Lakers Re-Sign Xavier Henry
JULY 25TH: The Lakers have announced the signing as official in a team release.
“Xavier earned a spot on our team last season after being a training camp invitee, and we hope he continues the dedication to improving he has displayed for us thus far,” said GM Mitch Kupchak. “When healthy, Xavier provided our team with an offensive punch, and we expect he’ll strive to add to his skillset and become a well-rounded player.”
JULY 18TH: The Lakers will re-sign swingman Xavier Henry to a minimum-salary deal, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). It appears to be a one-year arrangement, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported as the sides neared agreement (Twitter link).
The Arn Tellem client was one of a handful of successful reclamation projects for the Lakers this past season, making the opening-night roster as a camp invitee and displaying a strong ability to score, averaging 10.0 points in 21.1 minutes per contest. Both numbers were career highs, as Henry had struggled to live up to having been the 12th overall pick in 2010.
The Pacers and Heat reached out to Henry this month, according to McMenamin (Twitter link), but he planned to work out for the Lakers after exploring options around the league, and the purple-and-gold maintained interest in re-signing him. Henry had wrist and knee surgeries in April but has been expected to be ready for training camp.
Contract Details: Nelson, Tucker, Roberts
Wednesday was the last day that teams with outstanding qualifying offers out to restricted free agents could unilaterally withdraw them. Clubs can still withdraw qualifying offers, but doing so would require the player’s consent, and it would require the team to renounce any form of Bird rights on the player. No team withdrew a qualifying offer before the deadline, though that’s not entirely surprising, since there are only five unsigned restricted free agents left. We ran down the latest news on each of them earlier this week, and not much has changed since then.
As we wait for the last of the restricted free agents to make their decisions on where to sign, let’s have a look at the latest contract details that have leaked out from around the NBA..
- As expected, Jameer Nelson is slated to make $2,732,000 for the Mavs next season, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Nelson’s deal features a $2,854,940 player option for the 2015/16 campaign, adds Stein.
- The three-year contract P.J. Tucker signed with the Suns will pay him $5.7MM in 2014/15, passes along Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, who goes on to reveal that the deal is worth $5.5MM and $5.3MM during the following two seasons, with only $1.5MM guaranteed in year three (Twitter link).
- Brian Roberts‘ two-year, $5.6MM contract with the Hornets will be fully guaranteed without any player or team option, reports Pincus (via Twitter).
- James Ennis signed a three-year deal with the Heat that’s mostly non-guaranteed, save for a $200K partial guarantee for this season, according to Mark Deeks of Sham Sports. The first year will become fully guaranteed if he sticks through opening night.
- The Knicks gave Cole Aldrich one year at the minimum salary when they signed him earlier this month, Deeks reveals.
- Grant Jerrett‘s contract with the Thunder runs four years at the minimum salary, with full guarantees on the first two seasons and no guarantees for the last two, Deeks notes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Contract Details: LeBron, Deng, Carter, Gasol
The idea that the Cavs would trade LeBron James sometime during his two-year contract is outlandish, but just in case it happens, the deal includes a 15% trade kicker, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports. Deeks has updated his salary database with plenty of new information on deals signed within the past few weeks, so we’ll pass along some of his noteworthy findings. All links to go the relevant salary page at ShamSports.
- Luol Deng, LeBron’s replacement with the Heat, also has a 15% trade kicker, as do new Grizzlies swingman Vince Carter and Knicks signee Jason Smith.
- The last year of Pau Gasol‘s three-year deal with the Bulls is a player option.
- The final season of the contract Joe Harris signed with the Cavs is non-guaranteed.
- Eric Griffin‘s three-year, minimum-salary contract with the Mavs is non-guaranteed, with the exception of a $150K partial guarantee for this coming season.
- Jodie Meeks‘ deal with the Pistons was originally reported to be more than $19MM, but it actually checks in at $18.81MM.
- Damjan Rudez will make $3.449MM over the life of his three-year deal with the Pacers, which includes a team option for the final season. Shayne Whittington‘s partial guarantee with the team this year is worth $25K.
- Russ Smith‘s deal with the Pelicans runs three years at the minimum salary, but only the first season is fully guaranteed. Fellow Pelicans rookie Patric Young‘s two-year deal is non-guaranteed, save for a $55K partial guarantee this year.
Ray Allen Mulling Retirement Amid Cavs Pursuit
JULY 23RD: Allen is leaning towards returning for a 19th season to join LeBron with the Cavs, sources tell Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). We heard earlier tonight that Allen will be making a decision once he gets MRIs on his legs.
