Free Agent Rumors: Oguchi, Howard, Tucker
Over two and a half months since 2012's free agent period began, a number of players are still seeking contracts with NBA teams, even if those deals are just non-guaranteed camp invites. Here's the latest updates on a few of the players still on the market:
- Nigerian swingman Chamberlain Oguchi, who was said last month to be drawing NBA interest, has been updating his Twitter account with news on his workouts. Oguchi has worked out for the Spurs and Heat, and recently had a second workout with Miami, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (Sulia link). According to George Akpayen of SuperSport.com, Oguchi could be nearing an agreement with the Heat on a non-guaranteed contract.
- The Heat also haven't ruled out a camp invite for Juwan Howard, who continues to work out with the team, says Winderman (Sulia link).
- Former first-round pick Alando Tucker is working out with the Bucks today and tomorrow, according to Tucker's Twitter feed (hat tip to Sportando).
- Agent Tyler Glass tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) that free agent guard Lester Hudson was dropped by his agency after failing to show up for a workout with the Bobcats.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports shares an interesting new detail on a free agent contract signed earlier this offseason: Nate Robinson's deal with the Bulls isn't fully guaranteed, tweets Deeks. In a second tweet, Deeks explains that $400K is guaranteed, with Robinson receiving his full salary if he's not waived by January 1st.
Odds & Ends: Bucks, Thabeet, Redd
A few Monday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Marquis Daniels, Rasual Butler, and Rodney Carney were among the free agents in attendance at a workout hosted by the Bucks, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- Hasheem Thabeet spoke to John Rohde of the Oklahoman about the opportunity he has with the Thunder this season to earn playing time and reach his potential.
- Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe takes a look at Dionte Christmas, who he believes has a good chance to make the Celtics' roster with a strong training camp.
- Despite rumblings that the Grizzlies might be eyeing Michael Redd, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal says Memphis hasn't expressed any interest in the veteran two guard.
- Assistant coaches Lloyd Pierce and Bob Thornton have verbally agreed to one-year deals with the Grizzlies for the coming season, tweets Tillery.
- Michael Scotto of RealGM.com spoke to Reggie Williams, who is entering a contract year with the Bobcats, about Williams' improbable path to the NBA.
Possible Fits For Jonny Flynn
It was just three years ago that the Timberwolves selected Jonny Flynn sixth overall in the 2009 NBA draft, one spot after the team nabbed Ricky Rubio. At the time, the Rubio choice raised some eyebrows, as the Spaniard point guard decided to continue his career overseas, expressing a reluctance to play in Minnesota. This past season, however, Rubio arrived in Minnesota and provided the type of production the T-Wolves had hoped for, averaging 10.6 points and 8.2 assists per game before going down with an ACL injury.
As Rubio emerged as the point guard of the future in Minnesota, Flynn spent the season playing for the Rockets and Trail Blazers. With the Rockets having declined his fourth-year option, Flynn was essentially in a contract year, and didn't do a whole lot to raise his stock, recording career-lows in FG% (.351), PPG (4.5), and a handful of other categories, while averaging just 14.3 MPG in 29 contests.
On the surface, Flynn looks like a bust. It's not clear whether he'll even receive an NBA contract this year. But even in his disappointing 2011/12 season, there were a few indications that he could be worth a flier. His 8.3 assists per 36 minutes were a career-high, and was by far the best assist rate of any free agent still on the market. Additionally, his numbers became more respectable after his move to Portland, where he played 18 games, averaging 5.2 points, 3.8 assists, and a 12.3 PER in 15.6 minutes per contest for the Blazers.
Those numbers aren't fantastic by any means, but for a player that's still just 23 years old and could have a good deal of upside, they should intrigue teams still in need of a third point guard. At this point, most contracts being signed are non-guaranteed or partially-guaranteed minimum salary deals, a price that would make it worthwhile to roll the dice on Flynn. So what teams could be a fit for him? Here are a few ideas:
- Bucks: Milwaukee's roster is forward-heavy, with only Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, Beno Udrih, and Doron Lamb in the backcourt. A trade may be more likely than a free agent signing, but Flynn could be one target for depth.
