Jennings Not Interested In Playing For Bucks?
Now that the Hawks have matched Milwaukee's offer sheet for Jeff Teague, the Bucks are back in the market for a point guard, and the best one available remains under team control. However, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, Brandon Jennings isn't interested in returning to Milwaukee to play for the Bucks next season.
There have been signals in the past that Jennings isn't enthusiastic about a long-term stay in Milwaukee, based on various comments he has made over the last couple years. It's possible he'd change his tune if he received a lucrative four-year offer from the Bucks, but so far it seems neither Milwaukee nor any other team has shown a willingness to match Jennings' asking price, which was reported to be $12MM annually.
The Bucks' one-year qualifying offer is still on the table for Jennings. He has indicated previously that he wouldn't rule out the possibility of signing that offer, rare an occurrence as it is. Doing so would mean he'd remain with the Bucks for another year, earning a $4.53MM salary, before hitting unrestricted free agency next summer.
When Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explored Jennings' options earlier today, he suggested that the free agent guard could accept his qualifying offer, get proactive in seeking a sign-and-trade destination, or consider playing in China for a season.
Eastern Notes: MWP, Rondo, Ariza, Jennings
As the third week of NBA free agency gets underway, let's round up a few items related to Eastern Conference teams….
- Agent Marc Cornstein confirms to Marc Berman of the New York Post that there's mutual interest between the Knicks and his client, Metta World Peace. World Peace and his reps are expected to weigh several options before making a decision.
- Celtics fans shouldn't have to worry about Rajon Rondo pulling a Ray Allen anytime soon. At his summer camp in Kentucky, Rondo declared that he "would never play for the Miami Heat" (link via WEEI.com).
- The players the Celtics acquired from the Nets in their blockbuster trade aren't as valuable as the draft picks involved, but MarShon Brooks could end up being a hidden gem, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
- With his free agency a year away, Wizards forward Trevor Ariza has signed with agent Rob Pelinka of Landmark Sports, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Ariza had previously been represented by David Lee.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines a few potential outcomes for Brandon Jennings' free agency, including accepting the Bucks' qualifying offer.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Bogut, Jennings, Jazz
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- With a difficult free agent process behind him, Dwight Howard is ready to begin his new chapter with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Andrew Bogut was on the trading block this summer, and while reports indicated he was upset with his inclusion in rumors, the big man expressed no hard feelings when he spoke with Warriors GM Bob Myers, as Myers tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- Steve Aschburner of NBA.com argues that both the Bucks and Brandon Jennings would be better off if he accepted his qualifying offer. Doing so would give Jennings unrestricted free agency in 2014, and the motivation of a walk year could spur improvement that benefits the Bucks.
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNew York.com (on Twitter) hears from league insiders that play in the Las Vegas summer league is more intense than usual as roster spots and financial flexibility are tighter in this free agent market. Teams seem to be waiting longer to fill out their rosters.
- Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson and Brandon Rush are heading to the Jazz because they made a transaction work, not because Utah believes they have the potential to get the team further than Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Mo Williams, and Randy Foye could, writes Jody Genessy of The Deseret News.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Brewer, Nuggets, Gasol
Here's the latest out of the Northwest Division..
- Pau Gasol or Rajon Rondo could be possibilities for the Nuggets if the Lakers or Celtics decide to really blow things up, writes Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. The Nuggets are armed with a trade exception of nearly $10MM from the Andre Iguodala trade and have added flexibility to pull of a deal.
- Corey Brewer is back with the Timberwolves, but this time around he sees a much different team, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “There are a lot of good players there, and there’s a chance to win. The first time, we didn’t have a chance to win. What better than to come back and have a chance to win where I started? If we stay healthy, we’ll be in the playoffs," said the Florida product.
- More from Zgoda's conversation with Brewer (via Twitter), who tells him that the Bucks, Hawks and Kings also pursued him but of the four clubs, he liked the Wolves' roster the most and the direction the team was going.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Cavs, World Peace
A source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that the Knicks have expressed interest in Samuel Dalembert. Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was chatting with Dalembert’s agent from Pinnacle Management Corporation, at Summer League yesterday (Twitter link).
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes Isiah Thomas is the best chance the Knicks have to snag Metta World Peace, if he clears waivers, with the remaining $1.7MM from their mini mid-level exception.