JULY 12TH, 9:46am: If Allen plays another season, it will be with the Cavs, sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Amico notes that Cleveland has been in contact with Allen’s agent as their efforts to add familiar veterans around LeBron James intensify.
2:51pm: The Cavs haven’t had contact with Allen yet, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
1:13pm: Allen’s priority is to keep playing with LeBron, wherever LeBron chooses to go, tweets Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick.
JULY 9TH, 10:10am: The Cavs are trying to woo free agent Ray Allen, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter), but the shooting guard is strongly considering retirement, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders hears (Twitter link). The pursuit Allen would appear to be part of Cleveland’s effort to entice LeBron James to sign there after the Cavs agreed to a trade this morning that will give them enough cap room to accommodate a max contract for James.
Allen, who’s 11 days shy of his 39th birthday, has been leaning toward returning for another season with the hope of playing with James for another season, but it’s unclear whether he wants to follow the four-time MVP from Miami to Cleveland should James elect to move north. The Jim Tanner client remains one of the league’s better three-point shooters, though his accuracy from behind the arc slipped to 37.5% this past season, his lowest mark in four years after three straight seasons in which he bettered his career percentage of 40.0%.
And-Ones: Kings, Turner, Mudiay, Union, Bulls
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro told Grantland’s Zach Lowe that the two keys to his rebuilding strategy are to surrender nothing of lasting value in exchange for capable veterans like Rudy Gay and to be willing to take quality players on inflated contracts.
“There are players that are being paid more than the league thinks they should be paid,” D’Alessandro said. “We see those contracts as an opportunity. Our first question is, ‘Do we like the player?’ If we do, then can we use a contract the league doesn’t look favorably on as an opportunity to make our team better?”
We passed along more on the Kings from Lowe this morning, and we’ve got plenty from around the rest of the league here:
- The Celtics had been in contact with Evan Turner almost every day between the start of free agency and Monday, when they reached agreement on a deal, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Emmanuel Mudiay isn’t the first well-regarded high school player to turn pro overseas rather than play in college, but his $1.2MM pact with Guangdong of China makes him the most highly compensated ever to have done so, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Three candidates remain for the players association’s vacant executive director position, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The job has been open since the union ousted Billy Hunter at the All-Star break in 2013 and installed Ron Klempner in an interim capacity. It’s unclear whether Klempner is one of the finalists.
- Cameron Bairstow‘s deal with the Bulls is for three years, starting at the minimum salary, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. That means the team used all but a sliver of its remaining cap space to sign the rookie out of New Mexico, whom the Bulls picked 49th overall in last month’s draft. The first season of Bairstow’s contract is the only one that’s fully guaranteed, Johnson adds.
- Chris Andersen‘s two-year deal with the Heat is for a total of $10.4MM, all of which is fully guaranteed, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Poll: Evan Turner Vs. Danny Granger
Earlier today, the Celtics reached agreement on a deal for a portion of the mid-level exception with Evan Turner. Of course, the former No. 2 overall pick was shipped from the Sixers to the Pacers mid-season in a trade of NBA notables. Danny Granger, who went to Philly, signed with the Heat earlier this month in hopes of joining up with LeBron James. While that part of the plan didn’t quite pan out, Granger will nonetheless look to get his career back on track in a reserve role for Miami.
In 54 games for Philly last season, Turner averaged 17.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG with a career-high (but still below league average) 13.2 PER. Things wound up dropping off when Turner was sent to the Pacers as he averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.2 RPG with a 9.7 PER – a total lower than any he’s had in any full season.
Granger, meanwhile, came to the Clippers (after his release from the 76ers) with hopes of boosting his stock before hitting the open market in the summer. That didn’t quite pan out. Granger averaged 8.3 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 22.5 minutes per night for the Pacers after returning from injury and his numbers only saw a slight uptick when he headed to L.A. Of course, on a two-year, $4.2MM deal, he’s a very worthwhile risk for the Heat if he can get back to being half the player he once was.
Between Granger and Turner, who do you see having the more successful 2014/15 campaign?
Which Player Will Have A Better 2014/15?
-
Evan Turner 67% (1,721)
-
Danny Granger 33% (861)
Total votes: 2,582
Heat, Pacers Interested In Chris Singleton
The Heat and Pacers are among the teams who’ve shown interest in free agent combo forward Chris Singleton, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Wizards declined their fourth-year option last fall on their rookie scale contract with the former 18th overall pick, setting him up for unrestricted free agency this summer.