- Cavaliers: The Cavs reportedly had interest in Flynn and worked him out in July. They've picked up Jeremy Pargo since then, but both Pargo and Donald Sloan, who is on a non-guaranteed deal, made their NBA debuts within the last year. It remains to be seen whether either player is ready to assume the role of Kyrie Irving's backup.
- Hawks: Atlanta is another team that worked out Flynn earlier in the offseason, and could still use him. The Hawks have Jeff Teague and Devin Harris at the point, but may need a third option, particularly if that duo spends time on the court together.
- Heat: While Miami continues to focus on finding a big man, the team's point guard duo of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole doesn't give them much depth in case of an injury.
- Hornets: If Austin Rivers and Greivis Vasquez can capably handle the point, New Orleans may not have a need there, especially if Brian Roberts makes the team. But none of those guys are sure things, so further insurance may be required.
- Magic: Jameer Nelson is locked in as the starter in Orlando, but he only has Ish Smith backing him up. Even if the Magic are confident in Smith as Nelson's backup, I'd be surprised if they didn't bring at least one more point guard to training camp.
- Pistons: Like the Bucks, the Pistons are loaded with frontcourt players, making a trade the preferred route for acquiring backcourt help. If they can't find a trade partner, the Pistons could look to free agency to bolster a point guard spot that features only Brandon Knight and Will Bynum. But with 15 guaranteed contracts already on the books, it's a long shot.
Odds & Ends: Kidd-Gilchrist, Raptors, 2013 Draft
During a University of Kentucky charity game that he originally wasn't scheduled to compete in, Bobcats rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist appeared to show no ill effects from a knee injury that kept him sidelined during July's Summer League in Las Vegas, writes the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.
Here's a look elsewhere around the league this Saturday evening.
- The Raptors are currently entering stage two of the rebuilding process, writes NBA.com's John Schuhmann. Even though the team's big offseason target, Steve Nash, ended up signing with the Lakers, Toronto continues to build around the strength of their talented youth.
- Hoopsworld.com and Draft Express give us their top 100 NBA prospects for the 2013 draft. UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad and Kentucky's Nerlens Noel headline the list.
- HoopsWorld.com gives us a season preview for the Trail Blazers, a team that's either rebuilding or already talented enough to compete for the eighth seed in the West. Also from HoopsWorld.com, a preview for the Bucks.
- The Jazz will enter the 2012/13 season with a new general manager and new faces on the roster, such as longtime Hawks forward Marvin Williams, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Steve Luhm.
- Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's brother, will fight for a roster spot with the Knicks in this year's training camp, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Odds & Ends: Kirilenko, LeBron, Nets, Gordon
Here's this morning's look around the Association..
- Andrei Kirilenko spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about why he ultimately chose to sign with the Timberwolves this summer. The forward said that he picked Minnesota in part because of his affinity for coach Rick Adelman, who he first started following when he was coaching the Kings.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't believe that LeBron James changing agents indicates that he's thinking about leaving Miami in 2014, but thinks that the Heat will have to hold their breath for at least few days during that summer. Earlier this week, James left CAA to join up with a newly-formed agency headed by childhood friend Rich Paul.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld identifies the coaches that need to win in 2012/13 in order to keep their jobs. The list is headlined by Nets coach Avery Johnson, who was never expected to win in New Jersey but will have to deliver in Brooklyn. Bucks coach Scott Skiles could also be looking for work if he can't guide Milwaukee to the postseason.
- Players from non-playoff teams got a bigger chunk of the free agency money pie this offseason than those hitting the market after taking part in the postseason, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. The "losers" topped the "winners" $651MM vs. $608MM thanks in part to lucrative deals for Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum.
