Dion Waiters Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Contract Details: Selden, Waiters, Celtics, Eddie

July 28th, 2016 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

After passing along a handful of contract details last night, we’ve got several more to round up. Let’s dive right in…

The Grizzlies added Wayne Selden to their offseason roster with a summer contract, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, who notes (via Twitter) that the training-camp, minimum-salary deal offers no real injury protection for the former Jayhawk.
Dion Waiters‘ new two-year deal with the Heat features a 15% trade kicker, tweets Pincus.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical has the details on Demetrius Jackson‘s and Ben Bentil‘s contracts with the Celtics. Jackson’s four-year deal, which is worth nearly $5.5MM in total, starts at $1.45MM fully guaranteed in 2016/17, and declines annually in subsequent seasons. Bentil, meanwhile, got a three-year, minimum-salary pact that is partially guaranteed for $250K in year one.
According to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com, the Wizards guaranteed $175K of Jarell Eddie‘s contract in order to get him to agree to push his guarantee deadline back. Eddie originally would have been owed his full salary if he hadn’t been waived by July 15, but the two sides worked out an arrangement to postpone that deadline to October.
Mike Tobey received a $75K on his two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Hornets, while Beau Beech got $45K guaranteed on his one-year, minimum-salary pact with the Nets, according to Pincus (Twitter links).

Heat Notes: Waiters, Johnson, Offseason

July 26th, 2016 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Dion Waiters‘ new two-year deal with the Heat is worth a little under $6MM, which is less than he would have earned in the 2016/17 season alone if he had accepted his qualifying offer from the Thunder before Oklahoma City rescinded it. As Waiters explains in an Instagram post, he believes he could have waited out the market and “got what I wanted” in terms of salary, but he decided to join the Heat because he believes he’ll be happy in Miami.

“I didn’t do it for the money,” Waiters wrote. “I did it for the opportunity to go out & ball & have fun. Everything else will take care of its self!!! I just felt like it was the best situation for me…& my family.”

Here’s more on Waiters, along with some other Heat-related notes:

According to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (via Twitter), the Heat may have been close to extending an offer sheet to Waiters earlier in July, when he was still a restricted free agent. Miami ultimately used its cap room on other players, and was able to land Waiters at a lesser rate.
Like most NBA observers, Tyler Johnson didn’t expect Dwyane Wade to leave Miami, and was therefore “almost 100% sure” that he’d end up in Brooklyn, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. But he’s happy to be back with the Heat and he’s still adjusting to the fact that he’s a $50MM player. “I threw up a couple of times when I heard the number go out there,” Johnson said. “I was in shock. I even lost a little bit of weight, because just the anxiety of going through that whole process and not knowing where I was going to be.”
In his latest mailbags for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman discusses the big-picture fit for Waiters in Miami, and addresses some questions about the Heat’s offseason roster-building decisions.

Heat Sign Dion Waiters

July 26th, 2016 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

JULY 26, 12:27pm: The Heat have officially signed Waiters, the team confirmed today in a press release.

“Dion is not a Room Exception player,” team president Pat Riley said in a statement. “He wanted to play for the Miami HEAT and chose to forgo other more lucrative financial opportunities to be a part of our championship organization. We are very honored that he made the commitment to come to South Florida and sign with us. Dion is young, athletic and explosive, which fits in with our roster. He will add a great dimension for us at the off-guard spot. I really like the depth and versatility that we now have in our perimeter positions. Welcome aboard Dion!”

JULY 25, 3:48pm: Waiters received a two-year deal worth nearly $6MM, sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The club did use its room exception and Waiters has a player option on the second year, Wojnarowski adds.

2:13pm: The Heat have reached an agreement on a new contract with free agent shooting guard Dion Waiters, according to Jon Krawczynski and Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The AP duo reports that Waiters will sign a one-year deal with Miami worth the club’s $2.898MM room exception.

