Evan Fournier Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lowe’s Latest: Horford, Howard, Noel

June 29th, 2016 at 10:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks are reluctant to offer unrestricted free agent Al Horford a fifth year this summer, and if the team maintains that rigid stance it could risk losing him to another suitor, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in his free agency primer. The scribe names the Pistons as a team to watch regarding the center and notes that Detroit is working to set up a meeting with Horford during the first 48 hours of free agency. With veteran point guard Jeff Teague having already been traded, if the Hawks were to lose Horford and swingman Kent Bazemore this summer, it could prompt a full rebuild in Atlanta, Lowe writes. The scribe also notes that coach Mike Budenholzer‘s status as a team executive gives him more security to undertake a re-tooling effort.

Here’s more from Lowe:

Hornets unrestricted free agent forward Marvin Williams may be in line for a deal this summer in the range of two years and $38MM, according to Lowe’s estimations.
Teams are balking at the notion of paying Dwight Howard a max salary, even if it’s on a short-term deal, Lowe notes. The scribe adds that the center has a free agent meeting set up with the Celtics.
The Nets and Sixers have enough cap room to create early havoc in the free agent market and drive up prices around the league if they are aggressive in going after restricted free agents, Lowe writes. Brooklyn has strong interest in adding some high-character veterans, including Jared Dudley, Lowe relays. There are a number of teams that are worried Brooklyn will jump the market on unrestricted free agents with ties to new coach Kenny Atkinson (Jeremy Lin, Bazemore), and some under-the-radar young players, the scribe adds.
The Raptors will need to move at least one large contract in order to have a shot at re-signing both DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo, Lowe notes. To that end, Toronto has approached the Sixers about a trade involving a rotation player and other assets in exchange for Nerlens Noel, who could potentially replace Biyombo as backup center. These talks have not gained much traction, according to Lowe.
The Magic‘s acquisition of Jodie Meeks from the Pistons will have no bearing on their plans for restricted free agent Evan Fournier, Lowe notes, with Orlando being unsure of Meeks’ health heading into next season.
Lowe also speculates that the cap boom may lead to an increase in contract extensions, noting that Paul George (Pacers), DeMarcus Cousins (Kings), John Wall (Wizards) and Derrick Favors (Jazz) are all potential extension candidates this year.
The Pacers may look to trade shooting guard Monta Ellis this summer in an effort to free up more cap space, Lowe notes. Ellis, who is set to earn $10,763,500 in 2016/17, still has three years remaining on his current pact.
The NBPA is encouraging players to sign contracts that decline over time so they can get as much guaranteed money up front as possible, Lowe relays. This push is likely related to a potential lockout next summer when the league and union have the ability to opt out of the current CBA.

Sixers Rumors: Free Agency, Rubio, Beverley

June 29th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have generally steered clear of the free agent market, particularly when it comes to high-priced players, during their lengthy rebuilding process, but that approach could change this year. The team reportedly has “serious” interest in Harrison Barnes, who may be in line for a max contract, and agents who have spoken to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News suggest there’s a different vibe around the team this summer.

“By all indications, they’re going to be aggressive, and I think once you get past that first tier of free agents, you are going to have a perfect storm in Philadelphia that is going to make players want to go there,” one agent told Deveney. “Brett Brown is a good coach. They’ve got money. They’ve got playing time available. I mean, it couldn’t be a more different situation than what we’re used to.”

Here’s more on the Sixers, via Deveney:

More on the Sixers, from another player agent: “I’ve got guys who tell me they want to going there. I mean, excited to go there. It’s a different approach.”
Philadelphia isn’t expected to pursue top-tier free agents like Al Horford, but the team will be willing to gamble on young guards and wing players who could command large salaries, like Barnes. A source confirmed to Deveney that the Sixers do indeed plan to show interest in Dion Waiters and Allen Crabbe, as we’ve heard this week.
Evan Fournier and Jordan Clarkson are two more free agents who may receive consideration from the 76ers, but both players are restricted FAs and will be difficult to pry away from their current teams, writes Deveney.
The Sixers are expected to pursue “one or more point guards” on the trade market, according to Deveney, who says the team explored a possible deal for Ricky Rubio on draft night. Such a deal would have had to be a three-way trade to get the Timberwolves the veteran help they were seeking.
Per Deveney, Philadelphia has also expressed some trade interest in Patrick Beverley, whom the Rockets have reportedly shopped.

