Knicks Interested In Greg Monroe?
The Knicks are among the teams with an interest in acquiring Bucks center Greg Monroe, who reportedly remains available, Sam Amico of Amico Hoops reports, citing league sources. The Knicks may need a third team to help facilitate a trade for Monroe and would almost certainly have to wait until December to make a deal, Amico adds.
The Bucks-Monroe relationship has not worked out the way many envisioned it would. After one season, the Bucks are reportedly “anxious to move on from him.” Monroe has two seasons remaining on his current deal. He can choose to opt out next summer. In 79 games for the Bucks, Monroe notched averages of 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.3 minutes per contest. The Celtics emerged as a suitor for Monroe last month, but talks are reportedly no longer ongoing.
The Knicks would be a logical fit, depending on who New York would move, of course. The Knicks are set to feature Joakim Noah at center and to bet on the former Bulls player staying healthy would be risky. Beyond Noah and Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, it can be argued that New York lacks depth in the frontcourt.
Still, having undergone a significant roster overhaul this offseason, the Knicks don’t have many trade chips currently available to match Monroe’s $17MM+ salary — free agents who recently signed with the club aren’t eligible to be dealt until at least December.
Update On NBA Traded Player Exceptions
Traded player exceptions, which we’ve explained extensively in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, are a tool that over-the-cap teams can use to complete trades. For mid-season deals, when most teams are at or over the salary cap, these exceptions are typically used and created frequently.
This summer, however, with the salary cap increasing by more than $24MM and most teams choosing to use cap room rather than staying over the cap, trade exceptions have become scarcer — and less useful. In order for teams to actually use their available cap room to take on salaries or to sign free agents, those exceptions must be renounced.
Heading into the 2016/17 league year, teams around the NBA held a total of 29 trade exceptions. After the new league year officially got underway and the moratorium ended, the majority of those TPEs were lost. In total, 22 of the 29 previously-existing traded player exceptions were renounced or expired.
Earlier this month, only the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Thunder still held any TPEs, with Cleveland hanging onto five of them, and L.A. and OKC holding one apiece. Over the last week or so, a few new trade exceptions have been created, but with so many teams still under the cap, the full list is much shorter than it has been in past years.
Here’s a breakdown of the newly-created TPEs:
Charlotte Hornets
Amount: $1,666,470
Expires: 7/12/17
How it was created: When the Grizzlies signed Troy Daniels away from the Hornets, they did so in a sign-and-trade deal, allowing Charlotte to create a TPE for half of Daniels’ $3,332,940 salary.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Amount: $1,333,420
Expires: 7/15/17
How it was created: The Cavaliers created this TPE worth Sasha Kaun‘s 2016/17 salary when they sent him to Philadelphia without receiving any NBA salary in return.
(Note: The Cavaliers also created a $4,803,750 trade exception by signing-and-trading Matthew Dellavedova to the Bucks, but immediately used that exception to acquire Mike Dunleavy.)
Los Angeles Clippers
Amount: $1,209,600
Expires: 7/15/17
How it was created: When the Clippers acquired Devyn Marble from the Magic for C.J. Wilcox, the team actually used its old $947,276 TPE (acquired in January’s Josh Smith trade) to absorb Marble’s salary, then created a new exception worth Wilcox’s salary.
The traded player exceptions listed above have been added to our full breakdown of the TPEs available around the league. That list no longer includes the $2,038,206 exception the Thunder created last summer when they sent Perry Jones III to the Celtics — that TPE expired on July 14.
Our full list of TPEs also no longer features the following exceptions, all of which were renounced earlier this month when these teams went under the cap (expiry date listed in parentheses):
- Atlanta Hawks: $947,276 (2/18/17)
- Brooklyn Nets: $2,170,465 (7/13/16)
- Chicago Bulls: $2,854,940 (2/18/17)
- Chicago Bulls: $947,276 (6/22/17)
- Denver Nuggets: $135,000 (2/18/17)
- Detroit Pistons: $6,270,000 (6/29/17)
- Golden State Warriors: $5,387,825 (7/27/16)
- Golden State Warriors: $3,197,170 (7/31/16)
- Memphis Grizzlies: $450,000 (2/18/17)
- Miami Heat: $1,706,250 (7/27/16)
- Miami Heat: $1,294,440 (7/27/16)
- Miami Heat: $2,129,535 (11/10/16)
- Miami Heat: $2,145,060 (2/16/17)
- Miami Heat: $845,059 (2/18/17)
- Miami Heat: $2,854,940 (2/18/17)
- Milwaukee Bucks: $5,200,000 (7/9/16)
- Milwaukee Bucks: $4,250,000 (7/9/16)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $5,000,000 (7/12/16)
- New Orleans Pelicans: $102,217 (12/24/16)
- New York Knicks: $1,572,360 (6/22/17)
- Phoenix Suns: $578,651 (2/18/17)
Information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post.
