Texas Notes: Westbrook, Hartenstein, Curry, Carroll
The Rockets believe Russell Westbrook‘s talents will overcome what could be an awkward fit alongside James Harden in their backcourt, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston and Oklahoma City agreed to terms on this offseason’s latest blockbuster Thursday night, swapping the spectacular but inefficient Westbrook for steady veteran Chris Paul.
Westbrook is only two years removed from an MVP season, but his explosiveness doesn’t always make up for poor perimeter shooting and questionable decisions in the open court. He has shot below 30% from 3-point range in four of the past five seasons and is joining a team that relies on the long ball more than anyone in league history. However, Rockets officials are confident that he can reach the 33% to 35% range because he’ll be surrounded by shooters who’ll spread the floor and will be playing with an elite passer in Harden.
Feigen adds that Harden has reportedly agreed to play off the ball more often to help Westbrook succeed. Harden will continue to operate as the point guard in many possessions, but Westbrook will also be allowed to run the offense, similar to their relationship in Oklahoma City.
There’s more tonight out of Texas:
- Rockets center Isaiah Hartenstein has agreed to extend his guarantee date beyond Monday, tweets Kelly Iko of The Athletic. July 15 was the original deadline for his $1,416,852 deal for next season to become fully guaranteed.
- Seth Curry said in a radio interview this week (transcribed by The Dallas Morning News) that familiarity and his respect for coach Rick Carlisle were factors in his decision to return to the Mavericks. Curry signed a four-year deal this week that brings him back to Dallas after two years away. “I played some of my best basketball when I was there a couple of years ago, so I’m excited to rejoin the team and help get them back to the playoffs,” Curry said. “… I wanted to get back to playing with guys like Luka (Doncic) and (Kristaps Porzingis). Unselfish guys. Luka’s one of the best passers in the league right now. … I’m excited about the opportunity.”
- DeMarre Carroll talked with the Bucks before joining the Spurs, but Milwaukee’s cap situation limited what the team could offer, relays Jabari Young of The Athletic. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, a former assistant in San Antonio, highly recommended the organization to Carroll, as did Nets GM Sean Marks, a former Spurs executive.
Wesley Matthews Signs With Bucks
JULY 12, 10:20pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JULY 1, 3:14pm: Free agent swingman Wesley Matthews has agreed to sign with the Bucks, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). In a follow-up tweet, Wojnarowski says it’s a minimum-salary deal.
Matthews, 32, spent most of the last four years in Dallas, but was traded to the Knicks this past winter and was subsequently bought out. He finished the season in Indiana, averaging 10.9 PPG with a .369 3PT% in 23 games (all starts) for the Pacers down the stretch.
Joining the Bucks will represent a homecoming for Matthews, who attended high school in Madison, Wisconsin and played his college ball at Marquette.
According to Wojnarowski, the veteran free agent drew interest from a handful of contenders – ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link) names the Rockets as one – but he’ll become part of a Milwaukee squad that was just two wins away from the NBA Finals this spring.
Although the Bucks lost Malcolm Brogdon to the Pacers early in free agency, they’ll acquire draft picks from Indiana by signing-and-trading Brogdon, and they’ve otherwise enjoyed plenty of success on the free agent market. Milwaukee is bringing back Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and George Hill, and will add Robin Lopez with its room exception.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Sign Center Robin Lopez
JULY 12, 10:18pm: The signing is official, according to a team press release.
JUNE 30, 10:47pm: The Bucks are signing Robin Lopez, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Milwaukee re-signed his brother, Brook Lopez, earlier today.
Lopez will make approximately $9.77MM over the next two seasons, as Milwaukee is signing him via the room exception. The Bucks will not have access to any other exceptions this offseason, having used their bi-annual exception last offseason.
Lopez spent last season in Chicago, though for a large part of the year, it seems the team would work out a buyout arrangement with the big man and allow him to sign on with a contender. That never occurred and Lopez finished out his contract with the Bulls.
The Knicks were reportedly interested in signing Lopez to back up Mitchell Robinson. The center spent time with the team earlier in his career. He inked a four-year deal with the franchise when Phil Jackson was running the show in New York.
Bucks Re-Sign Khris Middleton
JULY 11: Middleton’s new deal with the Bucks is now official, the team confirmed today in a press release.
“Khris is a critical piece of our core,” GM Jon Horst said in a statement. “As an All-Star, Khris was an integral part of us winning 60 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. He has also established himself as a leader on our team both on the court and in the community. We’re thrilled Khris is staying in Milwaukee and look forward to even more success together.”
JUNE 30: Free agent Khris Middleton will re-sign with the Bucks on a five-year, $178MM contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal is expected to include a player option in the final season.
