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Latest On DeAndre Jordan

June 30th, 2015 at 11:55am CST by Chuck Myron

11:55am: Jordan is tired of being third in line behind Paul and Blake Griffin and wants a larger role on offense, Broussard hears, as he writes in a full story. There’s a 50% chance he goes to the Mavs and a 50% chance he stays with the Clippers, a source told Broussard.

TUESDAY, 11:13am: It’s likely that Jordan will sign for four years, with a player option after the third, no matter which team he chooses, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That limits the edge the Clippers have as the only team that can offer five years, notes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register (on Twitter).

5:46pm: Jordan is scheduled to meet with the Mavericks, Lakers and Knicks on the first day of free agency on Wednesday, sources told Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). He will meet with the Clippers on Thursday, Turner adds.

MONDAY, 1:15pm: The Clippers have a slight edge, a league source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), which runs counter to what Amick said the Clippers believe (below).

SUNDAY 9:25pm: The Bucks are “a long shot” to land Jordan and it is unlikely they meet with him, reports Sam Amick of USA Today, who cites a person with knowledge of the Bucks’ situation.

Amick tweets that there is some sense from the Clippers’ side that the Mavs have a slight edge in the Jordan sweepstakes, but the upcoming meetings hold weight.

While sources indicate to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that Jordan will either stay with the Clippers or go to Dallas, an acquaintance of Jordan claims the big man would love to play for the Rockets. Houston, of course, already has a quality center in Dwight Howard.

7:08pm: Jordan will also meet with the Knicks once the free agent negotiating period commences, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports.

1:11pm: The Clippers and Mavs remain the front-runners for Jordan, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, who suggests that the Knicks might end up meeting with the Relativity Sports client, too.

8:17am: Rumors of a rift between DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul are true, and the Mavs, Lakers and Bucks, as well as the Clippers, will have pitch meetings with Jordan at his home when free agent negotiating begins next week, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Chandler Parsons has been recruiting Jordan to the Mavs while the two have been hanging out together in Houston this summer, Turner also hears.

Bill Reiter of Fox Sports 1 first reported last month that Paul and Jordan had a falling out, though teammate Dahntay Jones and Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers separately denied it. Rivers is apparently confident about re-signing the seven-year veteran, whom the Clippers will offer a max deal.

Jordan, who’s said he won’t be “greedy” and seek a one-year deal that would take him to a surging salary cap next summer, can receive more money and a longer contract from the Clippers than from any other team, though the Mavs offer the advantage of no state income tax in Texas. The center, who turns 27 next month, has reportedly expressed serious interest in signing with Dallas, and the Mavs are high on the idea themselves. The Mavs front office has kicked around the idea of a sign-and-trade that would involve Jordan coming Dallas and Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton going to the Clippers, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reported.

Chandler is also an apparent target for the Bucks, along with Brook Lopez, as coach Jason Kidd and GM John Hammond aim high. The draft-night acquisition of Greivis Vasquez nonetheless puts a squeeze on Milwaukee’s finances, and the Bucks would probably have to clear some salary for an estimated $18.96MM max salary for Jordan next season if Jared Dudley opts in.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote last month that the Lakers would love to have Jordan, and he’ll apparently be one of a coterie of big men the team will target in free agency, along with LaMarcus Aldridge, who’s also a Mavs target, and Kevin Love. Interior players will no doubt be a priority for the Lakers, who have max-level cap flexibility, now that the team has used the No. 2 pick on guard D’Angelo Russell.

Latest On David West, Knicks

June 30th, 2015 at 8:09am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 8:09am: West doesn’t want to play for the Knicks, preferring a team in better position to contend for the title, an NBA source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.

THURSDAY, 6:57pm: David West is likely to sign with the Knicks when he becomes eligible to do so after the July Moratorium, a source tells Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The power forward had his mind set on New York before reportedly deciding this week to opt out, Zwerling hears.

