Nets, Bobcats, Lakers In Mix For Jamison
8:42pm: ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin tweets that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak acknowledged the team's interest in Jamison, but said no signing is imminent just yet.
5:56pm: The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell has tweeted that Antawn Jamison is set to become a Laker.
5:01pm: TNT's David Aldridge tweets that the Nets are a less likely destination than the Lakers or Bobcats for Jamison, unless negotiations with Kris Humphries collapse.
Free Agent Rumors: Rush, McGee, Flynn, Landry
Hoops Rumors' list of 2012 restricted free agents has fewer than a dozen names left on it, and a couple more (Jeremy Lin, Nicolas Batum) are set to come off the board as soon as we get resolution on their respective offer sheets. With a number of players having signed new deals and a few others having become unrestricted, it might not be long before there are no restricted free agents left on the market. But for now, there are still a handful looking for work, and we have updates on a couple of them within today's round-up of free agent rumors….
Magic, Lakers, Cavs Mulling Howard, Bynum Deal
SUNDAY, 8:48am: High-ranking officials from the teams involved in a potential Howard trade tell Amico that the Cavs have walked away from the deal again, ending all recent talks (Twitter link).
SATURDAY, 9:12pm: Magic general manager Rob Hennigan wants to build his team in a similar fashion to how the Thunder were constructed, writes Kennedy (via Twitter). This plan would require Orlando to acquire multiple lottery picks and successfully draft players who would turn into superstars.
7:07pm: The Magic prefer draft picks and young prospects as the team is not interested in making the playoffs as an 8th seed, tweets Kennedy. Orlando hopes to completely rebuild its roster if the team trades Howard.
Grant Hill Considering Knicks, Heat, Lakers
Grant Hill has narrowed down his list of potential teams to play for next season to three, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Hill, 39 and currently the second oldest player in the league, is interested in joining the Knicks, Heat or Lakers. According to Isola, Hill met with the Knicks in Las Vegas to discuss how the small forward would be a great addition to New York's roster. (Twitter link).
While all three teams are considered championship contenders heading into the 2012/13 season, Hill's wife prefers New York over Miami and Los Angeles. As we mentioned last week, the Lakers were considered the frontrunners for Hill given ex-Suns teammate Steve Nash's arrival in LA but it appears the Knicks are vying for the top spot given the preference of Hill's wife. Regardless of where Hill ends up, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams predicts Hill will receive a one-year deal worth the veteran's minimum or a small cap exception.
Lakers To Re-Sign Devin Ebanks
SATURDAY, 5:42pm: Ebanks has yet to sign the Lakers' qualifying offer because the team asked him to wait as he may be signed-and-traded to the Magic, reports Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Once Ebanks signs, he cannot be traded until December 15.
TUESDAY, 3:59pm: Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times reports that Ebanks has agreed to accept Los Angeles' qualifying offer and will receive about $1.4MM for the coming year. As I wrote below, I believe Ebanks' qualifying offer was only worth about $1.05MM ($1,054,389). So that may be a typo on Medina's part, or Ebanks may have received a slightly larger guarantee from the Lakers.
Rockets Reconstruct Trade Offer For Howard
11:35am: Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets that he doesn't believe last year's rookies (Morris, Parsons) and this year's three draftees (Lamb, White, Jones) are all a part of the Rockets' offer, but that many of them could be involved.
7:43am: In an effort to convince the Magic to deal Dwight Howard directly to Houston, the Rockets are in the process of reconstructing their trade proposal for the star center, according to an ESPN.com report by Marc Stein and Chad Ford. Stein and Ford write that the Rockets are looking to clear the necessary cap space to absorb at least three additional contracts in addition to Howard's, from a group that includes Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Duhon, Glen Davis, and Jason Richardson.
Odds & Ends: Lorbek, Magic, Mavs, Nash
Although the Spurs will bring one international prospect stateside this season, having signed Nando De Colo to a contract, another of the team's top international players doesn't appear headed for San Antonio. Spanish club Regal Barcelona announced today that they have re-signed Erazem Lorbek to a three-year deal to remain with the team (English translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The Spurs, who hold Lorbek's NBA rights, were said earlier this offseason to be "very close" to a deal with the Slovenian forward, so it's a little surprising to see him re-up with Regal Barcelona.
Let's round up a few more Friday morning odds and ends….
Free Agent Rumors: Humphries, Stiemsma, Lin
As NBA teams continue to agree to contracts and officially sign this year's free agents, you can keep tabs on all the activity by checking out Hoops Rumors' 2012 Free Agent Tracker. We're continuously updating our database to reflect the latest contract agreements, adding details on years and salaries as they become available. But there are still plenty of unsigned players left on the market, so we'll track today's rumors on those guys right here:
- TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter) cites league sources that believe Kris Humphries would be more inclined to remain with the Nets than leave for the Bobcats. Marc Stein tweeted that the Nets could be involved no matter what Humphries decides to do, and could end up offering to negotiate a sign-and-trade if he chose Charlotte.
- The Timberwolves are waiting for Portland to make a decision on Nicolas Batum before they extend an offer sheet to Greg Stiemsma, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Earlier updates:
Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday
While reports yesterday suggested that the Magic had suspended Dwight Howard trade talks while they search for a new head coach, it appears the team is still willing to listen to new offers. However, those offers likely won't be coming from the Nets for a while. After Brooklyn agreed to re-sign Brook Lopez to a four-year, maximum-salary contract, it took the team's top trade chip from the trade block until at least January 15th, at which point he's eligible to be traded again. Who knows if Howard will still be in Orlando by that point, but here's the latest on the Magic's star center:
- Although Howard remains Houston's number one priority, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweeted earlier that acquiring Andrew Bynum in a three-way deal with Orlando and the Lakers is the designated back up plan.
- Interestingly enough, ESPN's Marc Stein retweeted a follower who recognized that the Rockets' official Twitter account decided to follow Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Glen Davis, and Jason Richardson as of tonight.
- John Denton of NBA.com says that according to GM Rob Hennigan, there is nothing imminent in Howard trade talks.
Earlier updates:
Lakers Eyeing Jamison, Brand, Jermaine O’Neal
Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles reports that the Lakers are in the market for big men, with Antawn Jamison, Elton Brand, and Jermaine O'Neal on their short list of targets. While the team is still currently in negotiations with Jordan Hill, they also hope that the above listed players would be available for the veteran's minimum. Although the Lakers still have their $3MM mid-level exception to use, they would prefer to set it aside in the event that a deal for Dwight Howard gets done and a glaring void consequently arises.