Fournier, Plumlee, Frazier Receive Qualifying Offers

June 29th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

If an NBA team intends to turn a player eligible for restricted free agency into a restricted free agent, that team must issue a qualifying offer before the new league year begins on July 1st. Clubs are gradually making those qualifying-offer decisions official, with Evan Fournier among the latest group of players to receive a QO from his team.

The Magic announced today in a press release that they’ve extended a qualifying offer to Fournier. That one-year offer figures to be worth about $4.434MM, a salary the 23-year-old will easily exceed on the open market, either on a new deal with Orlando on an offer sheet from another team. The Magic also confirmed within their press release that they’ve given Dewayne Dedmon a QO, as reported yesterday. The team won’t issue a QO to Andrew Nicholson, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Other players receiving qualifying offers from their respective teams include Miles Plumlee, who got a QO from the Bucks, per Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), and Tim Frazier, who received a QO from the Pelicans, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Plumlee’s offer will be worth about $3.113MM, while Frazier’s will be worth a modest $1.18MM.

A restricted free agent who receives a qualifying offer is welcome to sign that QO and return to his current team on a one-year deal. However, many RFAs will sign offer sheets with another suitor or work out a multiyear agreement with their current team. The club issuing the QO has the right of first refusal, meaning that team can match any offer sheet the RFA signs.

Southeast Notes: Wall, Durant, Batum, Ibaka

June 26th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

John Wall thinks fan overreaction may have discouraged Kevin Durant from considering the Wizards in free agency, relays J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Because Durant hails from the Washington, D.C., area, the Wizards were once thought to have a chance at landing him, but they aren’t among the seven teams expected to meet with Durant after free agency begins on Friday. “A lot of people will be devastated. But at the end of the day he never promised us anything,” Wall said. “Every day, everybody said KD-to-DC, coming to our games wearing all the Kevin Durant stuff, he didn’t like it at that time because you should cheer for the team that you got.”

There’s more news out of the Southeast Division:

Of the Hornets‘ five free agents, Nicolas Batum is most likely to return next season, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Bonnell sees a 70% likelihood that Batum remains with in Charlotte, and GM Rich Cho has said keeping him is the team’s top offseason priority. Bonnell believs the Hornets will need to offer a five-year deal at more than $20MM per season to be sure of re-signing Batum. For the rest of the team’s free agents, Bonnell puts the chances of keeping Marvin Williams at 50%, Jeremy Lin at 40%, Al Jefferson at 25% and Courtney Lee at 20%.
The Magic made good on their promise to be aggressive in trying to acquire veteran help when they pulled off a deal for Serge Ibaka, writes Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders. The trade may have been necessary because of the impending free agency of shooting guards Evan Fournier, who will hit the market this summer, and Victor Oladipo, who was shipped to Oklahoma City in the deal and will become a free agent in 2017. The Magic didn’t expect to re-sign both, according to Taylor, and didn’t want to lose them without getting something in return.
French shooting guard Isaia Cordinier, who was taken by Atlanta with the No. 44 pick in the draft, will probably play next season in France and join the Hawks for 2017/18, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Givony says Cordinier had a draft promise from a team in the late 30s or early 40s, but that team changed its mind and took someone else (Twitter link). Cordinier was expecting to join that franchise immediately and had asked other teams not to draft him (Twitter link).

Mavs Don’t Plan To Offer Max To Chandler Parsons

June 24th, 2016 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Chandler Parsons is heading for free agency after turning down his player option for 2016/17 with the Mavericks, and while Dallas has interest in bringing back the veteran forward, the team has made it clear to Parsons that it doesn’t intend to offer him a max contract, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Parsons’ camp, meanwhile, remains confident that he’ll command a max deal on the open market.

A report earlier this week indicated that the Mavericks’ top targets in free agency will be Hassan Whiteside and Mike Conley, and that the team would be willing to part ways with Parsons if it can acquire those two players. Dallas is willing to take the risk of Parsons reaching a deal with another team while the Mavs pursue their top targets, since Whiteside and Conley are believed to have interest in Dallas, says MacMahon.

If Parsons does leave Dallas, the Mavericks could pursue a replacement in free agency. MacMahon reports that Evan Fournier, Kent Bazemore, Evan Turner, and Marvin Williams are among the players the Mavs are looking at, assuming they have cap room to spend on a small forward. If they don’t have that spending flexibility, the Mavs wouldn’t mind having Justin Anderson taking on a larger role at the position.