West turned down $12.6MM from the Pacers to hit free agency, though it’s unclear if he’d be willing to take less to secure a long-term deal with New York. The Knicks are expected to have plenty of cap room this summer, though the team would presumably attempt to go after more marquee free agents before circling back to the veteran who turns 35 in August.

Indiana would have the capacity to target Monta Ellis if West is indeed out of the picture for the Pacers.

Eastern Notes: Nets, Acy, Pistons

June 29th, 2015 at 11:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets will be looking to add depth through free agency and trades and Thomas Robinson, Wesley Johnson and Sasha Kaun are players they will target, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post reports. Robinson could provide some rebounding and energy off the bench and Johnson would give them an athletic wing who can shoot 3-pointers, Bontemps continues. Both are unrestricted free agents. Kaun, a Russian center whose rights are owned by the Cavaliers, would be an ideal backup if they can re-sign Brook Lopez and work out a deal with Cleveland, Bontemps adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks have declined to extend the qualifying offer of $1.181MM to Quincy Acy, making the forward an unrestricted free agent, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The Kings, Nuggets, Magic and Pelicans have expressed interest in Acy, a source told Spears (Twitter links).
DeMarre Carroll, Arron Afflalo, Tobias Harris and Kosta Koufos are the free agents the Pistons will most likely court, Terry Foster of the Detroit News reports. The Pistons believe Carroll might be easier to sign than some other unrestricted free agents, Foster continues. Danny Green and Wesley Matthews are longshot possibilities to come to Detroit, Foster adds. The Knicks also want to be “in the mix” for Green, league sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Green has any interest in the Knicks, Begley adds.
Harris’ pricetag will be at least $10MM annually in the eyes of several league executives, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets. One of those executives believes Harris’ value is in the $12-14MM range, Mannix adds. The Magic forward is a restricted free agent.

Aldridge To Meet With Lakers, Six Others

June 29th, 2015 at 10:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:33pm: Aldridge is leaning toward signing with the Lakers, Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

9:33pm: The Lakers will indeed be the first team to meet with Aldridge, followed by the Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Mavericks, Raptors and Knicks in that order, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets. He does not need to meet with the Trail Blazers since he already knows their offer, Aldridge adds.

9:10pm: Coach Gregg Popovich and veteran stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will attend the Spurs’ meeting with Aldridge, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets.

8:35pm: The Lakers’ meeting with Aldridge will occur immediately after the free agency period begins at 12:01 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

2:57pm: Aldridge will meet with the Raptors, too, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, and he’ll think about a visit with the Rockets, Charania adds. Toronto has max-level cap room following its trade of Greivis Vasquez to Milwaukee, but Houston would have to clear salary.

1:54pm: LaMarcus Aldridge is almost certain to leave the Blazers and will meet with the Knicks, Spurs, Mavs and Lakers, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon first reported that Dallas would sit down with the big man. The Knicks are a long shot for him, just as is the case with DeAndre Jordan, according to Broussard.

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported Friday that the Spurs and Lakers were in the lead for Aldridge, a client of Arn Tellem and Thad Foucher, shortly after Blazers GM Neil Olshey denied a report that Aldridge has already told the Blazers he’s leaving. Portland can offer Aldridge a five-year deal with 7.5% raises, somewhat better than the four years and 4.5% raises he can end up with elsewhere, though apparently that advantage may not be enough.

The Knicks, Lakers and Mavs should have plenty of cap room to chase Aldridge with a max offer that will likely start around $19MM a year. The Spurs are apparently confident they can find the same amount of room even if they re-sign Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

New York will also meet with Aldridge teammate and close friend Wesley Matthews, Broussard reports. Carmelo Anthony has reached out to Aldridge and Jordan as well as Greg Monroe and fellow Blazer free agent Arron Afflalo, sources tell Broussard.