Metta recently spoke with Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. They discussed Metta’s working with LeBron James and Kevin Durant as a player development coach, what competition means to him, and why he’s such a big fan of LeBron (all Sulia links)
Here's some more from around the Eastern Conference…
- Jim Baubach of Newsday on why the undrafted C.J. Leslie might be a keeper for the Knicks.
- The Cavs should return to relevance much faster than the NBA standard writes the Akron Beacon Journal’s Jason Lloyd
- Bud Shaw of the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Andrew Bynum and the friction he’s already experienced while on the Lakers with new Cavs head coach Mike Brown.
- Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer with a roundup of what he learned about some of the Sixers’ new additions during Orlando Summer League action.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that Larry Sanders was cheering on his Bucks teammates at Las Vegas’ Summer League from the bench.
- A noticeably slimmed down Carlos Boozer was watching his younger brother Charles Boozer play for the Bulls Summer League team in Las Vegas today reports K.C Johnson at the Chicago Tribune.
Hawks Match Bucks’ Offer Sheet For Teague
8:11pm: The Hawks' President of Basketball Operations and GM Danny Ferry said in a press release tonight: "We are happy to bring Jeff back to our team. He has improved each year of his career and continues to get better." Ferry continues, "At 25, he’s already been a key contributor on a playoff team and we look forward to seeing him develop into even more of a leader on our team.”
Hawks' head coach Mike Budenholzer also added his thoughts on retaining the point guard: "I am very excited to have the opportunity to coach Jeff. He has a high level of talent. Keeping him with our group allows us to continue to build and improve going forward."
5:50pm: A source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the Hawks' intention all along was to keep Teague, not sign-and-trade him to the Bucks (Twitter).
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets that a Bucks source tells him the Hawks have officially matched the Bucks' offer for Teague.
As Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer points out, via Twitter, Teague didn't want the Hawks to match the offer and was hoping to be reunited with his coach from the Hawks last season, Larry Drew.
The Racine Journal Times' Gery Woelfel tweets that it'll be interesting to see whether the Bucks still pull of the Brandon Jennings sign-and-trade now that Teague is going back to Atlanta.
5:34pm: According to the Atlanta Journal-Constituation's Chris Vivlamore (via Twitter), the Hawks will match the Bucks' four-year $32MM offer sheet for Jeff Teague.
Only a little earlier today, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times had heard continued chatter the Hawks were not likely to match the Bucks' offer sheet and would let Teague, a restricted free agent, go to Milwaukee. But that appears to have been a mask for their true intentions to match the offer.
Teague had already expressed his desire to Hawks general manager Danny Ferry that he'd like to continue his career elsewhere, which Vivlamore mentions in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution update. Teague would have been reunited with his coach from the Hawks last season, Larry Drew, if the Hawks hadn't matched the offer.
Jeff Teague Signs Offer Sheet With Bucks
SATURDAY, 4:27pm: Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times is hearing continued chatter that the Hawks won't match the offer sheet (Twitter link). The deadline is tonight.
WEDNESDAY, 11:37pm: It appears the Bucks need only to renounce their rights to Joel Przybilla to fit Teague's offer sheet under the cap, Stein tweets. If Teague has already signed the offer sheet, I'd presume the they've already renounced Przybilla, but we'll see if that's the case.
11:18pm: Teague has signed the offer sheet, Wojnarowski and fellow Yahoo! Sports scribe Marc J. Spears report.
10:32pm: Jeff Teague is set to sign a four-year, $32MM offer sheet with the Bucks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Once he signs and the Hawks are notified, Atlanta will have three days to match the offer. The teams appeared to be pursuing sign-and-trade options, but once Teague puts pen to paper on the offer sheet, that option will disappear.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier today that the Bucks were preparing the offer sheet, and he wondered if that was a tactic designed to spur sign-and-trade negotiations. Either way, it appears the Hawks aren't willing to play along. The Bucks may have to make some maneuvers before Teague can sign the offer sheet, particularly since the team is about to absorb Luke Ridnour's $4.32MM salary via trade. Grantland's Zach Lowe pointed out earlier that the team would likely have to clear some space, pointing to a Drew Gooden amnesty as a possibility. Renouncing the rights to Brandon Jennings could also do the trick, and with Teague, Ridnour and O.J. Mayo set to join the backcourt, I wouldn't be surprised if letting go of Jennings is the way Milwaukee goes. The team has already renounced its rights to Monta Ellis.
