Odds & Ends: Wolves, Turiaf, Williams, Webster
The Timberwolves appear ready to finalize deals bringing Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer on board, but those aren't the only outside free agents the team targeted. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), Minnesota has emerged as the frontrunner to sign Ronny Turiaf. I can't imagine Turiaf will earn more than the veteran's minimum, so he shouldn't affect the Wolves' cap outlook if a deal is reached. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Martin, who trains with Brewer in Florida, was very involved in lobbying Brewer to sign with the Timberwolves, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
- Several teams are courting Mo Williams, so there's no guarantee he lands with the Hawks if Atlanta declines to match Jeff Teague's offer sheet, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- According to Martell Webster, he received interest from the Cavaliers, Bucks, Knicks, Clippers, Blazers, and Pelicans ("big-time") before re-signing with the Wizards (Twitter link via Michael Lee of the Washington Post).
- Grantland's Zach Lowe examines seven teams that could use their amnesty provision within the next few days.
- Brandon Bass brushed off questions about a potentially uncertain future with the Celtics, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes.
Chris Copeland Signs Pacers’ Offer Sheet
JULY 11TH, 10:22am: Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Copeland officially signed his offer sheet with the Pacers yesterday. I assume that even though the Knicks can't legally match the offer, the three-day period still must expire before Copeland formally becomes a Pacer.
JULY 5TH, 9:05pm: The precise figure of Copeland's two year deal is close to $6.2MM, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who also hears that no other team offered nearly as much as the Pacers (Twitter link).
7:27pm: The deal is fully guaranteed, Begley also tweets. Presumably, the Pacers are using a portion of their mid-level to get the deal done.
7:13pm: The deal is a two-year agreement worth $6MM, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, so the Knicks can't match.
7:00pm: The Pacers and Chris Copeland are finalizing an agreement on a two-year deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Since he's a restricted free agent, the Knicks will have three days to match once the deal becomes final next week, following the end of the league's July Moratorium. However, since the Knicks only have about $1.75MM left on their mini mid-level exception after committing a portion of it to Pablo Prigioni, the Pacers have the ability to make Copeland an offer New York can't match.
There were several teams in play for the John Spencer client. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com today added the Grizzlies to the list of suitors for Copeland, tweeting that the Lakers, Bucks, Jazz, and Pelicans all remained in the mix along with the Pacers. The Nuggets and Cavs were also among the teams involved, Spencer tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Knicks Notes: Roster Holes, Martin, Bargnani
The Knicks officially announced the re-signing of J.R. Smith this morning, and GM Glen Grunwald also joined New York media on a conference call to discuss the team's moves so far, and moves yet to be made. Here are the highlights, courtesy of a handful of Knicks reporters (all links go to Twitter):
- Grunwald indicated that the team would like to add another point guard and some frontcourt depth to the roster.
- Kenyon Martin is receiving "full consideration" from the Knicks as they weigh their options for bigs. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com hears that New York is the frontrunner for Martin, though things are fairly quiet on that front at the moment.
- The Knicks may head into training camp with a couple roster spots available, to allow for the possibility that the next Chris Copeland will emerge and earn a spot.
- Grunwald expects the 2016 first-rounder included in the Andrea Bargnani trade to be a late pick, which made it worthwhile to include it, in his view. Grunwald also said he believes Bargnani and Amar'e Stoudemire can play together and create matchup problems for rival teams. The duo may produce offensively, but I'd have to think those teams would love to see a Stoudemire/Bargnani frontline on the other end of the floor.
- The Knicks are biding their time in the hopes that potentially productive players will continue to be released as rival teams reshape their roster.
Knicks Sign Tim Hardaway Jr., C.J. Leslie
6:47pm: Deeks corrects his earlier report, and confirms that Leslie's deal isn't fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 6:01pm: Leslie's two-year deal is fully guaranteed for both seasons, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports, contradicting earlier word that the pact only included a partial guarantee.