And-Ones: Crowder, Gasol, Knicks

June 28th, 2015 at 11:31pm CST by Will Joseph

The Celtics made a qualifying offer to Jae Crowder worth $1.2MM, making the forward a restricted free agent, which means the Celtics can match any offer he receives from another team, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com reports. Crowder has expressed an interest to return to the Celtics, but also plans to test the market.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Marc Gasol has no interest in joining the Lakers because of the shaky final few years his brother spent with the team, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, who cites sources familiar with the situation.
Knicks president Phil Jackson is interested in re-signing Jason Smith as a backup center and combo guard Alexey Shved, who played well late in the season, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports.
The Jazz are expected to make a significant attempt to bring draft-and-stash center Tibor Pleiss, who is from Germany, to the team next season, Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Pleiss traveled to Utah to discuss the possibility of joining the team this upcoming season, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes, adding that the Jazz are in need of a solid backup at center for Rudy Gobert.
Luka Mitrovic, a forward from Serbia who the Sixers took with the final pick of the draft, will stay overseas next season, Orazio Cauchi of Sportando tweets.

Latest On Al-Farouq Aminu

June 28th, 2015 at 7:07pm CST by Will Joseph

Al-Farouq Aminu, who opted out of his minimum-salary player option with the Mavs for next season, is scheduled to visit the Knicks, Celtics, Blazers, Raptors and Pelicans, NBA.com’s David Aldridge tweets.

The Mavs remain in the mix for the forward’s services, Aldridge notes. Aminu previously expressed his affection for the city of Dallas and the Mavs, and he said he’d love to re-sign.

Aminu’s visit with the Blazers is not unexpected, Joe Freeman of the Oregonian writes. Blazers President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey drafted Aminu when he was with the Clippers and is quite familiar with the fifth-year player, Freeman adds.

Aminu averaged 5.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game last season with the Mavs. Aminu, who was mostly used in a reserve role in the regular season was featured more prominently during the playoffs. He started two of five postseason games against the Rockets, averaging 11.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 64% from 3-point range.

Latest On Caron Butler

June 28th, 2015 at 6:54pm CST by Will Joseph

Caron Butler, who expects to be waived by the Bucks, is expected to field interest from the Bulls, Clippers and Spurs, reports Shams Charania of RealGM, who cites a league source.

The Lakers and Knicks, according to Charania, are also in the mix. The Bucks plan to waive Butler and Shawne Williams before their guarantee dates on Tuesday, Charania also reports.

Milwaukee reacquired Butler, who played for the team during the first half of the 2013/14 season, and acquired Williams in the Ersan Ilyasova trade earlier this month.

Knicks Rumors: West, Monroe, Lopez, Hernangomez

June 28th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will definitely get a meeting with free agent forward David West, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Their prospects of signing West will depend on their success with other free agent targets — a list expected to include LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe and DeMarre Carroll — but Stein says he’s a “serious” name that they’re pursuing (Twitter link). It was reported this week that West is determined to sign with New York. West, 35, opted out of his contract with the Pacers last week.

There’s more from the Big Apple as free agency approaches:

The Knicks would love to add Aldridge or Marc Gasol, but Frank Isola of The Daily News argues that Greg Monroe is a more realistic target. Aldridge is probably headed to the Spurs, Lakers or Mavericks, Isola writes, while Gasol is likely to stay in Memphis. Isola notes that Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy acknowledged that Monroe will probably leave Detroit, and The Daily News reported in April that the Knicks are front-runners for his services. Monroe will meet with the team this week.
West and Robin Lopez could give New York the short-term fix it needs in free agency, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. He said the two veterans could probably be obtained for about the same amount it would cost to get Monroe, who is expected to command an annual salary starting at $15MM. Portland’s Wesley Matthews is another likely target following the draft-day trade of Tim Hardaway Jr. to Atlanta. However, Berman points out that Matthews is seeking an annual salary near $13MM, even in the wake of a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture, while San Antonio’s Danny Green could be available for less.
The Knicks have big plans for Guillermo Hernangomez, Berman writes in a separate story. New York sees the No. 35 pick, who was acquired from the Sixers for two future second-round selections, as a potential rotation player in 2016/17. Hernangomez will spend the upcoming season in the Spanish League, as his buyout is too large to consider, Berman writes.

