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Clippers, Bucks Discussing Bledsoe, Redick?

July 1st, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The Clippers and Redick will be meeting soon, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

3:36pm: There are rumblings that the Clippers and Bucks are discussing a potential deal that would send Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee and J.J. Redick to Los Angeles, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).

Having reached a verbal agreement with Chris Paul on a maximum-salary contract, the Clippers have seemingly shifted their focus to acquiring a shooting guard to pair with Paul in the backcourt. Although free agents like O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen have been mentioned as possible targets, L.A.'s best way to acquire an impact player may involve using Bledsoe as trade bait.

While it's not clear how far talks between the Clippers and Bucks have progressed, it's easy to see why such a deal would appeal to both teams. Redick is coming off the best year of his career and would give the Clippers a deadly sharpshooter from the outside, while Bledsoe (and perhaps Caron Butler's expiring contract) would be an excellent haul for a Bucks team looking to acquire or retain backcourt help. Since Redick is a free agent, a sign-and-trade agreement would be required — that would allow the Clippers to offer him more than the mid-level exception.

We also heard earlier this afternoon that the Clippers haven't ruled out the possibility of trading Bledsoe to the Magic in a deal for Arron Afflalo.

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Trade Rumors: Asik, Bledsoe, Afflalo, Chandler

July 1st, 2013 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the news and rumors we're passing along today relate to free agency, but during the July moratorium, it's likely we'll see a few trades agreed upon as well. Let's round up a few of today's reports on potential trade possibilities….

  • Ostensibly, the Trail Blazers' acquisition of Thomas Robinson allows the Rockets to clear the cap room to make a max offer to Dwight Howard. However, the underrated aspect of the deal, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, is that the Rockets could look to move Omer Asik if they land Howard. Haynes says Portland is "closely monitoring" that situation, since the big man would be the kind of rim-protecting defensive specialist the club has been lacking.
  • The Clippers and Magic are still discussing a potential deal that would send Arron Afflalo to L.A. for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). However, before getting serious about Afflalo, the Clippers figure to make a run at free agent shooting guards such as O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen.
  • A source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that while the Knicks haven't offered Tyson Chandler in any trade talks, the team wouldn't be opposed to moving him in the right offer. I'm guessing Chandler will stay put, but as their acquisition of Andrea Bargnani showed, the Knicks are willing to get creative to try to improve their roster.
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Clippers, Matt Barnes Discussing New Deal

July 1st, 2013 at 12:12am CST by Luke Adams

Coming off one of the best seasons of his career, Matt Barnes has some interest in returning to the Clippers, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Turner reports that the Clippers have contacted Barnes' agent about returning to L.A., and both sides are working on a new deal.

Barnes, 33, only earned the veteran's minimum with the Clippers last season and would seem to be in line for a raise based on his production (10.3 PPG, 15.5 PER). That could make a new deal with Los Angeles tricky, since the club only holds his Non-Bird rights, which doesn't allow for a significant bump in salary. The team could also allot part of its mid-level exception to re-sign Barnes, but may prefer to use that MLE on an outside free agent.

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Odds & Ends: Mayo, Martin, Noel, Bulls

June 30th, 2013 at 8:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest from around the Association as we gear up for the start of free agency..

  • The Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Clippers, Blazers, Bobcats, and Bulls are all likely suitors for Mavs guard O.J. Mayo, USA Today's Sam Amick tweets.  Mayo is expected to turn down his $4.2MM option this summer and it makes a lot of sense considering the number of teams with major cap space to burn.
  • Kevin Martin is expected to draw interest from the Bucks, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Mavericks, and Pistons, as well as the Thunder, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Before Nerlens Noel fell to pick No. 6, the Pelicans were entertaining the idea of trading that selection to the Bobcats for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe notes amid his weekly roundup.
  • Drastic change isn't likely to blow through the Windy City for the Bulls this summer, writes Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.  There's still a lot of moving pieces for the club, but the major shifting probably won't come until the summer of 2014 for the Bulls.
  • The Wizards face some tough decisions with free agency approaching, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.  Washington obviously won't be in play for any of the elite free agents this summer and they have their sights set on less-thrilling goals, like retaining small forward Martell Webster.
  • We hear similar news out of Portland, where Joe Freeman of The Oregonian cautions fans not to expect anything too crazy out of the Blazers.  Of course, there have been rumblings over LaMarcus Aldridge's discontent.
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Western Notes: Rockets, Iguodala, Clippers

June 30th, 2013 at 12:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have been expected to waive Carlos Delfino and Aaron Brooks before their salaries become fully guaranteed at the end of today, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears the team is still pursuing 11th-hour trade possibilities for the two, despite the slim chance they'll find a deal (Twitter links). That's just one of many news items out of the West with free agency less than 12 hours away:

