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Free Agent Rumors: Batum, Thomas, Mudiay, Ferrell, Briscoe

November 23rd, 2020 at 5:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets plan to waive Nicolas Batum and use the stretch provision on his $27.1MM contract for the upcoming season in order to sign Gordon Hayward, unless they can figure out a sign-and-trade deal that would save them from stretching Batum.

Assuming he’s released, Batum shouldn’t have trouble finding a new home. His agent, Jeremy Medjana, told Basket Session that the Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, Bucks and Raptors are interested in signing him once he clears waivers (hat tip to Frank Urbina of HoopsHype). Batum, who has played for Charlotte the past five seasons, only appeared in 22 games last season.

Here are more free agency notes and rumors:

Former MVP candidate Isaiah Thomas said his latest hip procedure was a success and he’s eager to prove it, the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reports. Thomas says he feels like his former self in workouts. “I was blowing by people,” he said. “I haven’t blown by anybody since I had a Celtics uniform on.” Thomas was waived after the Wizards traded him to the Clippers in February and remains unsigned.
Reserve point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Yogi Ferrell are generating some interest on the free agent market, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. Both players could likely be had for the veteran’s minimum.
Point guard Isaiah Briscoe hopes to return to the NBA, according to Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Briscoe went undrafted out of Kentucky in 2017, but made it onto the Magic’s roster for the 2018/19 season. He spent the 2019/20 season in Poland playing for King Szczecin. In 39 games with Orlando, Briscoe averaged 3.5 PPG, 2.2 APG, and 1.9 RPG, across 14.3 MPG.

Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this post.

Bucks, Cavaliers Complete Minor Trade

November 23rd, 2020 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers and Bucks have officially completed a minor trade, the Cavs announced today in a press release.

The Cavaliers acquired the Bucks’ 2025 second-round pick in the deal in exchange for the rights to former second-round pick Ilkan Karaman. Additionally, the protections on the Bucks’ 2022 first-round pick – sent to Cleveland in a deal two years ago – have been removed.

Although it’s technically a separate transaction, this deal is related to the Bucks’ Jrue Holiday mega–deal. Milwaukee is sending the Pelicans two future first-round picks in that swap. That wouldn’t have been possible as long as the conditions on the traded 2022 pick (which was protected through 2024) remained in place.

Teams aren’t permitted to leave themselves without first-round picks in back-to-back future drafts or trade picks more than seven years in advance. By removing the protections on the 2022 pick to Cleveland, the Bucks freed up their first-rounders to be dealt starting in 2024 — they’ll send the 2025 and 2027 selections to New Orleans.

As a sweetener for accommodating the Bucks, the Cavaliers will pick up that 2025 second-rounder in exchange for the NBA rights of a player drafted in 2012 who will almost certainly never play in the NBA.

Eastern Notes: Giannis, Hayward, Raptors, Bulls, Wizards

November 23rd, 2020 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a frenzied week of NBA roster moves since the league lifted its months-long moratorium last Monday, but there have been no updates on perhaps the biggest storyline of the offseason, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. As Windhorst points out, the league is still waiting to see whether or not reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will agree to a five-year, super-max extension with the Bucks.

League sources tell Windhorst that the Bucks – in recent weeks – have moved from “cautiously optimistic to cautiously confident” that Antetokounmpo will make a long-term commitment to the club when he returns from Greece. However, moves made by other teams across the league this week suggest that not everyone on the outside views it as a lock.

Clubs that have long been cited as likely free agent suitors for Giannis if he reaches the open market in 2021 went to great lengths this week to preserve their cap room for next summer. The Heat, Mavericks, and Raptors were among the teams that made an effort to keep money off their books for next season — in some cases, it may have even cost them key free agents.

Here’s more from around the East:

While a panel of analysts at The Athletic agree that the Hornets‘ four-year, $120MM deal for Gordon Hayward is an overpay, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic that the forward did have another four-year offer in the $100MM range. It’s not clear whether it was the Pacers or another team that made that offer.
In negotiations with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, it was clear the Raptors prioritized their future cap flexibility over keeping the free agent centers in Toronto for 2020/21, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the team knew it might have to take a step backward in the short term in order to achieve their ambitions in the long term.
While losing two more key pieces from their 2019 championship roster will be a tough pill to swallow for the Raptors, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca warns not to assume the club will take a big step backward in 2020/21.
The Bulls entered the offseason needing to fortify their wing rotation, which is why they agreed to sign Garrett Temple and bring back Denzel Valentine, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Temple is a good teammate and a versatile veteran who can play multiple positions, while the Bulls like Valentine’s ability to shoot, pass, and rebound, Mayberry writes.
Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post makes a case that the Wizards need to reboot their roster by trading both John Wall and Bradley Beal.

Free Agency Rumors: Ibaka, Iwundu, Hernangomez, Bazemore

November 22nd, 2020 at 8:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Big man Serge Ibaka was not bereft of contending suitors in free agency, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Scotto notes that the Raptors, the team with whom Ibaka spent most of the last four seasons, apparently offered a one-year, $12MM deal to Ibaka for an encore appearance in 2020/21. Toronto was believed to be unwilling to offer multiple years, which would have cut into the team’s projected 2021 cap space.

The Nets also wanted Ibaka, but could only afford a taxpayer mid-level exception, which would have started at $5.7MM this season. Ibaka ultimately inked a two-year, $19MM contract with the Clippers.