Given the kind of money we’ve seen thrown around so far this month, a one-year, $2.898MM deal for Waiters looks incredibly team-friendly. At the start of free agency, the Thunder issued a qualifying offer worth $6,777,589 to Waiters, making him a restricted free agent. Although Oklahoma City later rescinded that offer, allowing the 24-year-old to hit the open market, Waiters could have signed that one-year QO at any time while it was still on the table. Instead, he’ll earn less than half that amount with Miami.

Heat president Pat Riley indicated at a recent press conference that his team didn’t intend to use its room exception this summer, preferring to save it for a potential mid-season acquisition. Of course, Riley likely didn’t anticipate a player of Waiters’ caliber being willing to sign for such a modest one-year deal.

A former fourth overall pick, Waiters hasn’t developed into a star, but he has been a steady scorer off the bench over the course of his four NBA seasons. For his career, he has averaged 12.8 PPG, with a shooting line of .411/.334/.707. Last season, he appeared in 78 games (15 starts) for Oklahoma City, averaging a career-low 9.8 points for the Northwest division champs.

Although the Heat suffered a major blow when Dwyane Wade decided to sign with the Bulls rather than returning to Miami, the team has been active as it attempts to replace Wade’s production and fill the holes on its roster. As our Free Agent Tracker shows, the Heat have signed or re-signed veteran free agents Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson, James Johnson, Willie Reed, Derrick Williams, and Hassan Whiteside, in addition to Waiters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Thunder Rumors: Westbrook, Payne, Abrines

July 25th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook doesn’t want to be traded, sources told Royce Young of ESPN.com. Westbrook isn’t sure what he wants to do long-term but he wants to remain with the Thunder at least one more season, Young continues. The Thunder aren’t interested in a full rebuild and have told other teams that Westbrook is untouchable, but they want him to sign an extension so they don’t risk losing him in free agency, as they did with Kevin Durant, according to Young. Oklahoma City’s front office has avoiding signing any major free agents until Westbrook gives them an answer, Young adds.

In other news involving the Thunder:

The Thunder can now give Westbrook a max-level extension because of Dion Waiters‘ decision to sign with the Heat, Young writes in a separate piece. Oklahoma City rescinded Waiters’ $6.8MM qualifying offer last week but did not renounce him, leaving a $12.8MM cap hold on its books. The Thunder will be approximately $14MM under the cap without that cap hold, giving them sufficient room to ink Westbrook to a maximum extension, Young continues. Westbrook is scheduled to make $17.7MM this season, but that could be upgraded to approximately $27.5MM on a renegotiated deal, under Young’s calculations. Westbrook would receive a higher salary via an extension than he could make on the free agent market next summer, Young adds.
Cameron Payne had surgery for a Jones fracture in his right foot on Monday but the reserve point guard should be ready by training camp, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman reports. Payne had some discomfort with the foot throughout last season but continued to play despite using a walking boot after practices, beginning in mid-March, Slater continues. Payne led the Orlando summer league with an 18.8 scoring average but when tests revealed that his foot injury could be a long-term issue, the club opted to get the surgery done immediately, Slater adds.
The team used $5.99MM in cap room this season to sign Euro swingman Alex Abrines and $17.18MM over three years, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Abrines, who turns 23 next month, averaged 9.3 PPG and shot 41.7% from three-point range in 25 Euroleague games this past season.

Free Agent Notes: T. Robinson, K. Martin, Waiters

July 22nd, 2016 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

David Lee is one of the more noteworthy scoring big men remaining on the free agent market, while Alan Anderson and Steve Novak are among the veteran shooters still available. All three players are in talks with multiple teams, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Sam Amico of Amico Hoops, though Bartelstein doesn’t specify potential suitors for his clients.

Although free agent spending this summer has reached new highs, we’re at the point in the offseason where most veteran free agents left on the market – especially players like Lee, Anderson and Novak, who were sidelined by injuries last season – will have trouble finding deals worth more than the minimum. Many teams don’t even have roster spots available for another guaranteed contract or two, so we’ll have to wait and see if those veterans (and others) will be able to find new homes in the coming days or weeks.

