Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Thunder Rumors

Bucks Exploring Luke Ridnour Trade

July 10th, 2013 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Timberwolves continue to explore ways to create enough room to bring aboard Corey Brewer, the Bucks have emerged as a potential destination for trade candidate Luke Ridnour, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Stein reports that the Bucks are prepared to acquire Ridnour from the Wolves, which would allow Minnesota to sign Brewer and acquire Kevin Martin via sign-and-trade (Twitter links).

If the T-Wolves were to send Ridnour to the Bucks, Minnesota would have $47,420,858 in team salary on its books, by my estimation. That figure includes cap holds for Chase Budinger, Nikola Pekovic, Shabazz Muhammad, and Gorgui Dieng. With a cap line of $58,679,000 in play, the Wolves would have about $11.26MM in space to fit in Brewer and Martin.

$11.26MM in cap room would seem to be close to enough to sign both players outright, but Stein's indication that a sign-and-trade deal for Martin is in the works suggests that maybe Minnesota would have to clear a tiny bit more salary. According to Stein (Twitter link), the Thunder are willing to participate in a Martin sign-and-trade in order to acquire a trade exception, but perhaps they'll acquire a small-salary player like Chris Johnson from the Wolves in the proposed deal as well.

From the Bucks' perspective, it's not clear how the potential acquisition of Ridnour would affect their pursuit of Jeff Teague, or the possibility that they bring back Brandon Jennings.

Repost Share Send via email

Wolves Closing In On Deal With Corey Brewer

July 10th, 2013 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are closing in on a three-year deal with Corey Brewer worth something in the $15MM range, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). The details of whether the Wolves would be able to sign Brewer outright or negotiate a sign-and-trade are still being worked out, according to Stein (via Twitter).

Meanwhile, there are no doubts that Kevin Martin remains on track to join the Timberwolves, according to Stein, who tweets that Martin has agreed to delay his signing to allow Minnesota the chance to obtain Brewer. We heard earlier today that the Thunder and Nuggets were resisting accommodating sign-and-trade deals for Martin and Brewer, respectively, but "rumbles persist" that Luke Ridnour could go to OKC as part of a possible sign-and-trade for Martin, according to Stein (via Twitter).

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported today (via Twitter) that sign-and-trade talks involving Martin and Brewer are being pushed by Relativity Sports, the agency for both players.

Repost Share Send via email

Thunder Sign Andre Roberson

July 10th, 2013 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have formally signed first-round pick Andre Roberson to a rookie-scale contract, according to RealGM.com's transactions log.

Roberson, 21, was selected 26th overall by Oklahoma City last month, after the club moved up three spots to snag him. The 6'7" forward averaged a double-double in his junior year at Colorado, recording 10.9 PPG to go along with 11.2 RPG.

Roberson will likely receive a first-year salary of about $1.11MM, 120% of his rookie-scale cap hold.

Repost Share Send via email

Spurs Made Run At Andrei Kirilenko

July 10th, 2013 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs explored the possibility of acquiring Andrei Kirilenko from the Timberwolves via a sign-and-trade deal, but talks between the two sides appear to have ended without an agreement, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Although San Antonio seriously considered a multiyear offer for Kirilenko, the club doesn't have the cap space or exception room to add the Russian forward without a sign-and-trade. So far though, Timberwolves president Flip Saunders has shown little, if any, inclination to assist Kirilenko in securing a significant financial commitment from another club, sources tell Wojnarowski.

Kirilenko and the Spurs had been discussing an annual salary worth about $8-9MM, and Minnesota was unwilling to take back the salary necessary to complete a sign-and-trade for that amount, says Wojnarowski. Doing so would have compromised the Wolves' ability to add free agents Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger, and would have affected their continued pursuit of Corey Brewer.