MONDAY, 2:37pm: The Knicks have officially announced Hardaway's signing and also formally announced the signing of undrafted free agent C.J. Leslie (Twitter links). We had initially heard a day after the draft that the Knicks had agreed to sign Leslie, who will be in line for the rookie minimum. He'll also have a partial guarantee on his deal, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
2:05pm: The Knicks have reached a contract agreement with first-round pick Tim Hardaway Jr., agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
Hardaway was the 24th overall pick in last month's draft, meaning he was the first of this year's draftees with a rookie-scale amount below $1MM. Still, as our chart of rookie salaries shows, Hardaway will earn 120% of that $997,300 cap hold, good for a first-year salary worth close to $1.2MM.
Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Bynum, C’s, Knicks, Nets
Atlantic teams have been among the clubs finalizing deals agreed to during the moratorium today, including the Sixers officially making a trade with the Pelicans and the Knicks and Raptors formally completing their Andrea Bargnani swap. As teams and players continue to put pen to paper, let's round up a few items of note out of the division…
- When the Sixers agreed to send Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans in exchange for Nerlens Noel and a 2014 first-rounder, Noel wasn't the only player Philadelphia would have accepted with that No. 6 overall pick. According to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com, the Sixers would also have made the deal if New Orleans was able to select Anthony Bennett or Victor Oladipo. Those two players, of course, ultimately went first and second overall.
- The Sixers continue to keep their options open and have "absolutely not" ruled out re-signing Andrew Bynum, a source tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld (Twitter link). That seems like a long shot to me, but Philadelphia should still have plenty of cap room to make a move.
- Michael Curry has yet to formally interview for the Sixers' head coaching job, but expects to talk to GM Sam Hinkie after Summer League play, tweets Lynam.
- Although the Celtics could have their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available, GM Danny Ainge says minimum-salary signings are more likely, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
- The Knicks are interested in Tyrus Thomas, who was officially released via the amnesty clause by the Bobcats today, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. New York won't have a chance to place a claim on Thomas, but could negotiate a new deal with him if he clears amnesty waivers.
- Don't expect Andrei Kirilenko to be the Nets' "Plan B" after the team failed to lock up Bojan Bogdanovic. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says (via Twitter) that there's nothing happening between Kirilenko and Brooklyn.
Knicks Acquire Andrea Bargnani
JULY 10TH, 11:07am: The Knicks and Raptors have both confirmed that the deal is now finalized (Twitter links). Toronto receives Camby, Novak, Richardson, a 2016 first-round pick, and 2014 and 2017 second-rounders in exchange for Bargnani.
JUNE 30TH, 11:20pm: The Raptors just completed the deal that will send Bargnani to New York, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The deal cannot be officially made until July 10th, however.
9:38pm: Martin isn't interested in being sent to Toronto in a sign and trade deal, meaning that the Knicks will have to look elsewhere, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Earl Barron or Quentin Richardson are probably in line for a nice payday, but not a Keith Bogans-style one (link).
8:49pm: The deal will likely be made official on July 10th, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that a sign-and-trade of a minimum salary player such as Kenyon Martin or Pablo Prigioni would get the deal done.
8:33pm: The trade will not be approved by the league office tonight and as a result, the teams will have to restructure under 2013/14 cap figures, tweets Beck. Both sides are still motivated to do the deal, but it will have to be re-worked after July 1st. It's unclear at the moment as to why the league office shot the deal down (Twitter links).
6:33pm: The Raptors are getting the Knicks' 2017 second-round selection plus the 2014 second-round pick from OKC, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (on Twitter).
6:03pm: The Knicks will send a 2016 first round pick in the deal, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (on Twitter). Frank Isola of the Daily News (on Twitter) points out that the deal must be finalized tonight for salary cap purposes. The Knicks will send not one, but two second-round picks to the Raptors in the trade, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
The Knicks have already traded their own second-rounders through 2016, so the second-rounders are probably be the Kings' 2014 pick (top-55 protected) and the Thunder's 2014 pick. Otherwise, it will involve one or both of the club's original 2017/2018 seletions.