Teams With Access To Full MLE In 2012/13
This morning, we looked at the 12 NBA teams that dipped below the cap this summer and used space under the cap to sign or trade for players. Because those teams used cap room this year, they lost access to the full $5MM mid-level exception, along with the $1.957MM bi-annual exception.
Teams that remain over the cap, however, have the option to use their full $5MM mid-level. While this exception is available to any over-the-cap team, using more than $3.09MM of the MLE means the club's payroll can't exceed the tax line by more than $4MM at any point during the season. Because the tax threshold is $70,307,000, the "hard cap" for teams spending the full mid-level is $74,307,000.
The Bulls are one notable example of a team up against that hard cap. Because the team spent nearly $4MM of its mid-level on Kirk Hinrich, payroll can't exceed that $74.3MM cut-off at any point before next July. With over $73.5MM currently committed to player salaries, the Bulls don't have a whole lot of wiggle room.
Chicago is one of 13 clubs that should have access to their full $5MM mid-level exception this season. Here's a look at the franchises that fall into this category:
- Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks used their entire mid-level on Lou Williams, but aren't in danger of approaching the hard cap, as their payroll sits around $65MM.
- Boston Celtics: Taking into account their non-guaranteed players, the Celtics are approaching that hard cap, with a cap hit at approximately $71.9MM. They still have room to use their bi-annual exception though, if they so choose.
- Chicago Bulls: As I mentioned above, the Bulls don't even have the flexibility to sign a minimum-salary player, unless he's a rookie.
- Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets only used a small portion of their mid-level to sign Anthony Randolph, so they aren't hard-capped. Still, with $63.5MM in salaries, they're not about to approach that threshold anyway.
- Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have used just $2.5MM of their mid-level, and have the flexibility to use the rest without approaching the hard cap.
- Golden State Warriors: Like the Celtics, the Warriors are slightly over the tax line, but have some breathing room before they hit the hard cap, and could still use their BAE if they want to.
- Los Angeles Clippers: Sitting about $1MM below the tax line, it's unlikely the Clippers add much more salary and risk becoming a taxpayer.
- Milwaukee Bucks: With $4.35MM of their MLE remaining, and a payroll barely over the cap, the Bucks are a decent candidate to add a free agent for more than the minimum salary. A player like Leandro Barbosa could potentially be a fit.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: I expect the Thunder won't be eager to spend the $3MM+ left on their MLE, preferring to play it safe now and open up the checkbooks later, when extensions kick in for Serge Ibaka and perhaps James Harden.
- Orlando Magic: Orlando still has over $4MM remaining on its mid-level, but will likely be trying to shed salary over the course of the year, rather than adding more.
- San Antonio Spurs: Having signed Diaw for $4.5MM of their MLE, the Spurs will be hard-capped, but still have $5MM+ of breathing room, which should be more than enough.
- Utah Jazz: Randy Foye received $2.5MM of the Jazz's mid-level, bringing the team's total payroll to about $66.6MM.
- Washington Wizards: With only about $55.4MM on their books before signing Martell Webster, the Wizards could have claimed a little cap space by renouncing their MLE and BAE. However, it makes more sense to hang on to those exceptions, meaning Webster's $1.75MM salary should come out of the mid-level.
Kyler On Harrington, Thomas, Gibson, Calderon
Sources close to the Magic deny that Al Harrington was included in this month's Dwight Howard blockbuster as a throw-in, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. However, Kyler still believes the Magic will explore the possibility of moving Harrington and his contract before the trade deadline. Harrington has three years remaining on his deal, but the last two are only partially guaranteed, and he's still a serviceable player, so Orlando could find a taker. Here are the rest of Kyler's Thursday morning updates on players that may be on the move prior to the trade deadline:
- According to Kyler, the Bobcats are hoping new coach Mike Dunlap can reach Tyrus Thomas in a way that Paul Silas couldn't. Thomas' contract still looks like an albatross though, and the Bobcats would likely move it in a minute if they could find a taker.
- While Kyler hears a handful of teams have been in contact with Cleveland about Daniel Gibson, the Cavs deny they're shopping the guard.