  • With a host of teams vying for Andre Iguodala, Nuggets GM Tim Connelly and coach Brian Shaw will meet with Iguodala on Monday in Los Angeles, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
  • Doc Rivers is downplaying talk of a trade involving Eric Bledsoe or anyone else, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times notes. The Clippers have interest in retaining Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes, Turner reports, adding that the Lakers are also high on Barnes.
  • Though the Clippers reportedly prefer Andrea Bargnani to DeMar DeRozan, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes that Rivers has always held DeRozan in high regard (Twitter link).
  • O.J. Mayo is expected to turn down his $4.2MM player option for next season, and while his preference is to return to Dallas, the Mavs won't receive a discount, tweets Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Carl Landry's first priority will be to re-sign with the Warriors, but he believes there will be about half a dozen teams pursuing him, and he expects the Blazers to be one of them, the power forward tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Landry reciprocates Portland's interest.
  • The Suns won't be in the market for big-ticket free agents, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The team prefers to keep its cap flexibility to accomodate an enticing trade possibility or next year's crop of free agents. The Suns will be in contact with Wesley Johnson, one of their own free agents, Coro says.
  • New Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro is promising an "aggressive" approach to the offseason, as Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee observes. The Kings won't simply let restricted free agent Tyreke Evans go without matching his offer or working out a sign-and-trade, writes Voisin, who pegs his market value at between $8MM and $10MM per year.
  • Yesterday was the deadline for the Spurs to waive Matt Bonner before his $3.945MM salary for next season, which had been partially guaranteed for $1MM, became fully guaranteed. So, Bonner will be back, unless the team waives him via amnesty, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News points out as he examines the Spurs' offseason.
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Pacers, Bucks, Knicks Eyeing Tony Allen

June 30th, 2013 at 11:56am CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies will meet with Tony Allen soon in an attempt to keep the unrestricted free agent from the Pacers, Bucks and Knicks, who are in pursuit, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Clippers coach Doc Rivers, in charge of the team's front office, would love to work with Allen again after doing so when they were both Celtics, but it's not clear how competitive an offer from L.A. would be, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). 

Allen was a member of the All-Defensive First Team this season, and has built a reputation as one of the most fearsome perimeter defenders in the league. The 31-year-old has only averaged double figures in scoring once during his nine-year career, and his 26.7 minutes per game this past season were a career high. Still, his teams have traditionally been among the best in the NBA, and some of the hardest to score against.

The Raymond Brothers client has said he believes he'll remain in Memphis, but understands that the Grizzlies may not come up with enough money to keep him. Allen made $3.3MM in 2012/13, but when I examined his free agent stock in April, I thought he would probably merit offers with a starting salary around $5.15MM, the value of the mid-level exception. That would put the taxpaying Knicks out of the running, unless they can clear a hefty amount of salary from their books. A report last month indicated the Cavs were also interested in Allen, and they, like the rest of the teams said to be chasing Allen, have greater flexibility.

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Raptors Pursuing Eric Bledsoe

June 30th, 2013 at 9:12am CST by Chuck Myron

SUNDAY, 9:12am: The Raptors may end up simply sending Bargnani, whom the Clippers prefer over DeRozan, to L.A. for Butler, with the Clippers saving Bledsoe for another deal or holding on to him for next season, Stein tweets. 

SATURDAY, 10:57pm: ESPN.com's Marc Stein has updated his article on the Raptors–Clippers talks surrounding a possible trade sending Eric Bledsoe to Toronto for Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan.

But sources tell Stein Doc Rivers' new position as the senior vice president of basketball operations for the Clippers has complicated matters since he was steadfast in his refusal to allow the Clippers to part with Bledsoe while they were acquring him from the Celtics. Rivers is said to be "lukewarm" on the Raptors' offer up to this point.

Rivers still isn't keen on giving up Bledsoe (Twitter), or DeAndre Jordan, despite the fact Chris Paul will probably re-sign with Clippers next month and Bledsoe is due an extension when his rookie deal runs out next summer.

Bledsoe has expressed a desire to sign an extension before the Halloween deadline for his rookie class, and Paul even said that Bledsoe should start somewhere during this past season. Keeping Bledsoe on the roster, even with Rivers' strong support, may be untenable and most league executives expect him to be unloaded some time this offseason while the Clippers can still get something back.

If Bledsoe gets traded, it will most likely be conjoined with Caron Butler, Stein notes.

3:44pm: The Raptors have significant interest in Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe, and have begun exploratory talks with L.A. about a trade, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Raptors would like to include Andrea Bargnani in any deal, and while that idea wouldn't entirely turn off the Clips, L.A. has greater interest in DeMar DeRozan than any in other Raptor, according to Stein.

Some executives around the league believe the revamped front office in Toronto, with GM Masai Ujiri in charge, isn't keen on the four-year, $38MM extension that DeRozan got from former GM Bryan Colangelo and company. The Magic have been frequently linked to Bledsoe as well in recent weeks, reportedly with a deal that would include Arron Afflalo, and sources tell Stein that the Pistons are one of a half dozen teams that have interest in Bledsoe, as well.