Let’s check in on some other free agent updates from around the NBA:

After opting out of his contract with the Nets last month, Thomas Robinson has drawn interest from the Pacers, Suns, and Hawks, league sources tell Amico. Robinson’s player option for 2016/17 was worth the minimum, so if he can land a guaranteed offer, it won’t have been a mistake to turn down that option.
Free agent guard Kevin Martin has received some interest from the Clippers, Bulls, and Pistons, according to Amico. Chicago and Detroit both have fewer than 15 guaranteed contracts on their books, and still have their $2.9MM room exception available.
One free agent who should be in line for a deal worth significantly more than the minimum is Dion Waiters, who is now unrestricted. However, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman notes that Waiters hasn’t generated the sort of interest he had hoped to, and wonders if the 24-year-old’s disastrous final three games against Golden State hurt his stock.

Atlantic Notes: Waiters, Zeller, Lin, Marks

July 20th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The off-court incidents the Sixers suffered through with Jahlil Okafor last season may make them less likely to pursue Dion Waiters, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Waiters became an unrestricted free agent Monday when the Thunder rescinded their qualifying offer. While it make might make sense for the South Philadelphia native to join a team like the Sixers that needs backcourt help, some in the organization reportedly see Waiters as a potential behavioral problem and don’t want his outspoken personality to affect the team’s younger players. However, a league source tells Pompey that the Sixers have talked to Waiters and negotiations could resume. The Nets and Lakers are also seen as options because of the amount of cap space they have remaining.

There’s more news from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics are leaving themselves the maximum amount of flexibility as they work to pull off a major deal, writes Kevin O’Connor of CSNNE. None of the draft picks has been signed, O’Connor notes, and nothing has been done with Tyler Zeller, who is a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer last month. The Celtics can withdraw that $3.7MM offer any time before Saturday if they need more cap space. If a team submits an offer sheet to Zeller before then, Boston can match, but O’Connor writes that there are only seven teams left with enough cap room to make an enticing offer, and most of them are already set at center. A sign-and-trade deal involving Zeller is possible if the Celtics find the right trade.
Jeremy Lin compares joining the Nets with investing in a “startup company,” tweets Andy Vasquez of The Record. “I’m betting on certain people,” Lin said. “I’m betting on [coach] Kenny [Atkinson]. I’m betting on [GM] Sean [Marks]. I’m betting on myself. I’m betting on Brook [Lopez]. I’m betting on the way I feel. If I didn’t feel like this has the chance to go where I want it to go, then I wouldn’t have signed up for it.”
The Nets have a little more than $20MM in remaining cap room, but Marks calls reaching the spending floor “the least of my concerns,” Vasquez relays (Twitter link). The new GM prefers to enter the season with cap flexibility.

Free Agency Rumors: Nets, Waiters, Motiejunas

July 20th, 2016 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

When the Thunder rescinded their qualifying offer to Dion Waiters earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical identified the Nets as a potential suitor for Waiters. However, NetsDaily later expressed skepticism that Brooklyn would pursue the free agent guard.

Today, ESPN’s Marc Stein (all Twitter links) weighs in on the subject, reporting that the Nets had a face-to-face meeting with Waiters earlier this month in Las Vegas, but moved on without working out a deal with him. Although that meeting happened when Waiters was still a restricted free agent, Stein suggests there’s no indication yet that Brooklyn has altered its stance on pursuing the 24-year-old now that he’s a UFA.