Middleton, 27, is coming off a season where he averaged 18.3 points, six rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, shooting 44% from the field and 38% from 3-point range. He was a key contributor to the Bucks’ success last season, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Middleton was eligible to receive a maximum salary of $189,903,600 on a five-year contract, so the Bucks will get a slight discount below that rate. Milwaukee is still paying him more than he could have received from any other team — a rival suitor’s offer would have maxed out at around $141MM over four years.
Milwaukee is also expected to re-sign center Brook Lopez to a four-year, $52MM deal, as reported by Wojnarowski. The team will bring back veteran guard George Hill as well, agreeing to re-sign him to a three-year, $29MM deal after waiving him to avoid a $17MM guarantee for 2019/20.
While the Bucks did well to lock up most of their key free agents, Malcolm Brogdon won’t be back. The Bucks have reportedly agreed to a sign-and-trade to send Brogdon to the Pacers, who will pay him $85MM over four years. Milwaukee will get back multiple draft picks, including a first-rounder, in exchange for Brogdon.
The Bucks are on track to stay out of the tax with Brogdon out of the picture. The team could use its $4.8MM room exception to add another rotation piece.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Free Agent Notes: Ellis, Green, Speights
Representatives from nearly half of the league’s teams were in attendance for a workout that included former NBA stars Amar’e Stoudemire and Monta Ellis, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Knicks, Thunder, Bucks, Pistons, Kings, Nuggets, Blazers, Magic, Hawks, Wolves and Wizards were all in attendance. Haynes adds that 15 international teams from Europe and Asia also had representatives in Las Vegas for the workout.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Spurs, Nuggets, and Knicks were all interested in JaMychal Green before the forward re-signed with the Clippers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. Those teams were offering him a more lucrative offer than the one he signed with Los Angeles. The Clippers put on a “full-court press” to retain Green, Buha adds, and the 29-year-old ended up inking a two-year deal worth slightly under $10MM.
- Green has the ability to be a free agent next summer, having secured a player option as part of his deal with the Clippers. Buha (in the same piece) speculates that Green could have commanded a deal in the $10MM+ range this offseason and that the forward should have the opportunity for a similar contract next summer.
- Mo Speights, who played in China last season, is working out for teams in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweets. Speights last played in the NBA for the Magic during the 2017/18 season.
Bucks Waive Jon Leuer
As expected, the Bucks have released veteran big man Jon Leuer, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. He’ll clear waivers and become an unrestricted on Thursday.
Leuer, 30, averaged 3.8 PPG and 2.4 RPG in 41 games (9.8 MPG) last season for the Pistons. Detroit sent his expiring contract to Milwaukee last month in exchange for Tony Snell and the No. 30 overall pick in the draft.
Because Leuer is earning less than Snell and only has one year left on his contract instead of two, waiving and stretching his expiring salary ($9,508,043) will be more manageable for the Bucks. That move was necessary in order to create the cap room to re-sign George Hill.
While stretching Leuer’s contract generates additional flexibility this year, the Bucks will have to be wary of the cap charges it creates in future seasons ($3,169,348 annually through 2021/22). Milwaukee’s roster only figures to get more expensive down the road, especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo signs a super-max extension that goes into effect in ’20/21, so Leuer’s dead money could eventually help push team salary into the tax.
Bucks Re-Sign George Hill
JULY 9: Hill has officially re-signed with the Bucks, the team announced today in a press release.
“George is a consummate pro and an important part of our team,” GM Jon Horst said in a statement. “His veteran leadership and steady guard play were instrumental to our success last season, both during the regular season and the playoffs. We are thrilled to have him back with the Bucks.”
JULY 2: The Bucks officially waived Hill on Monday, according to the NBA’s transactions log. He’ll clear waivers this week, and then Milwaukee will be able to officially re-sign him once the moratorium ends on Saturday.
JUNE 30: The Bucks are set to re-sign veteran guard George Hill on a three-year, $29MM deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The deal has a partial guarantee in year three, tweets Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Milwaukee plans to waive Hill, who was originally set to make $18MM next season, and formally sign him to his new contract once the moratorium period ends on July 6.
Hill was a key cog for the Bucks during the postseason, scoring 11.5 points per game on 53% shooting from the floor and 42% shooting from 3-point range. Milwaukee values his experience, leadership and mentality on the hardwood and in the locker room.
The Bucks lost guard Malcolm Brogdon to Indiana on Sunday, but the team also worked to secure multi-year commitments from Hill, Khris Middleton, and two Lopezes — Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez.
Milwaukee will need to make at least one more roster move to fit Hill’s new contract in under the cap, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). While the deal is worth the same amount as the mid-level exception, the Bucks won’t have that exception available because they’ll need to use cap room to re-sign Brook Lopez.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns Waive Kyle Korver
After being traded from the Jazz to the Grizzlies to the Suns, Kyle Korver has now been placed on waivers by Phoenix, according to NBA.com’s log of official transactions.