5:50pm: The Knicks have agreed to a deal that will bring Andrea Bargnani to New York, a source tells Howard Beck of the New York Times (agreement news via Twitter). The Knicks will send Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick north of the border for the Italian big man. The deal has been agreed to but is awaiting final approval from the NBA (Twitter link).
Several teams have pursued Bargnani, but the Knicks recently emerged as the “strong favorites” to land him. The former No. 1 overall pick has career averages of 15.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG in seven NBA seasons. He's owed $22.25MM over the next two seasons.
Moving Barngani would be the first major move by new Raptors decision-maker Masai Ujiri. Outgoing GM Bryan Colangelo was open about his desire in past years to move Bargnani, but no deal ever materialized for him.
We heard earlier today that the Knicks were open to the idea of trading the sharpshooting Novak. The 30-year-old shot an eye-popping 47% from long range in 2011/12 but came back down to earth when he shot at a 42.5% clip from downtown last season. Novak will earn a combined $11MM over the next three seasons.
Camby, 39, returns back to the organization that drafted him in 1996. The shot-blocking big man has impressed in recent years with his tremendous rebounding but played in just 24 games for the Knicks last season. He'll earn $7.5MM between next season and 2014/15.
Knicks Re-Sign Pablo Prigioni
JULY 10TH, 9:34am: The Knicks have officially re-signed Prigioni, the team announced today (Twitter link).
JULY 4TH, 12:01pm: Prigioni's starting salary will be around $1.5MM, with the possibility of an increase to $2MM based on incentives, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
11:56am: Prigioni's deal with the Knicks will be for three years and $6MM, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). Charania adds that the third year will be partially guaranteed.
If that $6MM overall figure is accurate, it means Prigioni's first-year salary will be close to $2MM, which will take a more significant chunk out of the team's MLE than was anticipated.
11:44am: Pablo Prigioni has reached an agreement with the Knicks that will see him return to New York, his agent tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). We had heard earlier today that the Knicks, who had an offer on the table for Prigioni, were likely to re-sign the veteran point guard.
According to that earlier report from Marc Berman of the New York Post, New York had offered Prigioni a two-year deal worth about $2.3MM. While it's not clear yet if those are the terms the two sides agreed to, such a deal would force the Knicks to use a portion of their mini mid-level exception. A first-year salary in the neighborhood of $1.15MM for Prigioni would leave the club with about $2MM of its $3.18MM MLE to use on another player.
The deal is the second of the day for the Knicks, who also reached an agreement on a four-year contract for J.R. Smith. Although the team was able to secure commitments from Prigioni and Smith, New York is unlikely to re-sign Chris Copeland. Copeland is believed to have at least three rival offers on the table, and the Knicks' only means of matching those offers would involve using their mid-level. Assuming just $2MM of that MLE remains, Copeland would almost certainly have to accept a discount to remain with the Knicks.
As for Prigioni, after spending most of his playing career overseas, the Argentinian guard joined the Knicks last season as a 35-year-old rookie. The AAI Sports client averaged 3.5 PPG and 3.0 APG in 78 contests (16.2 MPG) for the club.
2012/13 Taxpaying Teams
As teams get their books in order for the 2013/14 season, navigating the salary cap and the luxury tax threshold, Marc Stein of ESPN.com takes a look back at the league's 2012/13 finances. Stein shares the official list of teams that paid the luxury tax in 2011/12, along with the amount each club paid. The list is as follows:
- Los Angeles Lakers: $29,259,739
- Miami Heat: $13,346,242
- Brooklyn Nets: $12,883,647
- New York Knicks: $9,962,406
- Chicago Bulls: $3,932,336
- Boston Celtics: $1,181,640
The more punitive luxury-tax penalties introduced in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement are kicking in for the 2013/14 season, so the tax penalties for the aforementioned six teams come by way of the old system — teams are penalized $1 for every dollar they spend over the tax line. In 2012/13, that tax line was at $70,307,000, so the Celtics, for instance, spent $71,488,640 on team salary, plus the additional $1,181,640 in taxes.
