially opted out, the team confirms, as Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports reports (Twitter link).

JUNE 24TH, 2:07pm: David West has decided to turn down his $12.6MM player option, reports Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). President of basketball operations Larry Bird wouldn’t confirm the report, telling Buckner that he hasn’t spoken with West or agent Jeff Austin (Twitter link). His choice gives the team the chance to open the cap space necessary for a legitimate run at Monta Ellis, in whom the Pacers reportedly have interest.

Mystery had surrounded West’s intentions with the option, just as it does with Roy Hibbert, who possesses a player option worth more than $15.514MM, though Pacers coach Frank Vogel said this spring that he had a gut feeling that West would opt in. That proved incorrect, and now West, who turns 35 in August, is free to seek out a new team or see if he can pry more salary, a longer deal, or both from Indiana.

The Raptors reportedly pursued West via trade at the deadline, and Toronto still appears to have a need at power forward. Indiana appeared reluctant to part with him as it chased a playoff berth last season. Bird has made it clear he wants to change the team’s style of play to a more up-tempo attack, and while he seemed to push Hibbert to opt out, it would be tough for the Pacers to implement a small-ball style if Hibbert opts in and West re-signs.

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