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Nets, Thunder Close To Lopez, Jackson Deal

February 19th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:21pm: Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons aren’t moving on Jarrett Jack or Heat guard Norris Cole today, according to David Mayo of MLive.com (on Twitter).

1:01pm: The Thunder are looking at a deal with another team, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that’s the holdup on the Jackson-Lopez front (on Twitter).

12:47pm: Garnett’s decision regarding his no-trade clause won’t affect the Lopez-Jackson deal, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The Nets are ready to make it happen and are waiting on the Thunder, Mannix says. That would seem to suggest a two-teamer is most likely, but that’s just my speculation.

12:24pm: Jackson is enthusiastic about a potential deal to the Nets, league sources tell Wojnarowski, who hints that Brooklyn’s apparent willingness to unload Jack and sign Jackson to a lucrative deal this summer are major components to that. Jackson is indeed willing to sign long-term in Brooklyn, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter), and that was key to Brooklyn’s pursuit of the would-be trade, as Wojnarowski reported earlier (below). Both Wojnarowski, in his full piece, and Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) have the would-be two-teamer as Lopez to the Thunder for Perkins and Jones, though Wojnarowski says a broader structure of the deal involving other teams remains in play.

12:08pm: The Pistons are a possible landing spot for Jack, sources tell Windhorst (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Detroit would be a part of the Lopez-Jackson deal.

11:42am: The Nets could send Jack to the Wizards as part of a larger deal, a league source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link)

11:09am: Jackson’s relationship with his teammates on the Thunder has deteriorated quite a bit, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:43am: The fate of a Nets-Thunder deal involving Jackson and Lopez rests with the Thunder, and for now it would be just a two team arrangement, reports Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

10:40am: The Nets are one of multiple options the Thunder are looking at regarding Jackson, but a deal between Brooklyn and Oklahoma City remains close, Broussard tweets.

10:20am: Jackson’s camp believes a deal will likely get done, Amick tweets. The Timberwolves and Sixers could be included, perhaps with the Thaddeus Young-for-Kevin Garnett possibility lumped in, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Nets are again looking to flip Perkins or have him conveyed elsewhere, Windhorst tweets.

10:15am: A deal is close, but not done, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). The teams are talking about deal that would see Oklahoma City relinquish Jackson, Perry Jones III and Perkins as Nets feel out Jackson’s willingness to re-sign, as Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Brooklyn is prepared to part with Jack, and the team would make Jackson the starter of Deron Williams, Wojnarowski adds. League sources once more tell Wojnarowski that it’s believed Jackson will command between $13MM and $14MM this summer. Oklahoma City and Brooklyn are exploring potential third teams to add to the deal, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:04am: Brooklyn “needs to” include Jarrett Jack in any Jackson-Lopez deal, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A deal might involve Perkins and Ish Smith heading Brooklyn’s way in addition to Jackson, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.

9:49am: The Nets and Thunder are having serious talks about a deal involving Brook Lopez and Reggie Jackson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported minutes earlier that there was a decent chance the Nets and Thunder would regather momentum toward a trade involving Lopez if the Nets become convinced they can re-sign Jackson this summer (Twitter link). The Nets and Thunder went deep into discussions on Lopez last month, but those conversations didn’t involve Jackson. The Thunder appear to have been the party with interest in striking up the Lopez talks again while the Nets have seemed hesitant.

Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets all appear interested in swapping for Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him. The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.

Lopez is due a player option worth more than $16.744MM for next season, though there are conflicting reports about whether he’d pick it up. Talks between the Nets and Thunder would have sent a package including Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb to Brooklyn, and the Nets had reportedly spoken to the Wolves about Thaddeus Young and had interest in flipping Perkins to Minnesota for him. Still, Brooklyn remained reluctant to do such a deal with Oklahoma City, apparently because it didn’t want to relinquish Lopez in what would amount to a salary dump with a package centering on Perkins, in spite of the Young discussion.

Thunder, Others Interested In Norris Cole

February 19th, 2015 at 12:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:11pm: The Pistons don’t have much interest in Cole, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link).

