Magic Aren’t Expected To Tender QO To Bamba
It appears the Magic will let Mo Bamba become an unrestricted free agent, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
A source tells Price that the team isn’t expected to submit a qualifying offer to Bamba before today’s deadline. That would make the fourth-year center unrestricted and take away the Magic’s opportunity to match any offer he receives in free agency.
Bamba’s qualifying offer would be $10.1MM and it would provide him with the option of signing it and returning to the Magic next season. He has been with Orlando since being selected with the sixth pick in the 2018 draft.
The team remains interested in keeping Bamba when free agency begins, Price adds, but presumably at a lower figure. A sign-and-trade deal also remains a possibility.
Several teams are expected to pursue Bamba on the free agent market, with a source telling Price that the Raptors, Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, Rockets, Heat and Timberwolves have all shown interest.
Bamba is coming off his best NBA season, posting career highs with 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists per game. He became a full-time starter for the first time in his career, starting 69 of the 71 games that he played.
Celtics Interested In Danilo Gallinari, T.J. Warren
The Celtics are targeting “high-scoring, small-ball forwards” with their mid-level exception, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer mentions the Hawks‘ Danilo Gallinari and the Pacers‘ T.J. Warren as possibilities, but adds that others are also under consideration.
Boston can only offer the taxpayer mid-level exception (projected to be worth about $6.4MM) unless it unloads some salary.
Gallinari, who is also rumored to be part of trade talks with the Spurs, could wind up on the free agent market because his contract currently only carries a $5MM guarantee for next season. The 33-year-old averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 rebounds for Atlanta this season while shooting 38.1% from three-point range, but seems unlikely to be retained at his full $21.5MM salary, whether or not he’s traded.
The Heat may also consider Gallinari if they can’t re-sign P.J. Tucker, Fischer says.
Warren has only played four combined games over the past two seasons, but he was a dangerous scorer before being injured and was one of the stars of the Orlando bubble. Warren, 28, is averaging 15.5 points and 4.1 rebounds for his career, including a career-best 19.8 PPG during the 2019/20 season.
Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Picks Up Option For 2022/23
JUNE 29: Westbrook has officially exercised his option, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
JUNE 28: Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook will exercise the player option on his contract for 2022/23, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). The move, which had long been expected, will lock in Westbrook’s $47,063,478 salary for next season.
Acquired by the Lakers during the 2022 offseason, Westbrook was meant to be the final piece of a Big Three that would lead L.A. back to title contention. However, as fellow stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis battled injuries, Westbrook struggled to fit in with his new team.
Westbrook’s scoring average (18.5 PPG) was his lowest mark since 2009/10, and his 29.8% shooting percentage on three-point attempts was below his career rate. Although Westbrook started all 78 games he played for the Lakers, the team was more effective when he was off the court (-1.6 net rating) than when he was on it (-4.0).
Westbrook’s up-and-down performance was far from the only factor in the Lakers’ disappointing season, but it negatively impacted his value, making it a lock that he would opt into the final year of his maximum-salary contract rather than trying his luck on the open market.
It also makes the 33-year-old an unlikely trade candidate, since L.A. would have to attach assets and/or take on unwanted long-term contracts to move his $47MM+ salary, though the team will likely reassess its options on the trade market now that he is officially opting in.
New head coach Darvin Ham and general manager Rob Pelinka have both spoken about Westbrook returning to the Lakers next season and embracing a defense-first philosophy, suggesting that the organization is hopeful Ham can connect with Westbrook and get more out of him than former head coach Frank Vogel did.
Westbrook is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2023.
Knicks Strong Frontrunners For Brunson, Expected To Offer $110MM
10:08pm: The Knicks intend to offer Brunson a four-year contract worth approximately $110MM, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.
4:53pm: The Mavericks have believed for the last couple weeks that Brunson is headed to the Knicks, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic, who tweets that it’s viewed as a virtual “certainty” at this point.
4:01pm: It’s “widely anticipated” that free agent point guard Jalen Brunson will land with the Knicks in free agency on a four-year deal worth more than $100MM, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link).