The 24-year-old has seen his minutes decline sharply each year following his rookie season, from a high of 21.7 per game when he started 51 games in the lockout-shortened 2011/12 campaign to just 10.0 per contest this past season. He notched 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and shot 36.8 from three-point range when he did see the court in 2013/14, and his 8.8 PER, while unimpressive, was a career high.
Neither Miami nor Indiana can shell out more than the minimum salary for the client of BDA Sports Management, though by the looks of Spears’ report, it seems there are other NBA clubs with interest who haven’t been identified. It’s nonetheless doubtful that they’d go above the minimum even if they could for the one-time heralded prospect who’s yet to find his way in the NBA.
And-Ones: Bledsoe, Love, Hinkie, Murry
Eric Bledsoe is the top remaining player still unsigned, though as a restricted free agent the Suns have the right to match any offer sheet that Bledsoe agrees to. Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic looks at why Bledsoe hasn’t received any offers, and examines the player’s options going forward. Bickley also opines that Bledsoe is risking alienating the fans in Phoenix by turning down the Suns’ four-year, $48MM deal.
Here’s more from around the league:
- George Karl told Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune that the Wolves can’t afford to pass on trading Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, if the Cavs are truly offering that package (via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer’s tweet). Karl coached through a tumultuous season with the Nuggets when Carmelo Anthony eventually received his desired trade to the Knicks.
- Every year when the dust settles and the free agent signings begin to wind down there are winners and losers. Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today weigh in on this year’s successes and disappointments.
- The Thunder‘s Josh Huestis might become the NBA’s first domestic “draft-and-stash” player, writes Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. If Huestis does skip signing with the Thunder and heads directly to the NBA D-League, it could signal a major shift in the future of the D-League and how it’s utilized, notes Mayberry.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie‘s rebuilding plan might not be popular in Philadelphia as the losses keep piling up. Jason Wolf of USA Today profiles the GM, as well as takes a look at the moves he’s made so far in his efforts to retool the franchise.
- The Jazz are interested in signing free agent Toure’ Murry, tweets Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Falk notes that Murry might be waiting for an offer from the Heat. The Knicks had also expressed interest in bringing Murry back, but currently have a logjam in the backcourt.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.
Heat Re-Sign Chris Andersen
JULY 19TH, 12:38pm: The Heat have announced that the signing is official.
“Chris Andersen has had two great seasons with us and without him, we would not have been able to win the 2013 NBA Championship,” said president Pat Riley. “I’m happy he decided to come back and we’re looking forward to a great season from him in the power rotation.”
10:13pm: Andersen’s deal is a two-year pact in the neighborhood of $10MM, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
JULY 13TH, 7:46pm: The Heat have reached agreement with Chris Andersen on a multi-year deal, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.
The Cavs and Mavericks were among the teams known to have interest in Andersen. Andersen likely had interest in a reunion with LeBron, but he’ll stay put with a Heat squad that is expected to feature Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Mario Chalmers. Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter) adds that the Knicks made a late run at the big man.
Andersen, 36, scored 6.6 points per game this past season, the second-highest total of his 12-year career. He also averaged 5.3 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per contest with an 18.5 PER as Miami’s first big man off the bench.
International Notes: Bertans, Hamilton, Babbitt
Davis Bertans has signed a three-year contract worth just under €2MM with Spanish team Baskonia, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The deal has an NBA-out clause in each season that the Spurs, who own Bertans’ rights and have eyed the Latvian for the near future, could pay for without it counting against the cap, presuming it is at or below the $600,000 maximum allowed. Here’s more from around the world:
- Ryan Richards, the Spurs 2010 second-round draft pick, has signed with an Austrian club, the Zepter Vienna team website announced (transcription via Trapani).
- Russian team Lokomotiv Kuban is looking to add Justin Hamilton and Milan Macvan next season, reports Enea Trapani of Sportando. Hamilton has a non-guaranteed salary that the Heat can fully waive prior to August 1st, and partially waive before December 1st. Macvan was drafted by the Cavs in 2011, and has been cool to Cleveland’s interest in bringing him to the NBA.
- Spanish team Unicaja Malaga has offered Luke Babbitt a $980,000 contract if the Pelicans don’t retain him, notes Trapani in a separate report. That amount is nearly identical to Babbitt’s fully non-guaranteed salary in New Orleans, which becomes partially guaranteed at $100,000 if the Pelicans don’t waive him before July 22nd.