11:50am: Cole could be conveyed through the Suns to the Pistons if the Heat convince the Suns to take him on as part of a deal involving Goran Dragic, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 11:22am: The Thunder are a possible suitor for Cole as well, if they deal Reggie Jackson to the Nets, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

5:31pm: The Pistons are also interested in acquiring Cole, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to attach Granger to any deal involving Cole, Stein confirms.

WEDNESDAY, 12:25pm: The Wizards have been in pursuit of Norris Cole, but the Heat have set a high asking price, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The Wizards have been looking for backcourt help, but they’ve appeared more likely to make a free agent signing than a trade. Still, Washington is reportedly willing to give up a first-round pick in a deal.

Miami reportedly tried to attach Danny Granger to Cole when the Pistons recently offered Jonas Jerebko for Cole. Heat team president Pat Riley denied that he proposed a deal that would have sent Cole to the Nets, but trade rumors have continued to swirl, as the Hornets and Bucks appear to have interest in the soon-to-be restricted free agent. Cole switched agencies this past offseason, hiring Cleveland-based Rich Paul, but he hasn’t been linked to the Cavs and former Heat teammate LeBron James.

Cole’s outside shot has been off this season, as I noted when I examined his trade candidacy, and proficient shooting has been an asset the Wizards have targeted. That suggests Washington wouldn’t go too far to satisfy Miami’s demands, though that’s just my speculation. Cole is making $2.038MM this season in the final year of his rookie scale contract.

Bucks Dangle Henson, Mayo, Ilyasova

February 19th, 2015 at 7:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

THURSDAY, 7:31am: Henson is available only for deals in which the Bucks would acquire a top-notch point guard in return, rival executives tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Milwaukee appears to be targeting a “splashy addition” for Henson, as sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that Jackson and Lawson would fit that bill.

WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: The Bucks are anxious to make a trade in the wake of reportedly reaching a buyout arrangement with Larry Sanders, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports. Milwaukee has been dangling Ersan Ilyasova, O.J. Mayo and John Henson in offers to other teams, Kyler notes. With Sanders’ cap hit beginning with next season being pared down significantly with the team poised to use the stretch provision to waive him, the Bucks will have some breathing room under the salary cap they can use to nab a player who is set to command big money as a free agent this summer, Kyler adds.

Milwaukee is in the market for a point guard, and has been mentioned in connection with Ty Lawson (Nuggets), Reggie Jackson (Thunder), and the Bucks have also been linked to big man Enes Kanter (Jazz), Kyler notes. The Bucks have maintained the stance that they would not mortgage their future for a quick fix, but they seem to be open to making a move that would bolster the roster for 2015/16 as well as improve the team’s shot at a playoff spot, the Basketball Insiders scribe relays.

Mayo, 27, is making $8MM this season, and is on the books for an identical amount for 2015/16. He has appeared in 53 contests this season, including 15 as a starter. Mayo’s numbers on the year are 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. His career stats are 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line is .432/.378/.823.

Ilyasova has two more years remaining on his deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.9MM for this season and next, and his $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 is partially guaranteed for just $400K. In 30 appearances this season, Ilyasova is notching 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 10.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG.

Henson, the 24-year-old big man out of North Carolina, also has a season remaining on his contract. He is earning $1,987,320 for the season and is set to make $2,943,221 next season. Henson’s numbers on the year are 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game.

Northwest Notes: Kanter, Durant, Afflalo

February 18th, 2015 at 8:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have not received any serious offers for Enes Kanter, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets. The team is seeking a quality young player and a first-round pick for Kanter, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Tuesday. The team would be happy to retain Kanter past the trade deadline, a league source told Scotto. Kanter is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

In other news around the Northwest Division:

Kevin Durant said he feels no resentment toward the Thunder for the James Harden trade and added that it will have no bearing on his free agency in 2016, as he told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry and Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Durant also said that he loves having Reggie Jackson as a teammate, which counters an earlier report.
Teams around the league are convinced that the Nuggets will obtain the first-round draft pick they seek in return for Arron Afflalo, and that the Trail Blazers are the current favorites to land the guard, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
Afflalo’s representative may not be thrilled at the prospect of the Nuggets guard being dealt to Portland because it could stunt the growth of C.J. McCollum, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. Both players are represented by Excel Sports Management and McCollum’s playing time and bargaining power would likely shrink if Afflalo lands with Portland, Young adds. McCollum’s contract calls for him to make approximately $2.5MM next season and the club holds a team option of just over $3.2MM for 2016/17.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Reggie Jackson’s Agent Asks For Trade