Marc Stein has heard similar rumblings, tweeting that there’s a “growing resignation” from the Mavericks‘ end that New York is Brunson’s first choice and his inevitable destination.
The Knicks project to have about $17MM in cap room if they waive Taj Gibson and his non-guaranteed salary, so they’d need to make at least one move to create the flexibility necessary to offer $25MM+ per year to Brunson. However, they could realistically get there by trading either Alec Burks or Nerlens Noel — both players have been involved in recent trade rumors, with Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggesting the Nets and Raptors are among the teams to register some interest in Noel.
Brunson and the Knicks have been linked to one another for months. As has been repeated ad nauseam, Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose is Brunson’s former agent, Rose’s son Sam Rose is Brunson’s current agent, and Brunson’s father Rick Brunson was recently hired as a Knicks assistant.
Still, the Mavericks had long projected confidence in their ability to re-sign Brunson. Although the point guard will be an unrestricted free agent, Dallas holds his Bird rights, giving the team the ability to offer him more money and more years than any other suitor. But the Mavs’ confidence appears to be waning with free agency right around the corner.
According to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link), part of the Knicks’ pitch to Brunson is the ability to be the full-time starting point guard. In Dallas, he’s more of a secondary option at the position, with Luka Doncic running the show.
The Knicks don’t view Brunson as a “potential franchise-altering savior,” per Begley, but rather as an important piece of the process. The 25-year-old is considered to be a good fit for the timeline of some of New York’s other young players, Begley adds.
The Mavs project to be far over the cap, limiting their ability to secure an adequate replacement for Brunson if he does head to New York. If Dallas knows Brunson is leaving, the team could attempt to work out a sign-and-trade agreement with the Knicks, but may not have much leverage to do so if New York has cap room available for a $100MM+ offer.
Clippers Sign Ivica Zubac To Three-Year Extension
8:37pm: The Clippers have officially announced their extension with Zubac, issuing a press release to confirm the move.
“For four seasons, Zu has been a pillar of our team, durable and dependable,” president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. “He does whatever is needed: setting screens, rolling to the rim, anchoring the interior of the defense. He is a reliable teammate and a consistent pro, just entering the prime of his career. We are excited to continue growing with him.”
4:12pm: The Clippers and Ivica Zubac have agreed to a contract extension that will cover the next three years and will be worth $33MM, agents Jeff Schwartz and Mike Lindeman tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Clippers held a team option on Zubac for the 2022/23 season worth $7,518,518, but will decline that option as part of the extension agreement, Wojnarowski reports.
The new deal, which will run through the 2024/25 season, won’t include any options, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
Zubac, 25, was the Clippers’ starting center in 2021/22, appearing in a career-high 76 games and starting all of them. He also established new career highs in PPG (10.3), RPG (8.5), APG (1.6), and BPG (1.0) in 24.4 minutes per contest.
Zubac will be the second Clippers player to receive an extension between the end of the regular season and the start of the NBA’s 2022/23 league year, joining Robert Covington.
Los Angeles now has more than $171MM in guaranteed money on its books for next season without accounting for their reported agreement with John Wall – rumored to be worth the taxpayer mid-level exception – or possible new deals for free agents like Nicolas Batum, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Amir Coffey. The team’s tax bill projects to be worth at least $80MM, assuming a taxpayer MLE contract for Wall, tweets Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype, and that number could continue to grow.
Zubac won’t be eligible to be traded for six months once he officially signs the extension, since it exceeds the extend-and-trade limits.
John Wall Finalizes Buyout, Intends To Join Clippers
JUNE 28: The Rockets have officially announced their buyout agreement with Wall, issuing a statement thanking him for his professionalism and wishing him the best. The point guard is now on track to clear waivers on Thursday.
JUNE 27: John Wall is finalizing a buyout with the Rockets and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
Wall’s agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports is meeting with Rockets GM Rafael Stone on Tuesday to complete the buyout, sources told Haynes.