Let’s check in on a few other free agency notes from around the NBA…

Donatas Motiejunas is one of just three restricted free agents still on the market, and he spoke to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston about his status. According to Motiejunas, his agent remains in touch with the Rockets, but he’s also talking to other possible suitors. “There are a couple of teams that still have a lot of interest in me,” Motiejunas said. “I’m not necessarily back (with the Rockets). There are teams that also have a chance to offer (a contract). You never know what’s going to happen, but if it ends up I’m coming back, I’m really happy.”
Rodrigue Beaubois will decline a partially-guaranteed minimum-salary contract offer from the Mavericks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Dallas was willing to give Beaubois a chance to compete for a roster spot this fall, but it sounds like the free agent guard is close to agreeing to a deal with Spanish team Saski Baskonia instead. Beaubois, a former first-round pick, has played overseas for the last several seasons and had a much larger role than he ever did in the NBA.
While Tyler Johnson would have been happy to join the Nets after signing an offer sheet with Brooklyn, he was hoping the Heat would match it, as he tells Couper Moorhead of Heat.com. “This is where I’m most comfortable. This is where I’ve found my way in the league. This is where my friends are at. These are the people that I’ve gone through battles with,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day I was still hoping I could figure out a way to come back and be in a HEAT uniform.”
The Cavaliers are playing it smart by being patient and cautious with J.R. Smith in free agency, opines Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com.

Free Agency Notes: Blazers, Harkless, Rockets

July 19th, 2016 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Brooklyn and Philadelphia have frequently been linked to Dion Waiters this offseason, and the Thunder made it easier to sign him by rescinding his qualifying offer on Monday and making him an unrestricted free agent. However, Net Income of NetsDaily is unconvinced that the Nets have real interest in Waiters, pointing out that the team wants to maintain cap room and was in no hurry to sign him to an offer sheet after missing out on Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe.

Here’s more on free agency from around the NBA:

With Waiters’ QO off the board, Maurice Harkless is now one of just three restricted free agents still available, along with Tyler Zeller and Donatas Motiejunas. However, Harkless and the Trail Blazers are no closer to reaching a deal, agent Happy Walters tells Jason Quick of CSNNW.com. According to Walters, via Quick, a few other teams have shown interest in Harkless, but the RFA forward wants to return to Portland. The agent acknowledged there’s a chance Harkless will ultimately sign his QO and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Former NBA guard Bobby Brown, who has spent the last several seasons playing overseas, has been training this summer with James Harden and the Rockets, and there’s mutual interest between Houston and Brown in a vet-camp deal, per international basketball journalist David Pick (Twitter link).
Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at the Rockets‘ summer so far, outlining how Houston ended up landing a day-one meeting with Kent Bazemore, how close the team was to landing Bazemore, and the role Harden played in recruiting Eric Gordon.

Thunder Rescind Dion Waiters’ Qualifying Offer

July 18th, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder have rescinded Dion Waiters‘ qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Without the threat of Oklahoma City matching an offer sheet, the appeal of signing the 24-year-old becomes greater, especially for the Sixers and Nets, Wojnarowski adds on Twitter. Both teams have previously shown interest in the Philadelphia native.

Oklahoma City still holds Waiters’ Bird Rights and it’s possible that the team could still re-sign the shooting guard. Wojnarowski added (Twitter link) that the team wanted the cap-space flexibility, possibly to renegotiate a deal with Russell Westbrook.

The Thunder reportedly reached an agreement to bring Alex Abrines stateside earlier today. That, coupled with the draft night trade for Victor Oladipo, could signal the end of Waiters’ time in Oklahoma City since there may not be enough minutes in the backcourt to go around.

Waiters played 27.6 minutes per game last season, accumulating 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest. He shot a respectable 35.8% from behind the arc and while his shot selection wasn’t exemplary, it was better than in any of his previous seasons.

Nets Consider An Offer To Dion Waiters

July 10th, 2016 at 8:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent shooting guard Dion Waiters may be the next target for the Nets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Brooklyn is looking at other options after the Trail Blazers matched a $75MM offer sheet today for Allen Crabbe and the Heat did the same with a $50MM offer to Tyler Johnson.

The 6’4″ Waiters is a restricted free agent just like Crabbe and Johnson, so Oklahoma City would have the chance to match any offer. Waiters, who has spent a season and a half with the Thunder, averaged 9.8 points in 78 games this season.

Wojnarowski stresses that the Nets haven’t made a decision on Waiters, but they have been considering him as a backup plan and will discuss a formal offer this week. Brooklyn has about $36MM in cap room remaining.