According to Wojnarowski, the Thunder have resisted the idea of accommodating a sign-and-trade for Martin, while the Nuggets have been similarly reluctant to work out a sign-and-trade involving Brewer. Denver isn't interested in acquiring Luke Ridnour or J.J. Barea, which would likely be necessary for Brewer to earn a $5MM annual salary with the Wolves, notes Wojnarowski.

Although the Nuggets were also very interested in re-signing their own free agent swingman, the team has been unwilling to go as high as the Wolves on an offer for Brewer. With other teams also in the mix, it now appears unlikely that Brewer will return to Denver, according to Woj.

Repost Share Send via email

World Peace Interested In Knicks If Amnestied

July 9th, 2013 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Repost Share Send via email

2013 Amnesty Primer

July 9th, 2013 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Today is the last day of the July moratorium, which means NBA teams can officially resume full activity beginning tomorrow. In addition to signaling the end of the moratorium, July 10th also marks the first day that teams are eligible to amnesty players. This year's amnesty period will run from the 10th until the 16th — after that, teams that still haven't used their amnesty clause won't get another chance to do so until next July.

With amnesty week upon us, here's a refresher on how the process works, which teams still have the amnesty option available, and which players remain amnesty-eligible….

How does it work?

The amnesty provision provides a team an opportunity to clear a bad contract from its books for salary cap and luxury tax purposes. Although a team still has to pay the remainder of the amnestied player's salary, as it would for any released player, the player's salary no longer counts against the team's cap (except for minimum payroll purposes) when the amnesty clause is used. For instance, if and when the Lakers amnesty Metta World Peace, they'll still pay him his full $7,727,280 salary for 2013/14, but will remove that figure from the cap, significantly reducing the team's tax bill.

The amnesty provision can be used on any player, as long as the following rules are observed:

  • A team can only amnesty one player — not one player per season.
  • The amnesty provision can only be used on a player who signed his contract prior to July 1st, 2011. If a contract was signed, extended, or renegotiated after that date, the player cannot be amnestied.
  • A team can only use its amnesty provision on a player who was on its roster on July 1st, 2011. If a player was traded after that date, he cannot be amnestied.
  • The amnesty clause can only be used during the seven days following the July moratorium. If a team doesn't amnesty a player during that week, it won't get another chance to do so until the following July.
  • A team that has yet to use its amnesty clause can do so in any of the next three years. The 2015/16 season is the last year in which a player can be amnestied under the current CBA.

Amnestied players are placed on waivers, but the waiver rules are slightly different than usual. An under-the-cap team can still place a full waiver claim on an amnestied player, if it doesn't mind being on the hook for the rest of the player's contract. However, clubs also have the option to submit partial waiver claims, in what essentially amounts to an auction for the player's services. If no team places a full claim, the team with the highest partial claim is awarded the player. If two teams bid the same amount, the club with the worse record wins out. If neither a full or partial claim is submitted, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

For a few more details on the amnesty process, check out our complete explanation in the Hoops Rumors glossary.

Which teams still have the amnesty provision available?

Exactly half of the NBA's 30 teams have used the amnesty provision in the last two offseasons, leaving 15 clubs with the option of amnesty still at their disposal. These are the teams still in play, per our amnesty provision tracker:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Charlotte Bobcats
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz

The Pelicans no longer have any amnesty-eligible players left on their roster, and reports have suggested the Bobcats will amnesty Tyrus Thomas, while the Lakers will amnesty World Peace. That would leave just 12 teams with the amnesty option available.

Which players are still eligible to be amnestied?

While there are 35 players still eligible to be amnestied, some are likelier candidates than others. I examined a few of this summer's potential amnesty candidates back in March, but here's the complete list of players that technically remain amnesty-eligible, along with the total money left on their deals:

Repost Share Send via email

Wolves Rumors: Pekovic, Martin, Trades, Rubio

July 8th, 2013 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

According to reports from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, the Timberwolves have formally extended a multiyear contract offer to restricted free agent Nikola Pekovic. Zgoda, who expects Pekovic to sign a four-year deal worth $12MM or more, says the offer was made on Friday and that the Wolves expect an answer from the big man's camp early this week.