Greg Monroe Still Available Via Trade
- With Bucks center Miles Plumlee locked up to a new four-year deal, Greg Monroe remains available in trade talks, says ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links). Stein suggests that Monroe and Kings forward Rudy Gay are two of the NBA’s most prominent veterans known to be on the trade block.
Maker Shows Why Bucks Like Him
- The Bucks‘ Thon Maker grabbed attention in the Las Vegas Summer League with Kevin Garnett-like size and Giannis Antetokounmpo-level speed, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. Many observers were surprised when the Bucks drafted Maker 10th overall, but his athleticism may make that gamble pay off. “We thought he wasn’t afraid and had a little toughness to him,” said GM John Hammond. “That was the key to the draft pick — that we enjoyed him so much as a person and had toughness and wasn’t afraid. You don’t know what is going to go from there.”
Community Shootaround: Most Improved Lottery Team In East?
This past spring, the Bulls, Wizards, Magic, Bucks, Knicks, Nets, and 76ers all failed to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, finishing in the lottery. All seven of those teams have been very active so far this offseason, signing free agents and adding players to their roster via trades and/or the draft.
The Bulls and Knicks have perhaps been the most visible of the Eastern lottery teams in recent weeks, beginning with the five-player trade they completed that sent Derrick Rose to New York and Robin Lopez to Chicago. Since then, the Bulls have added Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in free agency, while the Knicks have signed Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings, among others.
The two lottery teams from the Southeast – the Wizards and Magic – have also undergone some roster upheaval this summer. Washington re-upped restricted free agent Bradley Beal and made changes elsewhere, bringing in Ian Mahinmi, Andrew Nicholson, and Jason Smith, while letting go of Nene, Jared Dudley, and Ramon Sessions. Orlando was even more active, re-signing Evan Fournier, trading for Serge Ibaka, and adding D.J. Augustin, Jeff Green, and Bismack Biyombo.
The Bucks have been a little quieter, but they secured a pair of solid role players in free agency, signing Matthew Dellavedova and Mirza Teletovic. They also drafted Thon Maker, adding another athletic prospect with upside to a promising young core.
Like Milwaukee, the Sixers didn’t make a huge splash, but with Gerald Henderson, Jerryd Bayless, and Sergio Rodriguez entering the mix, the rebuilding franchise has more of a veteran presence. And if Dario Saric finalizes a deal with Philadelphia, the club feels it has three players – Saric, Joel Embiid, and No. 1 pick Ben Simmons – capable of competing for the Rookie of the Year award.
Finally, the Nets missed out on two RFA targets, when their offer sheets for Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe were matched. Their other free agent signings, including Jeremy Lin, Greivis Vasquez, Trevor Booker, Luis Scola, and Justin Hamilton – have been modest.
Today’s discussion question focuses on these seven teams, and their offseason transactions. Which team do you think improved the most? Which series of moves do you like best? Which of these non-playoff teams do you think is most likely to end up qualifying for the postseason next spring?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the Bulls, Wizards, Magic, Bucks, Knicks, Nets, and Sixers. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Pacific Notes: Sanders, Kings, Joerger, Smith
Despite losing two centers this summer, the Warriors haven’t reached out to Larry Sanders, writes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea. The former Bucks big man was an elite rim protector before he walked away from the game in December of 2014, citing anxiety and depression. Sanders is considering a comeback and sparked speculation on Saturday when he sent out two messages on Twitter: an image of a cavalier and a scene from a 1979 movie titled “The Warriors.” Golden State needs to find replacements for Andrew Bogut, who was traded to Dallas to create cap room for Kevin Durant, and Festus Ezeli, who signed with the Trail Blazers as a free agent.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- The Kings are getting plenty of calls from teams interested in Rudy Gay, Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore, tweets James Ham of CSNCalifornia. So far, they haven’t heard an offer they like.
- New Kings coach Dave Joerger doesn’t plan to coach any more summer league games, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Joerger said he started out in that role to set the tone for the rest of the staff.
- The Kings and Clippers are among the teams that worked out J.R. Smith‘s brother this weekend in Las Vegas, tweets Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. Chris Smith‘s only NBA experience came in two games with the Knicks in 2013.
- Ryan McDonough’s first plan for a quick turnaround in Phoenix didn’t work, so now he’s rebuilding through the draft, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. With two picks in the top eight, the Suns grabbed highly regarded power forward prospects Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss. Their only free agent pickup so far this summer is veteran shooting guard Jared Dudley for $30MM over three years, a modest sum in this year’s market. “That’s certainly the most sustainable way to do it,” McDonough said about his draft strategy. “If you can draft those guys and have them under control for four years on the rookie scale and then have a bunch of advantages in terms of contract extensions and full Bird rights, that really helps.”