As for Parsons, he will be “all ears” when potential suitors come calling in free agency, and looks forward to exploring his options, sources tell MacMahon. Despite undergoing multiple surgical procedures on his knee, Parsons has received clearance to resume basketball activities and multiple orthopedic specialists have expressed optimism that his knee trouble won’t derail or jeopardize his career.

And-Ones: Spurs, Diallo, Maker, Max Contracts

June 16th, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs are considering bringing 2011 draft-and-stash prospect Davis Bertans stateside, sources with knowledge of the situation tell David Pick of Bleacher Report. According to Pick, no agreement between the two sides has been reached, but the Latvian small forward – who is an excellent shooter – would “give strong consideration” to heading to San Antonio for a two-year deal worth $4MM. Bertans’ NBA opt-out, which expires in mid-July, is worth the standard $650K. San Antonio originally acquired Bertans’ NBA rights in the 2011 draft-night trade that sent George Hill to Indiana for Kawhi Leonard.

Here are a few more Thursday odds and ends from around the league:

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) is hearing that Kansas’ Cheick Diallo‘s stock on the rise. NBA people are high on Diallo’s motor, according to Rothstein, who says the former Jayhawks big man could be picked in the 15-20 range.
Like Diallo, Thon Maker has also seen his draft stock rise during pre-draft workouts, according to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. While most big boards project Maker as a late first-rounder, one Western Conference scouting director believes the seven-footer could come off the board “as high as 12.” An Eastern Conference assistant GM is slightly less bullish, suggesting to Woelfel that he sees No. 15 as Maker’s ceiling. According to Woelfel, the Bucks are fans of Maker and UNC’s Brice Johnson, though No. 10 is probably too high for either player.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical examines the new definition of a “max player,” identifying 11 pending free agents who could land maximum-salary contracts this offseason, including Warriors forward Harrison Barnes and Magic guard Evan Fournier.
A pair of former NBA second-round picks have secured new deals overseas. Former Louisville guard Peyton Siva, a 2013 Pistons draftee, has signed with Germany’s ALBA Berlin, according to international basketball reporter David Pick (Twitter link). Meanwhile, Greek guard Vassilis Spanoulis, selected way back in 2004 by the Mavericks, has inked a two-year extension with Olympiacos (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).

Eastern Notes: Fournier, Sixers, Nets, Wall

May 5th, 2016 at 12:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons targeted another Magic player before settling on the trade for Tobias Harris in February, and that player was likely Evan Fournier, as Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes in a slideshow of mostly far-fetched candidates to sign with the Pistons in free agency. Fournier is poised to become a restricted free agent in July, but Magic GM Rob Hennigan, who can match all competing bids for the swingman, expressed determination to keep him, and Fournier apparently wants to stay in Orlando.

See more from the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers struck deals to hire NBA Associate VP of basketball operations Ned Cohen to a high-ranking basketball operations job and Wizards VP of Scouting Marc Eversley as vice president of player personnel, report The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt and The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears (All Twitter links). Cohen and Eversley will presumably report to president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo. Many around the league regard Cohen highly and see him as a future GM, Wojnarowski tweets. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post previously reported the Sixers were interviewing Eversley, who worked under Colangelo on the Raptors.
The Nets have added several to their front office, including former No. 5 overall draft pick Shelden Williams, who’ll serve as a pro scout, and U.S. circuit court law clerk Natalie Jay, who’ll work as a cap and contract specialist, as the team details via press release. Spurs staffer Andrew Baker joins the Nets as strategic planning coordinator and Stanford assistant coach Charles Payne will be a pro and college scout for Brooklyn, the team announced. The Nets also said they promoted Ryan Gisriel to director of basketball administration. Gisriel has served the team as an intern, special projects coordinator and as assistant to the GM since his hiring in 2013.
John Wall has undergone procedures on both knees, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of next season, the Wizards announced.

Magic Notes: Fournier, Veterans, Hezonja

April 17th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Will Joseph

The Magic want to re-sign Evan Fournier, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “One of our biggest, if not our biggest, priorit[ies] is to make sure Evan stays with us,” Magic GM Rob Hennigan said, “and we’re confident we’ll be able to do that.” Orlando intends to pursue targeted free agents aggressive this summer but won’t overspend out of desperation if it doesn’t land one of its top targets, Robbins adds.