February 18th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:05pm: The Pacers, Celtics, Rockets and Nuggets are all interested in Jackson, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

1:56pm: Jackson refused to give a direct answer when reporters asked him at practice today whether he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City, saying only “I would love to play basketball,” as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman relays.

12:33pm: Agent Aaron Mintz, the representative for Reggie Jackson, recently asked Thunder GM Sam Presti to trade his client, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Several opposing teams have become aware of the request, which took place in the last seven to 10 days, league sources told Wojnarowski. Jackson has let the Thunder know that he’d resist the franchise’s efforts to keep him in restricted free agency this summer, Wojnarowski adds, which falls in line with a report last month from USA Today’s Sam Amick that he was open to signing his qualifying offer. That maneuver would allow him to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2016, just when Kevin Durant would have a chance to leave the Thunder, too. Still, Presti hasn’t committed to trading Jackson even as he’s shown a willingness to listen to pitches from other teams, according to Wojnarowski.

The Thunder are still likely to match a reasonable offer to Jackson should they have him when the summer rolls around, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. They’re not about to part with him for an insignificant return, a point both Mannix and Wojnarowski make. Jackson and coach Scott Brooks have had their ups and downs this season, Wojnarowski writes, and Jackson’s role has shrunk since the arrival of Dion Waiters. Jackson believed he had been traded to the Knicks in that deal that brought Waiters to Oklahoma City before realizing that wasn’t the case, and the Knicks have reportedly been likely to try to trade for him again. The Kings and Thunder have apparently held preliminary talks about Jackson, while the Bucks and Heat seem to have interest, too.

Durant reportedly hasn’t been enamored with Jackson, and teams around the league have been expecting the Thunder to deal the combo guard. Jackson made it clear before the season that he’d like to start at point guard, which won’t happen with Russell Westbrook around. Jackson, Mintz and the Thunder failed to come to terms on an extension before the October 31st deadline, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported around that time that teams around the league thought he’d command offers of $13-14MM this summer. Oklahoma City is above the tax threshold for this season, and concerns about the tax for this year and beyond are apparently what have rival teams believing the Thunder will ultimately deal Jackson before the deadline.

Bucks Interested In Reggie Jackson

February 18th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks are among the teams with interest in trade candidate and soon-to-be restricted free agent Reggie Jackson, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Teams around the league expect the Thunder to trade Jackson by Thursday’s 2pm Central time deadline, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote late Tuesday. Bucher suggets that the Bucks could offer either Jerryd Bayless or John Henson in return, but it’s unclear whether Milwaukee is actually considering either of them.

Oklahoma City had found the market for Jackson weaker than they expected, but it appears to be picking up. Sacramento has reportedly held preliminary talks with the Thunder about Jackson, and the Knicks have seemed likely to make another run at him after Jackson thought he was headed to New York amid erroneous reports last month. The Heat apparently find Jackson intriguing, too.

A stumbling block to any trade would seemingly be Jackson’s looming restricted free agency, with some teams apparently having believed at the beginning of this season that he would command offers between $13MM and $14MM on the market this summer. That’s raised tax concerns for the Thunder, as Berger indicated in his report, but it’s also seemingly a complicating factor for the Bucks, who, as Berger also wrote, aren’t biting on the offers they’ve fielded for fellow restricted free agent guard Brandon Knight. For now, Jackson is a relative bargain, making only slightly more than $2.204MM in the final season of his rookie scale contract.

