Los Angeles Clippers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Smith, Billups, Martin, More

July 3rd, 2013 at 8:37pm CST by Alex Lee

The news that the Celtics have landed Brad Stevens to be their next coach has shocked the NBA world. Sean Deveney of the Sporting News points out, via Twitter, that of the twelve new head coaches hired this offseason, eight have now been first timers, adding that the Sixers will probably make it nine of thirteen. The Stevens hire has also led to some speculation that Rajon Rondo will be on his way out of Boston. The Pistons have explored the possibility of trading for both Rondo and/or Rudy Gay, according to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (via Twitter). For what it's worth, Rudy Gay tweeted tonight that he hopes to play a full season in Toronto this year.

With the NBA offseason in full swing, let's look at some of the news churning out of the rumor mill:

After meeting with several teams in Los Angeles the past few days, unrestricted free agent Josh Smith will return to his home in Atlanta today to contemplate his future, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
It might be tough for the Clippers to keep Chauncey Billups after their acquisitions of J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley, reports Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears. Billups, 36, has drawn interest from the Cavaliers, Spurs, Mavericks, Kings, Nets and Wolves.
Per ESPN's Chris Broussard on Twitter, unrestricted free agent Kenyon Martin is drawing interest from the Lakers, Clippers, Spurs, Knicks and Nets. However, Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York tweets that no offers have been made.
After visiting with the Cavs for two days, Earl Clark was impressed with what Cleveland had to say, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News, who spoke to Clark's agent. Deveney has been all over the Clark rumors, and really likes how he would fit in Cleveland now that they took Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall.
Considering the withdrawal of the Kings' offer to Andre Iguodala, the Nuggets are now in a much better spot if they are aggressive in trying to re-sign him, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Like many of the top free agents, Iguodala's options hinge on Dwight Howard's destination and in the meantime, Dempsey writes, now is Denver's opportunity to strike.

Carl Landry, Clippers In Serious Talks

July 3rd, 2013 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers and unrestricted free agent Carl Landry are engaged in "serious contract talks," reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). We heard yesterday that Landry was set to meet with Doc Rivers and the Clips last night.

According to Stein, the Clippers are "optimistic" that they'll be able to sign Landry, but it remains to be seen whether it will cost them their whole mid-level exception. Landry turned down a $4MM player option with the Warriors, so he'll presumably be looking to at least match that salary, if not exceed it.

Even after agreeing to acquire Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick, Los Angeles has the flexibility to use the full non-taxpayer MLE, which starts at $5.15MM. However, the team would also like to bring back Matt Barnes, and can only offer him a first-year salary of up to $1.48MM without dipping into the mid-level.

I would guess L.A.'s preferred outcome would be to sign Landry using the MLE and Barnes using his non-Bird rights, but if Barnes pushes for a higher salary, the team may be forced to choose between the two players. It's not clear what the Clippers would decide in that scenario, though it remains hypothetical for now.

FA Updates: Evans, Josh Smith, Pekovic, Clark

July 3rd, 2013 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyreke Evans has been one of the most intriguing stories in free agency so far, with the Pelicans having extended a four-year, $44MM offer to the 23-year-old. Still, Evans has yet to agree to sign that offer, and there's no guarantee he'll do so, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The situation remains fluid, and Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) believes if the Kings make Evans a comparable offer, he'd prefer to sign it and stay in Sacramento.

Let's round up a few more of today's free agent updates….

As they continue to explore the possibility of making a big splash, the Warriors are trying to set up a meeting with Josh Smith, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Sulia). However, Smith doesn't seem as interested in the Warriors, who Thompson says "aren't going to jump as high as others to get him."
Don't expect a whole lot of movement in talks for Nikola Pekovic until after Dwight Howard makes his decision, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News says (via Twitter) the Cavaliers are being extremely aggressive in their pursuit of Earl Clark, meeting with him yesterday and again today, though no offer has been extended yet.
Dorell Wright met with the Thunder yesterday and was presented with one- and two-year contract offers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that Wright received a similar proposal from the Trail Blazers. The Spurs, Grizzlies, and Mavericks also have interest in Wright, says Spears (via Twitter).
Australian forward Joe Ingles is drawing interest from four NBA teams, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com, listing the Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Clippers as possible suitors for the 25-year-old.

Latest On Matt Barnes, Clippers

July 3rd, 2013 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

11:51am: Barnes will begin meeting with other teams today, tweets Shelburne.

10:30am: After agreeing to acquire Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick yesterday, the Clippers remain "very interested" in re-signing Matt Barnes, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. That interest appears to be mutual, with Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reporting that Barnes would still like to return to L.A.

However, according to Broussard, if the Clippers don't "do something fast," Barnes will begin meeting with rival suitors. The Mavericks, Nuggets, Nets, Knicks, and Spurs have all shown interest in Barnes, says Broussard. Various reports have also linked the Trail Blazers and Lakers to the veteran forward.

L.A. only has Barnes' non-Bird rights, but still has the full mid-level exception available as well. A non-Bird offer from the Clips for Barnes would limit his starting salary to about $1.48MM, whereas an offer using the MLE could start at any salary up to $5.15MM. Given how well Barnes played for the Clippers in 2012/13 and how many suitors he appears to have, I'd be surprised if the 33-year-old was willing to settle for that $1.48MM first-year salary.

Clippers Notes: Trade, Bledsoe, Redick

July 2nd, 2013 at 8:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers wanted to land a shooter this offseason and they managed to pull it off in their three-way trade earlier tonight when they got J.J. Redick in a sign-and-trade with the Bucks and Suns. Here’s the latest fallout from Clipperland..