Although the increasing tax rates will take effect this coming season, the additional penalties for repeat taxpayers won't be in play until the 2014/15 season. Teams in the tax for four seasons in any five-year period will be subject to that tax, so it's worth noting that the Lakers, Heat, and Celtics were all taxpayers last season as well. With L.A. and Miami projected to be well into the tax again for '13/14, both teams will have to cut costs the following season if they hope to avoid the repeater tax.
With a total of $70,566,010 in tax payments due before the end of the month, 50% of that amount will be distributed equally to non-taxpayers, as Stein writes. That means that each of the 24 clubs not listed above will receive 1/24th of $35,283,005, which works out to $1,470,125 per team.
For a more thorough breakdown of how the tax will be assessed going forward, check out our glossary entry, and if you're interested in the complete history of tax payments by NBA teams, visit ShamSports.com, where Mark Deeks has updated his spreadsheets on the subject.
World Peace Interested In Knicks If Amnestied
3:49pm: After the Knicks, World Peace's list of preferred destinations if he's amnestied includes the Clippers, Nets, Bulls, Heat, Thunder, Spurs, and Pacers, in that order, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. As Amick notes, the list reads like a who's-who of title contenders, and sends a message to teams with cap space that MWP isn't interested in being claimed by a non-contender.
2:14pm: A report yesterday indicated that the Lakers are preparing to amnesty Metta World Peace, a move that can't be finalized until tomorrow at the earliest, as I explained this afternoon. While nothing is official yet, World Peace would be "upset" if the Lakers cut him, as longtime friend (and head of his foundation) Jose Morales tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
"If the Lakers do amnesty him, he might want to retire," Morales said. "If one of these small-market teams picks him up, he won't be happy with that. He doesn't want to play there."
Teams with cap space would have the first shot at World Peace if he were amnestied, since they'd have the ability to submit a waiver bid for him. Most clubs that still have room aren't legit contenders — the Cavaliers, Pistons, Mavericks, and Hawks are a few clubs that figure to have cap space during amnesty week.
With the threat of retirement looming, those teams may not want to risk claiming World Peace. If he were to go unclaimed, he'd become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team besides the Lakers. Morales tells Zwerling that MWP would be interested in joining the Clippers, and that joining his hometown Knicks would also have strong appeal.
"If the Lakers amnesty him, he's going to have a point to prove that he can still be that player in New York," Morales said.
Knicks Notes: Brand, Martin, Wright, MWP
It's already been a busy day for Knicks news and rumors, as we've passed along multiple updates on potential free agent targets, as well as a report that suggests Metta World Peace would be interested in landing New York if and when he's amnestied by the Lakers. Nonetheless, there are still a few more items out of the Big Apple to address. Here's a round-up:
- If World Peace is amnestied as expected, the Knicks would "love" to add him for the veteran's minimum, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Knicks have been told by Brand's representatives that they're out of the running for the veteran big man, according to Berman.
Earlier updates:
- With Elton Brand pursuing offers from several other teams, the Knicks will likely turn their attention to Kenyon Martin, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Martin isn't close to a deal with any other club.
- The Knicks have also expressed some interest in Brandan Wright, but he's expected to be out of New York's price range, says Zwerling.
- A source tells Zwerling that he could see World Peace getting through amnesty waivers and becoming available for the Knicks. "I'm not sure if a young team would bite," the source said.
- Nate Robinson expressed interest in the Knicks when the team still had access to its full mini MLE, but now that part of that exception has been committed to Pablo Prigioni, Robinson is likely no longer an option for New York, according to Zwerling.
- Undrafted seven-footer A.J. Matthews tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that he thinks he has a "great chance" to turn a Summer League stint with the Knicks into a training-camp invite.
- Berman also tweets that the Knicks have kept tabs on free agent forward Anthony Tolliver, but Tolliver is still waiting on the Hawks.