And-Ones: Sixers, Jackson, Marble

February 17th, 2015 at 11:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Sixers are willing to take on expiring contracts in order to increase their stash of second-round draft picks, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Trade talks have been heating up, an NBA source told Moore, and the team is likely to make at least one deal before Thursday’s deadline. The Sixers already own 16 second-rounders over the next six drafts but wouldn’t mind adding more assets. The franchise also has $18.4MM in salary-cap room to absorb expiring deals, Moore continues. If the Sixers do make a deal, Luc Mbah a Moute is the player most likely to be moved. Mbah a Moute, who has an expiring contract of approximately $4.4MM, is averaging a career high of 10.0 points, and could draw interest from a contender. Moore also speculates the club would consider moving its best all-around player, Michael Carter-Williams, for the right price.

Here’s more from around the league:

Reggie Jackson would probably wind up with a non-contender if he’s dealt by the Thunder before the trade deadline, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. Jackson’s most likely destination would be a team needing a long-term solution at point guard with the expectation of re-signing him when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer, Slater adds. Jackson is making just over $2.2MM and might have to be paired with a higher-salaried player such as Kendrick Perkins, who is making approximately $9.65MM, in order to bring back a quality player in return, according to Slater.
Gary Payton has shown interest in joining George Karl’s staff with the Kings, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee tweets. Payton was Karl’s long-time point guard in Seattle, including during the 1996 NBA Finals when the SuperSonics lost to the Bulls.
The Magic have re-assigned Devyn Marble to the Erie BayHawks, their D-League affiliate, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel tweets. Marble, a rookie guard, has not appeared in an NBA game since January 25th. In 16 games with the Magic this season, Marble is averaging 2.3 PPG.
Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert are the main building blocks for the Jazz and have too much potential to be traded, Brad Rock of the Deseret News writes. Quality big men are precious commodities and that makes the duo more important than the team’s current star, Gordon Hayward, Rock adds.

Berger’s Latest: Jackson, Kings, Nuggets, Lee

February 17th, 2015 at 11:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reporters make a habit of emptying their notebooks as the deadline draws near, when rumors that would normally make headlines wind up buried beneath the deluge of news. We already passed along highlights from a jam-packed piece that Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports authored tonight, and we’ll do the same with a dispatch from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who’s also heard plenty:

Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group provides some clarity on Lee, saying that the Warriors have always been willing to trade him for assets of value but that the team almost certainly won’t find what it’s looking for on the market. Golden State isn’t likely to simply give away the veteran, a favorite of co-owner Joe Lacob, unless it’s forced to in the offseason, Kawakami adds (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Teams around the league expect the Thunder to trade Reggie Jackson before Thursday’s 2pm Central time trade deadline, Berger writes, indicating that they believe tax concerns would be the catalyst for Oklahoma City to make a deal.
Sacramento is intent on making an upgrade at the deadline in an effort to please DeMarcus Cousins, sources tell Berger, who identifies Arron Afflalo as the team’s No. 1 target. The Kings are dangling Nik Stauskas to the Nuggets as they seek Afflalo, to the puzzlement of some executives from other teams, Berger hears. The Kings continue to dangle Stauskas to other teams as well, according to Berger.
The Nuggets are in “full-on firesale mode,” and, notwithstanding Sacramento’s focus on Afflalo, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler are the players on Denver’s roster who are drawing the most interest from other teams, Berger writes.
Berger indicates that the Warriors are trying to trade David Lee, which conflicts with an earlier report that the team would like to keep him through the season to avoid disrupting chemistry. The CBSSports.com columnist also includes Kevin Martin on a list of players that teams are trying to trade, but Flip Saunders is reportedly showing little interest in doing so. Martin would be destined for a buyout if the Wolves don’t trade him, Berger hears.
Milwaukee has fielded offers for Brandon Knight, but the Bucks aren’t biting, sources tell Berger.
The Wizards are more likely to sign a free agent who would fill their desire for backcourt help than to make a trade, the CBSSports.com scribe hears.
The Clippers are still the front-runners for Tayshaun Prince should he and the Celtics do a buyout deal, according to Berger, who adds that Boston is trying to trade Brandon Bass.