Surprisingly, the deal was conceived and completed inside of 24 hours, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). While there has been speculation around the NBA that Eric Bledsoe would be moved this summer, he wasn’t available until Chris Paul agreed to a contract extension.
Redick was close to signing with the Timberwolves before the Clippers deal came together, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
The Clippers still want to re-sign Matt Barnes after acquiring Redick and Jared Dudley, but it “may be tough” to bring back Chauncey Billups, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Los Angeles won’t move Jamal Crawford and they’re focused on finding another big, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers, as well as the Suns, improved with the three-way swap, writes Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld. The Clippers were looking for another shooter and depth at the shooting guard position, both of which Redick provides.

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Celtics, Raptors, NBPA

July 2nd, 2013 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, the biggest unrestricted free agent on the open market, Deron Williams, made his decision to sign with the Nets on July 3rd. A year later, the two biggest free agents available are Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Paul quickly agreed to re-sign with the Clippers, while Howard is visiting with the Mavericks and Lakers today after meeting with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks earlier in the week.

Will Howard follow in D-Will's footsteps and make a decision on the 3rd, once his meetings are finished? We'll have to wait to find out, but in the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the Association….

In examining potential free agent targets for the Bucks, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times says to keep an eye on Carl Landry and Devin Harris, who both told Woelfel recently that they'd be open to playing in Milwaukee.
Woelfel adds in a tweet that the Bucks appear to be eyeing former Pacers GM David Morway as a potential assistant GM in Milwaukee.
As Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes, tanking hasn't exactly worked for the Celtics in the past, so it may not be the best approach for the 2013/14 team either.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says there's a belief Raptors GM Masai Ujiri may not use the amnesty provision later this month, in order to keep Linas Kleiza's expiring contract around for trade purposes.
Writing for The Basketball Jones, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com explains why the Andrea Bargnani trade looks much better for the Raptors than the Knicks.
Because the Suns decided not to release P.J. Tucker yesterday and the Clippers held on to Willie Green, both players' contracts have become fully guaranteed for the 2013/14 season, per ShamSports.com.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com examines some of the Lakers' free agent targets, attempting to determine which possibilities are more realistic than others.
The NBA players' union has filed a motion to dismiss Billy Hunter's lawsuit against the NBPA, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

FA Updates: Brown, Oden, Iguodala, Pistons

July 2nd, 2013 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We passed along a few free agent updates this morning, but while that may have been our first round-up of free agency notes for the day, it certainly won't be the last. Here's another set:

Euroleague standout Bobby Brown is drawing plenty of interest from teams on both sides of the Atlantic, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Stein names the Knicks, Clippers, and Trail Blazers as potential NBA suitors for Brown, while noting that he also has "multiple big offers" to continue playing overseas.
One source tells Stein (Twitter link) that the Spurs and Heat are likely in the lead ahead of the Cavs and other teams for Greg Oden, though that list could continue to evolve, given the complexities of his comeback.
The Warriors, who had previously been named as a potential suitor for Andre Iguodala despite a lack of cap flexibility, met with the free agent swingman yesterday, says Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Pistons are talking to agent Mark Bartelstein about bringing back free agent point guard Will Bynum, tweets Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The team has also talked to Bartelstein about Jose Calderon, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Although talks aren't serious at this point, the Timberwolves have exchanged text messages with Andrei Kirilenko's camp, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).

Carl Landry To Meet With Clippers

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Unrestricted free agent Carl Landry will meet with Doc Rivers and the Clippers tonight, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As Wojnarowski notes, Landry and Chris Paul were teammates in New Orleans during the 2010/11 season.

Landry declined his $4MM player option to remain with the Warriors, and figures to be seeking a multiyear commitment this month. The 29-year-old indicated to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com a few days ago that he expects there to be about a half-dozen teams pursuing him in free agency, including the Trail Blazers.

If the Clippers were to get serious about signing Landry, the team would likely have to either use its mid-level exception to sign him or explore a sign-and-trade deal with the Warriors.

Clippers, Mavs Talking Mayo Sign-And-Trade

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:35am CST by Chuck Myron

10:35am: Rivers is "strongly inclined" to keep Bledsoe, so the Clippers may offer Caron Butler and/or Jamal Crawford instead, in hopes of landing Mayo, says Broussard (via Twitter). I'm skeptical that Dallas would have a whole lot of interest in a non-Bledsoe package.

TUESDAY, 10:02am: As talks continue between the Clippers and Mavs on a possible deal, Rivers will meet Mayo for lunch today, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.

MONDAY, 6:14pm: Matt Barnes could be part of the deal, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Barnes, told McMahon that Dallas was one of 12 teams to express interest in his client. The Mavs also have interest in Chauncey Billups.

5:10pm: The Clippers and Mavs are involved in discussions about a Mayo-for-Bledsoe deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas is holding off on a major move until Dwight Howard makes his decision, but the team is becoming increasingly confident that it will find a sign-and-trade partner for Mayo, Stein also tweets.

11:51am: Clippers coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers has "serious interest" in O.J. Mayo, and the shooting guard was the second free agent the team called after speaking to Chris Paul last night, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. The team may pursue a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks involving Eric Bledsoe to acquire Mayo, according to Amick (Twitter links).

The Clippers will have plenty of competition for the Landmark Sports Agency client. Mayo is reportedly also meeting with the Wolves, and Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Bobcats and Bulls are all likely suitors as well. Mayo could have stayed with the Mavs on a $4.2MM player option, but it appears he'll net much more than that on the market.

The Clips go into the offseason with about $44MM guaranteed on their books, but with Paul's max salary pushing $19MM, a weighty offer for Mayo could push the team close to tax territory, unless the Clippers can shed significant salary in a sign-and-trade. I'd doubt the Mavs are looking to take back too much in return for Mayo, however, as they look to retain cap flexibility.

Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.

As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….

It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.