- The Raptors haven't been able to find a deal they like for Jose Calderon to date, but as February's deadline approaches, the Spaniard may turn into a more viable trade chip, as his contract nears its end.
- Larry Sanders could be on the trade block for the Bucks, who acquired Samuel Dalembert and Ekpe Udoh, re-signed Ersan Ilyasova, and drafted John Henson within the last few months.
- Kevin Martin and the Rockets and Corey Maggette of the Pistons figure to be trade candidates this season, as veterans with $10MM+ expiring contracts.
- The Spurs are expected to continue trying to find a trade partner for DeJuan Blair, but his health history raises some red flags for rival clubs.
Pincus On NBA Spending Power
We've gone over team spending here on Hoops Rumors before, but today, Hoopsworld.com's Eric Pincus broke down the remaining cap space that teams have across the league, including how much they've already spent and their current situation with regards to various exception levels. Some interesting notes from his piece:
- Before their reported agreement with Martell Webster, the Wizards were the only team left with their full $5MM mid-level exception. The Bucks have nearly all to spend, but fall just short with $4.35MM.
- Despite what appears to be a never ending spending spree that's lasted the entire summer, the Lakers still have $1.59MM left on their mini mid-level exception. They're also nearly $30MM over the tax line.
- The Hawks still have their Bi-Annual Exception, but should they choose to re-sign Ivan Johnson, will need to spend it on him.
- The Celtics, Nets, Knicks, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Heat are unable to add any players unless it's through a trade or signing someone to the veteran's minimum.
- The Rockets have 20 players on their current roster, but could get between $6 and 7MM underneath the cap after waiving a few non-guaranteed players, as they recently did with Josh Harrellson. (The limit is 15 players by opening night.)
- The Cavaliers boast $11.1MM of cap space, the most in the league.
Possible Fits For Leandro Barbosa
The number of household names on our list of 2012/13 free agents continues to dwindle, but there are still a handful of intriguing veterans out there, including Josh Howard, Kenyon Martin, and Anthony Tolliver, among others. One notable free agent still seeking a new contract is combo guard Leandro Barbosa. We've heard plenty of rumors involving the 29-year-old, but with September approaching, he remains unsigned.
Barbosa is coming off a five-year, $33MM contract and is still productive, so he's unlikely to accept a minimum-salary deal. And while he has the ability to play both guard positions, he's definitely a scorer first rather than a facilitator, which wouldn't be a fit for some teams. So what clubs could offer a moderate salary to Barbosa and could use a scorer off the bench? Let's run through a few possibilities….
Denver Nuggets ($3.33MM of mid-level exception available)
Denver hasn't been linked to Barbosa at all this summer, but I like the fit on paper — while the Nuggets have 15 contracts on their books, Julyan Stone's minimum-salary deal isn't guaranteed, so the team could clear a spot if it wanted to. Andre Iguodala figures to start at the two, with Corey Brewer backing him up, but neither player is a particularly strong outside shooter. Only Evan Fournier fills that role, and it might be a mistake to expect too much out of a rookie that was initially expected to continue playing overseas for a year or two before joining the Nuggets. Barbosa could provide outside scoring and act as an emergency backup at the point behind Ty Lawson and Andre Miller.
Phoenix Suns ($8MM+ in cap space, $2.575MM room exception available)
Barbosa has spent most of his career in Phoenix and the Suns certainly have the necessary money and roster space. They've also been rumored to have a little interest. With Wesley Johnson and Shannon Brown penciled in at shooting guard, the Suns could use one more reliable veteran at the position, but the team may value its cap flexibility more than the scoring Barbosa could provide.
Indiana Pacers ($2.575MM room exception available)
The Pacers had to renounce Barbosa to make their other roster moves this offseason, so they don't retain any form of his Bird rights. But Indiana does have its room exception, so if there's any interest in a reunion, the team could probably make a competitive offer. Still, the Pacers' need isn't glaring, and Barbosa didn't exactly thrive after Indiana acquired him at the trade deadline — his .399 FG% would have been a career-worst over a full season, and his mark in the playoffs (37%) was even lower.