The move was expected, since only $3.44MM of Korver’s $7.5MM salary for 2019/20 was guaranteed. The Suns needed to open up extra cap room to sign Ricky Rubio to his three-year, $51MM contract, and releasing Korver helps pave the way.
Korver is now on track to clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday evening. When he first reported that Korver would be cut, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski identified the Lakers, Bucks, and Sixers as the probable frontrunners to sign the veteran sharpshooter once he reaches the open market.
Korver averaged 8.6 PPG on .416/.397/.822 shooting in 70 games (19.1 MPG) last season for the Cavaliers and Jazz. A June report indicated that the 38-year-old – who is a career 42.9% three-point shooter – is expected to play for at least one more year.
Knicks Notes: Portis, Randle, Smith Jr., Westbrook
The way free agency played out came as no surprise to newly acquired Knicks big man Bobby Portis, relays Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Portis said was certain in February that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were planning to team up in Brooklyn for the Nets.
“We all knew that. Everybody knew that,” he said. “I just don’t think the media knew that. Us basketball players, we all knew that. … I’m not going to leak my source. But we all know where they were going.”
That decision eliminated one possibility for Portis, who wanted to play in New York. He said the Bucks, Wizards, Clippers and Lakers were among the teams that expressed interest, but his first choice was the Knicks, who needed help in their frontcourt. Portis was primarily a power forward in Chicago and a center in Washington and feels comfortable at either position.
“I’m (gonna) be playing in a beautiful city for the New York Knicks,” he said. “That’s a dream come true. … Being able to have a chance to play in Madison Square Garden for 41-plus nights, it’s a thrill. It’s what everybody dreams of as a kid. I’m ecstatic.”
There’s more today from New York City:
- A “dream come true” is also how Julius Randle described his opportunity with the Knicks to Marc Berman of The New York Post. With a three-year, $61MM deal, Randle is the only one of New York’s six free agent additions to get a contract guaranteed beyond one season. “I had a lot of options,” Randle said. “I felt this opportunity for me was the greatest opportunity. The whole fan base that’s staving and hungry to win more than (any team) in the NBA.”
- The Knicks are coming off a 17-win season and didn’t make the splash in free agency that fans were hoping for, but Dennis Smith Jr. expressed confidence to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that they can be a playoff team. He cites not only an upgraded roster, but his own improved jump shot. Bondy notes that Smith is going to be challenged for the starting point guard role by the newly signed Elfrid Payton, who was drafted in Orlando by Knicks GM Scott Perry.
- Russell Westbrook‘s age, salary and lack of efficiency make him too much of a risk for the Knicks, argues Tommy Beer of Forbes. New York has been among the teams rumored to have interest in Westbrook since news of the Paul George trade broke yesterday, but its free agents signings will make it difficult to put together a deal until they’re all eligible to be traded on December 15.
Free Agency Notes: Cap Holds, Williams, Magic, Wizards
Nearly half the teams in the NBA renounced their rights to multiple free agents this week as they prepared to make new roster moves official, per RealGM’s transactions log. In some cases, like when the Clippers renounced the rights to Garrett Temple and Wilson Chandler, those free agents already new homes lined up, and removing their cap holds was simply a formality to create cap room for incoming additions.
In other cases, the housekeeping moves were a bit more noteworthy. The Pacers, for instance, renounced Darren Collison‘s Bird rights, so if the 31-year-old – who announced his retirement before the start of free agency – ever attempts an NBA comeback, Indiana will no longer have a leg up to re-acquire him.
Besides those two teams, the Hawks, Bucks, Nets, Jazz, Sixers, Clippers, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Celtics, Wizards, and Bulls also renounced various free agents, according to RealGM’s log.
Here are a few more notes related to free agency:
- The Lakers have withdrawn their qualifying offer to two-way player Johnathan Williams and renounced his rights, according to RealGM. That doesn’t preclude the Lakers from bringing back Williams on a new two-way deal, but he’ll be able to sign outright with a new team if he so chooses.
- At least nine teams are now confirmed to attend the Amar’e Stoudemire/Monta Ellis workout taking place in Las Vegas on Monday, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN. We previously relayed word of Stoudemire’s and Ellis’ attempts to make NBA comebacks.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides salary cap updates on a pair of Southeast teams, tweeting that the Magic and Wizards are both safely out of luxury tax territory for now. According to Marks (Twitter links), Orlando has $3.5MM in breathing room under the tax line, counting Khem Birch‘s $1.8MM cap hold, while Washington is about $4MM below that threshold after cutting Jonathon Simmons.