Wojnarowski On Howard, Bynum, Nets
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports took to Twitter earlier today to write about Andrew Bynum's interest in the Mavericks, Cavaliers and Rockets as the Lakers center looks forward to free agency next summer. Wojnarowski has also been on top of the latest developments in the Dwight Howard saga today, and his latest story reveals plenty about arguably the two best centers in the NBA. We've got the highlights here:
- The Magic have "a strong distaste" for prolonged trade discussions about Howard, Wojnarowski reports, and the front office is united in its desire to find the best deal for Howard and send him on his way.
- Bynum's reluctance to commit to the Magic long-term if he were to be traded to Orlando has made the Nets the frontrunner for Howard, since the Magic don't want to acquire Bynum just to lose him next summer. The Lakers also compromised their ability to make a deal for Howard by sending their 2013 and 2015 first-round picks to the Suns in the Steve Nash deal.
- If Bynum is still with the Lakers after Howard is traded, he'll have "strong incentive" to sign an extension to remain in L.A. for the long term, sources told Wojnarowski.
J.J. Redick’s Contract To Become Guaranteed
The Magic have until 11:00pm Central time tonight to waive J.J. Redick without having to pay his $6.19MM salary for next season, but the team will keep him aboard, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. This coming season will be the last year of a three-year, $20.19MM deal, and the Magic could use his expiring contract as a trade chip, as Robbins notes (Twitter link).
Latest On Jordan Hill
Unrestricted free agent Jordan Hill has not yet made his decision about where to sign, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports via Twitter, despite Hill's cryptic tweet last night that seemed to indicate otherwise. There's no apparent timetable for a decision, as an agreement could be reached as early as tonight or a few weeks from now, Zgoda tweets.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Beasley, Rockets, Cousins
The Celtics have had a mixed bag of an offseason thus far as they've managed to retain major pieces such as Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green, but lost Ray Allen last week to the Heat. The latest news out of Boston makes the Jason Terry signing look even more important as Avery Bradley is expected to miss the start of the season as he undergoes surgery on his right shoulder later this week. While he could be back shortly after the season begins, the young guard will miss training camp and could be out until mid-December, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Let's check in around the league to catch up on the latest news and stories making headlines…
Ryan Anderson Likely Won’t Re-Sign With Magic
2:47pm: In a tweet from Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski, Anderson's contract will be four years, approximately $36MM. Also, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the trade for Anderson is not expected to interfere with New Orleans decision on whether or not they'll match the Suns offer sheet with Eric Gordon. But it does affect the futures of Chris Kaman and Carl Landry, two big men who played for the Hornets last season who are almost certain to find a new team shortly.
2:10pm: According to a tweet from the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins, the Magic are discussing a sign-and-trade deal with the Hornets centered around Ryan Anderson. Also, in a tweet from the New Orleans Time-Picayune's Jimmy Smith, the deal is close to being done, and involves current Hornets big man Gustavo Ayon.
1:29pm: Magic forward Ryan Anderson likely won't re-sign with the Magic, and will be dealt in a sign-and-trade, according to a tweet from Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski. Anderson is currently a restricted free agent. The Kings have reportedly been extremely interested in the sharp shooting forward's services, with hopes of playing him at the small forward position.
Odds & Ends: Hinrich, Bulls, Meeks, Mayo, Tolliver
- Ersan Ilyasova plans to meet with Bucks owner Herb Kohl on Tuesday, which is seen as an important opportunity in the team's effort to retain the 6'10'' forward (Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times reports). Earlier this week, we reported that Milwaukee offered a deal worth around $40MM over five years.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
There wasn't much movement on the Dwight Howard talks yesterday but the Nets, Lakers, Hawks, Mavericks, and Rockets are all still in play for the Magic star. Of course, four of those teams could have pause about trading for Howard as he says that he won't agree to an extension with any club other than Brooklyn. We'll keep track of the latest Howard rumors in this post..
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that the Rockets continue to have their eye on Dwight and are continuously exploring ways in which they can acquire draft picks and cap space. After dealing Kyle Lowry to the Raptors for a future first-round pick this past week, it is understood that Houston is engaging in sign-and-trade talks involving Marcus Camby under the premise of accumulating more draft picks, which could later be used to sweeten a trade offer to the Magic.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday
In yesterday's round-up of Dwight Howard rumors, we heard that the Nets and Magic were "still plugging away" in negotiations, and that the Magic are seeking cap relief in any deal. The Lakers also remain in the hunt, as Kobe Bryant would welcome the opportunity to play with Howard, even if he won't actively recruit him. As the Howard trade talks continue, we'll round up Friday's updates right here, with the latest items up top:
- There hasn't been any movement on the Howard talks today, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). In addition to the Nets and Lakers, the Hawks, Mavericks, and Rockets remain in play, Berger adds.
Earlier updates:
Free Agent Rumors: Jamison, Sessions, Lewis
Five days into free agency, a number of big names, such as Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash, are off the market. But there are still plenty of players out there looking for contracts. We'll wrap up many of today's free agent updates right here, with the latest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Antawn Jamison had dinner in Charlotte with Bobcats executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The former UNC star has also been talking to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Jamison's former agent, and will chat with head coach Mark Jackson in the near future.
- The Mavericks have reached out to Ramon Sessions for a second time and pitched a starting job to the veteran point guard, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Rashard Lewis will visit the Heat this weekend after having his contract bought out by the Hornets, reports David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter links). The Hawks and the Knicks are among other teams interested in the veteran forward.
Earlier updates:
Magic To Pick Up J.J. Redick’s $6MM Option
The Magic plan to pick up J.J. Redick's $6MM option on the final year of his contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). The former Duke star enjoyed a strong season as he set career highs in points per game (11.6), rebounds per game (2.3) and assists per game (2.5). Orlando has until July 8 to officially pick up Redick's option after agreeing to terms with Jameer Nelson on a multiyear deal earlier Thursday.