Wall intends to joins the Clippers once he clears waivers, though other teams are also calling, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
There had been momentum toward a buyout or trade after Wall picked up his $47.4MM player option for the 2022/23 season last week. The size of Wall’s contract made it very difficult to find a suitable trade partner.
Wall is giving back $6.5MM in order to part ways with Houston and sign with the team of his choice, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. That’s approximately the same amount as a taxpayer mid-level exception, which suggests that’s likely what he’ll get from the Clippers, MacMahon adds (via Twitter).
Wall has played in just 72 regular season contests since the 2017/2018 season. He put up solid numbers during 40 games with Houston in ’20/21, averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.9 APG, though he shot a career-worst 40.4% from the field. His production peaked in ’16/17, when he averaged 23.1 and 10.7 APG for Washington. His career was sidetracked by heel surgery and a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Last season, the rebuilding Rockets, who were intent on starting a young starting backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., reached an agreement with Wall to allow him to remain away from the team. Wall collected $44.3MM during his agreed-upon exile.
Hornets’ Kupchak On Bridges: “We’re Going To Bring Him Back”
At a press conference announcing Steve Clifford as head coach on Tuesday, Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak sounded pretty unequivocal about the team’s desire to retain Miles Bridges, who will be a restricted free agent once the team tenders him a qualifying offer.
“As an organization, we love Miles. We’re going to bring him back,” Kupchak said (video link via Bally Sports: Hornets). “He’s been great for the franchise and I believe with his work ethic he’s only going to get better.”
Kupchak’s statement is notable because Shams Charania reported last week that rival executives believe Bridges will command a maximum-salary contract or something close to it, and Charania’s sources believe Charlotte may be hesitant to match an offer sheet worth the max.
In an ESPN appearance on Monday, Brian Windhorst said Bridges isn’t receiving a max offer from Charlotte at this point.
“He’s not being offered, from what I am told, a max contract by the Charlotte Hornets right now,” Windhorst said (video link from Talkin’ NBA). “So he’s gonna go out in the marketplace starting on Thursday (or) Friday and see if he can get that offer from somewhere else, so we’re gonna find out.”
When Kupchak signed an extension last month, he said the club wanted to keep Bridges around. “Our intention is to keep Miles long-term, yes. He’s a big part of our future,” he said at the time. Free agency starts in just two days, and Kupchak hasn’t publicly wavered in his commitment to Bridges.
It’s been rumored that the Hornets are trying to gauge the trade market for a number of players to accommodate a new contract for Bridges after the forward had the best season of his career in 2021/22. The 24-year-old posted career-highs in points (20.2), rebounds (7.0) and assists (3.8), along with a .491/.331/.802 shooting slash line in 80 games (35.5 minutes per contest).
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report previously stated the Pacers and Pistons might pursue Bridges, and Marc Stein has heard Detroit is a fan of Bridges as well. However, both of those reports came prior to the draft last week, so it’s unclear if the two Central Division teams are still interested in tying up their significant cap space by signing Bridges to an offer sheet that can be matched by Charlotte, especially given Kupchak’s statement.
Kyrie Irving Came Close To Extension Agreement With Nets
Kyrie Irving and the Nets were close to agreeing on a contract extension last week before negotiations stalled, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Without an extension and with limited prospects of an acceptable sign-and-trade deal, Irving will pick up his $36.9MM option for next season.
Before Irving reached the decision, his agent (and stepmother) Shetellia Riley Irving and Brooklyn’s front office had “productive extension discussions” over the past week, according to Charania. They considered multiple proposals, including a maximum extension that would have been limited to two years and would have provided incentives based on the number of games that Irving plays.
The sides also discussed a four-year max deal with two guaranteed seasons, along with triggers for years three and four based on Irving’s game totals for the first two seasons of the contract.
Irving was willing to accept a contract with incentives, Charania adds, but Brooklyn turned down his final offer, which was a short-term extension with protections for him and the team, along with a player option. Incentives based on how often Irving plays are important to the Nets because he has appeared in just 103 regular season games in his three seasons in Brooklyn.