Milwaukee Bucks ($4.35MM of mid-level exception remaining)
The Bucks' two marquee players, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, are guards, but the team's backcourt depth doesn't extend a whole lot further. Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih are the only other guards on the roster. The Bucks would probably prefer to add at least one more player to the backcourt by trading one of their many big men, but if they can't find a deal, a free agent signing may be necessary. The Bucks actually strikes me as a solid fit for Barbosa, given the money they could offer, paired with the team's on-court need. But Milwaukee isn't the most desirable destination for free agents, so even if the club is interested, we'll have to see if Barbosa would seriously consider signing there.
Detroit Pistons ($2.5MM of mid-level exception available)
As we heard yesterday, Joe Dumars is still looking to bolster the Pistons' backcourt, but it seems he's focusing on trades for now, rather than free agents. Considering Detroit already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts, it seems unlikely the team would ditch one of its current guys for a non-essential piece like Barbosa. However, if no trades are out there, it remains an outside possibility.
Cleveland Cavaliers ($11MM+ of cap space, $2.575MM room exception available)
Barbosa hinted earlier this summer that he wouldn't mind hearing from the Cavs, and it's not hard to see why — Cleveland is one of the only clubs with the space to offer him the $7.6MM salary he made last year. Of course, the Cavs aren't about to make such an offer, and with Alonzo Gee seemingly on his way back to Cleveland, the team may be close to finishing its free agent spending.
If Barbosa is open to accepting a minimum-salary contract, or perhaps the bi-annual exception, which would pay him a little less than $2MM annually, we could add plenty more potential suitors to this list. But based on reports to date, it doesn't seem like he's ready to settle just yet. It wouldn't surprise me if we heard rumors linking him to a couple more of the clubs in this post before he eventually signs a new deal.
Rockets Sign Carlos Delfino
AUGUST 20TH, 1:32pm: The Rockets have officially signed Delfino, the team announced today in a press release.
AUGUST 15TH, 2:57pm: Delfino's deal with the Rockets is worth $3MM in year one, with a second-year option also worth $3MM, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). Since that amount exceeds the $2.575MM room exception, Houston is using leftover cap space to complete the deal.
The team has reportedly waived Josh Harrellson to clear a spot for Delfino, so the signing should become official any time now.
AUGUST 13TH, 7:29pm: The Rockets have agreed to a two-year deal with swingman Carlos Delfino that includes a team option for 2013-14, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. It's unclear how much the contract is worth, but it's likely for more than the minimum salary, as last week's reports suggested. The Rockets have their $2.575MM room exception available, so the deal could be for all or most of that amount, but that's just my speculation.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Rockets were "actively chasing" Delfino, who said he would sign with a team after the Olympics. The Celtics, Hawks, Pacers and Cavaliers were all reportedly in the running for Delfino at times this summer. The 6'6" Argentinian seemingly had his heart set on a multiyear deal, so the two-year pact with the Rockets offers a compromise of sorts, giving the team an out after this season.
Delfino, who spent the last three seasons with the Bucks, saw his role in the offense diminish last year after two straight seasons of double-figure scoring. His points per game went from 11.5 in 2010/11 to 9.0 in 2011/12, as his shots were cut from 10.5 a game to 8.4. Delfino played with an injured groin the last month of the season that required surgery in May, and was disappointed the Bucks didn't show more interest in re-signing him after he played hurt for them. The Bucks held his Bird rights, so they would have had no trouble bringing him back if they had interest. Milwaukee originally brought him aboard for three years and $10.5MM on a sign-and-trade from the Raptors in 2009.
The addition of Delfino gives the Rockets 21 players on the roster, Zach Lowe of SI.com notes via Twitter. That would seem to make them prime candidates to pull off a trade sometime between now and the start of the season.