Caron Butler, who drew mention in the Clippers' talks with the Magic, would likely have to be a part of a deal with the Raptors, though both the Clips and Toronto have discussed a variety of options, Stein writes. In addition to the new regime for the Raptors, coach Doc Rivers appears to have assumed the role of primary basketball decision-maker for the Clippers. During negotiations over Rivers between the Celtics and Clippers this month, the coach reportedly tried to make sure Bledsoe remained in L.A. Still, Bledsoe is due for an extension to his rookie contract this summer, and with Chris Paul seemingly assured of returning to Clipperland, Bledsoe would become an expensive luxury as a bench player. Many front offices have assumed that Bledsoe would be on the block once Paul re-signed this summer.

Magic GM Rob Hennigan told reporters Thursday that his team may revisit its pursuit of Bledsoe, and Orlando remains at the "head of the list" of teams chasing the 23-year-old point guard, Stein writes.

Spencer Lund contributed to this post.

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Chris Paul To Remain With Clippers

June 30th, 2013 at 12:13am CST by Spencer Lund

Sources have revealed to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that Chris Paul's representatives are telling other teams interested in pursuing CP3 during free agency that they shouldn't bother because he's re-signing with the Clippers. 

When the Clippers decided to send a 2015 first-round pick to the Celtics for the rights to Doc Rivers, it was viewed as the clincher that assured Paul will re-sign with the Clippers. While some teams may have held out hope they could convince him otherwise, the latest word from his camp has dashed whatever small hope those teams had, according to Broussard.

Paul, 28, will be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth about $107.34MM with the Clippers when the July moratorium is lifted next month. Rival teams would only have been able to offer Paul a maximum of four years and $79.71MM.

Paul's impending return will likely assure that the Clippers explore deals for Eric Bledsoe, with the Magic and Raptors among the potential suitors. Rivers is known to be a fan of the team's backup point guard, but with Paul locked up long-term and the 23-year-old's trade value potentially at its peak, it makes sense for the club to weigh all its options.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Western Links: Brown, Mavericks, Clippers

June 29th, 2013 at 9:39pm CST by Spencer Lund

The deadline for the Suns to waive Shannon Brown in order to pay half of his $3.5MM salary for the 2013/14 season has passed, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter). Brown was re-signed to a two-year deal worth $7MM with excess Suns' cap room in July of 2012.

The Suns could waive Brown and only eat half of his $3.5MM contract if they did so before whichever occurred first: 36 hours after 11:59 pm the day of the 2013 NBA Draft, or June 30th. That first deadline has passed, so now the Suns are on the hook for the full amount.

Here are some more notes on the Western Conference, including Kobe Bryant's thoughts on Dwight Howard's free agency:

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Warriors Meeting With Howard Next Week

June 29th, 2013 at 6:59pm CST by Spencer Lund

7:14pm: USA Today's Sam Amick tweets that Howard will meet with the large Rockets contingent (see below) at 9 p.m. PST Sunday when free agency officially begins.

6:59pm: Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that Howard's schedule next week in LA includes Warriors and Hawks on Monday and Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday. 

This comes after Dwight meets with the Rockets late Sunday night when the free agency period officially starts at midnight. 

  • ESPN.com's Ric Bucher earlier said Howard would not be meeting with the Warriors (Sulia link), but they have been granted the option to visit him, and will take that opportunity league sources tell him. This despite the unlikelihood the Warriors could afford Howard without a sign-and-trade (Sulia link).

6:14pm: Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Warriors owner Joe Lacob, GM Bob Myers and coach Mark Jackson will meet with Howard next week (Twitter).

5:51pm: The Dwight Howard drama continues as we come up on the month of July when teams, other than the Lakers, can pitch the big man on joining forces this summer. Dwight's the biggest question mark among the star free agents this summer, after the Lakers had initially appeared to be the frontrunners to retain the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. 

Chris Paul is likely to re-sign with the Clippers after they traded a 2015 first round pick to hire Doc Rivers away from the Celtics, but now the Clippers might be making a move to challenge the Rockets, Mavericks and Lakers for D-12's services, reports Sports on Earth's Shaun Powell (Twitter links).

The Clippers have the OK from owner Donald Sterling to do whatever it takes, but the acqusition of Howard would depend on a salary and sign-and-trade options, since signing Paul and Howard to max contracts would be untenable under the current CBA with their cap space.

According to Powell, Howard wants to play with Paul because he feels the point guard would get him the ball. Despite both Doc and Paul wanting Howard, they won't pursue him at the expense of Blake Griffin (Twitter links). Here's some more surrounding Howard's upcoming week talking with various team's jockeying for his services. 

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