Here are more free agency rumors:

Though swingman Wesley Iwundu ultimately opted to sign a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Mavericks, the Hawks, Pelicans and Kings were also in the running for Iwundu’s services this offseason, Scotto reports in the same piece.
The Mavericks and Kings also considered adding reserve center Willy Hernangomez before he agreed to terms with the Pelicans on a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, per Scotto. Hernangomez’s 2019/20 club, the Hornets, also apparently wanted to re-sign the 26-year-old big man.
Scotto reports that former Kings wing Kent Bazemore also found himself in high demand this offseason before agreeing to a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Warriors. The Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, Knicks, Nets, and Hornets were all interested in adding the three-and-D vet this offseason.

Rockets To Sign Sterling Brown

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Shooting guard Sterling Brown has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rockets, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Because Brown never received a qualifying offer from the Bucks, he was able to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent.

The 6’5″ swingman was drafted by the Bucks with the 46th pick in 2017 out of SMU. The 25-year-old has a career slash line average of 5.2 PPG/3.1 RPG/1.0 APG across his three seasons in the league. He also has connected on an average of 77.4% of his free throw attempts, 41.7% of his shots from the floor, and 34.5% of his 2.6 three-point looks per contest.

His shooting should be a solid attribute to a changing Rockets club that still prioritizes surrounding stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook with switchable perimeter scorers, though how long those All-Star guards will stay with the franchise remains up in the air now.

Frank Mason III Loses QO From Bucks, Becoming UFA

November 22nd, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After being tendered a qualifying offer by the Bucks a few days ago that would have made him a restricted two-way free agent, point guard Frank Mason III saw that option withdrawn, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Mason is now back on the market as an unrestricted free agent.

The 5’11” point guard out of Kansas spent his first two seasons in the league with the Kings, appearing in a total of 90 games. He then signed a two-way contract with the Bucks in 2019/20.

Mason logged nine games for Milwaukee and 23 for the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. He thrived with the Bucks’ Oshkosh-based minor league club. Mason was the G League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2019/20 season, averaging a league-best 26.4 PPG, along with 5.0 APG and 3.4 RPG.

EJ Montgomery Signs With Bucks

November 22nd, 2020 at 1:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

DECEMBER 2: The Bucks have officially signed Montgomery, according to RealGM’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: Undrafted Kentucky forward EJ Montgomery is set to sign with the Bucks, according to Drew Franklin of Kentucky Sports Radio, citing Montgomery’s own Instagram. “For everyone asking we headed to Milwaukee @bucks!!!!” Montgomery initially announced.

The news was confirmed by Matt Velzaquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who indicated that the deal would extend to a training camp invitation, with a chance to potentially make the Bucks’ regular season roster.

The Bucks will able to field up to 20 players for their training camp lineup. In his two years with the Wildcats, the 6’10” power forward averaged 4.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.1 BPG across 19.0 MPG of game action. The 21-year-old Montgomery was a high school teammate of current Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons at Montverde Academy in Florida during Montgomery’s freshman and sophomore seasons.

Bucks, D.J. Augustin Agree To Three-Year Deal

November 22nd, 2020 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 22, 12:51pm: The third year of Augustin’s new contract won’t be guaranteed, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link).

NOVEMBER 21, 11:19am: The Bucks and free agent point guard D.J. Augustin have agreed to a deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Augustin will sign a three-year, $21MM contract.

Augustin, 33, averaged 10.5 PPG and 4.6 APG on .399/.348/.890 shooting in 57 games (24.9 MPG) as the Magic’s primary backup point guard in 2019/20. Those shooting rates were off his usual marks — in the two previous seasons, he had made 46.2% of his shots from the field and 42.0% of his three-pointers.

In Milwaukee, Augustin will get the opportunity to play alongside impact players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton, so the Bucks are presumably hoping that – with plenty of open looks – the veteran point guard will improve upon last year’s shooting numbers.

Augustin will also be able to take on some ball-handling and play-making duties in Milwaukee’s rotation, playing a similar role to the one that Bogdan Bogdanovic might have if his reported sign-and-trade deal with the Bucks hadn’t fallen apart earlier in the week.

The Bucks will sign Augustin using a portion of their mid-level exception. Milwaukee is also reportedly using its bi-annual exception to sign Bobby Portis, meaning the team will be hard-capped at $138.93MM for the 2020/21 league year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucks Sign Torrey Craig

November 22nd, 2020 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 26: The Bucks have officially signed Craig to a one-year contract, according to the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 22: The Bucks are making another free agent addition, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached a deal with veteran wing Torrey Craig. Craig’s reps at CAA confirmed the agreement.

Craig entered the league year as a restricted free agent, but became unrestricted when the Nuggets withdrew his qualifying offer on Saturday. As a result, Denver didn’t have the right to match offers for the swingman.

Craig, who will turn 30 next month, averaged 5.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 58 games (27 starts) for Denver in 2019/20, providing the team with solid perimeter defense. However, he became a victim of a roster crunch in Denver.

In Milwaukee, he’ll be tasked with helping to guard some of the Eastern Conference’s talented wing scorers, joining an impressive defensive squad that includes past All-Defensive players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Jrue Holiday.

While the terms of Craig’s deal haven’t been reported, a minimum-salary pact seems likely, given Milwaukee’s projected hard-cap constraints.

Bucks Sign Mamadi Diakite To Two-Way Deal

November 21st, 2020 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 24: Diakite has officially signed his two-way contract with Milwaukee, per the NBA’s transactions log.

NOVEMBER 21: Mamadi Diakite will sign a two-way contract with the Bucks, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Diakite’s agent, Gary Durrant, confirmed the signing.

A 6’9″ forward out of Virginia, Diakite went undrafted on Wednesday. The 23-year-old was a second-team all-ACC selection last season.

With the signing, Milwaukee has filled both of its two-way slots. The other one went to free agent guard Jaylen Adams, who reached an agreement earlier today.