According to Charania, three teams were had interest in Irving under an opt-in-and-trade scenario, but he decided not to pursue those opportunities. One of those teams may have been the Lakers, who were reportedly the only club on Irving’s wish list of six potential destinations that showed interest. However, Charania hears that L.A.’s preference was to sign Irving as a free agent rather than via trade.
Irving’s decision to opt in doesn’t guarantee that his future will be in Brooklyn, Charania adds. With unrestricted free agency looming in 2023, the Nets could explore deals for him this summer or once the season starts. Owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks will have to decide whether the current roster can contend for a title or if major changes will be needed.
Charania also suggests there are “matters of contention” among the Nets’ ownership, management, and stars that must be addressed as all parties move forward.
Several teams remain interested in acquiring Irving, according to Charania, but they may be inclined to wait until he reaches free agency rather than part with valuable assets in a trade. Sources tell Charania that Irving is now focused on winning a championship and rebuilding his reputation in hopes of earning a maximum contract from someone next summer.
Sixers Pick Up Shake Milton’s Team Option
JUNE 28: The Sixers have officially exercised Milton’s team option, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com.
JUNE 15: The Sixers are expected to exercise their team option on Shake Milton for 2022/23, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). If and when it’s officially picked up, the option will lock in Milton’s $1,997,718 salary for next season.
The 54th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Milton has spent his first four NBA seasons in Philadelphia and has been a regular contributor for the last three years. After averaging 13.0 PPG and 3.1 APG on .450/.350/.830 shooting in 63 games (23.2 MPG) in 2020/21, Milton took a step backward this past season, as his numbers dipped to 8.2 PPG and 2.5 APG on .429/.323/.836 shooting.
Still, based on his NBA résumé to date, Milton is a relative bargain on what is essentially a minimum-salary contract. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote earlier today of a belief around the league that the 76ers would decline his ’22/23 option. Scotto’s report suggests that belief is misguided.
Pompey’s story was especially perplexing because declining Milton’s option would make him ineligible to be traded outside of a sign-and-trade structure, and Pompey’s sources indicated the team has been gauging the 25-year-old’s value on the trade market. Milton would be trade-eligible once his option is officially exercised.
Team option decisions for 2022/23 are due by June 29. Our tracker can be found right here.
Pistons Exercise Diallo’s Option, Likely To Decline Jackson’s
JUNE 28, 9:03am: The Pistons have officially exercised Diallo’s option in advance of today’s deadline, tweets Smith.
JUNE 27, 8:48am: The Pistons will likely pick up their team option on wing Hamidou Diallo for the 2022/23 season, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). Exercising that option would lock in Diallo’s $5.2MM salary for ’22/23.
After spending the first two-and-a-half seasons of his career in Oklahoma City, Diallo has emerged as a regular part of the Pistons’ rotation since being traded to Detroit at the 2021 deadline. In 2021/22, he averaged 11.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.2 SPG on .496/.247/.650 shooting in 58 games (21.9 MPG).
While turning down Diallo’s option would help the Pistons maximize their cap room, the team likes his athleticism and versatility, and his $5.2MM option salary isn’t exorbitant. Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) estimates Detroit would still have over $40MM in cap space even with Diallo on the books.
While Diallo’s option looks like a good bet to be exercised, the Pistons are unlikely to pick up Frank Jackson‘s team option, according to Edwards and Will Guillory of The Athletic. That option would pay Jackson a $3.15MM salary for 2022/23.
[RELATED: NBA Team Option Decisions For 2022/23]
A 2017 second-round pick who is still just 24 years old, Jackson appeared in 53 games for Detroit this past season, averaging a career-high 10.6 points in 22.0 minutes per contest. However, his efficiency numbers (.402 FG%, .308 3PT%) left something to be desired.
Jackson would become an unrestricted free agent if the Pistons decline his option.
The Pistons must officially finalize decisions on Diallo’s and Jackson’s options, as well as Luka Garza‘s team option, by Tuesday. The deadline for Carsen Edwards‘ team option is Wednesday.