Cavs Shipped $200K To Bucks As Part Of Dellavedova Deal
- The Cavaliers shipped the Bucks $200K as part of the sign-and-trade deal involving Matthew Dellavedova, Pincus notes (on Twitter).
Bulls Send Mike Dunleavy To The Cavs
JULY 7th, 8:04pm: The trade is official, the Cavaliers announced.
JULY 6th, 9:06pm: The Bulls will send Mike Dunleavy to the Cavs, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Cleveland will use a trade exception to bring Dunleavy to the team, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). LeBron James personally recruited Dunleavy as a free agent last summer, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentions on Twitter.
The Bucks were also in pursuit of the veteran small forward, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Chicago needed to shed salary after agreeing to a deal with Dwyane Wade.
The defending champs were reportedly looking for a wing player this summer and Dunleavy should be a nice addition. He shot 39.4% from downtown in 31 games for the Bulls last season.
Bucks Acquire Dellavedova From Cavs
JULY 7, 3:53pm: The Cavs and the Bucks have agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that sends Dellavedova to Milwaukee in exchange for cash and the rights to Albert Miralles, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. Cleveland will also create a trade exception worth $4.8MM as a result of the swap, Haynes adds. The Cavs have announced the deal is official via press release.
JULY 4, 1:13pm: The Cavaliers won’t match the Bucks’ offer sheet for Dellavedova, league sources tell Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com.
JULY 1, 3:40pm: LeBron James has tweeted congratulations to Dellavedova, wishing him good luck in Milwaukee, which makes it sounds as if the Cavs won’t match Milwaukee’s offer sheet.
3:04pm: An agreement between the Bucks and Dellavedova is now in place, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Twitter link) says Milwaukee and Cleveland have had some sign-and-trade discussions, but there’s no traction there at this point. The Bucks aren’t expecting the Cavs to match an offer sheet.
2:59pm: The Bucks are nearing an agreement with Matthew Dellavedova on a four-year, $38MM deal, reports ESPN’s Zach Lowe (via Twitter). David Aldridge of NBA.com confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides are close to a deal, pegging the exact value at $38.4MM.
Dellavedova is currently a restricted free agent, having received a qualifying offer from the Cavaliers. Assuming the Cavs don’t take that qualifying offer off the table, Milwaukee would have to sign the guard to an offer sheet, and hope Cleveland doesn’t match. If the Cavs were to rescind the QO, the Bucks could sign Dellavedova outright as an unrestricted free agent.
The Kings, Hawks, and Mavericks were among the other teams that reached out to Dellavedova’s camp to express interest after free agency got underway last night. According to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), Sacramento viewed Dellavedova as a sign-and-trade possibility, so perhaps the Bucks and Cavs will discuss that option as well. If it’s an offer sheet, Cleveland will have three days to match once it’s formally signed.
Dellavedova, 25, was a part-time player for the Cavs during the last three seasons, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.4 APG while shooting 41.0% from three-point range in 2015/16. He also played some key minutes in the postseason for Cleveland the last two years, though his minutes were reduced in this year’s playoffs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hawks Re-Sign Kent Bazemore
JULY 7: The Hawks have sent out a formal press release announcing their new deal with Bazemore.
JULY 1: The Hawks have secured one of their own free agents, according to Michael Scotto of The Associated Press, who reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta and Kent Bazemore have agreed to terms on a four-year, $70MM contract, which will feature a player option on the final year.
It’s the second big-money deal the team has struck today — the Hawks also reached an agreement with Dwight Howard on a three-year contract worth $70.5MM. The two deals for Bazemore and Howard will almost certainly take Atlanta out of the running for Al Horford, meaning he’ll likely find a new home within the next few days.
Bazemore, who went undrafted out of Old Dominion, emerged as a reliable three-and-D player for the Hawks last season, averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc.
We heard early in free agency that it might take an offer in the $19-20MM-per-year range to land Bazemore, and the Hawks will ultimately pay a little less than that — his reported deal averages $17.5MM annually. According to David Aldridge of NBA.com (via Twitter), Bazemore turned down four-year, $72MM offers from the Lakers and Rockets to return to Atlanta.
In addition to Los Angeles and Houston, the Bucks, Grizzlies, Nets, and Pelicans were among the rival suitors for Bazemore, and were in touch with him before he made his decision, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical. There had been speculation that Bazemore would take a few days before deciding on his team — instead, he agreed to a contract with the Hawks on the day of his 27th birthday. Not a bad gift.
The value of Bazemore’s new deal is right in line with the four-year, $70MM deal agreed to by Evan Turner and the Trail Blazers earlier today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.