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Holmes, Okafor, Draft

June 27th, 2015 at 11:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are adopting a take-no-chances philosophy as they wait for news on Joel Embiid, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft, Embiid missed all of last season after undergoing surgery in June to repair a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot. It was reported two weeks ago that a CT scan on Embiid’s foot showed less healing than expected. The best-case scenario, Moore writes, is that specialists decide Embiid just needs rest and will be available for most of the upcoming season. The worst case would be another surgery and another year with no playing time. The organization is determined to have Embiid fully healthy before his first professional game.

The Sixers may have found another second-round gem in Richaun Holmes, Moore writes in a separate story. The team landed two contributors early in last year’s second round with K.J. McDaniels and Jerami Grant, and Holmes may seize the same opportunity. “Just looking at the NBA and the direction it’s kind of going in, I feel like active guys, energy guys who don’t really need the ball to be effective is kind of what this team needs,” Holmes said. The power forward from Bowling Green had much more to say in an interview with our Zach Links back in April.
Philadelphia received second round picks in 2020 and 2021 from the Knicks in exchange for the No. 35 pick in Thursday’s draft, Moore tweets. He notes that the only three transactions so far regarding those two drafts have been made by the Sixers.
The NBA is still a big man’s league, Sixers draftee Jahlil Okafor tells The Associated Press. Okafor was drafted third overall by Philadelphia after the Lakers passed him over for guard D’Angelo Russell. “For as long as I remember, big men have dominated the NBA,” Okafor said Saturday at a news conference. “People got a little excited because of what Steph Curry did — and he was fantastic. But as long as I remember, big men have been dominating and the results have been championships.”
The Sixers should have used their abundance of second-round picks to deal for a player late in the first round, contends John Smallwood of The Philadelphia Daily News. He cites trades that sent 15th pick Kelly Oubre to the Wizards, 19th selection Jerian Grant to the Knicks and 24th pick Tyus Jones to the Timberwolves. Smallwood wonders why Philadelphia couldn’t make a deal like that, especially considering its need for talent beyond the front court.

Eastern Notes: Crowder, Sixers, Dunleavy

June 27th, 2015 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics have completed the paperwork to make Jae Crowder a $1.1MM qualifying offer, Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports. The deadline is Sunday. Crowder has expressed a desire to return to the Celtics but is expected to test the free-agent market, Murphy adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Mario Hezonja’s buyout with his Barcelona team will be finalized as early as Monday, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. Barcelona had reduced the NBA escape clause for Hezonja, whom the Magic drafted with the No. 5 pick, to 1.5 million euros, or roughly $1.675MM, in order to retain his Euro rights, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com. (Twitter link). Agent Arn Tellem had been negotiating for a lower amount, as Pick reported previously. The most the Magic, who drafted him fifth overall, can pay toward a buyout is $625K, with the rest having to come from Hezonja. Orlando wound up drafting Hezonja despite a report that teams felt his camp might be steering him toward the Pistons. Tellem is leaving the Wasserman Media Group to take an executive position with the Pistons organization later this year.
The Sixers received second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 from the Knicks in the draft-night trade for Spanish big man Guillermo Hernangomez, according to Derek Bodner of PhillyMag.com. The Knicks had already traded away their own second-round picks through 2019, with the picks in 2018 and 2019 potentially headed to the Sixers. Bodner continues. Philadelphia will get a second-rounder from either the Knicks or Clippers in 2018, whichever is higher, Bodner adds.
The Bulls are hopeful of re-signing Mike Dunleavy, according to a tweet from Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. There’s interest from both sides but it depends on how much money the unrestricted free agent is seeking, Friedell adds.