Northwest Rumors: Kanter, Lawson, Afflalo

February 17th, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Chuck Myron

The Northwest Division includes the Nuggets, who are as active if not more so than any other club as the deadline draws near, the Thunder, who’ve been frequently linked to Brook Lopez and have a trade candidate of their own in Reggie Jackson, and Enes Kanter, who wants off the Jazz. It’s also home to the Timberwolves, who last week took part in the first two trades of February. The Trail Blazers have come up in rumors, too. Here’s more from what could be the NBA’s division to watch between now and 2pm Central time on Thursday:

The Jazz offered Kanter a four-year, $32MM extension this past fall, but the Max Ergul client’s representatives wanted a deal akin to the max contract worth nearly $63MM over four years that Gordon Hayward signed this summer, sources tell Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

The Nuggets have received calls from numerous teams about Ty Lawson, but have so far turned away those suitors, sources tell Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who adds that the Nuggets haven’t actively shopped the point guard (Twitter links). Denver and the Celtics reportedly engaged in exploratory talks about Lawson, and the Bucks have been loosely connected to him as well.
The interest the Thunder have in Arron Afflalo is strong, as a source describes it to Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported Monday that the Thunder had spoken with the Nuggets about Afflalo, nonetheless adding that none of the conversations that Denver was having with several teams about the shooting guard had advanced to a serious stage.
Utah is indeed asking for a lot in any deal involving Kanter, but several teams are in pursuit, executives tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski lists a young player and a first-rounder as two sorts of assets the Jazz would want, but it’s unclear if they would require both to get a deal done. Still, a league source later reaffirmed to Scotto (Twitter link) what Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune had heard Monday, when Jones wrote that Utah is unlikely to trade the center and that while the Jazz will listen to offers, he remains in the team’s plans.

Latest On Brook Lopez

February 17th, 2015 at 7:24am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 7:24am: The Nets haven’t had any recent talks with Oklahoma City, as Robert Windrem of NetsDaily hears (Twitter link), adding that Brooklyn has no interest in Stephenson at this point. The Nets aren’t close to any deals, and there’s nothing that’s come up in discussion that makes any sense for Brooklyn, sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 2:25pm: The Nets are being aggressive in their attempts to trade Brook Lopez in advance of Thursday’s 2pm Central deadline, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes amid his weekly power rankings. However, a source tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that there hasn’t been much movement on the Lopez front, with Nets GM Billy King giving other teams the feeling that he’s OK with keeping Lopez and building around him. Oklahoma City would like to pick up its talks with Brooklyn about Lopez, even though the Thunder aren’t willing to overpay for him, Deveney writes. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears the Nets and Thunder are working toward a Lopez deal, though it’s unclear how close the sides are to any sort of agreement. Amico intimates that the Nets would like to receive Steven Adams, but Oklahoma City is making him off-limits for any trade, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.

The Nets and Thunder were the most active teams as trade chatter mounted around the league Sunday night, and they may end up doing a deal with each other, as Kennedy reported earlier. Grantland’s Zach Lowe also wrote that the Nets are active, but he said Brooklyn won’t make any deal just for the sake of doing so and wants flexibility and assets it can use for the future. A proposal that would have sent Lopez to the Thunder last month would largely have been a salary dump, with Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb among the pieces that would have headed Brooklyn’s way. There was also a three-team idea involving the Hornets that would have sent Lance Stephenson to the Nets and Lopez to Oklahoma City, but the Nets decided against that one. The Hornets would have liked to have acquired Lopez for themselves, but the Nets preferred to send him to the Western Conference, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported last month. The Nuggets, Heat, Lakers, Rockets all reportedly had some level of interest in Lopez as of earlier this season.

The Nets signaled to other teams a month ago that they wanted to make a Lopez deal within a few days, but they decided instead to keep him amid unappealing offers, as Wojnarowski wrote at the time. Brooklyn officials departed the talks amid their desire to build more consensus within the organization before moving ahead with any trade, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com, so that might explain today’s divergent narratives. Lopez is making more than $15.719MM this season, and there have been conflicting reports about the likelihood that he’ll pick up next season’s player option, worth in excess of $16.744MM. Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors took a look earlier at the trade candidacy of the former All-Star who has started only 22 of 42 games for the Nets this year.