Here's more out of Minnesota from Wolfson:

  • The Thunder have interest in signing-and-trading Kevin Martin to the Wolves, but an outright signing is more likely. Andrei Kirilenko's camp is also pushing for a sign-and-trade, says Wolfson, but the Wolves are more likely to simply renounce his rights.
  • In their search for a defensive-minded wing, the Wolves are exploring trades involving Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea. While Ridnour is drawing more interest, the team may prefer to move Barea, since head coach Rick Adelman likes Ridnour.
  • Prior to being waived yesterday, Greg Stiemsma was offered to every team in trade talks, but no clubs were willing to give up anything of value.
  • The Wolves have inquired on Chauncey Billups, but are focusing on other needs for now.
  • Barring an unforeseen catastrophe, Ricky Rubio will be offered a new five-year contract next summer, when he becomes extension-eligible.
  • While Wizards exec Milt Newton appeared to be a candidate for the Wolves' GM job, he'll likely remain in Washington. Wolves president Flip Saunders figures to promote internally for the team's GM job, with Wolfson citing Rob Babcock as a possibility.
Repost Share Send via email

Mutual Interest Between Thunder, Derek Fisher

July 6th, 2013 at 12:23am CST by Chuck Myron

There's mutual interest between Derek Fisher and the Thunder, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The Thunder are considering Fisher, among several options, for the role of third point guard behind Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson, but history and "mutual respect" are helping Fisher's case, Berger writes (Twitter links).

Fisher has finished the last two seasons with the Thunder after signing in the middle of the year. The veteran has played a key role in the team's last two playoff runs, averaging 22.3 minutes per contest in the 2011/12 postseason and 23.7 MPG this spring.

If the Thunder bring back the Landmark Sports Agency client, it figures to be on a minimum-salary deal. Even though Kevin Martin agreed to sign with the Wolves, Oklahoma City is still in line to be over the cap, so the team will have to rely on exceptions to replace Martin and improve the roster for next season.

Repost Share Send via email

FA Updates: Evans, Josh Smith, Pekovic, Clark

July 3rd, 2013 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyreke Evans has been one of the most intriguing stories in free agency so far, with the Pelicans having extended a four-year, $44MM offer to the 23-year-old. Still, Evans has yet to agree to sign that offer, and there's no guarantee he'll do so, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. The situation remains fluid, and Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) believes if the Kings make Evans a comparable offer, he'd prefer to sign it and stay in Sacramento.

Let's round up a few more of today's free agent updates….

  • As they continue to explore the possibility of making a big splash, the Warriors are trying to set up a meeting with Josh Smith, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Sulia). However, Smith doesn't seem as interested in the Warriors, who Thompson says "aren't going to jump as high as others to get him."
  • Don't expect a whole lot of movement in talks for Nikola Pekovic until after Dwight Howard makes his decision, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
  • Sean Deveney of the Sporting News says (via Twitter) the Cavaliers are being extremely aggressive in their pursuit of Earl Clark, meeting with him yesterday and again today, though no offer has been extended yet.
  • Dorell Wright met with the Thunder yesterday and was presented with one- and two-year contract offers, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that Wright received a similar proposal from the Trail Blazers. The Spurs, Grizzlies, and Mavericks also have interest in Wright, says Spears (via Twitter).
  • Australian forward Joe Ingles is drawing interest from four NBA teams, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com, listing the Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Clippers as possible suitors for the 25-year-old.
Repost Share Send via email

Odds & Ends: Kings, Lee, Martin, Cavs, Bulls

July 1st, 2013 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Tyreke Evans is being courted by the Pelicans and Andre Iguodala is reportedly drawing interest from several teams, but the Kings are expected to make a pitch to both players today. Bryan May of News10 in Sacramento reports (via Twitter) that Sacramento brass is scheduled to meet with Evans and Iguodala in Los Angeles today.

Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

Repost Share Send via email
Load More Posts