Here’s more out of Orlando:

The Magic would likely benefit from adding difference-making veterans this offseason, Robbins details in a separate piece. Jason Smith and C.J. Watson are the Magic’s most-tenured players, but they’re role players, Robbins writes. To add more experienced players, the Magic have up to $45MM in cap space for free agents, as Robbins points out.
Orlando does not have a star returning and its chances of landing one this summer are slim, but the Celtics and Hornets have proven that the Magic can still experience a winning season, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines.
Mario Hezonja figures to have a critical role for the Magic going forward and he will stay busy this summer by playing for Croatia in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament from July 4th through July 9th in Italy, Robbins writes in another piece. The summer between a player’s first and second seasons typically is a crucial time in a player’s career, as Robbins notes, so it will be interesting to see how Hezonja responds.

Southeast Notes: Morris, Humphries, Fournier

March 3rd, 2016 at 9:31am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards are giving Marcin Gortat more minutes down the stretch of late, and he prefers playing with Jared Dudley and Wizards trade acquisition Markieff Morris at power forward instead of Kris Humphries, who went out in the trade for Morris, notes J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic.

“It’s opportunities, being the guy who’s pretty much played the whole fourth quarter. I didn’t have that opportunity in the first 50 games,” Gortat said. “I’m definitely excited about playing more minutes. I think just having Markieff or Jared next to me in the starting lineup it’s a much better fit for me than Kris Humphries. Not picking on him but he just didn’t fit with me well. He’s a totally different player than Keef or Jared. I feel more comfortable playing with them.”

Gortat called Morris “a great teammate” and said the controversy surrounding him in Phoenix was overhyped, quipping that “we’re not giving him towels to throw at people,” a reference to the towel Morris tossed in former Suns coach Jeff Hornacek‘s direction in the midst of a December game, as Michael also relays. See more on the Wizards, and on Humphries, amid news from the Southeast Division:

The Wizards are likely to allow their $2,806,750 disabled player exception expire, Michael hears, writing in a separate story. Washington couldn’t use the majority of it anyway without going over the tax line. The deadline to use it is a week from today.
Soon-to-be restricted free agent Evan Fournier would like to re-sign with the Magic, observes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. GM Rob Hennigan has refuted the idea that the team isn’t entirely sold on the swingman, and reports indicated the Magic were hesitant to trade him at the deadline. “I really like to play for this team. I’m having my best year so far. There’s no reason for me to leave,” Fournier said.
The Hawks dipped into their room exception to sign Humphries to his deal for the rest of the season, giving him an even $1MM and not the prorated minimum salary as previously reported, reveals Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). That gave Humphries an even exchange on the buyout market, since he gave up $1MM to secure his release from the Suns, Pincus notes (on Twitter). Atlanta has about $900K left on its room exception in the wake of the Humphries signing.

Cavaliers Interested In Ryan Anderson

February 17th, 2016 at 10:27pm CST by Arthur Hill

10:27pm: The Wizards have talked with the Pelicans about acquiring Anderson, but prefer to pursue Kevin Durant rather than pay Anderson in free agency, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Anderson is expected to attract a salary starting at $16MM-$18MM when he hits the market this summer, and Washington would rather chase Durant without having to worry about Anderson.

Wojnarowski also reports that the Pistons and Pelicans had “serious talks” about Anderson before Detroit opted to trade for Tobias Harris on Tuesday. Detroit was interested in a larger deal with the Magic that included Evan Fournier, but Orlando wanted to keep him.

3:39pm: The Cavaliers are talking to the Pelicans about power forward Ryan Anderson, tweets Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. He adds that a three-team deal that includes Kevin Love is still possible. Cleveland has “strong interest” in acquiring Anderson, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

The Pelicans are motivated to move Anderson because they aren’t sure if they can keep him once he enters free agency this summer. New Orleans expects Anderson to receive an offer with a starting salary in the neighborhood of $16MM-$18MM. The Heat, Kings, Wizards and Pistons are among the teams rumored to have interest in Anderson, although Detroit may have pulled out after Tuesday’s trade for Tobias Harris.

If Love is included in a deal, it will end a tumultuous season and a half with the Cavaliers. After being acquired from Minnesota in a 2014 trade, Love was supposed to be part of a new Big Three in Cleveland, but the fit was never as smooth as expected. He posted scoring and rebounding totals that were far behind his numbers with the Wolves.

Anderson, an eight-year veteran stretch forward, is averaging 16.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 51 games with New Orleans. His salary is $8.5MM this season, while Love is making $19.5MM in the second season of a five-year max deal, so if they’re both involved in the same trade, some work will need to be done to match salaries.