Teague will presumably sign the offer sheet Thursday, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, leaving little time for the Bucks to make corresponding moves. The danger in letting go of Jennings and Ellis would be the possibility that Atlanta would match the offer sheet, although sources told Lowe that the Hawks have little regard for Teague. The point guard's camp was reportedly growing frustrated by Atlanta's lack of meaningful negotiation.
The ASM Sports client's numbers have gone up across the board in each year since his rookie campaign, and last year he put up 14.6 points and 7.2 assists per game with a 16.8 PER. Despite his steady improvement, it looks like he'll fall short of the money many of his peers from the 2009 draft class landed in long-term extensions last fall.
Nuggets Among Teams Eyeing Nate Robinson
4:21pm: The Wizards, Bucks, Mavericks and Lakers have also shown interest in Robinson, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets. The Lakers and Mavs have signed a few other guards in recent days, prompting Kennedy to wonder if they're still in on Robinson (Twitter link).
2:33pm: The Nuggets are letting it be known that they have "certifiable interest" in Nate Robinson, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Robinson, who spent last season on a minimum-salary contract with the Bulls, has been linked to the Knicks, Wolves, Pacers at various points this month. The Bulls, under financial constraints, offered him another minimum-salary deal to return, but it seems clear that won't be happening. Coach Tom Thibodeau would have reservations about bringing him back anyway, as Stein notes in a second tweet.
The explosive 5'9" guard had moments of brilliance in the postseason, scoring 34 points in a game against the Nets, but showed his inconsistency as well, delivering a scoreless, 0-for-12 performance in Game Four of Chicago's series with the Heat. Still, when I examined his free agent stock, I thought the Aaron Goodwin client would merit an annual salary in the range of the the $3.183MM taxpayer's mid-level exception.
Denver let go of Andre Iguodala this summer, but with J.J. Hickson and Randy Foye coming aboard, the team still figures to be capped out. That means the team could offer Robinson a part of the larger non-taxpayer's mid-level, though with the Bulls, Knicks and Pacers probably out of the running and limited chatter about the Wolves or other suitors, it could be that the Nuggets wind up with Robinson for little more than the minimum salary. They'd still need to use either the mid-level or the biannual exception to give him that, but they'd preserve flexibility for another addition.
Robinson, a 40.5% three-point shooter last season, would add long-distance shooting to a Denver team that missed that element in 2012/13. He can play either guard position, but his lack of height could be a problem against taller shooting guards, so the team's interest in him lends further credence to the idea that backup point guard Andre Miller is on the trading block.
Bucks Sign O.J. Mayo
JULY 13th: The Bucks officially announced the deal.
JULY 5th: The Bucks have reached agreement on a three-year, $24MM deal with O.J. Mayo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides have appeared close to a deal over the past two days.
Several teams have been in on Mayo since free agency began, including the Wolves and Clippers, both of whom appeared willing to engage in sign-and-trade scenarios with the Mavs. Instead, it's Milwaukee, with plenty of cap space following the departure of J.J. Redick, taking him on straight up. The Jazz, Blazers, Bobcats, and Bulls were all linked to the Landmark Sports Agency client as well.
Monta Ellis appears to be drawing significant interest from the Nuggets and other teams, so Mayo could step into a starting role in Milwaukee. Brandon Jennings is also a free agent, but he's restricted, so the Bucks can match offers from other teams for him. He figures to give the team some scoring punch to offset the production headed out the door. Mayo averaged 15.3 points and shot a career-best 40.7% from three-point range last season.
Odds & Ends: Nets, Celtics, Mavs, Barea
The Nets and Celtics had agreed last month to the framework of a trade that involved Paul Pierce, but not Kevin Garnett, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Then, Brooklyn GM Billy King asked Boston counterpart Danny Ainge whether Garnett would be available, too, and the deal began to morph into the nine-player swap that was finalized today. Here's more on an ever-changing NBA landscape:
- The Mavs lost a pair of guards to injury, but they aren't interested in a trade that would bring back J.J. Barea, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
- According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), it's
worth keeping an eye on Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas, who may be NBA-bound next
month. Amick adds in a second tweet that Abbas is holding off on signing with a
Chinese team due to optimism about potential NBA workouts in August. - The Rockets hold the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou after acquiring him as part of the Thomas Robinson trade, but the Bucks are among other NBA teams with interest in the 6'9" Greek small forward who "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
- With Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Omri Casspi all joining other teams, the Cavaliers renounced their rights to the trio today, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Cavs did the same with Luke Walton, who remains a free agent.